1483. Tueday following Henry Duke of Buckingham made an Oration to the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Commons in the Guildhall of London, wherein he afperfed King Edward IV. as a Tyrant, his Children as Baftards; endeavoured to prove the Protector to be the only true Heir to the Crown; perfuading the Citizens, that they fhould therefore join with the Nobility in petitioning the Protector to take the Government of the Realm upon him, according to his very right and jutt Title. The next Day the Mayor, Aldermen, and chief Commoners of the City reforted unto the Protector to Baynard's Caftle; whither alfo repaired Buckingham and other Nobles, with many Knights and Gentlemen. When they were met to

gether, Buckingham defired the Protector's Pardon, and Licence to acquaint his Grace with the Intent of their coming (as tho' he had not known it before) which, in fhort, was to befeech him to take the Crown and Government of the Realm upon him. At which Words the Protector began to look angrily, withal denying to yield thereto. Whereupon his Privado, Buckingham, threatned, faying, That if he would not, they would find out fome other Man that fhould, for they were refolved that King Edward's Lineage fhould no longer reign over them; and then Richard was pleafed to accept the Crown as his juft Right; the People thereat shouting and crying, King Richard, King Richard.

A. D.

Ichard III. Son of Richard Head; he therefore imployed Sir

1483. R Duke of York, was born James Tirrel, a Man of an afpiring
with all his Teeth, and Spirit, to procure thefe Childrens

Hair to his Shoulders. This his
monftrous Birth forefhewing his
monitrous Conditions and Proceed-
ings. June 22. he was by the No-
bility and Citizens of London elect-
ed King of England, and afterward
by Act of Parliament was confirm
ed. On June 25, he took his Seat
in the King's Bench Court, and there
pronounced Pardon of all Offences
committed against him. On July 4.
he came to the Tower, where he
created Eftates, ordained the Knights
of the Bath, fet at Liberty the Arch-
bishop of York, and the Lord Stan-
ley; and July 6, was anointed and
crowned at Weftminfier: But this
Ufurper well knowing, that whilst
his young Nephews were living, the
Crown would not ftand firm on his

Destruction; which accordingly be did: For about Mid night Miles Forest and John Dighton, Tirrel's bloody Inftruments, came into the Chamber where the young King and his Brother lay, and fudderly wrapt them up in the Bed cloaths, keeping by Force the Feather-Bed and Pillows hard upon their Mouths, that they were therein fmother'd to Death. This Villany done, Sir James caufed the Murtherers to bury their Bodies at the Stair's Foot, fomewhat deep in the Ground, under a great Heap of Stones; though afterward King Richard caufed them to be taken up, inclofed in Lead, and to be caft into a Place called the Blackdeeps, at the Thames Mouth. But the Juftice of God purfued the Mur

therers:

therers; for Foreft rotted away Piecemeal, Tirrel died for Treafon under Henry VII. and Dighton lived and died a Vagabond beyond the Seas: And the Ufurper, after this deteftable Fact, never had Quiet in his Mind, never thought himself fecure; but

In 1483.

refufed, thus anfwering him,
good Faith, my Lord, I love not
much to talk with Princes, as a
Thing not at all out of Peril,
although the Words be with-
out Fault; forafmuch as it fhall
not be taken as the Party meant

when he went Abroad, his Eye ftillit, but as it pleaseth the Prince to
whirled about, his Body was privi-
ly fenced, and his Hand ever on his
Dagger; his Sleep interrupted with
fearful Dreams, fometimes fuddenly
Starting up, leaping out of his Bed,
and running about the Chamber.
Immediately alfo after this Murder
began the Confpiracy betwixt the
Duke of Buckingham and divers o-

6

conftrue it. And ever I think on
Efop's Tale, that when the Lion
had proclaimed, that on Pain of
Death there fhould no horned
Beaft abide in the Wood; one that
had in his Forehead a Bunch of
Flesh fled away a great Pace.
The Fox that faw him run fo fast,
asked him, Whither he made all

ther Gentlemen, against the Mur-that Hafte? He answer'd, In Faith
derer. The Occafion of Bucking-
ham's falling off from Richard is
diverfly reported; fome fay it was
because the King would not grant
him the Duke of Hereford's Lands,
to which he pretended himself the
rightful Heir; others impute it
to the Duke's High mindedness,
that he could not bear the Glory
of another. Himfelf faid the
Occafion was, the Murder of the
two Children: Bet be the Occa-
fion what it would, yet this is
moft fure, that this Enmity of the
Duke's to the -King proved of
good Confequence to the rightful
Heirs to the Crown. For hereupon
the Duke left the Court, retiring to
his own Houfe of Brecknock, where
he had in his Cuftody that true
Friend to King Edward's Potterity,
John Morton, Bishop of Ely, who,
by his Wifdom, abufed the Duke's
Pride to his own Deliverance, the
Duke's Deftruction, and Benefit of
fuch to whom the Crown of Right
appertained. When the Duke was
at first become alineated from the
King, and came to his own Houfe,
he folicited the Bishop, his Prifon-
er, to fpeak his Mind freely to him
in Matters of State; but the Bishop

