Page:The Queens of England.djvu/239

MARGARET OF ANJOU. 203 ally- The queen's fleet sailed, and, appearing off Tinemouth, many of the ships were driven on shore near Bamborough by a storm. "The French took shelter in Holy Island, where they were attacked and beaten by a superior force, De Breze himself narrowly escaping in a fishing-boat to Berwick." Another but too common evil incident to the unfortunate occurred in the desertion of many from her standard, who did not resume their allegiance until some trifling successes had reassured them. Amongst these were Ralph Percy, brother of the Duke of Northumberland, together with Som- erset, and Exeter, who had been recently pardoned by Edward. But the faint hopes engendered by their return were but expiring throbs in the existence of a royalty from which vital- ity had already flown. The defeat of the Lancastrians by Lord Montague on Hedgley Moor was rapidly succeeded by the battle of Hexham, and extinguished for the present all prospect of retrieval. Sir Humphrey Neville, with the Lords Hungerford, De Roos, and the perjured Somerset, were imme- diately beheaded ; Percy fell in the battle, with his last breath rejoicing at his return to loyalty in a remarkable exclamation, "I have saved the bird in my bosom." Margaret, after an absence of five months had herself only reached England again as by miracle. The storm which had cast her fleet on the coast of Bamborough had left only herself, her son, and De Breze safe on the shore. They had escaped in a fishing-boat. The fleet and money which now were lost had been procured as with her life-blood. The wily French king loth to offend Edward the Fourth, now on the ascendant, and yet desirous to take advantage of Margaret's distresses, would only consent to advance these supplies on condition that Margaret conceded Calais to him. This was another of those acts which, in des- perate circumstances, the queen was driven to, and which were made by her enemies to tell so much against her with the people. After her perilous escape, Margaret concealed herself and her son in the forest of Hexham, where the scene of her meet- ing with the robber occurred, familiar to our earliest associa- tions; the gallant bandit, according to the historic narrative, attending the illustrious fugitives "willingly, and conducting them in safety toward the sea-shore, whence they arrived at Sluys, and afterwards went to Bruges, where they were re- cived most honorably. At Bethune a body of the Duke of