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ing might produce another, until the whole king. A. C. 1483: dom fhould be involved in civil war and confufion. In order to prevent thefe calamities, he earnestly intreated her to difband her troops, that all the nobles of the kingdom might, without fear or fufpicion, pay their refpects to their young fovereign, and contribute with all their power towards the maintenance of public tranquillity. The queen

had no reason to doubt the fincerity of Gloucefter, who had always treated her with the utmost deference, and manifefted uncommon zeal for the intereft of her children: fhe believed his letter was the effect of loyalty and good fenfe. As he had not yet dropped the leaft hint of his intention to claim the adminiftration, fhe followed his advice as the wholefome counfel of a friend; and, fent an order to Rivers to difband his forces, that they might not give umbrage to the nation.

earl of Ri

Thomas

The earl obeyed this order without hesitation, Arrefts the and fet out with the king for London, without any vers, Sir Riother attendants than the ordinary domeftics. Young chard Gray, Edward was met by the dukes of Gloucester and and Sir Buckingham, in the neighbourhood of Northamp- Vaughan, ton, which they had already fecured with nine hundred men; and they approached him with marks of the most profound regard and fubmiffion. Gloucefter told him, that as the town of Northampton was crouded with ftrangers, his majesty would be more at his ease in Stony-Stratford, about twelve miles farther on the London road, where they would join him in the morning, and in the mean time pass the night at Northampton. His propofal being approved, they invited the earl of Rivers to make merry with them at their lodgings; and he accompanied them to Northampton, glad of this opportunity to cement the late reconciliation by his unreferved compliance. They spent good part of the night in feeming harmony, and mutual pro

feflions

4. C. 1483. feflions of friendship; but, next morning they or dered him to be put in arreft, and fet out for StonyStratford, where they found the king ready to proceed on his journey. Before they quitted that place, they took occafion to quarrel with his uterine brother Sir Richaad Gray, whom they accused of having, in conjunction with the marquis of Dorfet, and the earl of Rivers, formed a design to make themselves masters of the king's perfon: they likewife affirmed, that the marquis had feized the treafure of the late king, with which he was intrufted. Edward himself interpofing on this occafion, faid he would not pretend to justify the conduct of Dorset, with which he was unacquainted; but, that he would answer for his uncle Rivers, and his brother Richard, who had been always with him fince his father's decease. The duke of Buckingham told his majefty, they were too cunning to make him acquainted with their fchemes; and immediately ordered his followers to take Sir Richard Gray, and Sir Thomas Vaughan, into cuftody. The king was conveyed back to Northampton; and the next day, the prifoners were fent to the caftle of Pontefract, notwithstanding the intreaties and tears of Edward, which flowed in great abundance; though they ftill treated him with all the exterior marks of the most respectful fubmiffion. The queen was no fooner informed of thefe protakes fanc- ceedings, than fhe comprehended the whole scheme Weftmin of the duke of Gloucefter, and looking upon her brother and two fons as loft, fled for refuge to the fanctuary in Westminster, with the duke of York, who was about nine years of age, the marquis of Dorfet, and the reft of her children. The lord Haftings having received an account of the tranfaction at Northampton, repaired immediately to the houfe of the archbishop of York, to whom he communicated these tidings; affuring him at the same

The queen

tuary in

fime, that no harm was intended to the king, to 4. C. 14834
whom indeed, he was fincerely attached, without
knowing the defigns of Gloucefter. The arch-
bishop arofe immediately from his bed; and, tho
it was midnight, went to vifit the queen, whom he
found fitting on the floor in the utmost agony of
diftrefs, deploring the fate of her children. The
prelate endeavoured to confole her with the affur-
ance of Haftings; but, fhe could derive no com-
fort from any thing which came from that quarter.
Then he protested, that if her enemies fhould be
wicked enough to take away the life of the king,
he would forthwith crown the duke of York; and
as a pledge of his fincerity, he left the great feal in
her hands but afterwards reflecting, that he ought
not to have parted with that mark of the late king's
confidence, he defired it might be fent back; and
The complied with his requeft. Mean while, the
news of the affair at Northampton filled the whole
city of London with tumult and confternation; and
a great number of the citizens took to their arms,
without knowing what would be the confequence of
Gloucester's conduct. But, their fears were appeafed Stowe,
by the lord Haftings, who affured them, that the
king was in no danger; and that Rivers and Gray
had been apprehended for a confpiracy against the
lives of the dukes of Gloucester and Buckingham;
but that they would be fairly tried by the laws of
their country.

