ds of reason and he offered to share his
throne, as well as his heart, with the woman whose beauty of person and
dignity of character seemed so well to entitle her to both. The marriage
was privately celebrated at Grafton:[**] the secret was carefully
kept for some time: no one suspected that so libertine a prince could
sacrifice so much to a romantic passion; and there were, in particular,
strong reasons, which, at that time, rendered this step, to the highest
degree, dangerous and imprudent.

The king, desirous to secure his throne, as well by the prospect of
issue as by foreign alliances, had, a little before, determined to make
application to some neighboring princess, and he had cast his eye on
Bona of Savoy, sister to the queen of France, who, he hoped, would by
her marriage insure him the friendship of that power, which was alone
both able and inclined to give support and assistance to his rival. To
render the negotiation more successful, the earl of Warwick had been
despatched to Paris, where the princess then resided; he had demanded
Bona in marriage for the king; his proposals had been accepted; the
treaty was fully concluded; and nothing remained but the ratification of
the terms agreed on, and the bringing over the princess to England.[**]
But when the secret of Edward's marriage broke out, the haughty earl,
deeming himself affronted, both by being employed in this fruitless
negotiation, and by being kept a stranger to the king's intentions, who
had owed every thing to his friendship, immediately returned to England,
inflamed with rage and indignation. The influence of passion over so
young a man as Edward, might have served as an excuse for his imprudent
conduct, had he deigned to acknowledge his error, or had pleaded his
weakness as an apology; but his faulty shame or pride prevented him
from so much as mentioning the matter to Warwick; and that nobleman was
allowed to depart the court, full of the same ill humor and discontent
which he brought to it.

* Hall, fol. 193. Fabian, fol. 216.

** Hall, fol. 193. Habington, p. 437. Holingshed, p. 607.
Grafton, p. 665. Polyd. Virg. p. 513.

{1466.} Every incident now tended to widen the breach between the king
and this powerful subject. The queen, who lost not her influence by
marriage, was equally solicitous to draw every grace and favor to her
own friends and kindred, and to exclude those of the earl, whom she
regarded as her mmortal enemy. H