costed him fiercely by demanding what brought him to England. The
prince replied fearlessly that he came to recover his father's crown
and his own inheritance. Upon this, Edward threw his glove, a heavy
iron gauntlet, in his face.

[Sidenote: Death of the Prince of Wales.]

The men standing by took this as an indication of Edward's feelings
and wishes in respect to his prisoner, and they fell upon him at once
with their swords and murdered him upon the spot.

[Sidenote: Margaret receives the tidings.]

Margaret did not know what had become of her son until the following
day. By that time King Edward had discovered the place of her retreat,
and he sent a certain Sir William Stanley, who had always been one of
her most inveterate enemies, to take her prisoner and bring her to
him. It was this Stanley who, when he came, brought her the news of
her son's death. He communicated the news to her, it was said, in an
exultant manner, as if he was not only glad of the prince's death, but
as if he rejoiced in having the opportunity of witnessing the despair
and grief with which the mother was overwhelmed in hearing the
tidings.

[Sidenote: She is borne to London.]

[Sidenote: Her condition on the journey.]

Stanley conveyed the queen to Coventry, where King Edward then was,
and placed her at his disposal. Edward was then going to London in a
sort of triumphant march in honor of his victory, and he ordered that
Stanley should take Margaret with him in his train. Anne of Warwick,
her son's young bride, was taken to London too, at the same time and
in the same way.

During the whole of the journey Margaret was in a continued state of
the highest excitement, being almost wild with grief and rage. She
uttered continual maledictions against Edward for having murdered her
boy, and nothing could soothe or quiet her.

[Sidenote: Her last hope.]

[Sidenote: Murder of the king.]

It might be supposed that there would have been one source of comfort
open to her during this dreadful journey in the thought that, in going
to the Tower, which was now undoubtedly to be her destination, she
should rejoin her husband, who had been for some time imprisoned
there. But the hope of being thus once more united to almost the last
object of affection that now remained to her upon earth, if Margaret
really cherished it, was doomed to a bitter disappointment. The death
of the young prince made it now an object of great importance to the
reigni