the armies approached each other, the Duke of
Clarence, who commanded a portion of Henry's army, went over with his
whole force to Edward, and Warwick, being no longer in a position to
give battle, was obliged to draw off and allow Edward to march unopposed
towards London. The citizens, with their usual fickleness, received him
with the same outburst of enthusiasm with which, five months before,
they had greeted the entry of Warwick. The unfortunate King Henry was
again thrown into his dungeon in the Tower, and Edward found himself
once more King of England.

Sir Thomas Tresham, as soon as he heard of the landing of Edward, had
hastened up to London. In his uncertainty how matters would go, he
brought his wife and son up with him, and left them in lodgings, while
he marched north with Warwick. As soon as the defection of Clarence
opened the road to London, he left the Earl, promising to return in
a few days, and rode to town, arriving there two days before Edward's
entry, and, purchasing another horse, took his wife and son down to
St. Albans, where leaving them, he rejoined Warwick. In a few days the
latter had gathered sufficient forces to enable him to risk the fortunes
of a battle, and, marching south, he encamped with his army on the
common north of Barnet. Edward had come out to meet him, and the two
armies slept on Easter Eve within two miles of each other.

Late in the evening Clarence sent a messenger to the Earl, offering to
mediate, but the offer was indignantly refused by Warwick.

In the darkness, neither party was aware of the other's precise
position. Warwick was much stronger than the king in artillery, and had
placed it on his right wing. The king, in his ignorance of the enemy's
position, had placed his troops considerably more to the right than
those of Warwick's army. The latter, believing that Edward's line was
facing his, kept up a heavy cannonade all night upon where he supposed
Edward's left to be--a cannonade which was thus entirely futile.

In the morning (April 14th) a heavy mist covered the country and
prevented either force from seeing the other's dispositions. Warwick
took the command of his left wing, having with him the Duke of Exeter.
Somerset was in command of his centre, and Montague and Oxford of his
right.

Edward placed himself in the centre of his array, the Duke of Gloucester
commanded on his right, and Lord Hastings on his left.

Desirous, from his inferiority in artillery,