CHAP. XX.

EDWARD

U PO

V.

PON the death of Edward, the kingdom was divided into two new factions. The queen's family, who, during the laft reign had grown into power, was become obnoxious to the old nobility, who could not bear to act in fubordination to perfons whom they confidered as inferiors. The king himself, during his life-time, had been able to over-awe thefe animotities, and on his deathbed endeavoured to guard against their future increase. He expreffed a defire, that his brother the duke of Gloucefter fhould be intrufted with the regency, and recommended peace and unanimity during the minority of his fon. But the king was no fooner dead, than the parties broke out with all their former refentment; and the duke of Gloucefter, a crafty, wicked, and ambitious prince, refolved to profit by their mutual con

tentions.

His firft aim was to foment the difcontents of the old nobility, by infinuating, that the queen wanted to hide the meannefs of her original in a multitude of new promotions; at the fame time he redoubled his profeffions of zeal and attachment to that princefs, and thus entirely gained her confidence. Having fucceeded thus far, be gained over the duke of Buckingham, and fome other lords, to his interefts, and prevailed upon them to fecond him in his attempts to get the guardianship of the young king conferred upon him, together with the cuflody of his perfon.

2

Being

Being fure of the affiftance of these noblemen, he refolved to take the king out of the cuftody of the earl of Rivers, his uncle by the mother's fide; and having procured that nobleman to be arrested, he met young Edward in perfon, and offered to conduct him up to London, with the moft profound demonftrations of refpect. Having thus fecured the perfon of the king, his next ftep was to get the charge of the king's brother, a boy of about feven years old, who, with the queen, his mother, had taken fanctuary in Weftminfter-Abbey. The queen who had forefeen from the beginning the dangers that threatened her family, was very hardly perfuaded to deliver up her child; but at the interceffion of the primate, and the archbishop of York, fhe was at laft induced to comply; and clasping her child in her arms, with a laft embrace, took leave of him with a fhower of tears. The young king finding that he was to have the pleasure of his brother's company, was greatly rejoiced at the queen's compliance, not confidering the fatal intent of these preparations; for in a few days after the duke of Gloucefter, who had been made protector of the realm, upon a pretence of guarding their perfons from danger, conveyed them both to the Tower.

Having thus fecured the perfons of thofe he intended to deftroy, his next step was to fpread a report of their illegitimacy; and, by pretended obftacles, to put off the day appointed for the young king's coronation. Lord Stanley, a man of deep penetration, was the first to difclofe his fears of the protector's having ill defigns; and communicated his fufpicions to lord Haftings, who long had been firmly attached to the king's family. Haftings would at firft give the furmise no credit; and probably his wishes that fuch a

project

project might not be true, influenced his judg ment, and confirmed his fecurity. But he was foon undeceived; for Catefby, a vile inftrument of the protector, was fent to found him, and to try whether he could not be brought over to affist the projected ufurpation. Haftings treated the propofal with horror: he profefled himfelf immovable in his adherence to the king; and his death was therefore refolved on by the protector.

In the mean time, orders had been dispatched to execute the lords Rivers, Gray, and, Vaughan, who had been confined in Pomfret caftle, and whofe only crime was their attachment to the young king. On the very day on which they were beheaded, the protector fummoned a council in the Tower, whither lord Haltings, amongst others, repaired, no way fufpecting that his own life was in danger. The duke of Gloucefter was capable of committing the most bloody and treacherous murders with the utmost coolness and indifference. He came thither at nine o'clock in the morning with a moft chearful countenance, faluting the members with the utmoft affability, and demonftrations of unufual good humour. He complimented the bishop of Ely on his early ftrawberries, and begged to have a difh of them. He then left the council, as if called away by other bufinefs; but defired that his abfence might not interrupt the debates. In about an hour he returned, quite altered in look, knitting his brows, biting his lips, and fhewing, by a frequent change of countenance, the figns of fome inward perturbation. A filence enfued for fome time; and the lords looked upon each other, not without reason, expecting fome horrid catastrophe. At length, he broke the dreadful filence: "My lords, cried "he, what punishment do they deferve, who "have confpired against my life ?" This question redoubled

redoubled the aftonishment of the affembly; and the filence continuing, lord Haftings at length made answer, that whoever did fo, deferved to be punished as a traitor. "Thefe traitors, cried "the protector, are the forcerefs, my brother's "wife, and Jane Shore his miftrefs, with others, "their affociates. See to what a condition they "have reduced me by their incantations and "witchcrafts." Upon which he laid bare his arm, all fhrivelled and decayed. The amazement of the council feemed to increase at this terrible accufation; and lord Haftings again faid : "If they have committed fuch a crime, they "deferve punishment." "If, cried the pro

"tector, with a loud voice, doft thou answer me "with Ifs? 1 tell thee that they have confpired my death; and that thou, traitor, art an accom"plice in their crime." He then truck the

table twice with his hand; and the room was inftantly filled with armed men • I arrest thee,"

continues he, turning to Haftings, "for high trea"fon," and at the fame time gave him in charge to the foldiers." In the men while, the council room was filled with tumult and confufion; and though no refcue was offered, yet the foldiers. caused a buftle as if they apprehended danger. One of them narrowly miffed cleaving lord Stanley's head with a battle-axe; but he fortunately escaped, by fhrinking under the table. In all probability the fellow had orders for that attempt, and fhould Stanley be killed, his death might be afcribed to the tumult caufed by an intended refcue. However, though he efcaped the blow, he was arreft. ed by the protector's order, who was well apprized of his attachment to the young king. As for lord Haftings, he was obliged to make a fhort confeffion to the next priest that was at hand; the protector crying out, By St. Paul, that he would

not

He

not dine till he had feen his head taken off. was accordingly hurried out to the Little Green before the Tower-chapel, and there beheaded on a log of wood that accidentally lay in the way. Two hours after, a proclamation, very well drawn up, was read to the citizens of London, enumerating his offences, and palliating the fuddenness of his punishment. It was remarked, however, by a merchant among the auditors, that the proclamation was certainly drawn up by a fpirit of prophecy.

The protector, having thus got rid of those he moft feared, was willing to please the populace by punishing Jane Shore, the late king's miftrefs. This unfortunate woman was an enemy too humble to excite his jealoufy; yet as he had accused her of witchcraft, of which all the world faw she was innocent, he thought proper to make her an example, for those faults of which he was really guilty. Jane Shore had been formerly deluded from her husband, who was a goldfmith in Lombard Street, and continued to live with Edward, the most guiltless miftrefs in his abandoned court. She was ever known to intercede for the diftrefied, and was ufually applied to as mediator for mercy. She was charitable, generous, and of a moft plea-" fing conversation; her wit being faid to be as irrefiftible as her beauty. As fhe was blameless in other refpects, the protector ordered her to be fued for incontinency, as having left her husband to live in adultery with another. It is very probable, that the people were not difpleafed at feeing one again reduced to her former meannets, who had for a while been raised above them, and enjoyed the fmiles of a court. The charge against her was too notorious to be denied; the pleaded guilty, and was accordingly condemned to walk

bare