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which was fo unexpected to the men, though not to their leaders, had a proportioned effect on both armies; it infpired unufual courage into Henry's foldiers, and threw Richard's into confufion. The. intrepid tyrant perceiving the danger of his fitua tion, fpurred up his horfe into the thickeft of the fight, while Richmond quitted his ftation behind, to encourage his troops by his prefence in the front. Richard perceiving him, was defirous of ending all by one blow; and with irrefiftible fury flew through thousands to attack him. He flew Sir William Brandon, the earl's ftandard bearer, who attempted to ftop his career. Sir John Cheney having taken Brandon's place, was thrown by him to the ground. Richmond, in the mean time, ftood firm to oppose him; but they were feparated by the interpofing crowd. Richard, thus difappointed, went, by his prefence, to infpire his troops at another quarter; but at length perceiving his army every where yielding or flying, and now finding that all was gone, he rushed with a loud fhout into the midft of the enemy, and there met a better death than his crimes and cruelties deferved. After the battle, his body was found ftripped among an heap of flain, covered over with wounds, and the eyes frightfully ftaring. In this manner it was thrown across an horfe, the head hanging down on one fide, and the legs on the other, and thus carried to Leicester. It lay there two days expofed to public view, and then was buried without farther ceremony.

Richard's crown being found by one of Henry's foldiers on the field of battle, it was immediately placed upon the head of the conqueror, while the whole army, as if infpired with one voice, cried out, "Long live king Henry!"

Thus ended the bloody reign of Richard; and by his death the race of the Plantagenet kings,

who

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who had been in poffeffion of the crown during the fpace of three hundred and thirty years, became extinct. Thus ended alfo the contests between the houses of York and Lancaster, by which moft of the antient families of the kingdom were extinguifhed, and more than an hundred thousand men loft their lives, either by the sword or the executioner.

Thefe diffenfions had, for fome time, reduced · the kingdom to a state of savage barbarity. Laws, arts, and commerce, which had before emitted fome feeble gleams, were entirely neglected for the practice of arms; and to be a conqueror was fufficient, in the eyes of the brutal people, to ftand for every other virtue. The English had as yet, but little idea of legal fubordination; nor could they give any applaufe to those who attempted to cultivate the arts of peace, the whole of their study and education being turned for war. The ferocity of the people to each other was incredible. However, the women, whatever part they took in the difturbances of the government, were exempted from capital punishments; nor were they ever put to death, except when convicted of witchcraft or poifoning. As for the clergy, they were entirely diftinct from the laity, both in cuftoms, laws, and learning. They were governed by the code of civil law, drawn up in the times of Juftinian; while the laity were held by the common-law, which had been traditional from times immemorial in the country. The clergy, however we may be told to the contrary, understood and wrote Latin fluently; while the laity, on the other hand, understood nothing of Latin, but applied themselves wholly to the French language, when they afpired at the character of a polite education. The clergy, as a body distinct from the ftate, little interefted I 2 themselves

themselves in civil policy; and perhaps they were not displeased to fee the laity, whom they confidered lefs as fellow-fubjects than rivals for power, weakening themselves by continual contefts, and thus rendering themselves more eafily manageable. In fhort, as there was no knowledge of government among the individuals, but what totally refulted from power, the ftate was like a feverish conftitution, ever fubject to ferment and diforder. France, indeed, had ferved for fome time as a drain for the peccant humours; but when that was no longer open, the diforders of the conftitution seemed daily to encrease, and vented themselves at laft in all the horrors of a long continued civil war.

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FTER having prefented the reader with a frightful train of treasons, ftratagems, murders, and ufurpations, we are now beginning to emerge into a time of greater importance and glory. We are now to view the conduct of a monarch, who, if not the beft, was, at least, the most useful of any that ever fat upon the British throne. We are now to behold a nation of tumult reduced to civil fubordina tion; an infolent and factious aristocracy humbled, wife laws enacted, commerce restored, and the peaceful arts made amiable to a people, for whom war alone heretofore had charms. Hitherto we have only beheld the actions of a barbarous nation, obeying with reluctance, and governed by caprice, but henceforward we may discover more refined politics, and better concerted schemes; human wisdom, as if roused from her lethargy of thirteen hundred years, exerting all her efforts to fubdue the natural ferocity of the people, and to introduce permanent felicity.

Henry's first care upon coming to the throne, was to marry the princess Elizabeth, daughter of Edward the fourth; and thus he blended the interests of the houses of York and Lancafter, fo that ever after they were incapable of diftinction. Nevertheless, being apprehenfive that the people might fuppofe he claimed the crown in right of this union, he deferred the queen's coronation till two years after, by which he made the priority of his own claim inconteftible. His reign alfo hap

13.

pily

pily commenced with an obedience to the forms of law, of which England had hitherto feen but few examples. An act had been paffed in the preceding reign for the attainder of his friends and followers, which continued ftill in force; and the names of many members of that houfe, by which it was to be repealed, were exprefly mentioned in the attainder. To fuffer thefe to join in repealing that ftatute, would be admitting them as judges in their own caufe; but to this Henry prudently objected, obliging them to leave the house, till an act was paffed for reverfing their attainder.

Before this reign, it had been ufual for the king when any person was attainted, to give away his eftates after his execution, to any of the court favourites that happened to be moft in confidence. Henry wifely perceived that this feverity had two bad effects; the cruelty of the meafure in the first place excited indignation; and it alfo made the favourite too powerful for subjection. In order to remedy thefe inconveniencies, he made a law to deprive thofe who were found in arms of their eftates and effects, and fequefter them for the benefit

of the crown.

A great part of the miferies of his predeceffors proceeded from their poverty, which was moftly occafioned by riot and diffipation Henry faw that money alone could turn the fcale of power in his favour; and therefore hoarded up all the confifcations of his enemies with the utmoft frugality. From hence he has been accufed by hiftorians of avarice; but that avarice which tends to ftrengthen government and reprefs fedition, is not only excufable, but praife-worthy. Liberality in a king is too often a mifplaced virtue. What is thus given, is generally extorted from the induftrious and needy, to be lavished as rewards on the rich, the infidious, and the fawning; upon the fyco

phants

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