soners at Pomfret Castle.--Richard's plans in respect to the
Duke of York.--He determines to seize him.--The case of the little
Richard argued.--Delegation sent to the Tower.--Interview with the
mother of the princes.--The queen is forced to give up the child.--The
parting scene.--The prince is taken away.--Both princes entirely in
Richard's power.

What sort of protection Richard afforded to the young wards who were
committed to his charge will appear by events narrated in this
chapter.

It was now June, and the day, the twenty-second, which had been fixed
upon for the coronation, was drawing nigh. By the ancient usages of
the realm of England, the office of Protector, to which Richard had
been appointed, would expire on the coronation of the king. Of course,
Richard perceived at once that if he wished to prolong his power he
must act promptly.

He began to revolve in his mind the possibility of assuming the crown
himself, and displacing the children of his older brothers; for
Clarence left children at his decease as well as Edward. Of course,
these children of Clarence, as well as those of Edward, would take
precedence of him in the line of succession, being descended from an
older brother. Richard therefore, in order to establish any claim to
the crown for himself, must find some pretext for setting aside both
these branches of the family. The pretexts which he found were these.

[Illustration: CLARENCE'S CHILDREN HEARING OF THEIR FATHER'S DEATH.]

In respect to the children of Edward, his plan was to pretend to have
discovered proof of Edward's having been privately married to another
lady before his marriage with Elizabeth Woodville. This would, of
course, render the marriage with Elizabeth Woodville null, and destroy
the rights of the children to any inheritance from their father.

In respect to the children of Clarence, he was to maintain that they
were cut off by the attainder which had been passed against their
father. A bill of attainder, according to the laws and usages of those
times, not only doomed the criminal himself to death, but cut off his
children from all rights of inheritance. It was intended to destroy
the family as well as the man.

Richard, however, did not at once reveal his plans, but proceeded
cautiously to take the proper measures for putting them into
execution.

In the first place, there was his mother to be conciliated, the Lady
Cecily Neville, known, however, more generally b