I neither wot nor care, fo I were
once hence, because of this Pro-
'clamation of horned Beafts. What
Fool (quoth the Fox) thou mayest
well enough abide, the Lion meant
not thee, for there is no Horn on
thy Head. No marry, quoth he,
that wot I well enough; but what
and if he call it an Horn, where
am I then?' But tho' the Bishop
at the firft declined talking of State
Matters with the Duke, yet after-
wards, when by often difcourfing
with the Duke, and other Circum-
ftances, he found him to be of a
proud Stomach, and emulated the
King's Greatnefs, he would fpeak
his Mind frankly enough to him,
rendring the Ufurper as odious as
was poffible, by alledging his Un-
naturalnefs to his own Mother, in
charging her with defiling the Mar-
riage Bed; his Unnaturalnefs to his
own Brothers and Nephews, in fay-
ing they were Bastards; his murder.
ing his Nephews, and other Enor
mities. Then to tickle the Duke's
Ambition, the Bishop would com-
mend him to be a Perfon of fuch
rae Virtues, that he merited to
wear the Crown himself, inviting
him for God's Sake, and his Coun-

try's

1483. try's Sake, to take the Government another Army in Devonshire and

upon himself, or otherwife to devile fome means how the Realm might be rid of the Tyrant, and brought under fome good Governour. When the Duke had pondered awhile upon this and the like Difcourfe of the Bishop's, he acquainted the Bifhop, That his Refolutions were to advance Henry Earl of Richmond to the Crown, and that the faid Earl of Richmond, Heir of the Houfe of Laneafter, fhould marry the Lady Elizabeth, eldest Daughter of Edward IV. by which Marriage the Houfes of York and Lancaster fhould be united into one. To effect all which, the Duke and Bifhop firft made the Mothers of Elizabeth and Henry privy to their Defign, and employed divers trufty Inftruments to intereft the Nobility and Gentry in the Defign. Then the Bishop left Brecknock in Difguife, and failed into Flanders, where he did Earl Herry eminent Service. Many great Perfons combined to dethrone the Ufurper, which he having Knowledge of, fent his loving Letters to the Duke of Buckingham, whom he understood to be Head of the Complotters, requesting him most earnestly to come to Court, for he was in great Want of his wife Counsel. But the Duke mistrust ing his fmooth Words, excufed himself that he was fickly, and not well able to travel. The King therefore fent his Command to him, and Threats withal,, if he refufed to give his Attendance; unto which the Duke fent this refolute Anfwer, That he would not come to his mortal Enemy; and immedi, ately prepared War against him. Then Thomas Marquels of Dorfet came out of Sanctuary, and alfo gathered a Band of Men in the North; Sir Edward Courtney, and his Brother, the Bishop of Exeter, raised

Cornwall; and in Kent, Sir Richard Guilford, and other Gentlemen, raifed a Party; all which was done in ing with his Hoft against the Duke's a Moment. But the Ufurper marchForces, which were moft Welch, they, for want of Pay, and other Provifion, brake left the Duke to fhift for himself; up the Camp, and which when the Confederates underitood, they alfo difperfed themfelves. The Duke of Buckingham in Difguife repaired for Security unto named Humphrey Banifter; but the a Servant of his near Shrewsbury, King by Proclamation, promifing great Rewards to him that fhould detect the Duke; that Wretch, Bamiler, for the Hope of Gain, betrayed his Mafter the Duke; who with a Guard of Men was conveyed to Salisbury, where without Arraignhis Head. Howbeit the Traytor Bament or Judgment, the Duke loft nifer did not only lofe his promised Reward, but alfo received juft Punifhment from Heaven; for his eldeft Son fell mad, and fo died in a Hog Sty; his fecond Son became deformed and lame in his Limbs; his third Son was drowned in a fmall Puddle of Water; his eldest Daughter was ftruck with a foul Leprofy; and himself, being of extreme Age, was found guilty of Murder, but faved by his Clergy. Divers of the Earl of Richmond's Party were put to now of his ill-gotten Greatnefs, that Death; and fo jealous was the King he ftored the Sea confts with Armies of Men, furnished the Ports all Things ready to prevent Earl with Store of Munition, and made Henry's Arrival; caufed a ment to be affembled at Westminjer, Parliawherein the faid Earl, and all fuch as had fled the Land in his Behalf, Country, their Goods confifcated, were made Enemies to their native