her of all that she had; and at laft procured the Bishop to make her do Penance, for her former Dalliance with Edward the IVth. These fudden and violent Proceedings fo terrified both the Nobility and Gentry, that no one durft move his Head or Tongue againft the Administration. Richard now thought it a proper Time to declare, that he claimed a Title to the Crown; this he had no fooner done, but Buckingham preffed him to mount the Throne, and took upon himself to manage the City of London, which he fo effectually did, that thro' his Artifice the City was drawn in at laft to proclaim Richard King of England; and, at the fame Time, the late King Edward and his Iffue were reprefented to the People as fpurious: So that the young King reigned but three Months, and foon after became (with Richard his Brother) a Victim to his Uncle, and next Succeffor. Richard the IIId. Richard the IIId, after he had ufurped the Crown, got himself established by Act of Parliament, fat once in the Court of King's Bench, and proclaimed a Pardon of all offences, that had at any time been committed against him; he ordained the Knights of the Bath, and fet at liberty the Lord Stanley, and made him Steward of his Houfhold. Morton, Bishop of Ely, he delivered to the Cuftody of the Duke of Buckingham, who fent him to his Houfe at Brecknock. On the 6th of July, the King was crowned at Westminster, in greater State than any King had been before him; but ftill he thought, while his two Nephews lived, the Crown would never ftand firm upon his Head; and therefore perfevered in his Defign of taking away both their Lives, in order that he might reign without Fear. The two young Princes at that Time were shut up in the Tower. When Prince Edward was told, by one of Gloucester's Creatures, that his Uncle had left the Title of Pro tector, tector, and taken that of King, he answered, I would to God my Uncle would let me bave my Life, tho' I lofe my Kingdom: To which the Party replied, There was no doubt of it. However, the King and his Brother's Attendance were immediately reduced to fix Perfons, two whereof were fet to ferve them, and the reft to fee them kept fecure. After which the young King never tied his Points, nor regarded himself in the leaft; but, with his Brother, lingred out the fhort Remainder of his Life. In the Interim Richard was confulting with James Tirell the beft Way to take away their Lives. This Wretch, thro' large Promifes of Reward, was prevailed on by Richard to be their bloody Butcher. Tirell at laft contrived they fhould be murdered in their Bed, and, that he might the more eafily compleat his wicked Design, the King ordered the Lieutenant of the Tower to permit Tirell (and any Person with him that he should defire) to go in and out of the Tower at any Hour in the Night. The King had no fooner given this Order, but Tirell employed under him Miles Foreft, one of the Perfons that guarded the young Princes, and John Dighton, his Horfekeeper: Thefe Villains, according to the Directions they received from Tirell, entered the Princes Chamber about Midnight, and, finding them afleep in their Bed, wrapped them up in their Bed-clothes, and ftifled them. Thus returned their innocent Souls, into the Hands of God, from whom they received them, and were, as fome fay, buried by the Murderers under the Stairs in the Tower; and, as others relate, they were wrapped up in Lead, and put in a Coffin full of Holes, and thrown into Tower-ditch. As foon as Richard was informed, that the Children were murdered, he caufed it to be fpread abroad, that they died fuddenly; but there were none, even at that Time, that believed any other, than that they were murdered, tho' they did not know in what Manner. The Queen and her Friends greatly bewailed their un timely End, and cried to God for Vengeance on the Murderers.* A Reverend and Learned Divine,+ on a like Occafion, breaks out into thefe Expreffions. Find him, ye Minifters of Vengeance, find -plung'd in deep Defpair. After the Tragedy we have been fpeaking of was performed, Richard repaired to Gloucester, accompa nied by the Duke of Buckingham, where they feemingly appeared to be the fame intimate Friends as before. When the King left Gloucefter, Buckingham retired to his House at Brecknock. From that Time the Duke conceived a great Displeasure against the King, the Caufe whereof is differently ascribed by Hiftorians. As foon as the Duke came home, he entered into Difcourfe with the Bishop of Ely concerning the State of Affairs, and desired him to speak his Mind freely; on which the Bishop in general answered, He loved not to talk with Princes, for that it was not very safe so to do, fince the Words that are * spoken, tho' they be innocent in themselves, yet ⚫ they may be taken in what Sense the Prince pleases ⚫ to conftrue them to the Destruction of the Speaker." In fhort, before the Bishop quitted the Duke's Company, he perceived, that he had harboured an irreconcileable Enmity against the Ufurper. He then delivered himself freely, and endeavoured to render Foreft rotted away by Piece meals;Dighton, after he had lived for fome time defpifed, died mi the ferable at Calais; Tyrell was be-headed, and the cruel Tyrant, Richard, was killed in Battle. + Dr. TRAP P's PoEм upon the PEACE. 