Gloucester, who was a complete master in dissimula tion, affected to be surprised at the appearance of Buck ingham ; and when informed of his intentions, he refused the offer of the crown, and declared his purpose of main taining his loyalty to the present sovereign. Bucking ham appeared displeased with his answers, and told him, that, as the nation were determined to have another king, if he resisted their unanimous wish, they most fix upon some other person who would be more compliant. " I see," cried the Protector with the most hypocritical hu mility, " that the nation is resolved to load me with pre ferments unequal to my abilities or my choice ; and I graciously accept their petition." Richard had no sooner obtained the crown, than lie re solved to secure it by the death of his nephews; and he gave orders to that purpose to Sir Robert Brakenbury, constable of the Tower. But that gentleman refused to he the instrument of his cruelty. Brakenbury was then Commanded to resign the government of the Tower for one night to Sir James Tyrrel, who, with three asso ciates, Slater, Dighton, and Forest, soon accomplished the bloody purposes of the tyrant. They entered the young princes' chamber while they were fast asleep, and suffocated them with the bolsters and pillows. They then buried their bodies deep in the ground under the stair case. Their bones were afterwards discovered in the reign of Charles II. and interred under a marble monu ment in Westminster Abbey.
Richard employed his new acquired authority, in be stowing rewards and preferments upon those who had as sisted in his exaltation, and who were best able to sup port his government. He created Thomas Lord How ard, Duke of Norfolk, and Sir Thomas Howard, his son, Earl of Surrey. He also set Lord Stanley at liberty, and made him Steward of the Household. Buckingham, the chief promoter of his ambition, was loaded with dignities old honours. He was invested with the office of Con stable, and received a grant of the estate of Herefnrd, one of the greatest of the ancient baronies. But while Richard was thus endeavouring to strengthen his ill-got power, he was hated and feared by every man of sense and virtue in the kingdom ; and the very accomplices of his crimes were contemplating his overthrow. The Duke of Buckingham himself soon became disgusted with the new government; but whether this arose from his own restless and turbulent disposition, or from any part of the king's conduct towards him, is not known. It was only, however, a few month's after Richard's accession, when this nobleman began to form a conspiracy against him, and to attempt to pull him from the throne, to which he had been so instrumental in raising him. For this pur pose he cast his eye towards the young Earl of Rich mond, who was the only remaining branch of the house of Lancaster, and who seemed the only person that could free the nation from the tyranny of the usurper. lie was
encouraged in these sentiments by Morton, Bishop of Ely, a zealous Lancastrian, who had been imprisoned by the king, but who had afterwards been committed to the custody of Buckingham.
Henry Earl of Richmond had been carried into Brit tany by his uncle, the Earl of Pembroke, immediately after the battle of Tewksbury, and had been detained there in a kind of honourable custody by the reigning duke, at that time the ally of England. Edward IV. al ter his restoration, had frequently endeavoured to pre vail upon his ally, who was a weak but good.prince, to deliver the young Earl into his power ; and had at last so far succeeded, under a pretence of marrying him to his oldest daughter, that Henry was put into the hands of the English ambassadors, and was on ship-board, when the Duke, suspicious of Edward's real design, his orders, and saved Richmond from destruction. This continued jealousy of Richmond's pretensions to the crown, tended to confirm them in the minds of the peo ple; and the universal detestation in which Richard was held, turned the attention of the nation towards that no bleman. But, in order to unite all parties in a cause which promised to contribute so much to the happiness of the kingdom, by the expulsion of the odious tyrant, Morton suggested the project of uniting the opposite factions, by the marriage of Richmond with the Princess Elizabeth, the eldest daughter of King Edward. This scheme AV as communicated to the Earl, and also to the queen-dowager. Both entered heartily into the designs of Buckingham. The queen borrowed a sum of money, and sent it over to Richmond; required his oath that he would celebrate the marriage on his arrival in England; and promised to join him with all the friends and parti zans of the family. But their intention did not escape the vigilant eye of Richard ; and Buckingham was sus pected of being concerned in the conspiracy. The king resolved to send for him to court, in order to discover if his suspicions were well founded ; but the Duke, well knowing his barbarity and treachery, only answered by taking up arms in Wales, and calling upon his asso ciates every where to join him. But the swelling of the Severn prevented him from marching into England; and detained him so long, that his army, distressed for want of provisions, fell off from him, and left him almost without a follower. In this helpless situation, he put on the disguise of a peasant, and took shelter in the house of one Bannister, an old servant of his family. A large reward, however, was set upon his head ; and the villain Bannister, unable to resist the temptation, betray .