Henry, earl of Richmond was at that time detained in a kind of honourable cuftody by the duke of Britany. He was one of those who had the good fortune to escape the numerous maffacres of the preceding reign; but as he was a defcendant of John of Gaunt, by the female line, he was for that reafon obnoxious to thofe in power. He had long lived in exile; and was, at one time, delivered up to the embaffadors of Edward, who were preparing to carry him over to England, when the prince, who delivered him, repented of what he had done, and took him from the ambaffadors juft as they were leading him on fhipboard. This was the youth on whom the duke of Buckingham caft his eye, to fucceed to the crown, and a negotiation was begun between them for that pur. pofe. Henry's hereditary right to the throne was doubtful, but the crimes of the ufurper ferved to ftrengthen his claims. However, ftill further to improve his title, a marriage was projected between him and the princefs Elizabeth, eldest daughter of the late king, and the queen dowager was prevailed on heartily to accede to the measure.

Richard, in the mean time, either informed by his creatures, or kept diftruftful by confcious guilt, began to fufpect Buckingham's fidelity; and the fecret informations which he daily received, left him no room to doubt of the truth of his fufpicions. Impreffed with this jealousy, therefore, he formed a refolution of fending for him to court; and the duke's refufing to obey the fummons, confirmed him in his fears. But he foon had the plaineft proofs of Buckingham's enmity, intelligence arriving that this nobleman was at the head of a large body of men in arms, and marching to. wards the western fhore, Richard, whofe conrage no danger could allay, immediately put him

felf

felf in a posture of defence, by levying fome troops in the North, and prepared to meet the infurgents with his ufual expedition. But fortune feemed his friend on the prefent occafion, and rendered all his preparations unneceffary. As Buckingham was advancing by hafty marches towards Gloucester, where he defigned to cross the Severn, juft at that time the river was fwoln to fuch a degree, that the country on both fides was deluged, and even the tops of fome hills were covered with water. This inundation continued for ten days; during which Buckingham's army, compofed of Welfhmen, could neither pafs the river, nor find fubfiftence on their own fide; they were, therefore, obliged to difperfe, and return home notwithstanding all the duke's efforts to prolong their ftay. In this helplefs fituation, the duke, after a fhort deliberation, took refuge at the house of one Banister, who had been his fervant, and who had received repeated obligations from his family. But the wicked feldom find, as they feldom exert, friendship. Banifter, unable to refift the temptation of a large reward that was fet upon the duke's head, went and betrayed him to the sheriff of Shropshire; who, furrounding the house with armed men, feized the duke, in the habit of a peasant, and conducted him to Salisbury; where he was inftantly tried, condemned, and executed, according to the fummary method practifed in those ages.

In the mean time the duke of Richmond landed in England; but finding his hopes fruftrated by the failure of Buckingham, he haftily fet fail again, and returned to Britany. Thus every occurrence feemed to promife Richard a long poffeffion of the crown; however, the authority of parliament was ftill wanting to give sanction to the injuftice of his proceedings; but in thofe times of ignorance and

e ufurper's

berations. complete

guilt that was eafily procured. An act was paffed, confirming the illegitimacy of Edward's children; an act of attainder alfo was confi ed against Henry earl of Richmond; and all wishes seemed to be the aim of thei One thing, however, was wanting Richard's fecurity, which was the death of his rival; to effect which, he fent ambaffadors to the duke of Britany, feemingly upon bufinefs of a public nature; but in reality, to treat with Landais, that prince's minifter, to deliver up Richmond. The minifter was bafe enough to enter into the negotiation; but Richmond having had timely notice, fled away into France, and juft reached the confines of that kingdom when he found that he was pursued by thofe who intended giving him up to his rival.

Richard thus finding his attempts to feize his enemy's perfon unfuccefsful, became every day more cruel, as his power grew more precarious. Among those who chiefly excited his jealoufy, was the lord Stanley, who was married to the widow of Edward; and to keep him ftead faft in obedience, he took his fon as an hoftage for the father's behaviour. He now alfo refolved to get rid of his prefent queen, Anne, to make room for a match with his niece, the princefs Elizabeth, by whose alliance he hoped to cover the injuftice of his claims. This lady, whom he defired to get rid of, was the widow of the young prince of Wales, whom he had murdered with his own hands at Tewksbury; and it is no flight indication of the barbarity of the times, that the widow should accept for her fecond lord, the murderer of her former husband. But fhe was now rewarded for her former inhumanity, as Richard treated her with fo much pride and indifference, that he died with

grief, according to his ardent expectation. However, his wishes were not crowned with fuccefs in his applications to Elizabeth; the mother, indeed, was not averfe to the match; but the princess herself treated his vile addreffes with contempt and deteftation.

Amidft the perplexity caused by this unexpected refufal, he received information that the earl of Richmond was once more making preparations to land in England, and affert his claims to the crown. Richard, who knew not in what quarter he might expect the invader, had taken poft at Nottingham, in the centre of the kingdom; and had given commiffions to several of his creatures, to oppose the enemy wherever he fhould land. The account received of Richmond's preparations was not ungrounded; he fet out from Harfleur in Normandy, with a retinue of about two thoufand perfons; and after a voyage of fix days, arrived at Milford-Haven, in Wales, where he landed without oppofition, Sir Rice ap Thomas, and Sir Walter Herbert, who were intrufted to oppose him in Wales, were both in his interests; the one immediately deferted to him, and the other made but a feeble oppofition. Upon news of this defeat, Richard, who was poffeffed of courage and military conduct, his only virtues, inftantly refolved to meet his antagonist, and decide their mutual pretenfions by a battle. Richmond, on the other hand, being reinforced by Sir Thomas Bourchier, Sir Walter Hungerford, and others, to the number of about fix thoufand, boldly advanced with the fame intentions; and in a few days, both armies drew near Bofworth-field, to determine a contest that had now for more than forty years filled the kingdom with civil commotions and deluged its plains with blood.

The

The army of Richard was above double that of Henry; but the chief confidence of the latter lay in the friendship and fecret affurances of lord Stanley, who, with a body of feven thousand men, hovered near the field of battle, and declined engaging on either fide.

Richard perceiving his enemy advance, drew up his army, confifting of about thirteen thousand men, in order of battle; he gave the command of the van-guard to the duke of Norfolk, while he led the main body himself, with the crown on his head, defigning by this either to infpire the enemy with awe, or to render himself confpicuous to his own army. The van of Richmond's army, confifting of archers, was commanded by John, earl of Oxford; Sir Gilbert Talbot led the right wing, Sir John Savage the left; while the carl himself, accompanied by his uncle the earl of Pembroke, placed himself in the main body. Lord Stanley in the mean time, posted himself on one flank between the two armies, while his brother took his station on the other which was oppofite. Richard feeing him thus in a fituation equally convenient for joining either army, immediately fent him orders to unite himself to the main body, which the other refufing he gave inftant orders for beheading lord Stanley's fon, whom he ftill kept as an hoftage. He was perfuaded, however, to poftpone the execution till after the fight; and attending to the more important tranfactions of the day, he directed the trumpets to found to battle. The two armies approaching each other, the battle began with a fhower of arrows, and foon the adverse fronts were feen clofing. This was what lord Stanley had for fome time expected, who immediately profiting by the occafion, joined the line of Richmond, and thus turned the fortune of the day. This measure, VOL. II. which

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