er father was created earl of Rivers: he
was made treasurer in the room of Lord Mountjoy:[*] he was invested in
the office of constable for life; and his son received the survivance of
that high dignity.[**] The same young nobleman was married to the only
daughter of Lord Scales, enjoyed the great estate of that family, and
had the title of Scales conferred upon him. Catharine, the queen's
sister, was married to the young duke of Buckingham, who was a ward of
the crown:[***] Mary, another of her sisters espoused William Herbert,
created earl of Huntingdon: Anne, a third sister, was given in marriage
to the son and heir of Gray, Lord Ruthyn, created earl of Kent.[****]
The daughter and heir of the duke of Exeter, who was also the king's
niece, was contracted to Sir Thomas Gray, one of the queen's sons by her
former husband; and as Lord Montague was treating of a marriage between
his son and this lady, the preference given to young Gray was deemed an
injury and affront to the whole family of Nevil.

The earl of Warwick could not suffer with patience the least diminution
of that credit which he had long enjoyed, and which he thought he had
merited by such important services. Though he had received so many
grants from the crown, that the revenue arising from them amounted,
besides his patrimonial estate, to eighty thousand crowns a year,
according to the computation of Philip de Comines,[*****] his ambitious
spirit was still dissatisfied, so long as he saw others surpass him in
authority and influence with the king.[******] Edward also, jealous of
that power which had supported him and which he himself had contributed
still higher to exalt, was well pleased to raise up rivals in credit
to the earl of Warwick; and he justified, by this political view, his
extreme partiality to the queen's kindred. But the nobility of England,
envying the sudden growth of the Woodevilles,[*******] were more
inclined to take part with Warwick's discontent, to whose grandeur they
were already accustomed, and who had reconciled them to his superiority
by his gracious and popular manners.

* W. Wyrcester, p. 506.

** W. Wyrcester, p. 505.

*** Liv. iii. chap. 4.

**** Hist. Croyl. Cont. p. 539.

***** W. Wyrcester, p. 506.

****** Polyd. Virg. p. 514.

******* Rymer, vol. xi. p. 581.

And as Edward obtained from parliament a general resumption of all
grants, which he had made since his accession, and