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A. C. 1483. Richard received him with all the marks of paternal tenderness, defiring he would look upon him as his guardian and father. The two young princes feemed extremely happy at meeting, and began to think their uncle Richard fincere in his profeffions of duty and friendship: but, this happiness was not of long duration; for, in a few days, they were conveyed from the bishop's palace to the Tower, from whence the kings of England ufed to ride in proceffion thro' the streets of London to their coronation at Westminfter; a custom which now furnished Gloucefter with a pretext for fecuring his nephews in close custody.

Rivers,
Gray, and
Vaughan,

It was at this junctnre that Richard is faid to have communicated his fcheme to the duke of Buckingare beheaded ham, who was a nobleman without principle; and

at Ponte

fract.

therefore easily engaged in the project of Gloucester, who promised to recompence his fervices with a grant of certain lands in Herefordshire, the late king's wardrobe, and a patent for rendering the office of conftable hereditary in his family. The protector having fecured Buckingham in his intereft, refolved to rid his hands of the prisoners at Pontefract, whofe death would deprive the royal family of their chief support. For this purpose he held confultations with his friends, and found Haftings particularly pleased with the defign of difpatching Rivers and Gray, who had done him many ill offices in the late reign. The lord Howard likewife affented to the fcheme for the fame reafon ; and Sir Thomas Radcliff governor of Pontefract, received inftructions to put it in execution. He had already affembled five thousand men for the fervice of Richard; fo that having nothing to fear from the refentment of the people in the neighbourhood, he caufed the earl of Rivers, Sir Richard Gray, and Sir Thomas Vaughan, to be beheaded, without any form of trial.

Richard.

In the mean time the duke of Gloucefter endea. A. C. 1483. voured to engage in his fervice a great number of Reports fpread by profligate perfons of defperate fortunes, without the emilafear, confcience, or any other principle of action ries of than felf-intereft; who would execute his commands and directions, how wicked and cruel foever they might be, without remorfe or hefitation. While he privately inlifted this band of defperadoes, he ftill maintained his diffimulation in the eyes of the world, affecting to prepare for the coronation of his nephew, at which he fummoned all gentlemen poffelling forty pounds a year, to attend and receive the honour of knighthood. His next scheme was to find out a pretence for excluding the children of Edward from the throne, as well as thofe of Clarence, who stood between him and his hopes. When the refolution is once taken, pretences are easily invented to give it countenance. His emiffaries began to prepare the public for his ufurpation, by spreading reports to the prejudice of his mother's reputation. They whispered about, that the old dutchess of York had been falfe to her husband's bed; and that neither Edward nor Clarence were begotten by their reputed father; whereas Richard wore his exprefs image, both in the features of his countenance, and lineaments of his mind and difpofition. Not contented with afperfing the character of a lady, which had hitherto been unblemished, they fixed the imputation of baftardy upon Edward's children, in confequence of the pretended marriage, by which they faid he was previously contracted to Elizabeth Lucy. They infinuated, that the children of Clarence were rendered incapable of fucceeding to the throne, by the attainder of their father; and mentioned Richard, not only as the true heir of blood, but also, as a prince poffeffed of every quality that could adorn

a crown.

N°. 34.

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A. C. 1483.

his council.

land.

