The King, on his part, was not asleep, but to arm or levy forces yet,
he thought, would but show fear, and do this idol too much worship.
Nevertheless, the ports he did shut up, or at least kept a watch on them,
that none should pass to or fro that was suspected; but for the rest, he
chose to work by counter-mines. His purposes were two--the one to lay
open the abuse, the other to break the knot of the conspirators. To
detect the abuse there were but two ways--the first, to make it manifest
to the world that the Duke of York was indeed murdered; the other to
prove that, were he dead or alive, yet Perkin was a counterfeit. For the
first, thus it stood. There were but four persons that could speak upon
knowledge to the murder of the Duke of York--Sir James Tyrell, the
employed man from King Richard; John Dighton and Miles Forest, his
servants, the two butchers or tormentors; and the priest of the Tower,
that buried them. Of which four, Miles Forest and the priest were dead,
and there remained alive only Sir James Tyrell and John Dighton.

These two the King caused to be committed to the Tower. and examined
touching the manner of the death of the two innocent princes. They agreed
both in a tale, as the King gave out, to this effect: That King Richard,
having directed his warrant for the putting of them to death to
Brackenbury, the lieutenant of the Tower, was by him refused. Whereupon
the King directed his warrant to Sir James Tyrell, to receive the key of
the Tower from the lieutenant, for the space of a night, for the King's
special service. That Sir James Tyrell accordingly repaired to the Tower
by night, attended by his two servants aforenamed, whom he had chosen for
that purpose. That himself stood at the stair-foot, and sent these two
villains to execute the murder. That they smothered them in their beds,
and, that done, called up their master to see their naked dead bodies,
which they had laid forth. That they were buried under the stairs, and
some stones cast upon them. That when the report was made to King Richard
that his will was done, he gave Sir James Tyrell great thanks, but took
exception to the place of their burial, being too base for them that were
king's children. Whereupon another night, by the King's warrant renewed,
their bodies were removed by the priest of the Tower, and buried by him
in some place which, by means of the priest's death soon after, could not
be known.

Thus much was then delivered a