1

bare-footed through the city, and to do penance in St. Paul's church in a white fheet, with a waxtaper in her hand, before thousands of fpectators. She lived above forty years after this fentence, reduced to the most extreme wretchedness; and Sir Thomas More, in the fucceeding reign, affures us, that he saw her gathering herbs in a field near the city for her nightly repaft; an extraordinary example of the ingratitude of courts, and the reverses

of fortune.

The protector now began to throw off the mask, and to deny his pretended regard for the fons of the late king, thinking it high time to afpire at the throne more openly. He had previoufly gained over the duke of Buckingham, a man of talents and power, by bribes and promifes of future favour. This nobleman, therefore, ufed all his arts to infuse into the people an opinion of the baftardy of the late king, and alfo that of his children. Doctor Shaw, a popular preacher, was hired to harangue the people from St. Paul's Crois to the fame purpose; where, after having displayed the incontinence of the queen, and infifted on the illegality of the young king's title, he then expatiated on the virtues of the protector. "is the protector, cried he, who carries in his "face the image of virtue, and the marks of a "true defcent. He alone can restore the loft

" It

"glory and honour of the nation." It was hoped, upon this occafion, that fome of the populace would have cried out, Long live king Richard! but the audience remaining filent, the duke of Buckingham undertook to perfuade them, in his turn. His fpeech was copious upon the calamities of the laft reign, and the baftardy of the present race; he faw only one method of fhielding off the miferies that threatened the ftate, which was, to elect the protector; but he seemed apprehenfive

that

that he never would be prevailed on to accept of a crown, acompanied with fuch difficulty and danger. He next afked his auditors whether they would have the protector for their king; but was mortified to find that a total filence enfued. The mayor, who was in the fecret, willing to relieve him in this embarraffing fituation, obferved, that the citizens were not accustomed to be harangued by a perfon of fuch quality, and would only give an answer to their recorder. This officer therefore, repeated the duke's fpeech, but the people continuing ftill filent, "This is ftrange obftinacy,

cried the duke; we only require of you, in

plain terms, to declare whether, or not you "will have the duke of Gloucefter for your "king; as the lords and commons have fufficient << power without your concurrence?" After all thefe efforts, fome of the meaneft apprentices, incited by the protector's and Buckingham's fervants, raifing a feeble cry of, "God fave king Richard!" the mob at the door, a defpicable clafs of people, ever pleased with novelty, repeated the cry, and throwing up their caps, repeated, A Richard! a Richard!

In this manner the duke took the advantage of this faint approbation; and the next day, at the head of the mayor and aldermen, went to wait upon the protector, at Baynard's Caftle, with offers of the crown. When Richard was told that a great multitude was waiting at the door, with his ufual hypocrisy he appeared to the crowd in a gallery between two bifhops, and at firft feemed quite furprifed at fuch a concourfe of people. But when he was informed that their bufinefs was to offer him the crown, he declared against accepting it; alleging his love for the late king, his brother, his affection for the children under his care, and his own infufficiency. Buckingham

feeming

feeming difpleafed with this anfwer, muttered fome words to himself, but at length plainly told him, "That it was needlefs to refufe, for that "the people were bent on making him king; that "they had now proceeded too far to recede, and "therefore, in cafe of his refufal, were deter"mined to offer the crown where it would meet 66 a more ready acceptance." This was a refolution which the protector's tenderness for his people would not fuffer him to fee effected. " I per"ceive, cried he, in a modeft tone, that the "kingdom is refolved to load me with prefer"ments, unequal to my abilities or my choice; yet "fince it is my duty to obey the dictates of a free "people, I will, though reluctantly, accept their "petition. I therefore, from this moment, enter "upon the government of England and France, "with a refolution to defend the one, and fubdue "the other." The crowd being thus difmiffed, each man returned home, pondering upon the proceedings of the day; and making fuch remarks as paffion, intereft, or party might fuggeft.

CHAP.

CHAP. XXI.

RICHARD

III.

A. D.

1483.

NE crime ever draws on another; juftice will revolt against fraud, and ufurpation requires fecurity. As foon, therefore, as Richard was feated upon the throne, he fent the governor of the Tower orders to put the two young princes to death; but this brave man, whofe name was Brackenbury, refufed to be made the inftrument of a tyrant's will; and fubmiffively answered, that he knew not how to embrue his hands in innocent blood. A fit inftrument, however, was not long wanting; Sir James Tyrrel readily undertook the office, and Brackenbury was ordered to refign to him the keys for one night. Tyrrel choofing three affociates, Slater, Deighton, and Foreft, came in the night-time to the door of the chamber, where the princes were lodged; and fending in the affaffins, he bid them execute their commiffion, while he himself ftaid without. They found the young princes in bed, and fallen into a found fleep: after fuffocating them with the bolfter and pillows, they thewed their naked bodies to Tyrrel; who ordered them to be buried at the ftair-foot, deep in the ground, under an heap of ftones. These facts appeared in the fucceeding reign, being confeffed by the perpetrators; who, however, efcaped punishment for the crime. The bodies of the princes were afterwards fought for by Henry VII. but could not be found; however, in the reign of Charles II. the bones of two perfons, answering their age, were

found

found in the very spot where it was faid they were buried; they were interred in a marble monument by order of the king in Weftminster Abbey.

Richard had now waded through every obftacle to the throne; and began after the manner of all ufurpers, to ftrengthen his ill-got power by foreign connections. Senfible, alfo, of the influence of pageantry and fhew upon the minds of the people, he caufed himself to be crowned firft at London, and afterwards at York. The clergy he endeavoured to fecure by great indulgencies; and his friends, by bestowing rewards on them, in proportion as they were inftrumental in placing him on the throne.

But while he thus endeavoured to establish his power, he found it threatened in a quarter where he least expected an attack. The duke of Buckingham, who had been too inftrumental in placing him on the throne, though he had received the greatest rewards for his fervices, yet continued to with for more. He had already feveral pofts and governments conferred upon him; but that nobleman, whose avarice was infatiable, making a demand of the confifcated lands in Hereford, to which his family had an antient claim, Richard, either reluctantly complied with his request, or but partially indulged it, fo that a coolnefs foon enfued; and no fooner had Buckingham fuppofed himself injured, than he refolved to dethrone a monarch, whofe title was founded in injuftice. At first, however, this afpiring fubject remained in doubt, whether he fhould put up for the crown himself, or fet up another; but the latter refolution prevailing, he determined to declare for Henry, earl of Richmond, who was at that time an exile in Britany, and was confidered as the only furviving branch of the houfe of Lancaster.

Henry,