duke of

Gloucefter

tector of the

In a few days after this disturbance, the king was Richard brought to London, which he entered amidit the acclamations of the people, accompanied by the declared pro duke of Gloucefter, who rode behind him bareking and headed, and a great number of noblemen, who kingdom, feemed zealously attached to his majesty's person. He was conducted to the bishop's palace, as a place of fafety, under the protection of the citizens; and this mark of confidence, together with the refpect

which

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A. C. 1483. which was paid to the perfon of the king, intirely diffipated thofe fufpicions which the affair of Northampton had produced. Immediately after the rejoicings which were made on the king's arrival, the duke of Gloucefter convoked a great council of the nobility, to regulate the adminiftration; and these being chiefly compofed of his own friends, or fuch as hated the queen's family, he was declared protector of the king and kingdom; though the council on this occafion ufurped a prerogative which refided in the parliament alone. As foon as Richard found himself vefted with this high office, he deprived the archbishop of York of the great feal, which he gave to the bishop of Lincoln; and filled with his own creatures all those places which had been occupied by the queen's adherents. Then he propofed in council, that a deputation fhould be fent to defire the queen would allow the duke of York to attend his brother, and be present at his coronation. He obferved, that Elizabeth's retreat into the fanctuary implied a diftruft, which might kindle jealoulies, and revive factions, to the manifelt prejudice of the nation: that the circumftance of York's remaining in the afylum, while his brother received the crown, would difgrace the government in the eyes of foreign potentates: and that, in all probability, the queen's defign was to escape from the fanctuary, and raise a flame in the kingdom, on pretence of defending her fecond fon from violence. It was therefore, his opinion, that the archbishop of Canterbury fhould endeavour to perfuade the queen to part with the duke of York; and that, fhould the refufe to comply in this particular with the defire of the council, the duke of York fhould be taken from her by force. The archbishop undertook to perfuade her to compliance; but vehemently opposed the propofal for violating the fanctuary, which had been fo long kept facred.

The

The duke of Buckingham inveighed against the A. C. 1483-
abuse of sanctuaries, and feconded the opinion of
the protector, which was efpoufed by all the reft of Fabian.
the council, the ecclefiaftics excepted.

brother the

the Tower

The cardinal archbishop being fent as deputy Young Edfrom the council to the queen, employed all his elo- ward and his quence in vain, to perfuade her that he ought to duke of part with the duke of York; and finding her in- York are flexible, plainly told her, that a refolution was taken lodged in to withdraw him by force from the fanctuary. The of London. hapless mother, terrified at this declaration, imparted to the cardinal her fufpicions of Gloucester, whom fhe taxed with a defign upon the crown, which he could not accomplish without having both her fons in his power. The archbishop, who never dreamed of Richard's ambition, took umbrage at the queen's infinuations; and told her with great warmth, that her fufpicions were injurious to the character of a prince who had nothing more at heart than the intereft of his fovereign, as well as the honour of the nobility and prelates in council, who could not be fo wicked as to concur in any fuch treasonable defign. He said that, without their concurrence, the protector would find fuch a scheme impracticable; though he was fully perfuaded in his own mind, that no thought of that nature ever entered the breast of the duke of Gloucefter. The good cardinal was really convinced of the protector's integrity; therefore his difcourfe was the more emphatic, and had the greater effect upon Elizabeth, who began to abate in her apprehenfion, though not so much, but that in parting with her fon, fhe fhed a torrent of tears, and underwent the most violent agitation of forrow. At length, after having embraced him with all the eagerness of maternal affection, heightened by the fear of lofing the beloved object for ever, fhe delivered him into the hands of the archbishop, by whom he was conducted to the protector; and

Richard

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