4.The first battle was fought on a summer day at St.AlbansinHertfordshire.Foremost in the fight was the giant-like figure of Richard Neville，Earl of Warwick-the man who most of all deserves to be considered the hero of this war，and who is placed above the Kings of his day by the lofty title of “The King-maker.”His manly beauty was of the same kind as that which attracted admiration to Richard of the Lion Heart.He had the same curling brown hair，brave blue eye，and rich bronzed cheek-the same fierce ardour in the fight-and the same generosity of character and frankness of address.
5.If it had not been for the bravery and spirit of Margaret of Anjou，the wifeof poor imbecile King Harry，the cause of the House of Lancaster，whose friends wore the Red Rose，would have quickly sunk and perished.It was not so much for her husband as for her son that this heroic woman clung to the English throne，and gathered armies untiringly，only to be beaten and to begin again.
6.Among all the battles of the rival Roses none is more memorable thanbthat of Wakefield.
While York was enjoying the festival of Christmas in SendalCastle，above the town and green of Wakefield，in Yorkshire，Margaret came from the Border with an army，and defied him to come out to battle，jeering at him for being afraid to face a woman on the field of war.Stung by her mockery，and professing that he would never shut himself up in dread of “a scolding woman，whose weapons were her tongue and her nails，”he issued orders to his bannerman to carry the colours out from the castle gate.
7.He saw before him a body of men under his old foe Somerset，and supposed that this formed the whole of Margaret’s force.But，while he went blindly on to fight with this mass of men，he was leading his force between two hidden bands；and these，as soon as he was completely in the trap，rushed out of their ambush and attacked him in flank and rear.
8.York was struck dead before very long，and Lord Clifford，finding the body，chopped off the head，put on it a crown of paper，and brought it as a present to Queen Margaret，who raised a horrible laugh of triumph when she saw the bloody head and heard the cruel jokes with which Clifford handed her the gift.
9.We can almost forgive Clifford‘s brutality when we remember the spirit of the time；but he had done that day a deed which cannot be pardoned.Asa St.Albans.-Nineteen miles north-west of London.
b Wakefield.-Nine miles south of Leeds；26from York.
he was riding over the Calder Bridge，he had met a priest and a fair-haired boy of twelve.They had come out from the castle to watch the fight，and were hurrying away from the field，having seen that the battle was lost.
