incantations and witchcraft!" Upon which he laid bare his arm, all
shrivelled and decayed; but the councillors, who knew that this infirmity
had attended him from his birth, looked on each other with amazement;
and, above all, Lord Hastings, who, as he had since Edward's death
engaged in an intrigue with Jane Shore, was naturally anxious concerning
the issue of these extraordinary proceedings.

"Certainly, my lord," said he, "if they be guilty of these crimes, they
deserve the severest punishment." "And do you reply to me," exclaimed the
Protector, "with your _ifs_ and your _ands_? You are the chief abettor of
that witch, Shore; you are yourself a traitor; and I swear by St. Paul
that I will not dine before your head be brought me." He struck the table
with his hand; armed men rushed in at the signal; the councillors were
thrown into the utmost consternation; and one of the guards, as if by
accident or mistake, aimed a blow with a pole-axe at Lord Stanley, who,
aware of the danger, slunk under the table; and though he saved his life,
he received a severe wound in the Protector's presence. Hastings was
seized, and instantly beheaded on a timber-log which lay in the court of
the Tower.

Lord Stanley, the Archbishop of York, the Bishop of Ely, and other
councillors were committed prisoners in different chambers of the Tower.
These acts of violence, exercised against the nearest connections of the
late King, prognosticated the severest fate to his defenceless children;
and after the murder of Hastings, the Protector no longer made a secret
of his intentions to usurp the crown. The licentious life of Edward
afforded a pretence for declaring his marriage with the Queen invalid and
all his posterity illegitimate. It was also maintained that the act of
attainder passed against the Duke of Clarence had virtually incapacitated
his children from succeeding to the crown; and, these two families being
set aside, the Protector remained the only true and legitimate heir of
the house of York. The Protector resolved to make use of another plea,
still more shameful and scandalous. His partisans were taught to maintain
that both Edward IV and the Duke of Clarence were illegitimate, and that
the Duke of Gloucester alone appeared to be the true offspring of the
Duke of York.

In a few days the Duke of Buckingham went to Baynard's castle, where
the Protector then resided, to make him a tender of the crown. Richard
refused to appear, and p