reenforcement from his partisans.
Sir Gilbert Talbot joined him with all the vassals and retainers of the
family of Shrewsbury: Sir Thomas Bourchier and Sir Walter Hungerford
brought their friends to share his fortunes; and the appearance of
men of distinction in his camp made already his cause wear a favorable
aspect.

But the danger to which Richard was chiefly exposed, proceeded not so
much from the zeal of his open enemies, as from the infidelity of his
pretended friends. Scarce any nobleman of distinction was sincerely
attached to his cause, except the duke of Norfolk; and all those who
feigned the most loyalty were only watching for an opportunity to betray
and desert him. But the persons of whom he entertained the greatest
suspicion, were Lord Stanley and his brother Sir William, whose
connections with the family of Richmond, notwithstanding their
professions of attachment to his person, were never entirely forgotten
or overlooked by him. When he empowered Lord Stanley to levy forces,
he still retained his eldest son, Lord Strange, as a pledge for his
fidelity; and that nobleman was, on this account, obliged to employ
great caution and reserve in his proceedings. He raised a powerful body
of his friends and retainers in Cheshire and Lancashire, but without
openly declaring himself: and though Henry had received secret
assurances of his friendly intentions, the armies on both sides knew
not what to infer from his equivocal behavior. The two rivals at last
approached each other, at Bosworth near Leicester; Henry at the head of
six thousand men, Richard with an army of above double the number; and
a decisive action was every hour expected between them. Stanley,
who commanded above seven thousand men, took care to post himself
at Atherstone, not far from the hostile camps; and he made such a
disposition as enabled him on occasion to join either party. Richard had
too much sagacity not to discover his intentions from these movements;
but he kept the secret from his own men for fear of discouraging them:
he took not immediate revenge on Stanley's son, as some of his courtiers
advised him; because he hoped that so valuable a pledge would induce the
father to prolong still further his ambiguous conduct: and he hastened
to decide by arms the quarrel with his competitor; being certain that
a victory over the earl of Richmond would enable him to take simple
revenge on all his enemies, open and concealed.

The van of Richm