the Tyrant as odious as poffible in his Eyes. The Bishop begged the Duke, for God and his Country's Sake, to contrive fome Way to rid the Nation of fo barbarous a Prince, and reftore it to its former Peace and Tranquillity.' The Duke promised he would not be wanting therein, and, to convince the Bishop he was in earneft, 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 Lancafter. Richard was foon informed, that the Duke was plotting Mischief againft him, whereupon he fent for Buckingham to Court, under Pretence he ftood in great need of his Counfel: But his Grace, miftrufting his smooth Words, replied,' He was fickly, 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 Answer, 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 raifing Troops in different Parts,

Brittany to get him delivered up, but in vain: Yet, as that Duke did not care to break with Edward, he promised not to fuffer him to go out of his Ter

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 Eritories; and he kept his Word ward the IVth's Time the Earl during his Reign; by which retired into Brittany, which gave Means Richmond continued as the King so much Uneafinefs (be- a Prifoner in Brittany, yet aling well acquainted with his great ways met with good TreatQualities) that he ufed his utmoft ment, and the Refpect due to Endeavours with the Duke of his illuftrious Birth.

Parts, in order to affift Buckingham: But the Duke's Defign mifcarried; for the King was no fooner informed of what had paffed, than he inftantly marched against him, whofe Forces were most of them Welch; who, for want of Pay and Provisions, before any of the other Party arrived, broke up their Camp, and left the Duke to fhift for himself, which, when the reft of the Confederates understood, they likewise difperfed themselves. The Duke in Disguise got to his Servant Banister's Houfe 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 Master 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 Rich mond 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 perished: This Accident was the Means of faving his Life; for (Richard having difcovered 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 Occasion, sent an Agent into Brittany, where he fo C

well

well acted his Part, that he prevailed with Landois, the Duke's chief Minifter, upon certain Conditions, to deliver the Earl up; but, juft as he was at the Point of doing it, Morton, Bishop of Ely, accidentally discovered the Plot, and gave him Notice of it, who, upon receiving this extraordinary News, immediately quitted Rennes, the Place of his Refidence, in Difguife, and gained the Frontiers of France. So lucky was his Escape, that he had not been miffing above an Hour, before Landois fent Troops after him with Orders to feize him. Richmond foon after repaired to the Court of France, where he was graciously received by King Charles the VIIIth; and with this memorable Event we fhall conclude the Year 1483.

The Proceeding of his first and only Parliament held

on the 23d of January, 1484.

Richard being disappointed in this grand Point, in order to fecure himself at Home, he call'd a Parliament, which met on the 23d of January: The first Business they proceeded with was to pass a Law to declare the King's Right to the Crown, and the late King Edward the IVth's Children illegitimate; then they paffed an Act of Attainder against Henry Earl of Richmond, and all his Adherents, by Virtue whereof their Eftates were declared forfeited to the King; and the other Acts pafs'd were,*—But, to attend Richmond,

* I. That the Subjects of England fhould not thereafter be taxed with the Benevolence; and that those Exactions, before that Time taken, fhould be no Example to make fuch, or any fuch like Charges on the Subject; and that, as this Law fays, it fhall be damned and annulled for the future.

II. That Juftices may let a Prifoner to Bail, charged with a Sufpicion of Felony, and that

After

no Officer fhall feize the Goods of a Prifoner until convicted or otherwife forfeited.

III. To fettle what Value Perfons fhall have in Freehold or Copyhold Lands, who serve on Juries, which have been much alter'd fince the paffing that Law.

IV. As to Fines levied in the Court of Common-Pleas, in Refpect to who fhould be bound by fuch Fines, and who not.

1485.

After the Earl had been fome Time at the French Court, he received Affurances from England, that his Party had recovered their loft Spirits, were greatly encreased, and that the King, by his cruel Proceedings, rendered himself every Day more odious to his People than before, which encouraged the Earl, in the Beginning of this Year, to follicit the Court of France for Affiftance, and with much Difficulty he obtained an Aid of between two and 3000 Men, with some Veffels; but, before he could get Matters ripe for his intended Expedition, it was the End of July.

On the first of Auguft he fet Sail from Havre, and foon arrived at Milford-baven in Wales, where his Adherents came in great Numbers to join him. At this Place he mustered his Army, and from thence marched to Shrewsbury in the following Order.

Henry placed the Archers in the Front, of whom he made Captain John Earl of Oxford, gave the Command of the right Wing to Sir Gilbert Talbot, and the left to Sir John Savage, referving to himself, and the Earl of Pembroke, the Command of the whole Army.

In the mean time the Lord Stanley, and Sir William, his Brother, were employed in raifing Forces in Warwickshire, under a Shew of fupporting the King's Intereft; but the Stanleys real Defign was to affift the Earl in his Pretenfions to the Crown, which they took care to let him know before he quitted France. From Shrewsbury the Earl marched to Litchfield, and was there received as King.

Richard kept his Court at Nottingham. When the Earl landed in Wales his Forces were reprefented to him as very inconfiderable, and unprovided of all Things neceffary for the Enterprize, which occafioned the King to fay, That he looked upon it as a mere Trifle, not worthy to be minded; that the Earl was milled and childish in attempting the Conqueft of

C 2

fuch

'fuch a Kingdom with fo thin and defpicable an Army; and that, when it came to the Point, that

he should be compelled to fight against his Will, he 'would be either taken alive, or flain in the Field.' Richard was anfwered by fome of his Friends, who looked upon the Earl's Expedition in a quite different Light, That great Things were often attempted with fmall Beginnings; that this War, which he thought fo inconfiderable now, might, if neglected, grow greater, and prove more fatal than he imagined.'

Richard was roufed at this Reply, and inftantly writ to the Duke of Norfolk, the Earl of Surry, Catesby, and feveral other Noblemen and Gentlemen, whom he thought he could truft, directing them to raife all the Forces they could, and repair to him forthwith. Soon after he received the unwelcome News, that the Earl was advanced beyond Shrewsbury, intending to march directly to London, Richard was fo grieved and enraged, that he imprecated Vengeance upon thofe, who, contrary to their Oaths and Promifes, had thus deceived him; and became fo distrustful of others, that he refolved to advance against his Rival himself, immediately fent away fome to learn where he was, and obferve his Motions; and underftanding by them, that the Earl was incamped at Litchfield, he advanced towards him in the Manner following: Firft, he caufed his Men to advance four and four in a Rank; after them the Carriages, then his Satellites and Yeomen of the Crown, who being all paffed, himfelf, with a frowning Countenance, and dreadful Afpect, mounted on a stately white Courfer, followed with his Footmen; the Wings of his Horsemen ranging themfelves on each Side of him; he came to Leicester on the 21st of August, about Sun-set, and entered the Town in great Pomp and Splendor.

Henry, hearing of Richard's Refolution, raifed his Camp, and marched towards him; and in his Progrefs met with an odd Adventure. The Lord Stanley had promised

to