The royal couple had now taken the Duke of Somerset into their favor, and though he was exceedingly unpopular in England he succeeded to Suffolk's high office. He belonged to the house of Lancaster, and it is said that his violent temper caused the beginning of those dreadful "wars of the roses" that lasted for twenty years. He had a dispute with Warwick in the Temple Gardens, and plucked a red rose, calling on all the bystanders who sided with him to do likewise. Warwick chose a white rose, and did the same, and forever after the two parties of York and Lancaster were distinguished by this sign. Instead of endeavoring to settle the dispute, Queen Margaret wore the red rose, and very imprudently declared herself an opponent of the other party. In time the Duke of York became so powerful that the queen advised her husband to make an attack on him. He consented, and marched toward the Welsh border, but he was too weak to take a firm stand as he ought to have done to crush his enemy, and consented to an interview with York, who demanded that Somerset should first be put under arrest. Henry consented. York then disbanded his army and entered the king's tent quite alone. In the meantime the queen had contrived to get Somerset out of the Tower without Henry's knowledge. She then concealed him behind a curtain of the royal tent, so that he might be present at the interview. When York assured the king that he had taken up arms for the sole purpose of bringing Somerset to punishment, the concealed duke rushed from {293} [Illustration: 0297] {295}his hiding-place and accused his enemy of treason. A fierce quarrel ensued, during which the king stood speechless with astonishment. As York left the tent he was put under arrest, probably by the queen's order; but later, when he swore fealty to the king at St. Paul's Cathedral, he was released.