nobility of England. York himself was killed at Wakefield, December
23rd, 1460. On the following 3rd of March his son was proclaimed
King Edward IV. in London, and on the 29th (Palm Sunday) he defeated
Henry's Queen Margaret at Towton, the bloodiest battle ever fought on
English ground. A complicated struggle followed, during which there
was much changing of sides. Once King Henry, who had been imprisoned
in the Tower, was brought out by the Earl of Warwick, who had changed
sides, and conducted to St. Paul's in state. But the Londoners showed
that they had no sympathy; they were on the Yorkist side in the
interest of strong government. Hall the chronicler makes an amusing
remark on Warwick's parading of King Henry in the streets. "It no more
moved the Londoners," he says, "than the fire painted on the wall
warmed the old woman." That is worthy of Sam Weller. In May, 1470,
Henry died in the Tower, and his corpse was exhibited in St. Paul's.
It was alleged that as it lay there blood flowed from the nose as
Richard Crookback entered, witnessing that he was the murderer.
Richard afterwards came again to offer his devotions after the death
of his brother, Edward IV., and all the while he was planning the
murder of his young nephews.

Arthur, Prince of Wales, son of Henry VII., married Catharine of
Aragon in St. Paul's, November 14th, 1501. He died five months later,
at the age of 15. The chroniclers are profuse in their descriptions of
the decorations of the cathedral and city on that occasion. The body
of Henry VII. lay in state at St. Paul's before it was buried in
Westminster Abbey.

This brings us to a new epoch altogether in our history. The stirring
events now to be noted do not so much concern the material fabric of
the cathedral as in the past, but they were of the most momentous