ENGL 
vowed, not only to abftain from all injury againft the 
princefs, but to devote himfelf entirely to her (ervice. 
By his means fhelived fome time concealed in the foreft, 
and was at laft condu&ed to the fea-coaft, whence (lie 
made lierefcape into Flanders. She parted thence to her 
father’s court, where (he lived feveral years in privacy 
and retirement. Her royal confort was neither fo fortu¬ 
nate nor fo dexterous in finding the means of efcape. 
Some of his friends took him under their protection, and 
conveyed him into Lancafhire ; where he remained con¬ 
cealed during a year; but lie was difcovered A. D. 1465, 
and delivered up to Edward, and thrown into the Tower. 
The imprifonment of Henry, the expulfion of Marga¬ 
ret, and the execution and confifcation of all the mod 
eminent Lancaftrians, feemed to give full fecurity to Ed¬ 
ward’s government. But the prince had no fooner van- 
quiflied his domeftic enemies, than he delivered himfelf 
up to the impulfe of his amorous portions. Elizabeth 
Grey, the daughter of the duchefs of Bedford, by her 
fecond marriage with fir Richard Woodville, and the wi¬ 
dow of fir John Grey of Groby, who had been (lain in 
the fecond battle of St. Albans, fighting on the fide of 
Lancafter, finding her hulband’s eftate confifcated, feized 
the opportunity, when the king was on a vifit to the 
duchefs of Bedford, to intreat his pity for her impove- 
rilhed and diftrefied children. The fight of fo much 
beauty in affliction, foon found its way to Edward’s heart; 
and he was reduced, in his turn, to the pofture of an 
humble fuppliant at the feet of Elizabeth. But the lady 
was either averfe to dilhonourable love, or inflamed with 
ambition; fo that the importunities of Edward proved 
fruitlefs againft her rigid and inflexible virtue. His 
paflion, (Emulated by a denial, carried him beyond all 
bounds ; and he offered to (hare with her his neart, as 
well as his throne. The marriage was privately cele¬ 
brated at Grafton; and the fecret was carefully kept 
for a time, from the dilemma to which the king was 
reduced. 
Before this interview with Elizabeth Grey, Edward 
had cart: his eye on Bona of Savoy, fifter of the queen of 
France, who, he hoped, would, by her marriage, enfure 
him the friendfhip of that power, which was then both 
able and inclined to give fupport and afliltance to his rival. 
To render the negociation more fuccefsful, the earl of 
Warwick had been difpatched to Paris, where the prin¬ 
cefs then relided. This nobleman had demanded Bona in 
marriage for the king; his propofals had been accepted ; 
and nothing remained but the ratification of the terms 
agreed on, and the bringing over the princefs to England. 
Matters were in this (late, when the fecret of Edward’s 
ftolen marriage broke out, and the haughty earl, deeming 
himfelf affronted, immediately returned to England, in¬ 
flamed with rage and indignation, which Edward feemed 
little difpofed to foften by explanation or apology. EVery 
incident, therefore, now tended to widen the breach be¬ 
tween the king and this powerful nobleman. All prefer¬ 
ments and honours were lavilhed on the queen’s friends 
and relations. Warwick bore with impatience the.dimi¬ 
nution of his influence ; and the nobility of England, en¬ 
vying the fudden growth of the Woodvilles, partook of 
his difcontent; but the mod confiderable artbciate that 
he gained was George duke of Clarence, the king’s fecond 
brother. This prince was allured by the offer in marriage 
of the elder daughter of Warwick, co-heirefs to his im- 
menfe fortunes, to join the party of that earl; and thus 
an extenfive and dangerous combination was infenfibly 
formed againft Edward and his miniftry. 
To fecure himfelf againft this faction, Edward, A, D. 
