y. From the introduction to
the "Paston Letters" (edited by Mr. James Gairdner) it appears that
the king was in such impecunious circumstances in 1451 that he had to
borrow his expenses for Christmas: "The government was getting
paralysed alike by debt and by indecision. 'As for tidings here,'
writes John Bocking, 'I certify you all that is nought, or will be
nought. The king borroweth his expenses.'" Henry anticipated what Ben
Jonson discovered in a later age, that--

"Christmas is near;
And neither good cheer,
Mirth, fooling, nor wit,
Nor any least fit
Of gambol or sport
Will come at the Court,
If there be no money."

And so rather than leave Christmas unobserved the poor king "borrowed
his expenses." Subsequently Henry's health failed, and then later
comes the record: "At Christmas [1454], to the great joy of the
nation, the king began to recover from his painful illness. He woke
up, as it were, from a long sleep. So decidedly had he regained his
faculties that on St. John's Day (27th December) he commanded his
almoner to ride to Canterbury with an offering, and his secretary to
present another at the shrine of St. Edward."[32]

The terrible battle of Wakefield at Christmastide, 1460, was one of
the most important victories won by the Lancastrians during the Wars
of the Roses. The king, Henry VI., had secretly encouraged Richard,
Duke of York, that the nation would soon be ready to assent to the
restoration of the legitimate branch of the royal family. Richard was
the son of Anne Mortimer, who was descended from Philippa, the only
daughter of the Duke of Clarence, second son of Edward III.; and
consequently he stood in the order of succession before the king
actually on the throne, who was descended from John of Gaunt, a
younger son of Edward III. The Duke of York at length openly advanced
his title as the true heir to the crown, and urged Parliament to
confer it upon him. As, however, the Lancastrian branch of the royal
family had enjoyed the crown for three generations it was resolved
that Henry VI. should continue to reign during his life and that
Richard should succeed him. This compromise greatly displeased the
queen, Margaret, who was indignant at the injury it inflicted on her
son. She therefore urged the nobles who had hitherto supported her
husband to take up arms on behalf of his son. Accordingly the Earl of
Northumberland, with Lords Dacre, Clifford, and Nevil, assembled an
army at Yor