t, according to the ancient usages of the realm, gave the House
of Lords the right to send a deputation to the king to condole with
him, and to ascertain his wishes in respect to the measures to be
adopted on the occasion.

This committee accordingly proceeded to Windsor, and coming, as they
did, under the authority of ancient custom, which in England, in those
days, had even more than the force of law, they could not be refused
admission. They found the king lying helpless and unconscious, and
they could not obtain from him any answer to what they said to him, or
any sign that the slightest spark of intelligence remained in his
mind.

[Sidenote: The duke's policy.]

[Sidenote: The duke made regent.]

The committee reported these facts to the House of Lords. Finding how
serious the king's illness was, the party of the Duke of York
concluded to wait a little longer. There was a great probability that
the king would soon die. The life, too, of the infant son was of
course very precarious. He might not survive the dangers of infancy,
and in that case the Duke of York would succeed to the throne at once
without any struggle. So a sort of compromise was effected. Parliament
appointed the Duke of York protector and defender of the king during
his illness, or until such time as Edward, the young prince, should
arrive at the proper age for undertaking the government. It was at
this time that young Edward was made Prince of Wales. The conferring
of this title upon him was confirmed by both houses of Parliament.
They thus solemnly decreed that, though the Duke of York was to
exercise the government during the sickness of the king and the
minority of Edward, still the kingdom was to be reserved for Edward as
the rightful heir, and he was to be put into possession of the
sovereign power, either as regent in case his father should continue
to live until that time, or as king if, in the interim, he should die.

[Sidenote: The duke's hopes.]

The Duke of York and his friends acceded to this arrangement, in hopes
that the prince never would arrive at years of discretion, but that,
before many years, and perhaps before many months, both father and son
would die. He thought it better, at any rate, to wait quietly for a
time, especially as, during the period of this waiting, he was put in
possession substantially of the supreme power.

[Sidenote: Margaret dissatisfied.]

Queen Margaret herself was extremely dissatisfied with the