with war, we trace the introduction of the art of printing into England. William Caxton, a citizen and mercer of London, was attracted, while on business in Germany, by the fame of the then new invention. He made himself acquainted with it there, and, after some practice, returned home to England in 1471, and set up a printing-press in the Abbot's House, at Westminster. The first work printed in this country was one on the Art of Chess.

CHAPTER XXII.

EDWARD V.

Born in the Sanctuary at Westminster. Buried (it is believed) in the Chapel of the Tower. Reigned from April 9, a.d. 1483, to June 26, in the same year.

Archbishop of Canterbury.

Thomas Bourchier, A.D. 1454-1486.

THE new king, who was only in his thirteenth year when
his father died, was at Ludlow, under the care of his uncle,
Lord Rivers. Being sent for to London, he was escorted
by that lord; and on his way was met by the Duke of
Gloucester. The duke professed much loyalty to his ne-
phew, but arrested Rivers, and Lord Grey, a son of Edward's
queen by her first husband. On hearing of this arrest,
the queen took sanctuary at Westminster, with the Duke
of York (her son), and her five daughters. The king was
conducted to the Tower, and Gloucester was declared
Protector. It was plainly his purpose to seize the crown;
and finding that the attachment of Hastings to the late king
was in his way, he resolved to remove him. Entering the
council-chamber, he bared his arm, which had a natural
defect, and exclaimed, "See how that sorceress, my brother's
wife, with Shore's wife, and others, have withered my arm."
Shore's wife had been led astray by Edward, and was then
living with Hastings. "If," said Hastings, "they have
done this, they should be punished as traitors."
Do you
answer me," cried Gloucester, "with ifs and ands, as if I
charged them falsely? I tell you they have done it, and

thou hast joined with them in the villany." He then arrested Hastings, and desired him to make short shrift, for he would not dine till his head was struck off. Hastings was hurried out to the little green in front of the Tower Chapel, and beheaded on a log of wood. On the same day Lord Rivers and his friends were beheaded at Pontefract.

Richard then demanded that the Duke of York should be given up by his mother. The unhappy queen gave him a last embrace, and burst into tears as he left her. He was taken to Edward in the Tower, who showed great delight in having his brother restored to him.

Having thus the princes in his power, Gloucester took means to persuade the people that they were not legitimate, on the plea that Edward IV. was already married to Eleanor Talbot, widow of Lord Butler, before he espoused their mother, Elizabeth Woodville. As for the son of

George, duke of Clarence, it was maintained that his father's attainder disabled him from ascending the throne. In all his plans, Gloucester was assisted by Henry, duke of Buckingham, and a scene was got up, in which he was requested by the lord mayor to take possession of the throne. After a well-feigned reluctance, he assented to the proposal, and was crowned, together with his wife, just three months after his brother's death. That lady was Anne of Neville, the widow of Edward of Lancaster, in whose slaughter Richard had assisted. They had one son, who was now created Prince of Wales.

CHAPTER XXIII.

RICHARD III. (CROOK-BACK.)

Born at Fotheringay. Buried at Leicester. Reigned 2 years. From A.D. 1483 to A.D. 1485.

Archbishop of Canterbury.

Thomas Bourchier, A.D. 1454-1486.

RICHARD Soon filled up the measure of his guilt by the murder of his nephews. They were smothered in their sleep, by Sir James Tyrrel and three other ruffians. The king had scarcely gained the crown by these unequalled [H. s. 1.]

E

crimes, when a plot was formed to deprive him of it; at the head of which was the very Duke of Buckingham who had helped him to seize it, and who seems to have been dissatisfied with the reward of his treason. He was himself a descendant of Thomas of Woodstock, one of the younger sons of Edward III., and might have shown some title to the crown on his own account. The plan, however, by which he hoped to avenge himself on Richard was, to unite the houses of Lancaster and York by the marriage of Henry Tudor, earl of Richmond, with Elizabeth, the daughter of Edward IV. Henry, who was residing at the court of Bretagne, was descended from John of Gaunt, by his mother, the Lady Margaret Beaufort; at this time the wife of Lord Stanley, her third husband. He was the last surviving prince of the line of Lancaster; and though the title of the Beaufort family was very questionable, Henry was looked upon as the representative of the Lancastrian claim.

The first result of this plot was disastrous. Henry sailed from St. Malo, and was driven back by tempests. A great flood in the Severn, which lasted for ten days, dispersed the forces of his supporter, Buckingham, who was soon after betrayed by an old servant with whom he had taken refuge, and seized and beheaded at Salisbury.

The next attempt of Henry was more successful: he landed at Milford Haven, and having marched into the heart of the kingdom, was met by Richard near Bosworth, in Leicestershire. A battle took place, in which Lord Stanley went over to his son-in-law; and Richard seeing that all was lost rushed into the thickest of the fight, and was slain. His crown was carried to the Earl of Richmond, who was saluted in the field by the title of Henry VII.'

Richard possessed his ill-gotten crown little more than two years, during which he lost his son, and is thought to have hastened the death of his wife, with a view to unite himself to his niece, Elizabeth of York. From some defect in one of his shoulders, he was commonly called Crook

8 The Act of A.D. 1389, for the legitimation of John of Gaunt's children by Katharine Swynford, contained a proviso that no right to the crown should be obtained under it.

9 The body of Richard, having been stripped, was thrown across a horse, and buried at Leicester.