How successful did Edward IV control his nobility in his first reign?

The years 1461-70 saw a long-term shift in power in the nobility, which Edward IV, an effective King, had no trouble in monitoring. The difficulty Edward IV faced from the beginning was the result of turmoil left by Henry VI's reign; nobility had seen that violence and revolt could be a useful tool in both national & local conflicts, and Edward knew this was true as his own family had used insurrection as an attempt to recover what they saw as their rightful place. Edward's attempt to rekindle with Lancastrian supporters and the rise of the Woodville family were seen as tests of loyalty to many of the nobility, straining Edward's power. Further, these nine years saw the continuous rise of the Earl of Warwick, the 'kingmaker', whose ambition & greed quickly grew into something potentially dangerous. Despite all this, Edward IV successfully controlled his nobility in his first reign.
There is no doubt that Edward IV was unsuccessful in controlling his nobility during his first reign as King. A man who usurped the throne from an anointed King was inevitably going to face difficulties from his nobility. With a large amount of Lancastrian supporters remaining, Edward had to grapple with the tricky problem of patronage. What, then, should Edward have done with the Lancastrian supporters? If he were unable to secure loyalty from them, he would be forced to rely upon a small group of Yorkists to control the nobility, promoting factionalism in government. As a new King, he was reluctant to alienate too many Lancastrian supporters so he confiscated modest amounts of land from his enemies, leading to his supporters being disappointed with their rewards. It was a mistake for Edward to pardon the Lancastrians, as he was never going to triumph; he was asking men to ignore sworn allegiance to a King in whose battles, members of their own families had died. In return, they would receive rewards from a usurper whose success was not certain. This displays the characteristic of Edward relying on the persuasive power of his own personality in his relations with the nobility. In the face of this failure, Edward was essentially forced to rely on that narrow powerbase of his Yorkist supporters. This displays that Edward's policy on the Lancastrians not only failed but also created resentment within the Yorkist cause from an early stage, eventually leading to a lack of control.The argument previously mentioned contains significant weaknesses. His apparent 'lack of control' over nobility was not directly attributable to these measures, but they did not help. The Lancastrian cause was a useful weapon in the hands of any ruler who wished to embarrass the King of England. Edward IV's foreign policy had to take into account the need to legitimise his dynasty as well as prevent Lancastrians gaining assistance for invasions. Sensibly enough, Edward made every effort to attract Henry VI's foremost allies to his service, rather than seek revenge. Edward was very liberal with his pardons, even to the Beauforts, who were long-term rivals of the House of York. The attempted conciliation of the Lancastrians had been worth trying but the main thrust of Edward's policy was more successful. Edward elevated men who owed their advancement to his favour alone, such as Lord Hastings & Lord Herbert. This was not part of a conscious policy to use the gentry to replace or threaten Warwick; it was done to reflect the fact that Edward had once been one of their numbers before becoming King. These factors point towards the fact that not only did Edward IV successfully control his nobility in his first reign, but he also understood & accepted the view of the class, thus he was able to channel the nobility's strength in his own interest.