Battles -- England -- Yorkshire; Yorkshire (England) -- History, Military
On the 5th June Salisbury and Warwick landed at Sandwich, and reached
London with 25,000 men arrayed under their banners. Margaret strove to
shut them out of the city, but in vain; and Lord Scales discharged the
Tower guns against them.
On the 19th of July the two armies engaged at Northampton. Margaret,
with a strong escort, watched the conflict with the keenest anxiety.
The heavy rains rendered the King's artillery inoperative, yet, after
five hours of sanguinary fighting, the battle was decided by the
treachery of Lord Grey, of Ruthin, who carried his command over to the
Yorkists.
King Henry was captured, and carried, in honourable captivity, to
London. Margaret fled to Scotland, accompanied by Somerset and the
young Prince of Wales.
Richard of York entered London, appeared before the peers, and
advanced to the throne, placing his hand upon the canopy. This mute
claim was received in silence, that was broken by the Archbishop of
Canterbury, as he enquired whether the Duke would not wait upon the
King. York haughtily replied, "I know of none in this realm than ought
not rather to wait upon me," and turning his back upon the peers,
retired.
It was admitted by the lords that Richard was the lineal heir to the
throne, but Parliament had elected Henry IV. to the crown, Henry V.
had succeeded, and his son, the present King, had been accepted by the
lords and commons, and, but for the ambition of York, his title would
have remained unquestioned. The peers passed over the claims of the
young Prince of Wales, and decided that the King should retain the
crown, but that, on his death, York and his heirs should inherit it.
Margaret was immediately summoned to London, and prepared for the
journey by raising her standard. Before she appeared upon the scene
the battle of Sandal was fought.
The Yorkists now freely dipped their hands in blood. Lords Hungerford
and Scales were allowed to pass out of the Tower free men, but the
soldiers and officers had "to abide by the law." Lord Scales was
murdered within the week by mariners serving Warwick and March. He was
seen
"lying naked in the cemetery of the church of St. Mary Overy,
in Southwark. He had lain naked, being stripped of his clothes,
for several hours on the ground, but afterwards on the same day
he was honourably interred by the earls of March, Warwick, and
others."
In the same month, July, Sir Thomas Blount, of Kent, with five others
of the household of the Duke of Exeter, were accused before "the
Earl of Warwick and the other justiciaries of the King, of illegally
holding the Tower," and "were drawn to Tyburn and beheaded, and shortly
afterwards John Archer, who was in the councils of the duke of Exeter,
shared the same fate."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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