'Bill-men fhook their Bills, and proved their Staves, ready to approach and join, when the terrible Trumpet 'fhould found the bloody Blaft to Victory or Death.' In fhort, the Soldiers fhouted, and the King's Archers couragiously let fly their Arrows, nor did the Earl's Bow-men ftand idle, but returned them again with equal Fury; which being over, the Armies joined, and came to handy Strokes, wherein neither Sword nor Bill were fpared. The Earl alfo was fo vigorously charged by Richard in Perfon, that his Troops began to give Ground, and himself was in no little Danger: The King, having discovered him in the Field, rode directly to him, and came fo near as to kill Sir William Brandon, his Standard-bearer, and difmount Sir John Cheyney, one of the strongest Knights in the Earl's Army. Another Party of Richard's Forces were deeply engaged with thofe under the Command of the Earl of Oxford; and, at that Inftant, the Lord Stanley and his Brother falling upon the Flanks of the King's Army, Richard was obliged to quit the Earl, to give fresh Orders to his Troops, who were put into Disorder by the Stanleys: What was yet worse, the Earl of Northumberland, who commanded one Wing of the King's Army, proved falfe to him, and ordered his Men to throw down their Arms. Some of Richard's Friends, feeing how the Battle was like to go, brought him a swift Horfe, and perfuaded him to fave himself by Flight; to which he answered, No; I will not fly; for I am refolved this Day shall finish all Battles, ་ or else I will finish my Life.' So, clofing his Helmet, he boldly rushed among the thickeft of his Enemies, and met with his Death, refufing to furvive the Day, in which he faw himself so generally abandoned by his Subjects. In this one Point Richard kept his Word; for, the Day before the Battle, he declared to his Army, that he would either carry the Victory, or die upon the Spot. C 4 One One of our modern Poets makes the Earl of Richmond exprefs himself as follows upon the Death of bloody-minded Richard. Farewell, Richard, and, from thy dreadful End, How might thy Fame have grac'd our English Annals! This unfortunate King was fmall of Stature, and ill shaped; his Afpect rugged and unpleafing; he had a vigorous and enterprizing Genius, and wanted neither Courage nor Conduct for a good General; his Sleep, after he had been guilty of many different Murders, was fhort and broken; his Dreams dreadful, and fometimes he would ftart out of his Bed, and run frighted about the Chamber. It is faid, the Night before the Battle of Bofworth, his Mind was terribly harraffed: It is probable, the Profpect of the Danger rnight make his Crimes appear in proper Colours, let his Confcience loofe with a greater Force, and give him an Apprehenfion of Miscarriage: But it is certain, that neither the Prefage of his Misfortune, nor the Weight of his Guilt, could fink him into Cowardice. It must be owned Richard was a Monster of Luft and Cruelty, whofe Murders, too many to be here repeated, are at large fet down in our Chronicles, with his Attempts of Rape and Inceft: So perfect he was in Villany and Hypocrify, that he always gave fair Language, and fhewed the greateft Signs of Love to that Man in the Morning, whofe Throat he had given Orders to be cut in the Evening. His Body, after the Battle, was ftripped stark naked, and miferably mangled; and, in that Condition, all befmeared with Blood and Duft, was thrown cross a Horfe Horfe like a dead Beaft, and carried to Leicester; where, for a Spectacle of Hate and Scorn, he lay two Days unburied; and then was interred in the Grey Fryers Monaftery, without any Funeral Pomp. The Stone-coffin, in which he was buried, was dug up on the Diffolution of the religious Houfes, and made Ufe of as a Trough for Horfes, at one of the common Inns in Leicester; but what became of his Bones is variously reported. Mr. Salmon takes Notice, That King Richard the 'IIId appears to have been a Prince of great Sagacity ' and Courage, but feems to have abandoned all Reli'gion and Conscience. When he fixed his Eyes upon 'the Crown, he thought neither Friends, Relations, 'Honour, nor even Heaven itfelf, ought to come in Competition with the glorious Bauble.' This memorable Battle, wherein Richard loft his Life and Crown, was fought on the 22d of August, but various are the Reports as to the Numbers that compofed the two Armies; fome fay, that Richard's Side confifted of no more than ten thousand Men; and that