ROSES

WARS OF THE.—These wars arose out of a contest for the throne, between the two houses of York and Lancaster. It was termed the War of the Roses, from the badge of the York party being a white, and that of the Lancaster a red rose. It arose in complicated disputes about the succe ion among the descendants of Edward III. The feud thus arising was not concluded until Henry VII a erted the ascendency of the Lancaster party, on the field of Bosworth, and united the two, by marriage with a daughter of the York party. King Richard was killed at Bosworth and the Crown conferred upon the Earl of Richmond, and an end put to the wars between the two houses of York and Lancaster, begun upon the intrusion of king Henry IV, and continued till the death of King Richard III. There were fought 12 pitched battles, and 2 kings, 1 prince, 10 dukes, 2 marque es, 24 earls, 27 lords, 2 viscounts, 1 lord prior, 1 judge, 139 knights, 441 esquires, and 84,998 private soldiers were slain; which, being added to the 638 of superior quality, there appears to have been killed in the quarrels between the two roses, 85,625.