favor of Prince Richard's
right. The Parliament decreed, however, that the existing state of
things should not be disturbed so long as Henry continued to live, but
that at Henry's death the crown should descend, not to little Edward
his son, the infant Prince of Wales, but to Prince Richard Plantagenet
and his descendants forever.

Queen Margaret was at this time at a castle in Wales, where she had
gone with the child, in order to keep him in a place of safety while
these stormy discussions were pending. When she heard that Parliament
had passed a law setting aside the claims of her child, she declared
that she would never submit to it. She immediately sent messengers all
over the northern part of the kingdom, summoning the faithful
followers of the king every where to arm themselves and assemble near
the frontier. She herself went to Scotland to ask for aid. The King of
Scotland at that time was a child, but he was related to the
Lancastrian family, his grandmother having been a descendant of John
of Gaunt, the head of the Lancaster line. He was too young to take any
part in the war, but his mother, who was acting as regent, furnished
Margaret with troops. Margaret, putting herself at the head of these
forces, marched across the frontier into England, and joined herself
there to the other forces which had assembled in answer to her
summons.

In the mean time, Prince Richard had assembled his adherents too, and
had commenced his march to the northward to meet his enemies. He took
his two oldest sons with him, the two that wrote the letter quoted in
the last chapter. One of these you will recollect was Edward, Earl of
Marche, and the second was Edmund, Earl of Rutland. Edward was now
about eighteen years of age, and his brother Edmund about seventeen.
One would have said that at this period of life they were altogether
too young to be exposed to the hardships, fatigues, and dangers of a
martial campaign; but it was the custom in those times for princes and
nobles to be taken with their fathers to fields of battle at a very
early age. And these youthful warriors were really of great service
too, for the interest which they inspired among all ranks of the army
was so great, especially when their rank was very high, that they were
often the means of greatly increasing the numbers and the enthusiasm
of their fathers' followers.

Edward, indeed, was in this instance deemed old enough to be sent off
on an independent serv