their gates against him. Cade endeavouring to force his way, an engagement ensued between him and the citizens, which lafted all day, and was not difcontinued until night put an end to the engagement. The archbishop of Canterbury, and the chancellor, who had taken refuge in the Tower, being informed of the fituation of affairs, found means to draw up the fame night an act of amnefty, which was privately dif perfed among the rebels, which had the defired effect. Cade faw himself in the morning abandoned by most of his followers, and, retreating to Rochester, was obliged to fly alone into the Wolds of Kent, where a price being fet upon his head by proclamation, he was difcovered, and flain by one Alexander Eden, who, in recompence for this fervice, was made governor of Dover castle.

In the mean time, the duke of York fecretly fomented these disturbances; and, pretending to espouse the cause of the people, wrote to the king, advising a reformation in the miniftry; and the house of commons was brought over to fecond his request. An addrefs was prefented against the duke of Somerset, the dutchefs of Suffolk, the bishop of Chefter, Sir John Tufton, and lord Dudley, 'praying the king

to

to remove them for ever from his perfon and councils, and to prohibit them from approaching within twelve miles of the court. Though the king was willing enough to oppose so violent and arbitrary an attack upon his favourites, yet he endeavoured to foften the general animofity against them, by promising to banish a part of the obnoxious miniftry from court for the space of a year.

But partial conceffions in government are generally bad palliatives. The duke of York, who found the people entirely attached to him, refolved to avail himself of his power; and raifing a body of ten thousand men, marched towards London, demanding a reformation of the government, and the removal of the duke of Somerset from all his power and authority. He had hopes from the beginning that the citizens would have thrown open their gates to him; but was much mortified, when he found that he was refufed admiffion. Upon his retreat into Kent, a parley enfued between the king and him, in which the duke ftill infifted on the difmiffion of Somerset, with which the king feemed at length willing to comply. The duke of York was therefore perfuaded to pay his refpects to the king in his tent; but on repeating his charge against the duke of Somerset,

he

1

he was furprized to fee that minifter ftep from behind the curtain, and offer to justify his innocence. York now perceived his danger, and repreffed the impetuofity of his accufation. As foon as he left the prefence, the king commanded him to be apprehended; but fuch was this nobleman's authority, or fuch the timidity of the king's council, that they fuffered him to retire to his feat at Wigmore, upon promifing strict obedience for the future.

But a reconciliation thus extorted could be of no long duration; York ftill fecretly af pired at the crown, and though he wished nothing fo ardently, yet he was for fome time prevented by his own fcruples from feizing it, What his intrigues failed to bring about, accident produced to his defire. The king falling into a diftemper, which fo far encreased his natural imbecility that it even rendered him incapable of maintaining the appearance of royalty, York was appointed lieutenant and protector of the kingdom, with powers to hold and open parliaments at pleasure. This was a fatal blow to the house of Lancaster; all the adherents of that party were difmiffed from court, and the duke of Somerset was sent to the Tower.

York

York being thus invefted with a plenitude

of power, continued in the enjoyment of it AD. 1454. for some time; but at length the unhappy king recovering from his lethargic complaint; and, as if awaking from a dream, perceived with furprize, that he was ftripped of all his authority. Margaret, his queen, alfo did all in her power to rouze him to a fenfe of his unworthy fituation, and prevailed upon him to depofe the duke of York from his power; in confequence of which, that nobleman had instant recourse to arms. The impotent monarch, thus obliged to take the field, was dragged after his army to St. Alban's, where both fides came to an engagement, in which the Yorkifts gained a complete victory, and the duke of Somerset was flain. The king himself being wounded, and taking fhelter in a cottage, near the field of battle, was taken prisoner, and treated by the victor with great refpect and tenderness. From thence he was, shortly after, led along in triumph to London; and the duke of York permitting him ftill to enjoy the title of king, he reserved to himself the title of protector, in which con fifted all the real power of the crown.

Henry was now but a prifoner, treated with the fplendid forms of royalty; yet indolent and fickly, he feemed pleafed with his fitua

tion, and did not regret that power which was not to be exercifed without fatigue. But it was otherwife with Margaret, his queen. She, naturally bold, active, and endued with mafculine courage, could not be content with the appearance of that authority, which her enemies alone permitted her to exercife; fhe continued to excite the wretched monarch to a vindication of his real dignity, and to fpur him on to independence. He was, therefore, once more induced to affert his prerogative; and the duke of York was obliged to retire, to be in readiness to oppose any defigns against his liberty and life. At first a negociation for peace was entered upon by both parties; but their mutual diftrufts foon brought them into the field, and the fate of the kingdom was given up to be determined by the fword. Their ar mies met at Bloreheath, on the borders of Staffordshire, and the Yorkifts gained fome Sept. 23. advantages. But when a more general action was about to enfue, the night before the intended enagement, Sir Andrew Trollop, who commanded a body of veterans for the duke of York, deferted with all his men to the king; and this fo intimidated the whole army of the Yorkifts, that they feparated the next day, without ftriking a fingle blow. The duke of VOL. II. York

1459.