on the Earl's Side not more than twelve thousand, including the French, the Lord Stanley's, and his Brother William's Party. If they confifted of no more than thefe, it was but a fmall Number, confidering the Confequence was no lefs than determining the Right to a Kingdom. Some fay, that in the Battle of Bofworth were flain on Richard's Side about a Thoufand, (and among them the valiant Duke of Norfolk, Father of the Earl of Surry:) On the Earl of Richmond's Side not above an Hundred. Others make the Number killed on both Sides to be much larger. By Richard's Death the Affair was decided, and his Crown, being found in the Field of Battle, was carried to the Lord Stanley, who inftantly placed it on the Earl's Head, faluted him as King, and congratulated him upon the Victory; Victory; from which Time Henry was allowed as fuch. The Earl of Surry was taken Prisoner with Catefby; the first was fent to the Tower, but the latter, with feveral others, were immediately executed. Thus an End was put to the Wars between the two Houses of York and Lancaster, begun under King Henry the VIth, and continued to the Death of Richard the IIId; in which were fought in lefs than fixty Years twelve pitched Battles, and two Kings, one Prince, ten Dukes, two Marqueffes, twenty-one Earls, twenty-feven Lords, two Vilcounts, one Lord Prior, one Judge, an hundred and thirty-nine Knights, four hundred and forty-one Efquires, and eighty-four thoufand, nine hundred and ninety-eight private Soldiers were flain; in the whole amounting to eightyfive thousand, fix hundred and twenty-eight, that loft their Lives in the Quarrel between the two Rofes. Henry the VIIth. Henry was Son of Edmund Tudor, Earl of Richmond, by Margaret his Wife, and born at Pembroke Caitle in Wales; and the Prophecy of Cad-wallador, the laft King of Britian, was fulfilled by his coming to the Crown. Henry the VIth, who was reputed a Man of Forefight, upon feeing this Prince one Day at play, faid, (to fome Lords then attending him) This is be that fhall enjoy what we now contest for; tho' the King had then an hopeful Heir alive, and the Houfe of York feveral. By Richmond's fucceeding to the Crown, the notable Predictions of the two Kings were verified. Still Henry's Claim, in his own Right, was much difputed; but afterwards marrying the Heiress of the Houfe of York, and being recognized by A& of Parliament, (which we fhall presently mention) whatever was thought of it, certainly they were the two beft Evidences of his Right; for, from the Time of his Marriage, he undoubtedly became King de Jure; and even before that Time, from the Entrance of his Reign, he may be looked upon as having a prefumptive Right to the Allegiance of the People of England, having obliged himself by an early Promife to marry the Princefs Elizabeth; and the whole Nation was perfuaded he would not fail to perform it. In Fact, as Henry kept his Word, he thereby brought all Hearts to bow to his Title, as before all Knees to his Sword. The King proceeded by eafy Journeys to the City of London, receiving the Acclamations and Applaufes of the People as he paffed on, which indeed were 'true and unfeigned, (fays Lord Bacon) as might well appear in the very Demonftrations, and Fulnefs of the Cry; and, in order to difperfe the Terror of a Conqueft, he gave Orders, that there fhould be nothing in his Journey to London like unto a Warlike March, but 'rather like to the Progrefs of a King, in full Affu'rance of the Affection of his Subjects.' He entered the City of London on a Saturday; for, as he had obtained the Victory on a Saturday, he accounted that Day of the Week as a Day profperous to him. The Mayor, Aldermen, and Commonalty of the City received him at Shoreditch, and conducted him in great State to St. Paul's; from whence he proceeded to the Bishop of London's Palace, where he refided for fome Time. Yet he did not proceed through the City on Horfeback, or in an open Chair, or on a Throne, but in a clofe Chariot, as one that had been, as Lord Bacon obferves, an Enemy to the whole State, and a proscribed Perfon; therefore, for the prefent, he chofe rather to keep State, and ftrike a Reverence in the People, than to fawn upon them.' 6 After the King's Arrival in London, he inftituted a Guard for his Perfon, which confifted of a certain Number of Men under the Command of a Captain; the like are ftill continued, and are known by the Name of the Yeomen of the Guard, and wear at this |