ition at home as prevented him from making all the
advantage, which the opportunity afforded, of the dissensions among the
English. He sent, however, a small body to Henry's assistance under
Varenne, seneschal of Normandy, 1462, who landed in Northumberland
and got possession of the castle of Alnwick; but as the indefatigable
Margaret went in person to France, where she solicited larger supplies,
and promised Louis to deliver up Calais if her family should by his means
be restored to the throne of England, he was induced to send along with
her a body of two thousand men-at-arms, which enabled her to take the
field and to make an inroad into England, 1464. Though reenforced by a
numerous train of adventurers from Scotland, and by many partisans of
the family of Lancaster, she received a check at Hedgeley Moor from Lord
Montacute, or Montagu, brother to the Earl of Warwick and warden of the
east marches between Scotland and England. Montagu was so encouraged with
this success that, while a numerous reinforcement was on its march to
join him by orders from Edward, he yet ventured, with his own troops
alone, to attack the Lancastrians at Hexham; and he obtained a complete
victory over them. The Duke of Somerset, the Lords Roos and Hungerford,
were taken in the pursuit, and immediately beheaded by martial law at
Hexham. Summary justice was in like manner executed at Newcastle on Sir
Humphrey Nevil, and several other gentlemen. All those who were spared in
the field suffered on the scaffold, and the utter extermination of their
adversaries was now become the plain object of the York party; a conduct
which received but too plausible an apology from the preceding practice
of the Lancastrians.

The fate of the unfortunate royal family, after this defeat, was
singular. Margaret, flying with her son into a forest, where she
endeavored to conceal herself, was beset, during the darkness of the
night, by robbers, who, either ignorant or regardless of her quality,
despoiled her of her rings and jewels, and treated her with the utmost
indignity. The partition of this rich booty raised a quarrel among them;
and, while their attention was thus engaged, she took the opportunity of
making her escape with her son into the thickest of the forest, where she
wandered for some time, overspent with hunger and fatigue and sunk with
terror and affliction. While in this wretched condition, she saw a robber
approach with his naked sword; and, finding