After the battle, Edward entered York, and had the heads of his father and of his other friends taken down from the gates and most honourably interred; and magnificent obsequies were performed for their souls in the cathedral. He then returned to London, triumphant after his victory, where he was joyfully received, and soon after crowned king of England. On the other hand, the queen and the duke of Somerset had retreated to a castle, wherein they remained until they heard that king Edward was marching to besiege it[18]. On this, they fled from the castle, and sought a refuge with Mary queen of Scotland, daughter to the duke of Gueldres. The two queens concerted a marriage between the young prince of Wales and queen Mary's eldest daughter, to secure the aid of the Scots against Edward; but the duke of Burgundy, uncle to Mary, instantly dispatched to her the lord de Groothuse, to break off this marriage, because the king of Sicily, father to queen Margaret, was no friend to the duke,--and thus the match was interrupted[19]. However, soon after the lord de Groothuse had left Scotland, the Scots formed an alliance with the queen of England and her son, on condition that the town and castle of Berwick, with its dependances, then possessed by the English, on the borders of Scotland, should be restored to them; and the marriage before mentioned was agreed on,--the Scots thus adventuring their princess to regain Berwick rather than not obtain it, as it was of very great strength,--although the prince and princess were both too young to be then united, as neither of them were more than seven or eight years old. During these troubles, and prior to the coronation of king Edward, he had sent his two younger brothers into Holland that they might escape, should he prove unsuccessful, confiding in the generous mind of the noble duke of Burgundy. They remained in that country some time in secret: but the duke no sooner knew who they were than he sent to seek them, and had them brought to him at Bruges, where he showed them every honour, and grandly entertained them. When king Edward had conquered his enemies, he sent to request the duke to cause his brothers to be escorted home, which the good duke very cheerfully complied with, and had them honourably accompanied as far as Calais, toward the end of April, in the year 1461. FOOTNOTES: [Footnote 15: The battle of Towton. Ferrybridge is 20 miles only from York.] [Footnote 16: Muelle. Q. Nevill?] [Footnote 17: Those who were employed to number and bury the dead, (as we are told by a contemporary writer, who lived near the scene of action, Continuat. Hist. Croyland, p. 533.) declared that their number amounted to thirty-eight thousand. Amongst these were many persons of rank and fortune; as the earls of Northumberland, Westmoreland, and Shrewsbury,--the lords Clifford, Beaumont, Nevil, Willoughby, Wells, Roos, Scales, Grey, Dacres and Molineux,--besides a prodigious number of knights and gentlemen!