CHAP. the duke of Buckingham. June 24. Richard, however, was not disconcerted by the failure of this attempt; but intrusted his Speech of cause to the cloquence of a more noble advocate. On the next Tuesday the duke of Buckingham, attended by several lords and gentlemen, harangued the citizens from the hustings at the Guildhall. He reminded them of Edward's tyranny, of the sums which he had extorted under the name of benevolence, and of the families which he had rendered unhappy by his amours. He then took occasion to allude to the sermon which they had heard on the last Sunday, the story of the king's precontract with the lady Boteler, his subsequent union with the lady Gray, and the illegitimacy of the children, the fruit of that pretended marriage. He added, that evidently the right to the crown was in Richard duke of Glocester, the only true issue of the duke of York, and that the lords and commons of the northern counties had sworn never to submit to the rule of a bastard. trary to his expectation the citizens were still silent: he at length required an answer, whether it were in favour of the protector or not: and a few persons, hired for the purpose, and stationed at the bottom of the hall, having thrown up their bonnets, and exclaimed, "King Richard, Con replied that there is no satisfactory proof of that friendship, and that the man who could shed the blood of two nephews to procure the crown, would not refuse to allow the character of his mother to be slandered for the same purpose. IV. the duke gave the assembly his thanks for their CHAP. assent, and invited them to accompany him the next day to Baynard's castle, the residence of the duke of Glocester.15 tector. June 25. In the morning Buckingham, with several Petition presented lords and gentlemen, and Shaw with the prin- to the procipal citizens, proceeded to the palace, and demanded an audience. The protector affected to be surprised at their arrival: expressed apprehensions for his safety; and when at last he shewed himself at a window, appeared before them with strong marks of embarrassment and perturbation. Buckingham, with his permission, presented to him an address, which, having been afterwards embodied in an act of parliament, still exists for the information of posterity. It is styled the consideration, election, and petition of the lords spiritual and temporal, and commons of this realm of England: and after an exaggerated picture of the former prosperity of the kingdom, and of its misery under the late king, proceeds thus: "Also we "consider how the pretensed marriage betwixt "the above-named king Edward and Elizabeth 66 Gray, was made of great presumption, with" out the knowing and assent of the lords of "this land, and also by sorcery and witchcraft "committed by the said Elizabeth and her "mother Jacquetta dutchess of Bedford, as the CHAP. IV. 66 66 66 common opinion of the people, and the public "voice and fame is throughout all this land, " and hereafter, if and as the case shall require, "shall be proved sufficiently in time and place "convenient: and here also we consider how "that the said pretended marriage was made 'privily and secretly, without edition of banns, " in a private chamber, a profane place, and not openly in the face of the church after the law "of God's church, but contrary thereunto, and "the laudable custom of the church of Eng"land: and how also that at the time of the "contract of the said pretensed marriage, and "before and long after, the said king Edward "was and stood married and troth-plight to one "dame Eleanor Butteler, daughter to the old "earl of Shrewsbury, with whom the said king "Edward had made a precontract of matrimony long time before he made the said pretensed 66 66 marriage with the said Elizabeth Gray in man"ner and form aforesaid: which premises being "true, as in very truth they be true, it appear"eth and followeth evidently that the said king 66 66 Edward, during his life, and the said Eliza beth, lived together sinfully and damnably in "adultery against the law of God and of his "church. Also it appeareth evidently and fol"loweth, that all the issue and children of the "said king Edward be bastards, and unable to “inherit or to claim any thing by inheritance "by the law and custom of England." Next is 66 66 IV. recited the attainder of the duke of Clarence, CHAP. by which his children were debarred from the succession, and thence it is inferred that the protector is the next heir to Richard late duke of York. "And hereupon," continues the petitition, "we humbly desire, pray, and require your noble grace, that according to this elec"tion of us the three estates of your land, as by your true inheritance, you will accept and "take upon you the said crown and royal dignity, with all things thereto annexed and appertaining, as to you of right belonging, as "well by inheritance as by lawful election."16 66 66 66 the crown. The protector was careful not to dispute the He accepts truth of these assertions. But he replied with modesty, that he was not ambitious: that royalty had no charms for him: that he was much attached to the children of his brother, and resolved to preserve the crown that it might grace the brows of his nephew. "Sir,"returned the duke of Buckingham, "the free people of England "will never crouch to the rule of a bastard, and "if the lawful heir refuse the sceptre, they know "where to find one who will cheerfully accept "it." At these words Richard affected to pause: and after a short silence replied, "that it was "his duty to obey the voice of his people: that "since he was the true heir and had been chosen .66 by the three estates, he assented to their peti CHAP. And takes possession. tion, and would from that day take upon him"self the royal estate, pre-eminence, and king"dom of the two noble realms of England and "France, the one from that day forward by him " and his heirs to rule, the others by God's grace " and their good help to get again and subdue." Thus ended this hypocritical farce. The next day Richard proceeded to Westminster in state, and took possession of his pretended inheritance by placing himself on the marble seat in the great hall, with the lord Howard, afterwards duke of Norfolk, on his right hand, and the duke of Suffolk on his left. He observed to the people that he had chosen to commence his reign in that place, because the administration of justice was the first duty of a king and ordered proclamation to be made that he forgave all offences which had been committed against him before that hour. From Westminster he went to St. Paul's, where he was received by the clergy in procession, and welcomed with the acclamations of the people. From that day, the 26th of June, he dated the commencement of his reign. 17 More, 66. 18 1 Id. 67. Fab. 515. Cont. Croyl. 566, and Richard's own letter to the garrison of Calais, Buck, p. 522. See Note [A] at the end of the volume. |