The Wars of the Roses; or, Stories of the Struggle of York and LancasterEdgar, John G. (John George)
History
The Wars of the Roses; or, Stories of the Struggle of York and Lancaster
Edgar, John G. (John George)
Great Britain -- History -- Wars of the Roses, 1455-1485
The Lancastrians having been put down and peace restored, Richard
turned his thoughts to matrimony, and resolved to espouse Anne Neville,
daughter of Warwick and widow of Edward of Lancaster. Clarence, wishing
to keep the Warwick baronies to himself, as husband of Isabel Neville,
attempted, by concealing her sister, to prevent this marriage. But
Richard was not to be baffled. He discovered the fair Anne in London,
disguised as a cook-maid, and carrying the youthful widow off, placed
her for security in the sanctuary of St. Martin's. Nevertheless,
Clarence continued unreasonable. "Richard may have my sister-in-law if
he will," he said, "but we will part no livelihood." Edward, however,
took the matter in hand, pacified his brothers, allotted Anne a
handsome portion out of the Warwick estates, and had the marriage with
Richard forthwith solemnized. One son, destined to figure for a brief
period as Prince of Wales, was the result of this union.
Years rendered memorable by the inglorious expedition to France and
the unfortunate execution of Clarence passed over; and in 1482, when
Edward conspired with the exiled Duke of Albany to dethrone James, King
of Scots, Richard, who, among his contemporaries, had acquired the
reputation of being "a man of deep reach and policy," was intrusted
with the conduct of the war. Having been nominated lieutenant general
against the Scots, and joined by the Earl of Northumberland and Lord
Stanley, he led twenty-five thousand men across the Tweed, regained
Berwick, which had been surrendered by Queen Margaret, and marched to
the gates of Edinburgh. By this expedition Richard acquired an increase
of popularity; and he was still in the north when Edward the Fourth
departed this life and his son was proclaimed as Edward the Fifth.
At that time the young king--a boy of thirteen--was residing in the
Castle of Ludlow, on the marches of Wales, and receiving his education
under the auspices of his maternal uncle, Anthony Woodville, Earl
Rivers. Anthony was eminently qualified for the post of tutor, and
every precaution appears to have been taken to render the boy worthy of
the crown which he was destined never to wear.
While the news of his father's death was traveling to young Edward
at Ludlow, the feud between the ancient nobility and the queen's
kindred broke out afresh at Westminster, and London was agitated by
the factious strife. Elizabeth, jealous of the designs of the adverse
faction, wrote to Rivers to raise a large force in Wales, and conduct
the king to the capital to be crowned; and she empowered her son, the
Marquis of Dorset, who was Constable of the Tower, to take the royal
treasure out of that fortress, and fit out a fleet. Hastings, alarmed
at these indications of suspicion, threatened to retire to Calais, of
which he was captain; and both parties appealed to Richard, who had
hitherto so acted as to give offense to neither.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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