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barked at Lynn, in Norfolk, accompanied by the Duke of Gloucester, Earl Rivers, Lord Hastings, Lord Say, a few other noblemen, and a small body of his faithful followers. He landed near Alcmar, in Freizeland. In the mean while Warwick was hastening to the North for the purpose of encountering the King; but, receiving, on his way, confidential intelligence of the passing events, he turned back, and entered London in triumph on the 5th of October. this manner," (says Henry,) "a mighty King was expelled from his dominions in a few days without one stroke of the sword, or one drop of blood! But this was the age of sudden surprising revolutions."* On the next day Warwick released the deposed Henry, the Sixth, from his imprisonment in the Tower, and proclaimed him with great rejoicings. During his stay on the Continent the active, but dethroned, Edward did not fold his arms in idleness; he made friends, and prepared for an invasion of his former kingdom, and accordingly sailed from the port of Vere, in Zealand, on the 11th of March in the following year 1471, and landed at Ravenspur, in the county of York, on the 14th of the same month. He took every strenuous measure to further the ultimate success of his plans; and the powers of Warwick at the same time became weakened by the defection of the Duke of Clarence, who went over to the side of his brother Edward, then rapidly on his advance to London, where he gained admittance on the 9th of April; and, on the 11th, he suc

History of Britain, Vol. 9, p. 211.

ceeded in gaining possession of his helpless rival, Henry, the Sixth, who was then in the Bishop's Palace, and immediately re-sent him to the Tower. Warwick quickly followed Edward on his route towards London in the hope of encountering him without the walls; but, on his arrival at St. Alban's on Friday, April the 12th, he heard, that the adverse party was already in possession of the Capital; he advanced to Barnet on the Saturday; and, on that same day, the enterprising Edward marched with his forces out of London. After a long, and bloody, battle fought on the succeeding day, being Easter Sunday, April 14th, victory finally declared herself in favour of Edward, and-the Earl of Warwick was slain, as was also his brother, the Marquess of Montague. These passing events will, probably, come more fully before me in a future part of my work; and, therefore, at present, I recite them as lightly, and as speedily, as possible; but I esteem it yet necessary now to pursue the chain of historic events somewhat further. During the winter Margaret of Anjou, the spirited Queen of Henry, the Sixth, and her son, Edward, Prince of Wales, had been detained in France, but they embarked for England on the 4th of March, 1471; and, after being tossed by tempests in the Channel for three weeks, landed at Weymouth on the day of the fatal battle of Barnet. She shortly heard the news of this fell contest-" She received the dismal tidings of the defeat at Barnet, the death of Warwick, and of his brother, the Marquess of Montague

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the captivity of her husband-and the dispersion of her friends! On this occasion all her wonted fortitude forsook her; she sunk to the ground, and fainted away, from which state she was not without great difficulty recovered. When she revived, yielding to despair, she fled with her son to a sanctuary in the Abbey of Beaulieu."* She was yet surrounded by some firm friends, such as the Duke of Somerset, his brother, Lord John Beaufort, the Earls of Oxford and Devonshire, Lord Wenlock, &c. &c.; her hopes revived, and it was resolved once more to try the chance of war.

At this time John Halle was acting as Deputy in the probable absence of the Mayor; and, as such, he received from the Duke of Somerset, on the part of Henry, the Sixth, letters of Commission, enjoining the City to find a quota, or company, of forty men in aid of the Lancastrian Interest, but what attention was paid to this requisition is unknown, since circumstances quickly arose, which rendered it unnecessary to provide the forty men. Queen Margaret with the Prince and Princess of Wales, and a few attendants, were escorted to Bath, and from thence her principal adherents divided for the purpose of raising forces. They succeeded in gathering an army of 40,000 men, and determined to march into Wales, and from thence to Cheshire. Their active opponent, Edward, the Fourth, left London on the 19th of April; and, on the 3d of May, he found the Lancastrians encamped near Tewkesbury. The next day Henry's Hist. of Britain, Vol. 9, p.220.

*

that battle was fought. The result was, that Queen Margaret and her adherents were defeated. "The Earl of Devonshire, Lord John Beaufort, and Lord Wenlock, with a considerable number of knights and esquires, and about 3000 common soldiers of the Queen's Army, were slain. The Queen; the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Somerset, the Lord St. John, with many knights and gentlemen, were taken prisoners. The Queen was committed to the Tower. The Prince of Wales was murdered in cold blood; and, on the 6th of May, the Duke of Somerset, the Lord St. John, and fourteen knights and gentlemen were beheaded at Tewkesbury. By the result of this battle Edward, the Fourth, was securely seated on the Throne. He had now leisure to attend to minor concerns; and you, gentle reader, will here ask me, how did John Halle fare, after having, against the command of his Royal Master, equipped, and sent, a company of forty men to fight against him? "Truly," I must answer, "I do not know, but, not the worse, I ween." History has recorded nought. That the messenger of Edward, the Fourth, did, on his return, impart the result of his mission to the City of Salisbury, I doubt not. The reflecting, and politic, Edward, I suspect, determined to pass over his conduct in silence-conduct, mayhap, which he secretly admired. He could not but wonder at the heroism of the man, who, like Curtius, beheld, without dismay, the awful gulph before him, but, not like Curtius, did he fall; the fates reHenry's Hist. of Britain, Vol. 9, p. 222.

lented, and he was saved. The King considered, that, by his prompt, yet rash, resolve, he had, probably, saved his faire Citie of Salisbury from destruction, and he resolved-to save him. Had John Halle been a Baron, or a Knight, I have no doubt, that his head would have paid the forfeit of his temerity. Edward, the Fourth, was satiated with blood. The nation sighed for peace, and quiet. Himself a "marchant" he yearned not for the blood of a brother-marchant. He had received great services by loans from that class of men. Henry, Earl of Richmond, (afterwards Henry, the Seventh,) was still living, yet out of his reach; and might, one day, dispute the throne with him, or his posterity, and he then might want the aid of merchants again; it would not, therefore, do to offend that powerful body of men, who alone possessed money—the sinews of war. The Baron and the Knight might bring forward their vassals; but, receiving their rents in kind, where was the money to pay their forces?-moreover, he personally respected the worthy John Halle—and he felt, that time had elapsed—and his immolation would have borne the semblance of a vengeful, and coldblooded, murther-the blood of this "marchant" could neither add to his glory, nor to his security, but would, probably, diminish both. Thus, may we well presume, did Edward reason, and thus did John Halle escape that punishment, which his enemies (if enemies he really had) might have wished him. He passed ever after, it is supposed, a quiet, and retired, life. Conscious of having, to the best of his power, done