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Bolton, whose castle was even more impressive than Middleham, and Metcalfe of Nappa Hall, who was the head of an innumerable clan of warlike Borderers. 3 Then there was the Cistercian Abbot of Jervaulx two miles away, whose monks were as famous for their horses as for their sheep. There was also the Abbot of the White Canons of Coverham, again only two miles away but on the other side of the river – Premonstratensian Abbots were splendidly decorative figures who wore white fur capes. (The canons took their name from their mother house of Prémontré in France.) However, the neighbours who probably loomed largest were the Mayor and Corporation of York, who frequently entertained Warwick and his family.
    The Earl himself was undoubtedly the most imposing personality whom Richard encountered in his early years, commanding almost as enormous an authority as King Edward. Sadly we know nothing about Warwick’s relations with the boy, though he must have met him often during his visits to Middleham and afterwards at court. Born in 1428, Richard Nevill had, as has been seen, acquired two of the richest Earldoms in the realm and possessed vast estates all over England, amounting to more than a hundred manors, and also the Lordship of the Channel Islands. Commynes, a Burgundian contemporary, estimated that in addition he drew an income from his offices which was worth at least 80,000 Flemish gold crowns. No other English magnate commanded so huge an army of retainers and dependants, all of whom were proud to wear his livery of a red jacket with a white bear and ragged staff, while no other was head of such a powerful clan as the Nevills – a large proportion of members of the House of Lords were his kinsmen.
    Warwick was immensely popular, not just in the North Country but in London as well. At his house, The Harbour – it was on the siteof today’s Cannon Street Station – in Warwick Lane on Dowgate Hill, which overlooked the Pool of London, six oxen were roasted and boiled for breakfast every day; the surrounding taverns were full of people eating his meat because any friend of his servants might take away as much as they could carry on a dagger – there must have been a whole host of them since he never travelled without a retinue of 600 men. He was deeply admired for his dashing exploits at sea in his capacity as Captain of Calais; he had destroyed an entire Spanish fleet besides terrorizing Flemish and Italian merchantmen, and he had swept the English coastal waters free of privateers – he was literally worshipped in the south coast ports. And everyone knew that to a very large extent the King owed his throne to him (though the title of ‘King-maker’ was not bestowed on him until the next century). Commynes thought that ‘he might also be called the King’s father as a result of the services and education he had given him’. Indeed, it is not too much to suggest that he was something of a father-figure to all three brothers.
    Edward gave the Earl unparalleled powers, which made him a sort of mayor of the palace. He was allowed to manage most of the highest affairs of state, including defence and foreign diplomacy – for a long time the French and the Scots believed that he was omnipotent. As Captain of Calais he had an unrivalled power base across the Channel, yet he was even stronger in the North of England. The once supreme Percys were deprived of their lands, as Lancastrians, and these were given to Warwick’s brother, Lord Montagu, who was also made Earl of Northumberland and Chamberlain of the Royal Household. His youngest brother, George Nevill, was promoted to Archbishop of York and appointed Lord Chancellor.
    In person the Earl of Warwick must have appeared quite as splendid as his rank and possessions. He was noted not only for a magnificent bearing, but also for his charm, his condescension and his generosity. Unfortunately he was also a man of diabolical pride and vanity, overwhelmingly ambitious,