ient proof of their spurious birth; and that the duke
of Glocester alone, of all her sons, appeared by his features and
countenance to be the true offspring of the duke of York. Nothing can
be imagined more impudent than this assertion, which threw so foul an
imputation on his own mother, a princess of irreproachable virtue,
and then alive; yet the place chosen for first promulgating it was the
pulpit, before a large congregation, and in the protector's presence.
Dr. Shaw was appointed to preach in St. Paul's; and having chosen this
passage for his text "Bastards lips shall not thrive," he enlarged on
all the topics which could discredit the birth of Edward IV., the duke
of Clarence, and of all their children. He then broke out in a panegyric
on the duke of Glocester; and exclaimed, "Behold this excellent prince,
the express image of his noble father, the genuine descendant of the
house of York; bearing no less in the virtues of his mind than in the
features of his countenance the character of the gallant Richard, once
your hero and favorite: he alone is entitled to your allegiance: he must
deliver you from the dominion of all intruders: he alone can restore the
lost glory and honor of the nation." It was previously concerted, that
as the doctor should pronounce these words, the duke of Glocester should
enter the church; and it was expected that the audience would cry out,
"God save King Richard;" which would immediately have been laid hold of
as a popular consent, and interpreted to be the voice of the nation;
but by a ridiculous mistake, worthy of the whole scene, the duke did not
appear till after this exclamation was already recited by the preacher.
The doctor was therefore obliged to repeat his rhetorical figure out
of its proper place: the audience, less from the absurd conduct of
the discourse than from their detestation of these proceedings, kept
a profound silence: and the protector and his preacher were equally
abashed at the ill success of their stratagem.

But the duke was too far advanced to recede from his criminal and
ambitious purpose. A new expedient was tried to work on the people.
The mayor, who was brother to Dr. Shaw, and entirely in the protector's
interests, called an assembly of the citizens; where the duke of
Buckingham, who possessed some talents for eloquence, harangued them on
the protector's title to the crown, and displayed those numerous virtues
of which he pretended that prince was possess