10.Clifford asked the name of the boy；and having found from the trembling priest that it was Edmund，Earl of Rutland，a son of York，he sprang to the ground.Seizing the child，who struggled and prayed for pity in vain to “Sweet Clifford，gentle Clifford，good Clifford，”he plunged his dagger into the little breast，and then，tossing the body aside，he rode away to mutilate the corpse of poor Rutland’s father.No wonder that the memory of the “Black-faced Lord，”
as Clifford was called，is hated by all lovers of true chivalry.
中文阅读
1.圣殿a的花园景色宜人，芳草茵茵绿树盈盈，一直延伸到泰晤士河岸。有一天，就在这里发生了一场激烈争吵，争吵双方皆是炙手可热的权臣，从门里吵到门外，估计是想出来呼吸一点新鲜空气。萨默塞特伯爵粗暴无礼地宣称拥有金雀花皇族血统的约克家族的理查德应该被废为庶人，因为他的父亲也即剑桥伯爵，已经在亨利五世国王执政期间以叛国罪被处死了。
2.理查德向他做了激烈的回应，从身边的一簇野蔷薇里面拽下一朵白玫瑰，并要求他周围的朋友们都这么做，以表示在争论中站在他这一方。萨默塞特伯爵也毫不示弱，从另一丛蔷薇里扯下一朵红玫瑰，双方激烈言词进一步升级，人群彻底分成两个阵营，都把各自选择的玫瑰戴在帽子上或别在胸前，以表明自己支持哪一边。这些决绝的话语，莎士比亚在他作品中曾写过一句，以表现金雀花家族此时的愤怒，而且后来以残酷的现实兑现了：
“某一天，这场争论将会被无尽的鲜血浇灌。”
3.争论双方据说就以这样的方式让这场旷日持久的内战有了一个响亮的名字--玫瑰战争。萨默塞特伯爵和约克公爵都为摄政王之位展开了较量，因为亨利六世国王一时疯癫，因此有必要设摄政王之位。约克公爵在1455年夺其头筹，并且保持了一段时间，将他的竞争对手萨默塞特伯爵囚禁在了城堡碉楼之中。但是亨利不久又清醒过来，对王子构成威胁的这类职位很可能被废除，若非如此，约克一方也不会发动战争。
4.在一个夏日，第一场战斗在赫特福德郡的圣奥尔本斯b打响了。这场战争中最值得一书的便是政治强人沃里克伯爵理查德·内维尔，他是这场战争中公认的英雄a 圣殿：位于伦敦城中的一个建筑群，最早属于圣殿骑士也即共济会所有。当修道会的勋位体制被法律固定下来之后，这个建筑群便被采用作为法院所在地，且被分为两部分，称为内殿与外殿。
b 圣奥尔本斯：位于伦敦西北19英里。
人物，在他的时代，他的感召力甚至超过国王，因此有了一个崇高的名号“国王制造者”。他的男人味和不凡气质有点类似于狮心王理查德，因为和狮心王一样，他也是一头棕色卷发，一双大义凛然的蓝眼睛，还有魁梧的身躯--打起架来也是一把好手，其慷慨大度的性格和诚恳的谈吐也与前者难分轩轾。
5.要不是精明能干的安茹王后玛格丽特，也即愚蠢无能的哈利国王的妻子，戴红玫瑰的兰开斯特家族恐怕早就垮台了。这个英勇的女人如此看重英国王位，更多的是为她儿子而不是为她丈夫，她很执着，屡败屡战，不屈不挠。
6.整个玫瑰战争之中最值得纪念的要算韦克菲尔德a之战了。当约克公爵还在韦克菲尔德城中绿草茵茵的森德尔城堡欢度圣诞之时，玛格丽特已从国境上出兵约克郡，公开挑衅让约克公爵出门迎战，并且嘲弄他竟然不敢与女流之辈面见于沙场。这样的奚落嘲讽刺激到了约克公爵，他立刻宣称他绝不会躲藏起来，也不怕这样一个“满口污言秽语的女人，其所用的武器无非就她那条舌头和满手的指甲而已”。他于是下达命令，让旗手们将各色彩旗拿出城堡大门，准备迎战。
7.一出门，他看见老对头萨默塞特伯爵带了一帮人，他以为这应该就是玛格丽特的全部人马了。但当他开始与他们盲目交战之后，才发现背后还有两队伏兵；当得知上当以后，这两路人马立刻从他们埋伏的地方冲出来，从他的侧翼与后方发起攻击。
8.没过多久约克公爵就在战斗中阵亡了，克利福德勋爵找到了他的遗体，将他的头颅砍下来，在上面戴了一顶纸王冠，作为礼物献给了玛格丽特王后，王后一见这带血的头颅，发出一阵恐怖的笑声，既为胜利，也为克利福德勋爵的幽默与殷勤。
9.如今当我们回首往昔之时，我们也许可以原谅克利福德的如许暴行；但他当时所做的另一件事却让人难以释怀。他骑马行过考尔德桥的时候，遇见了一位神父还有一个一头金发的12岁小男孩。他们从城堡出来看交战场面，看见自己一方失败后便匆匆离开了。
10.克利福德问了这个小孩的名字，从那个吓得浑身发抖的神父口中得知，小孩正是拉兰特伯爵埃德蒙德，是约克公爵的一个儿子。他立即翻身下马，抓住了这个男孩，可怜的孩子挣扎着苦苦哀求他“亲爱的克利福德，仁慈的克利福德，好心的克利福德”。但这都是徒劳的，他拿出匕首刺进了男孩的心脏，然后把尸体扔在一边，自己骑马离开又去肢解可怜的拉兰特的父亲的尸体去了。正因为如此，史书将克利福德称为“黑脸勋爵”，被真正的骑士精神的追随者所不容，并且遗臭万年。
a 韦克菲尔德：位于利兹以南9英里，距离约克26英里。
THE PLANTAGENETS-HOUSE OF YORK
金雀花王朝--约克王朝
77
EDWARD IV
爱德华四世
1461to 1483A.D.-22years（公元1461~1483年，在位22年）ambitious，desirous of power.confined，kept a prisoner.influence，power.
privately，alone；secretly.
strike another blow，fight another battle.
1.With Edward the Fourth the House of York begins.Though he had won the crown，he was not allowed to enjoy it in peace.The northern parts of the country were still in favour of Henry，and raised an army for him，which was defeated with terrible slaughter by Edward and Warwick at Towton，near York.Several other battles were fought，in which Henry was beaten；and at last he was taken prisoner and thrown into the Tower.