3469, entered into an alliance with Charles, furnamed the 
Bold, duke of Burgundy, whofe rich demefnes marked 
him as the proper perfon to oppofe the dark and dan¬ 
gerous ambition of Louis XI. Edward alio formed a 
league with the duke of Brittany; but from thefe fo¬ 
reign negociations his attention was withdrawn by do- 
nteftic inlurre&ion. The improper application of fome 
A ,N D. 019- 
part of the revenue of St. Leonard’s hofpital, near York, 
which had been deftined for the relief of the poor, pro¬ 
voked the common people to rife in arms. Thefe being 
headed by fir Henry Nevil and fir John Conyers, defeated 
and put to death the earl of Pembroke ; and feizing the 
earl of Rivers, the father of the queen, with his fon J ohn, 
immediately executed them. 
A dark (hade refts on,this part of the Englifh hiftory, 
and the real views and objects of the principal adtors can¬ 
not now be developed with any degree of certainty. At 
the commencement of this rebellion, Warwick refided, 
together with his fon-in-law, the duke of Clarence, in his 
government of Calais; and it appears, that his brother 
Montagu added with vigour againft the northern rebels. 
We may thence prefume, that the infurrection had not 
proceeded from the fecret counfels and inftigation of War¬ 
wick. He and Clarence indeed came over to England, 
offered their fervice to Edward, were received without 
any apparent fufpicion, and were entrufted by him in the 
higheft commands. Soon after, we find the rebels quieted 
and difperfed by a general pardon granted by Edward, on 
the fuggeftion of the earl of Warwick ; but why fo cou¬ 
rageous a prince, if fecure of Warwick’s fidelity, fhould 
have granted a general pardon to men who had been guilty 
of fuch violent and perfonal outrages, is not intelligible; 
nor why that nobleman, if unfaithful, fhould have endea¬ 
voured to appeafe a rebellion, from which he was able to 
reap fuch advantages. To folve this difficulty, we may 
prefume, that, after this infurreclion, there was an inter¬ 
val of peace, during which the king loaded the family of 
Nevil with honours and favours of the higheft nature; 
yet, it was not long after, that Edward, being invited to 
a feaft by the archbilhop of York, a younger brother of 
Warwick, entertained a fudden fufpicion that they in¬ 
tended tofcfeize his perfon, or to murder him; and in 
confequence abruptly left the entertainment. 
Another rebellion, which is as little accounted for as 
the preceding events, foon followed this; but it does not 
appear that the family of Nevil had any particular inte- 
reft in the quarter where it broke out, or were at all fuf- 
pedled in fomenting it. It arofe in Lincolnftiire, and was 
headed by fir Robert Welles, fon to the lord of that name. 
The army of the rebels amounted to thirty thoufand men; 
but the king having defeated them, took their commander 
priloner, and ordered him immediately to execution. Ed¬ 
ward, during thefe tranfaftions, had entertained fo little 
jealoufy of the earl of Warwick or duke of Clarence, that 
he fent them to levy forces againft the rebels ; but thefe 
malcontents, as foon as they left the court, railed troops 
in their own name, iffued declarations againft the govern¬ 
ment, and complained of grievances, oppreftions, and bad 
minifters. The unexpected defeat of Welles difconcerted 
all their meafures ; and they were obliged to dilband their 
army, and to fly into Devon(liire, whence they embarked, 
and made fail towards Calais. 
The deputy-governor, whom Warwick had left at Ca¬ 
lais, was named Vaucler, a Gafcon, who feeing him re¬ 
turn in this miferable condition, refufed him admittance; 
nor would he permit even the duchefs of Clarence to 
land, though a few days before (lie had been delivered 
on (hip-board of a for., and was at that time much indif- 
pofed. A little wine for the ufe of the ladies was all 
that he would fuffer to be carried on-board; but he fe- 
cretly palliated his conduct to Warw ick, by alleging that 
the fortrefs was ill fupplied with provifions, and that he 
could not rely on the obedience of the garrifon. The 
earl at lead aft'eCfed to be convinced ; and Warwick im¬ 
mediately repaired to the court of Paris. The king of 
France received him with the greateft regard; and jea¬ 
lous of the alliance between Edward and the duke of 
Burgundy, he hoped to make him his inftrument for re- 
eftabliftiing the houfe of Lancafter. Nothing could ex¬ 
ceed the animofity which had prevailed between that 
houfe and the earl of Warwick. But his prelent diftrertes, 
and the entreaties of Louis, made him hearken to terms 
of 
