Nov. 2. had sailed from St. Malo with a fleet of forty sail, the weather was so tempestuous that but few could follow him across the channel; and when he reached the coast of Devon, the insufficiency of his force forbade him to disembark. Buckingham was still more unfortunate. From Brecknock he had marched through the forest of Dene to the Severn; but the bridges were broken down, and the river was so swoln that the fords had become impassable. He turned aside to Webly, the seat of the lord Ferrers: but the Welshmen who had followed him, disbanded and the news of their desertion induced the other bodies of insurgents to provide for their own safety. Thus the king triumphed without drawing the sword. Webly was narrowly watched on the one side by sir Humphrey Stafford, on the other by the clan of the Vaughans, who for their reward had received a promise of the plunder of Brecknock. Morton effected his escape in disguise to the isle of Ely, and thence passed to the coast of Flanders the duke in a similar dress reached the hut of Banister, one of his servants in Shropshire, where he was betrayed, either by the perfidy of his host, or the imprudence of those who were acquainted with his retreat. If he hoped for pardon on the merit of his former services, he had mistaken the character of Richard. That prince had already reached Salisbury with his army he refused to see the prisoner, and ordered his head to be immediately struck off in the market-place. From Salisbury he marched into Devonshire. The insurgents dispersed the marquess of Dorset, and Courtney bishop of Exeter, crossed the channel to the coast of Bretagne : and the others found an asylum in the fidelity of their neighbours, and the : respect which was still paid to the sanctuaries. St. Leger alone was taken, a knight who had married the dutchess of Exeter, the sister of Richard. It was in vain that the plea of affinity was urged in his favour, and a large sum of money offered for his ransom. By the king's order he suffered at Exeter. ' bles a par Nov. H. When the conqueror had traversed the southern He assemcounties, and by repeated executions punished such of liament. his enemies as fell into his hands, he returned to the capital, and summoned a parliament. This assembly, like those of the last reign in similar circumstances, proved its loyalty by its eagerness to anticipate every wish of the monarch 2. It adopted and confirmed the celebrated petition presented to Richard during his protectorate; pronounced him « undoubted king of this « realm of England as well by right of consanguinity << and inheritance, as by lawful election, consecration and coronation; » and entailed the crown on the issue of his body, particularly his son, Edward prince of Wales, whose succession the lords spiritual and temporal bound themselves to uphold. Then followed a bill of attainder, which, though a common measure in these turbulent times, is said to have been severe and comprehensive beyond all precedent. One duke, one marquess, three earls, three bishops, with many knights and gentlemen, were deprived of their estates, honours, and rights. The forfeitures were employed partly to augment the revenue of the crown, partly to remunerate the king's northern adherents, who were thus 'Cont. Croyl. 568. 570. 2 The historian attributes the conduct of the parliament to fear, propter ingentem in constantissimos cadentem metum. Cont. Croyl. transplanted into the southern counties, and converted into spies on the disaffection of their neighbours. Among the attainted was the countess of Richmond. But she was spared from execution at the intercession of her husband the lord Stanley, who had convinced Richard of his own loyalty, and who, on his promise to watch over the conduct of his consort, was permitted to retain the possession of her estates during his life. ' Attempts to defeat the plans of Henry. As the marriage between Edward IV. and Elizabeth Gray had now been declared null by the approbation given to the petition presented at Baynard's castle, their son was officially termed « Edward the bastard, lately « called Edward the fifth : » his mother was designated Elizabeth late wife of sir John Gray, and the letters patent were annulled by which she had been entitled to her dower as queen of England 2. Still the king was seriously alarmed at the idea of a marriage between the young earl of Richmond and the eldest of her daughters. At the last festival of Christmas a meeting had been held in Bretagne, where Henry solemnly swore to make her his queen as soon as he should triumph over the usurper; and the exiles to the number of five hundred had on that condition promised him fealty, and done homage to him as to their sovereign. It was not that Henry of himself could advance any right to the crown. By the father's side he was descended from Owen Tudor and Catharine, the relict of Henry V. : by the mother's from John Beaufort earl of Somerset, the natural son of John of Ghent by Catharine Swynford. Somerset, indeed, had been legitimated but the very act by which this favour had been granted, had expressly excluded him and his posterity from the succession to the crown. There were still in Spain and Portugal princes and princesses of the house of Lancaster; but they despised or neglected a disputed title, and the partisans of the family looked up to Henry and his mother as their natural chiefs. Under no circumstances, much less under these, would the lords attached to the house of York, have admitted the claim of the earl of Richmond. But convinced of the death of the two sons of Edward, they considered his eldest daughter as rightful sovereign and the moment Henry bound himself by oath to marry that princess, they swore fealty to him as the future husband of her, who was by succession queen of England. Elizabeth sanctuary. 1484. March 1. To defeat this project now became the chief policy Prevails on of Richard. That he might draw the late queen out of to quit the the sanctuary, he tempted her with the most flattering promises, and harassed her with the most terrible threats. Message after message was interchanged: and at last a private treaty was concluded, in consequence of which he swore in the presence of several lords and prelates, and the mayor and aldermen, that she and her daughters should be treated by him as his kinswomen; that their lives should be in no danger; that the mother should possess an annuity of seven hundred marks for life; and that each of the daughters should receive two hundred marks as a marriage portion, and be married to none but gentlemen'. Induced by these promises she repaired with her family to court; both mother and daughters were kindly received; and marks of particular distinction were lavished upon the young Elizabeth, whom Richard had probably destined to be 'Buck apud Kennet, p. 528. the king's son. April. Death of the wife of his son Edward. But that prince suddenly expired at Middleham, and the king and his consort were for a time inconsolable on account of their loss '. What Richard's designs might now be with respect to Elizabeth, were unknown: but she was attached to the company of the queen, and thus kept in real though honourable captivity. Henry flees from Bre France. June 8. : At length the king had leisure to direct his attention tagne into to Bretagne, where the earl of Richmond and the exiles were busily employed in devising the means of expelling him from the throne. No expense was spared to procure the most accurate information of their numbers and projects; and the useful aid of Landois, the Breton minister, was purchased with valuable presents. The duke Francis listened by degrees to the suggestions of his favourite an armistice between the two nations prepared the way for more frequent intercourse: the king raised a body of a thousand archers for the service of his new friend; and a dark plot was framed for the apprehension of Henry and of his principal adherents. They would have been caught in the toils of their wily adversary, had they not been warned of their danger by Morton, and found a new and safer asylum in the dominions of Charles VIII. king of France, where they employed more than a year in making new preparations for their intended expedition. Negociation with Scotland. During the interval Richard put an end to the tedious and destructive hostilities between the Scots and his subjects. The duke of Albany and the earl Douglas had received from him the same protection, Cont. Croyl. 571. 2 Rym. xii. 226. 229. Argentré, xiii. 26. |