The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-10-25


 soothe their anger if I can. Then, on to Midd1ehami"
 The Earrs retirement did not relieve Edward from his overshadowing power. The greatest soldiers, the boldest soldiers, gathered at Middleham. AS Warwick paced his terraces, he saw villages and towns and castles, far as his eye could reach, and all swarmed with his retainers and all flew his banners. Middleham, not Windsor or Shene or Westminster or the Tower seemed the court of England.
 Edward, meantime, was reaping what he had sowed in the court of France. The emissaries and the gold of Louis had be- gun their work against his throne. Mar garet of Anjou was being supported by him, in her intrigues. The provinces in the north were disturbed. The barons were moody.
 At last, swallowing his pride. he con- fessed to his shrew brother Richard of Gloucester that if the Earl of Warwick did not return to his councils the first blast of a hostile trumpet would drive him from his throne. Richard, who was desirous of wedding WarwiclSs eldest i daughter Anne, and thus gain domains for his barren title of duke, volunteered ] eagerly to propitiate the Earl and rode to his castle, where he used his diplomacy and statecraft so well that Warwick inn pulsively forgave Edward and agreed to return.
 | It was impossible, however, for Edward ever again to love the man to whom he 1 owed his crown and who had menaced 1t. His humor and his suspicious broke forth and the angry feelings were not al- l layed when Louis XI bought off Burgun- dy and thus proved the justice of War; l wick's distrust of the unprincipled duke. Edward gladly seized an excuse for ask l ing Warwick to depart to his government of Calais, which was. it is true, the most 1 important and honorable post that sub ject could hold, but which the Earl con sidered justly as a pretext to remove him 1 from court
 | still more irritating cause for offensa was Edward 8 withholding of his consent for the marriage of his other brother, the 1 Duke of Clarence, to Warwick's daughter l Isabel. Isabel was deeply attached to | Clarence, who, with all his errors and l l fractions that distinguished the whole house of York, being gallant, handsome 1 and gay.
 1 When he saw his daughters health glv- ing way, the stout Earl could bear the i Kings delay no longer. and when Clar- ence presented himself suddenly at Calais he consented that they should wed with out Edwards consent.
 In other tirnes this act might have made I<Afx Ina 1 and his dangerous subject. But the dis 1 content which Warwick's presence at l court had laid at rest, spread again far I and broad. Rebellion broke out in the north Like fire famed by gale, it spread so rapidly that by the time the King tore himself from his feasting and hunting Earl Rivers and Sir John Wood- vile, father and brother to the Queen had been seized and beheaded by the | rebels. Edward himself was hemmed in and forced to retreat to Olney, where he Iav in desperate plight indeed. surround ed by a moving forest of bikes and plumes. war, looked hopelessly on the terrifying ] array from his nasty defenses. He saw that even desperation would confess the attempt to engage hopeless. While he | stood thus and gazed, with his hands on | the huge two-handed sword there sud denly ran a wild cry through the anx- ions town. along the crowded walls and l house tops: "A Warwick! Warwick! ] Saved! Savedl A Warwick!'
 Bare-headed. Warwick strode Into the presence of the King, who turned to him 1 and said:
 "Cousin, you are truly welcome! Truly | do know that when you have aughi l whereof to complain, you take not the moment of danger and disaster. What ever has chanced to alienate your heart l from me, the sound of the rebels trum- net chases all difference and marries youl faith to mine"
 "Oh. Edward, my King" said Warwick simply, why did you misJudge me In the nrosperous hour, since in the adverse hour vou read me so welr?"
 But if Warwick was forgiving he was
 not weak Firmly he told the King thai 1t was hopeless to cope with the host that besieged the town. These people l have risen in rebellion against the Wood | yilIes power and abuses" said he, 'ant | they can be dispered only if I can give | them pledges that you will banish thu 1 peopIe of the Queens family
 Edward was resolved not to give up thu Woodvilles, but he was equally resolved
 not to risk his crown and life. He de termined to cheat Warwick again. Con