ides
took part in the quarrel: a fierce combat ensued: the earl apprehended
his life to be aimed at: he fled to his government of Calais; and
both parties, in every county of England, openly made preparations for
deciding the contest by war and arms.

The earl of Salisbury, marching to join the duke of York, was overtaken
at Blore Heath, on the borders of Staffordshire, by Lord Audley, who
commanded much superior forces; and a small rivulet with steep banks
ran between the armies. Salisbury here supplied his defect in numbers
by stratagem, a refinement of which there occur few instances in
the English civil wars, where a headlong courage, more than military
conduct, is commonly to be remarked. He feigned a retreat, and allured
Audley to follow him with precipitation; but when the van of the royal
army had passed the brook, Salisbury suddenly turned upon them; and
partly by the surprise, partly by the division, of the enemies' forces,
put this body to rout: the example of flight was followed by the rest
of the army: and Salisbury, obtaining a complete victory, reached the
general rendezvous of the Yorkists at Ludlow.[*]

The earl of Warwick brought over to this rendezvous a choice body of
veterans from Calais, on whom, it was thought the fortune of the war
would much depend; but this reenforcement occasioned, in the issue,
the immediate ruin of the duke of York's party. When the royal army
approached, and a general action was every hour expected, Sir Andrew
Trollop, who commanded the veterans, deserted to the king in the
night-time; and the Yorkists were so dismayed at this instance of
treachery, which made every man suspicious of his fellow, that they
separated next day without striking a stroke:[**] the duke fled to
Ireland: the earl of Warwick, attended by many of the other leaders,
escaped to Calais; where his great popularity among all orders of
men, particularly among the military, soon drew to him partisans, and
rendered his power very formidable. The friends of the house of York in
England kept themselves every where in readiness to rise on the first
summons from their leaders.

[Illustration: 1_283_albans_abbey.jpg ST. ALBANS ABBEY]

{1460.} After meeting with some successes at sea, Warwick landed in
Kent, with the earl of Salisbury, and the earl of Marche, eldest son
of the duke of York; and being met by the primate, by Lord Cobham, and
other persons of distinction, he marched, amidst the acclamations of th