the badge of the house
of York, as the red rose had been that of Lancaster.[F] In a word, the
country was every where aroused and excited by the idea that another
revolution was impending, and all those whose ruling principle it was
to be always with the party that was uppermost began to make
preparations for coming over to Edward's side.

[Footnote F: It was in consequence of this use of the roses, as the
badges of the two parties respectively, that the civil wars between
these two great families are often called in history the Wars of the
Roses.]

In the mean time, however, Warwick, alarmed, had come from the
northward to London to meet the invaders at the head of a strong
force. Clarence was in command of one great division of this force,
and Warwick himself of the other. The two bodies of troops marched at
some little distance from each other. Edward shaped his course so as
to approach that commanded by Clarence. Warwick did all he could to
prevent this, being, apparently, somewhat suspicious that Clarence was
not fully to be relied on. But Edward succeeded, by dint of skillful
manoeuvring, in accomplishing his object, and thus he and Clarence
came into the neighborhood of each other. The respective encampments
were only three miles apart. It seems, however, that there were still
some closing negotiations to be made before Clarence was fully
prepared to take the momentous step that was now before him. Richard
was the agent of these negotiations. He went back and forth between
the two camps, conveying the proposals and counter-proposals from one
party to the other, and doing all in his power to remove obstacles
from the way, and to bring his brothers to an agreement. At last every
thing was arranged. Clarence ordered his men to display the white rose
upon their armor, and then, with trumpets sounding and banners flying,
he marched forth to meet Edward, and to submit himself to his command.

When the column which he led arrived near to Edward's camp, it halted,
and Clarence himself, with a small body of attendants, advanced to
meet his brother; Edward, at the same time, leaving his encampment, in
company with Richard and several noblemen, came forward too. Thus
Edward and Clarence met, as the old chronicle expresses it, "betwixt
both hosts, where was right kind and loving language betwixt them two.
And then, in like wise, spoke together the two Dukes of Clarence and
Gloucester, and afterward the other noblemen that