These reports were diffeminated in fuch an artHe divides ful manner, that they gained credit among the lower clafs of people, while they gave umbrage to those noblemen who were attached to the family of the late king, and in particular to lord Haftings, who was still intirely ignorant of Richard's real Hift. Croy defign. The protector was well acquainted with his fentiments; but had hitherto lived upon terms of friendship with him, on account of his great intereft in the city of London; nor was he altogether without hope of bringing him intirely over to his intereft. He likewife cultivated a feeming friendfhip with the two archbishops, the bishop of Ely, and the lord Stanley, who were well-wifhers to the two young princes, because he found his account in their countenance; and refolved to wear the mafque until he should have no further occafion for their affiftance. In order to amuse them in the mean time, he fixed a day for the coronation of Edward, and divided his council, on pretence of making more expedition in preparing for that folemnity. His own creatures fat at Weftminster, attended by Edmund Shaw the mayor of London, who was devoted to the protector's intereft, while the noblemen that favoured the caufe of Edward, were detached in a separate committee to the Tower, where they met every day to fuperintend the preparations. They foon perceived that obftacles were induftriously raised to prevent the execution of their orders that very few perfons were admitted to the king, who was attended by a fmall number of domeftics, while his uncle was continually furrounded by fwarms of courtiers, whom he careffed with fuch affability as feemed contrary to his natural difpofition. Thefe circumftances, added to the delay of the coronation, alarmed the lord Stanley, who now began to fufpect the duke of Gloucester of finifter defigns. He freely communicated

municated his fufpicions to his collegues; and, as A. C. 1483.
the refolutions of the other council were myfteriously
concealed from their knowledge, propofed, that
they should, without lofs of time, concert proper
measures for the fafety of their fovereign. The
lord Haftings, who firmly believed that the pro-
tector had no other defign but that of deftroying
the queen's faction, difpelled thefe juft fufpicions,
by affuring them there was nothing to be feared
from the other council; and offered to pawn his
head, that if they should take any step to the pre-
judice of the king and the realm, he should be in-
formed of it by one of the members who was intirely
devoted to his intereft. This was his friend and
confident Catesby; but he little dreamed that this
man betrayed him, and that fuch was the price by
which he purchafed the confidence of the protector.
The lord Stanley and his collegues allowed them-
felves to be convinced by the affurances of Haftings,
whofe intelligence they preferred to their own ob.
fervations; and thus neglected the opportunity
which never recurred.

tings to be

beheaded

trial.

Mean while, Richard thought it was now high Orders Haftime, either to make a convert of Haftings to his arrested and views, or to destroy him at once: for this purpofe without he employed Catefby to found that nobleman, form of touching his opinion of the protector's right, which happened at that time to be the common fubject of converfation. Haftings not only refuted all the fuggeftions concerning the baftardy of Edward and his children; but affured Catefby, that he would with all his intereft, and even his heart's blood, support the young princes against all their enemies. This declaration was immediately reported to the protector, who being extremely defirous of engaging Haftings in his defign, directed Catesby to try him once more, and even hint the project which was formed for the exclufion of his nephews. Ca

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A. C. 1483. tefby, in this fecond converfation, found him more than ever determined to oppofe any enterprize that fhould be formed against his mafter's children; and Richard, for that very reafon, devoted him to immediate death. He repaired in the morning to the council in the Tower, where he behaved with remarkable affability to the members; and after fome ftay withdrew, defiring them to continue their deliberations, and give the last orders touching the ceremony of the coronation, which had been too long delayed. In about an hour after his departure, he returned with a frowning afpect, biting his lips, and exhibiting all the marks of internal agitation. After fome paufe," My lords, (faid he) what punishment do those deserve who "have confpired againft my life?" The whole council was confounded at this queftion; and the lord Haftings replied, in the name of the rest, that whoever was guilty of fuch a crime ought to be punished as a traitor. "It is no other (cried

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Richard) than that forceress my fifter-in-law, "with her accomplices," Before his hearers had time to recollect themfelves from the fear and aftonishment which this prelude produced, he bared his left arm, which was withered, and prefenting it to the council, "Behold, (faid he) what that force"refs, and the wretched Shore have done by the power of their incantations! they have reduced this arm to the condition in which you now fee it; and the rest of my body would have fhared the fame fate, if, by the fingular protection of heaven, their infamous practices had not been "difcovered." These words redoubled their amazement and terror, as they well knew his arm had been always in that fhrivelled condition; and as they were fully perfuaded, that if the queen had formed any fuch defign, fhe would never have communicated it to Jane Shore, who had been the con

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