HISTORICAL SUMMARY.

Edward the Fifth.

1483. BEFORE Edward the Fourth's death the Court was much divided into parties, owing to the great numbers of the Queen's relations who were promoted to the rank of peers, to the great mortification of the ancient nobility. The Prince of Wales, when his father died, was at Ludlow with his Governor, the Earl of Rivers, the Queen's brother, to keep the Welsh in awe by his near vicinity to them. Being proclaimed King in London, the Queen sent to her brother to bring the young King to the metropolis. The Duke of Buckingham and Lord Hastings informed Richard, Duke of Gloucester, the King's uncle, who was in the north quelling an insurrection, of these events, and advised him to seize the King, and wrest the government out of the hands of the new nobility. It does not appear that Richard had hitherto formed any design of assuming the crown himself; but his subsequent conduct shows that he was not averse to such a proceeding. Richard accordingly met young Edward at Northampton, took possession of his person, and sent the Earl of Rivers and two others of the King's principal attendants to Pontefract, where they were soon afterwards put to death. Richard and the Duke of Buckingham escorted the King to London in great state; but the Queen, informed of what had happened, fled with her other children to the sanctuary of Westminster.

Richard knowing that he could not proceed to the execution of his purpose without having possession of the Duke of York, the King's brother, called a Council, which declared him protector and the Archbishop of Canterbury was sent to the

Queen to desire her permission for the Duke of York to come and live with the King; and to acquaint her, that if she refused, the sanctuary would be violated. She, with very great reluctance, at last consented and took leave of her son with tears, foreseeing the melancholy consequences. Richard, under some pretext, now lodged the King and his brother in the Tower, and revealed his project to Buckingham, who heartily entered into it.

Hastings refused to enter into the views of Richard. The latter pretended that he had entered into a plot against him, and ordered him to be beheaded.

Jane Shore, who had been mistress to Edward IV. but afterwards lived with Hastings, was likewise accused of having, by witchcraft, withered the Protector's arm. Richard, not being able to support this accusation, caused her to be prosecuted before the Ecclesiastical Court for incontinence; and she was sentenced to do penance before all the people in a white sheet at St. Paul's.

Richard spread reports that Edward the Fourth's children were illegitimate, and that neither Edward nor the Duke of Clarence were the Duke of York's children. The Duke of Buckingham harangued the people in favour of Richard; but they were all silent, except a few apprentices, who had been hired for the occasion to applaud. Their acclamations were interpreted into a general wish that Richard should be King, and he was accordingly proclaimed on the 22d of June.

Richard is generally believed to have sent an order for the assassination of his nephews to Brackenbury, Governor of the Tower he refusing to execute this bloody commission, Sir James Tyrrel was appointed Governor for one night, who smothered them in their beds, and buried them under a staircase. Some writers, especially Buck and Walpole, have doubted these facts, and attempted to exculpate Richard from the accusations of cruelty and tyranny.

HISTORICAL SUMMARY.

Richard the Third.

1483. RICHARD began his reign by rewarding all his partisans ; but very soon after his coronation the Duke of Buckingham, offended at being refused the Hereford estate, which he laid claim to by descent, conspired with the Bishop of Ely to dethrone Richard and place the Earl of Richmond, at that time a sort of honourable captive in the hands of the Duke of Brittany, on the throne. In order to gain over both factions, they proposed that the Earl should marry Elizabeth, daughter of Edward IV. Henry's mother (married to Lord Stanley) readily agreed to the proposal. Queen Elizabeth, laying aside her hatred of the Lancastrians, likewise consented to give her daughter to Henry, and sent him over money to raise troops.

This could not be carried on so privately but Richard began to suspect something; on which he ordered the Duke of Buckingham to repair to Court. Instead of obeying the King's command, the Duke raised forces in Wales, meaning to cross the Severn and join his associates in England; but such torrents of rain had fallen as swelled the rivers to a degree that made it impossible for him to cross them, and his troops, being distressed for provisions, dispersed. Buckingham was then obliged to disguise himself, and lay concealed in the house of an old servant, Bannister, where he was discovered and carried to Richard, who immediately ordered him to be beheaded.

Henry sailed from Brittany with five thousand men. His

fleet was dispersed in a storm, and he arriving on the coast of Cornwall heard of Buckingham's disaster and returned to Brittany.

1484. Richard called a Parliament, and created his son, who was only twelve years of age, Prince of Wales: the young Prince died soon afterwards. Richard passed several popular acts, in the hope of reconciling the people to his usurpation; but many were every day joining Henry in Brittany, and persuading him to lose no time in making another attempt, particularly as Richard had prevailed on Edward's Queen to leave her sanctuary, and even consent to his marrying her daughter Elizabeth, to obtain a dispensation for which marriage he had sent to Rome.

Richard's wife died about this time, and it was generally believed that she had been poisoned by her husband.

Landais, the Duke of Brittany's minister, intended to deliver up the Earl to Richard; but the Bishop of Ely informing Richmond of the plot, he fled into France.

1485. Henry embarked at Harfleur with about two thousand men and landed at Milford Haven, where he was soon joined by great numbers, amongst whom was Rice Ap Thomas, a powerful Welsh chieftain. The King and the Earl approached each other; and at the battle of Bosworth, near Leicester, Richard's army was entirely destroyed and himself slain. During the action Lord Stanley, with his troops, deserted to the Earl of Richmond.

Richard's body was found and carelessly thrown across a horse, carried to Leicester, and buried in the Grey Friars' church without ceremony.

An ornamental crown being found, which Richard wore in the action, Sir William Stanley put it on Henry's head, and the whole army shouted "Long live Henry VII!"