Page:A Biographical Dictionary of the Celebrated Women of Every Age and Country (1804).djvu/558

544 league with queen Margaret, formerly his inveterate enemy.

On his return to England, he was joined by the whole of the Lancastrians. Both parties prepared for a general decision by arms; and a decisive action was every moment expected, when Edward, finding himself betrayed by the marquis of Montague, and suspicious of his other commanders, suddenly abandoned his army and fled to Holland. Henry VI. was taken from his confinement in the Tower, and placed once more upon the English throne; and a parliament, called under the influence of Warwick, declared Edward IV. an usurper.

But so fugitive a thing is public favour, that Warwick was no sooner at the helm of government than his popularity began to decline, though he does not appear to have done any thing to deserve it. The young king was emboldened to return; and though he brought with him but two thousand men, he soon found himself in a condition to obey the call. The city of London opened its gates to Edward; who thus became at once master of his capital and of the person of his rival Henry, doomed to be the perpetual sport of fortune. The arrival of Margaret, whose presence would have been of infinite service to her party, was every day expected. In the mean time the duke of Clarence deserted to the king, and the two parties came to a general engagement. The battle was fought with great obstinacy, and uncommon valour on both sides; but an accident threw at last the ballance on that of the Yorkists. Edward's cognisance was a sun; Warwick's, a star with rays; and the mistiness of the morning rendering it difficult to distin-