and citizens to attend upon the protector at Baynard's Castle, took his leave. P.-These particulars are so vividly depicted by Shakspeare, that all historical painting of them must appear like water colours. A. The next day, the mayor and aldermen, with some of the protector's friends, met at Baynard's Castle. Richard, after an affected struggle, and a feigned reluctance, at length accepted the crown, moved by the powerful entreaty of Buckingham, who told him that the free people of England would never crouch to the rule of a bastard; and if the lawful heir refused the sceptre, they knew where to find some other nobleman who would cheerfully accept it." P.-Irresistible arguments, indeed! A. On the Thursday, all the lords and bishops of the protector's party came to the same place, and in Richard's own words, "porrected to him a bill of petition, wherein his sure title and true was evidently set forth and declared." Whereupon the king's highness, notably assisted by well near all the lords spiritual and temporal of the realm, went to the palace at Westminster, and in the great hall declared his mind to reign over the people." F.-Richard however was determined to have some better security than the mere passive consent of the people, for he brought up, chiefly from the north, a military force of at least five thousand men. A.-No time was to be lost. On Friday, June 27, Richard was proclaimed king, and on the 6th of July, 1483, he was solemnly crowned in Westminster Abbey, with great magnificence, making use of the preparations b In a letter to Lord Mountjoy at Calais, Harleian MSS. No. 433. which had been designed for his nephew. Thus terminated, after a duration of eighty-eight days, the reign of Edward the Fifth. No parliament was called during that period. F.—Yet an irregular assembly, consisting probably of several members of both houses, met together on June 25th, though not in a due parliamentary form, to whom was presented a roll of parchment," by way of bill, in which the crown was claimed by Richard; and this deed was legalised by the parliament, which met in the first year of his reign. A. On the next day to the proclamation, June 28, Richard created his friend Lord Howard, Duke of Norfolk, with a grant of innumerable manors and lordships from the crown. And thus the title, which stood so long, and still stands so proudly, as the first in the list of the English nobility, was conferred as the iniquitous wages of assistance in the foulest and most unprincipled usurpation that ever disgraced the English annals. P.—Truly an edifying exemplification of the poet's Nobilitas sola est atque unica virtus. a Sir T. More. b Hist. Croy. Cont. C Rot. Parl. vol. 6. d Dugdale, Baronage, vol. 2. A.-IN Shakspeare's tragedy, the first feelings of Richard, on his acquisition of his yet insecure throne, are admirably depicted: K. Rich.-Stand all apart. Cousin of Buckingham Buck. My gracious sovereign K. Rich. Give me thy hand. Thus high by thy advice, Or shall they last, and we rejoice in them? Young Edward lives; think now what I would speak. K. Rich.—Why, Buckingham, I say I would be king. K. Rich.-O, bitter consequence, That Edward still should live." F.-But we must not suppose that Richard absolutely threw out such hints to the Duke of Buckingham, as the immediate subsequent transactions seem to have been perpetrated without that nobleman's participation. A. "Speedily after his coronation," says Sir Thomas More, "the king made a progress through part of his dominions; taking his way to Gloucester, he resolved upon fulfilling the thing, which he before intended; whereupon he sent one John Grene, whom he specially trusted, with a command to Sir Robert Brakenbury, the constable of the Tower, with a letter, that he should in any wise put the two children to death. This John Grene did his errand to Brakenbury, kneeling before our Lady, in the Tower: but Sir Robert plainly answered, that he never would put them to death, to die himself therefore. With which answer Grene returned to the king, who took such displeasure, that the same night he said to a secret page of his, Ah, whom shall a man trust; those that I have brought up myself, even those fail me?' 'Sir,' quoth the page, there lieth one on your pallet without (meaning Sir James Tyrrel,) who I dare say will do your grace's pleasure: the thing were right hard which he would refuse."" F. The veracity of these particulars has been questioned, on so poor a ground as the date of a writ, which purports to be signed by the king in London, when the historian represents him at Gloucester. A.-The date of a writ is no proof of the presence of the king, but only of his chancellor. There are writs with a teste rege extant, dated at Bristol and Westminster, or other places as remote, on the same day. But to proceed with Sir James Tyrrel: "This man had an high heart, and sore longed upwards, not rising yet so fast as he had hope. Upon the page's words, King Richard arose, and calling up Tyrrel, secretly brake his mind in this mischievous matter;" and sent him with a letter to Brakenbury, desiring the constable to deliver up the keys for one night to Tyrell: with which request Brakenbury complied. F.-The conduct of Brakenbury is too much pal liated, if not even praised, by Hume, who allows the knight to have possessed sentiments of honour; but surely this mode of escaping personal responsibility, by winking at others' wickedness, seems little to deserve such commendations. That Richard considered Brakenbury as a partial accessary, may be inferred from the enormous grants of forfeited lordships and manors with which he was subsequently enriched, as well as the various offices of high trust and emolument which he enjoyed: indeed all the persons concerned in this nefarious transaction were subsequently rewarded." A.-Tyrrel took with him two ruffians, Miles Forest, a "fellow fleshed in murder aforetime;" and John Dighton, a "big, broad, square, and strong knave.” P.-But was not there a "Black Will," who participated in the murder? A.-William Slaughter, or Slater, seems merely to have been one of the keepers, and to have had no further share in the business than in pointing out the princes' apartment. The murderers entering the chamber at midnight, suffocated the two children with the bed-clothes, Tyrrel waiting at the stair foot: when the deed was completed, he was called up to view the naked bodies, and he ordered them to be buried deep in the ground under the stairs, and a heap of stones to be thrown upon them. Richard, it is said, displeased at the place of his nephews' interment, gave orders to have the bodies removed into holy ground, which was supposed to have been performed by the chaplain of the Tower; but as that person died soon after, the place of their burial remained unknown, sufficient search not having been made. In the reign of 1 Kennet, History of England, vol. 1, in a note, page 551. |