rival. A battle was fought at St. Albans, in which
Somerset was defeated and slain. This was the first battle in the wars
known as the Wars of the Roses, because a red rose was the badge of
the House of Lancaster, to which Henry belonged, and a white rose the
badge of the House of York. After the victory York accompanied the
king to London. Though the bulk of the nobility was against him, he
had on his side the powerful family of the Nevills, as he had married
Cicely Nevill, the sister of the head of that family, the Earl of
Salisbury. Still more powerful was Salisbury's eldest son, who had
married the heiress of the Beauchamps, Earls of Warwick, and who held
the earldom of Warwick in right of his wife.[30] In June =1455= the
king was again insane, and York was for the second time named
Protector. This Protectorate, however, did not last long, as early in
=1456= the king recovered his senses, and York had to resign his post.

[Footnote 30: Genealogy of the Nevills:--

John of Gaunt
|
Ralph Nevill, = Joan
Thomas Montague, Earl of |
Earl of Salisbury Westmoreland |
| |
| ---------------------
Richard Beauchamp, | | |
Earl of Warwick Alice = Richard, Cicely = Richard,
| | Earl of Duke of
| | Salisbury, York,
| | beheaded at killed at
| | Pontefract, Wakefield,
| | 1460 1460
| |
| -------------------------------------
| | | |
Anne = Richard, John, George,
Earl of Warwick, Marquess of Archbishop
the king-maker, Montague of York
killed at Barnet,
1471]

[Illustration: A sea-fight: from the 'Life of Richard Beauchamp, Earl
of Warwick:' drawn by John Rous about 1485.]

9. =Discomfiture of the Yorkists. 1456--1459.=-