ENGLAND. 213 



loss of all their fine provinces in that kingdom, notwithstanding the 

 courage of Talbot the first earl of Shrewsbury, and their other 

 officers. The principal misfortune of England, at this time, was its 

 disunion at home. The duke of Gloucester lost his authority in the 

 government ; and the king married Margaret of Anjou, daughter to 

 the needy king of Sicily, a woman of a high spirit, but an implacable 

 disposition ; while the cardinal of Winchester, who was the richest 

 subject in England, if not in Europe, presided at the head of the 

 treasury, and by his avarice ruined the interest of England, both at 

 home and abroad. Next to the cardinal, the duke of York, who was 

 lord lieutenant of Ireland, was the most powerful subject in England, 

 He was descended by the mother's side from Lionel, an elder son of 

 Edward III, and prior in claim to the reigning king, who was des- 

 cended from John of Gaunt, Edward's youngest son : and he affected 

 to keep up the distinction of a white rose ; that of the house of Lan- 

 caster being red. It is certain that he paid no regard to the par- 

 liamentary entail of the crown upon the reigning family ; and he lost 

 no opportunity of forming a party to assert his right ; but acted at 

 first with a most profound dissimulation. The inglorious manage- 

 ment of the English affairs in France befriended him ; and upon his 

 arrival in England from Ireland, he found a strong party of the nobility 

 his friends ; but being considered as the fomenter of Cade's rebellion, 

 he professed the most profound reverence to Henry. 



The persons in high power and reputation in England, next to the 

 duke of York, were the earl of Salisbury, and his son the earl of 

 Warwick. The latter had the greatest land estate of any subject 

 in England ; and his vast abilities, joined to some virtues, rendered 

 him equally popular. Both father and son were secretly on the side 

 of York ; and during a fit of illness of the king, that duke was made 

 protector of the realm. Both sides now prepared for arms ; and the 

 king recovering, the queen with wonderful activity assembled an 

 army ; but the royalists were defeated in the first battle of St. Alban's, 

 and the king himself was taken prisoner. The duke of York was 

 once more declared protector of the kingdom ; but it was not long 

 before the queen resumed all her influence in the government, and 

 the king, though his weakness became every day more and more 

 visible, recovered all his authority. 



The duke of York upon this threw off the mask, and in 1459 openly 

 claimed the crown ; and the queen was again defeated by the earl of 

 Warwick, who was now called the king-maker. A parliament upon 

 this being assembled, it was enacted that Henry should possess the 

 throne for life, but that the duke of York should succeed him, to the 

 exclusion of all Henry's issue. The queen, however, refused to agree 

 to this compromise. She retreated northwards ; and the king being 

 still a prisoner, she pleaded his cause so well, that, assembling a fresh 

 army, she fought the battle of Wakefield, where the duke of York was 

 defeated and slain, in 1460. 



It is remarkable that, though the duke of York and his party openly 

 asserted his claim to the crown, they still professed allegiance to 

 Henry ; but the duke of York's son, afterwards Edward IV, prepared 

 to revenge his father's death, and obtained several victories over the 

 royalists. The queen however, advanced towards London ; and defeat- 

 ing the earl of Warwick, in the second battle of St. Alban's, she deliv- 

 ered her husband ; but the disorders committed by her northern 

 troops disgusted the Londoners so much, that she durst not enter 



