EDWARD, the fourth child but eldest son of Edward IV., was born in the Sanctuary at Westminster, during his father's brief exile, Nov. 4, 1470. He was soon after created prince of Wales, and in 1479 also earl of Pembroke; in 1482 he was sent to keep a mimic court at Ludlow, in the marches, being under the guardianship of Anthony Woodville, earl Rivers, his maternal uncle, and attended by Sir Richard Grey, his half-brother, Sir Thomas Vaughan, and others of the Woodville party. The death of his father on the 9th of April, 1483, called him to the throne, but after a mere nominal possession of less than three months, he and his brother, Richard,

Used also in the latter part of the reign of Edward IV.

According to a memorandum in the Red Book of the Exchequer, his reign "ceased" on June 22, the day that had been appointed for his coronation, and the same on which his uncle's claim was publicly brought forward; from that day to the 26th of June was an interregnum.

duke of York, both disappeared, and nothing is known as to their fate.

A.D. 1483. Edward is proclaimed king, April 9. The queen-mother endeavours to obtain the regency, but is foiled by the union of the dukes of Gloucester and Buckingham, Lord Hastings, and others, who resolve to depress the Woodvilles.

The young king, being sent for to London, is met at Stony Stratford by the dukes of Gloucester and Buckingham, April 30, when they seize Rivers, Grey, Vaughan, and Hautef, and send them prisoners to the north, and bring Edward to London, where he arrives May 4.

The queen-mother takes sanctuary at Westminster, with the duke of York and her daughters, May 1.

e

William, lord Hastings, was the son of Leonard Hastings, a favourite esquire of Richard, duke of York,

who through the duke's influence obtained the shrievalty of Warwick and Leicester. William was equally favoured by Edward IV., received a large share of the Lancastrian forfeitures, was employed on embassies, held the posts of master of the mint, captain of Calais, constable of many other castles, and chamberlain. He was, however, on bad terms with the Woodvilles, although made by the queen guardian of her son Thomas, and hence he readily joined with Richard, duke of Gloucester, against them. From some cause which has never been clearly ascertained, Hastings was seized at the council board, by order of the Protector, and immediately beheaded in the Tower, June 13, 1483. He left, by his wife Katherine, the widow of Lord Bonville, and sister of the earl of Warwick, a son, Edward, who succeeded him, and became, in right of his wife, Lord Hungerford, and whose son was created by Henry VIII. earl of Huntingdon. f Commonly, but wrongly, called Hawes.

Arms of Lord Hastings.

Her brother, Sir Richard Woodville, and her son, the marquis of Dorset, attempted to seize on the Tower, and to raise a fleet, but

The duke of Gloucester is appointed by a great council of prelates, nobles, and chief citizens, protector of the king and kingdomh.

The duke of Buckingham is appointed chief justice, chamberlain, seneschal and receiver of Wales, and constable of "all the king's castles" there, May 161.

The protector issues proclamations appointing June 22 for the coronation of the young king.

Lord Hastings is seized while at the council-board in the Tower, and beheaded, June 13. The Woodville prisoners are executed at Pomfret shortly after.

The queen allows the duke of York to leave the Sanctuary and join his brother in the Tower.

Ralph Shaw, a preacher, sets forth the Protector's

failed; they remained concealed until Buckingham's rebellion, in which they took part.

The day is uncertain: the first public document now known in which he is styled Protector is dated May 14.

These grants gave him power to appoint all the officers heretofore appointed by the crown, and to survey and array the population.

The archbishop of York (Thomas Scott or Rotherham) and the bishop of Ely (John Morton) were also seized. The former was soon released. Morton was given shortly after into the custody of the duke of Buckingham, who was probably persuaded by him to take up On Buckingham's death Morton made his escape and joined Richmond; a pardon was granted to him by Richard, Dec. 11, 1484, but he did not return until Richmond was established on the throne. He was made archbishop of Canterbury, in which post he died, Sept. 15, 1500.

arms.

He was the brother of the lord mayor of London (Sir Edmund Shaw). Taking for his text a passage from the Book of Wisdom (iv. 3), "The multiplying brood of the ungodly shall not thrive, nor take deep rooting from bastard slips, nor lay any fast foundation,' he dwelt on the alleged marriage of Edward IV. to Lady Butler, which if true rendered the young Edward, his brothers and sisters, illegitimate, but it is incredible that he also asserted that Edward and Clarence were base-born; the Protector surely would not thus defame his own mother, who beside favoured his claim; yet this is the statement of Sir Thomas More, who has given form and distinctness to the vague charges of earlier writers.

claim to the throne, in a sermon at Paul's Cross, Sunday, June 22.

The duke of Buckingham makes a speech to the like effect at the Guildhall, Tuesday, June 241.

"The lords spiritual and temporal, and the commons of the land," wait on the Protector at Baynard's Castle, Thursday, June 26, with a "bill of petition, wherein his sure and true title" to the throne "is evidently shewed."

He repairs to Westminster, where certain deputies, in the name of the nobles and people of the north, present a petition to the assembly, desiring that he may take the office and title of king: "the children of Edward IV. being illegitimate, those of the duke of Clarence attainted, and the blood of Richard, duke of York, remaining uncorrupt only in the person of Richard, the Protector, duke of Gloucester."

The petition is received, the Protector assumes the style of Richard the Third, and rides in state as king to St. Paul's," and was received there with great congratulation and acclamation of all the peoplem."

Sir Thomas More asserts that on the following day the lord mayor and aldermen accompanied Buckingham to Baynard's Castle, and there tendered the crown to the Protector; the cotemporary writer Fabian, who usually dwells upon every incident in which the citizens of London are concerned, does not mention this, and it is therefore probably untrue.

m These are Richard's own statements, made to the garrison of Calais, who, having taken an oath to Edward V., required some formal document to justify the transfer of their allegiance.

RICHARD, the youngest son of Richard, duke of York, was born at Fotheringhay in 1450". In his eleventh year he was sent for safety to Flanders, on the occasion of the death of his father, but was speedily recalled by his brother Edward, to whose fortunes he seems to have closely attached himself, accompanying him in his exile in the year 1470, and receiving from him in return many important grants. Very early in his reign Richard had been created duke of Gloucester, and he subsequently became constable, justiciary of Wales, and warden of the west marches; he served under his banner at Barnet and at Tewkesbury, went with him to France, and commanded an army against

"On the feast of the Eleven Thousand Virgins," (i.e. St. Ursula, October 21,) according to Rous.