1713. P. 27. the Tyrant as odious as poffible in his Eyes. The Bifhop begged the Duke, for God and his Coun< try's Sake, to contrive fome Way to rid the Nation of fo barbarous a Prince, and restore it to its former Peace and Tranquillity.' The Duke promifed he would not be wanting therein, and, to convince the Bishop he was in earnest, he entered into a Confederacy against the King in Favour of Henry, Earl of Richmond, who was then in Brittany, and claimed the Crown,* as Heir of the House of Lan cafter. Richard was foon informed, that the Duke was plotting Mischief against him, whereupon he fent for Buckingham to Court, under Pretence he ftood in great need of his Counfel: But his Grace, mistrusting his smooth Words, replied, He was fick ly, and not able to travel, and humbly defired to ' be excufed,' Richard fent again, and commanded him to come. The Duke, feeing there was no putting him off any longer, fent this refolute Anfwer, • That he would not come to his mortal Enemy.' As foon as Buckingham had returned this last Anfwer, he drew the Forces together, which himself and his Friends had privately lifted in Wales, and declared for the Earl of Richmond: He marched at their Head towards Salisbury, intending to have paffed into Cornwal, where he expected he should have met the Earl. At the fame Time other Noblemen were employed in raising Troops in different Parts, * Henry, Earl of Richmond, was defcended from Lady Margaret, only Daughter to the firft Duke of Somerfet, and Grand-daughter to John of Gaunt, Father to King Henry the IVth. In Edward the IVth's Time the Earl retired into Brittany, which gave the King fo much Uneafinefs (being well acquainted with his great Qualities) that he used his utmost Endeavours with the Duke of Brittany to get him delivered up, but in vain: Yet, as that Duke did not care to break with Edaward, he promised not to fuffer him to go out of his Territories; and he kept his Word during his Reign; by which Means Richmond continued as a Prifoner in Brittany, yet always met with good Treatment, and the Respect due to his illustrious Birth, Parts, in order to affift Buckingham: But the Duke's Design miscarried; for the King was no fooner informed of what had paffed, than he instantly marched against him, whofe Forces were most of them Welch, who, for want of Pay and Provifions, before any of the other Party arrived, broke up their Camp, and left the Duke to fhift for himself, which, when the rest of the Confederates understood, they likewise dispersed themselves. The Duke in Disguise got to his Servant Banister's House near Shrewsbury, where he thought himself fafe; but Richard, upon the Duke's Flight, iffued a Proclamation, promifing 1000l. Reward to any one that would discover him; and Banifter, for the Sake of the Reward, bafely betrayed his Mafter into his Enemy's Hands, who caufed his Head to be cut off without any Trial, or fhewing the leaft Regard to his former Services. On this, Bishop Morton made his Escape into Brittany. Whilft Buckingham was acting for the Earl of Richmond in England, the Earl obtained fo much Credit with the Duke of Brittany, that he was pleafed not only to grant him his Liberty, (which he had been for fome time deprived of) but alfo Affiftance, (fo as to enable him to pafs into England) confifting of 15 Veffels, and 5000 Men, with which Forces he departed from St. Malo on the 12th of October. In his Paffage he met with a violent Storm, wherein he had like to have perifhed: This Accident was the Means of faving his Life; for (Richard having discovered Buckingham's Confpiracy, and diffipated, the Earl's Party in England) if he had landed, he would, in all Probability, have fallen into his Hands. On his Return he put in at Dieppe, and went by Land to Brittany, where Matters were greatly altered with refpect to his Situation, tho' they had ftill the fame outward Appearance; for Richard, upon this Occafion, fent an Agent into Brittany, where he fo |