The remainder of Edward's reign is little else than a continuation of his amours and debaucheries. Among his numerous mistresses, the most celebrated was Jane Shore, the wife of a respectable citizen in London. This lady, though seduced by the flatteries and promi ses of this gay monarch, possessed many amiable qua lities; and the ascendant which she had obtained over him, was exercised only in curbing the cruelty of disposition, and in the most disinterested acts of bene ficence and humanity.
Edward was much engaged, about this time, in pro jecting splendid marriages for his five daughters, none of which, however, took place. The contract between his eldest daughter Elizabeth and the dauphin, was bro ken off by Louis, who found it more to his advantage to engage his son to the daughter of Maximilian of Austria. To revenge this indignity, Edward resolved upon war with France ; but while he was preparing for this en terprize, he was seized with a distemper, which carried him off in the 42d year of his age, and 23d of his reign. " The character of this prince," says an elegant writer, " is easily summed up : his good qualities were courage and beauty ; his bad qualities—every vice! He left two sons; Edward, who succeeded him, then in his 13th year, and Richard, Duke of York, in his 9th.
During Edward's last illness, he had endeavoured to compose the intrigues which had agitated his court for some years before his death. These arose from the perpetual jealousy which the ancient nobility en tertained of the sudden exaltation of the queen and her relations. At the head of the former were the Duke of Buckingham and Lord Hastings; and the latter were supported by the Earl of Rivers, the queen's brother, and her son, the Marquis of Dorset. Edward had sum moned them into his presence ; and after declaring his intention of entrusting the Duke of Gloucester with the regency, who was then absent in the north, he re presented to them the calamities and dangers that must attend a continuance of their contests ; and engaged them to embrace each other with all the appearance of the most cordial friendship. But this agreement lasted only with the life of the king; for no sooner had Ed ward expired, than their animosities were renewed, and each party endeavoured to acquire for itself the favour of the regent.
Gloucester, who, by the most profound dissimulation, had been able to conceal a heart deformed by every thing that was mean, cruel, or base, had hitherto lived on good terms with both factions. But as his inordi..
nate ambition led him now to look towards the crown, he resolved to attach himself only to those, from whom he might expect least opposition to his views. At the same time, however, he assiduously paid court to the Queen, by professing the greatest zeal and attachment to her family; and thus gained such credit with her, that she for a time trusted implicitly to the sincerity of his friendship.
Young Edward had been committed to the care of his uncle, the Earl of Rivers, the most accomplished no bleman in England, and resided in Ludlow castle, on the borders of Wales. The Queen, desirous of retain ing him in her power, wrote to her brother to levy a body of troops, in order to escort the young king to London, and to prevent him from falling into the hands of their enemies. This measure gave great offence to the opposite faction, who, apprehensive of being redu ced to subjection by their rivals, declared their resolu tion of resisting force by force. The wily Gloucester interposed his authority, and, under pretence of pacify ing the dispute, prevailed upon the Queen to bring up no greater retinue than should be necessary to support the state and dignity of the new sovereign. But he himself set out from York, attended by a numerous train of the northern gentry; and at Northampton, was joined by Buckingham with a splendid retinue. Here they waited the approach of the king. Rivers, how ever, apprehensive that the place would be too small for all their attendants, had sent his charge forward to Stony-Stratford, and came in person to pay his respects to the Regent. He was received with seeming cordi ality and friendship ; and they all proceeded next day to join their sovereign. But when they were entering Stony-St•atford, Risers was arrested by order of the Re gent, and with Sir Richard Gray, one of the Queen's sons, and Sir Thomas Vaughan, an officer in the king's house hold, was sent a prisoner to Pomfret castle. Glouces ter endeavoured to satisfy the young king with respect to this violence against his relations, but Edward was unable to dissemble his disappointment and displeasure.