l as liveries [uniforms or badges] bearing the
family crest. In the system of "livery and maintenance", if the
retainer was harassed by the law or by enemies, the lord protected
him. The liveries became the badges of the factions engaged in the
War of the Roses. And the white rose was worn by the supporters of
the house of York, and the red rose by supporters of the house of
Lancaster for the Crown. Great lords fought each other for
property and made forcible entries usurping private property.
Shakespeare's histories deal with this era.

In both wars, the musket was used as well as the longbow. To use
it, powder was put into the barrel, then a ball rammed down the
barrel with a rod, and then the powder lit by a hot rod held with
one hand while the other hand was used to aim the musket. Cannon
were used to besiege castles and destroy their walls, so many
castles were allowed to deteriorate. The existence of cannon also
limited the usefulness of town walls for defense. But townspeople
did not take part in the fighting.

Since the power of the throne changed from one faction to another,
political and personal vindictiveness gave rise to many bills of
attainder that resulted in lords being beheaded and losing their
lands to the King. However, these were done by the form of law;
there were no secret executions in England. Families engaged in
blood feuds. Roving bands ravaged the country, plundering the
people, holding the forests, and robbing collectors of Crown
revenue. Some men made a living by fighting for others in
quarrels. Individual life and property were insecure. Whole
districts were in a permanent alarm of riot and robbery. The roads
were not safe. Nobles employed men who had returned from fighting
in war to use their fighting skill in local defense. There was
fighting between lords and gangs of ruffians holding the roads,
breaking into and seizing manor houses, and openly committing
murders.

Peace was never well-kept nor was law ever well-executed, though
fighting was suspended by agreement during the harvest. Local
administration was paralyzed by party faction or lodged in some
great lord or some clique of courtiers. The elections of members
to Parliament was interfered with and Parliament was rarely held.
Barons and earls fought their disputes in the field rather than in
the royal courts. Litigation was expensive, so men relied
increasingly on the protection of the great men of their
neighborhood and less