rs of influence and power, and all who had petitions to
present or favors to obtain gathered there, while the king in the
Tower was neglected, and left comparatively alone.

Still the form of holding a council from time to time at the Tower was
continued, and, of course, the nobles who assembled there were those
most inclined to stand by and defend the cause of the king.

Such was the state of things on the 13th of June, nine days before the
time appointed for the coronation. Richard then, having carefully
laid his plans, was prepared to take decisive measures to break up the
party who were disposed to gather around the king at the Tower and
espouse his cause.

On that day, while these nobles were holding a council in the Tower,
suddenly, and greatly to their surprise, Richard walked in among them.
He assumed a very good-natured and even merry air as he entered and
took his seat, and began to talk with those present in a very friendly
and familiar tone. This was for the purpose of lulling any suspicions
which they might have felt on seeing him appear among them, and
prevent them from divining the dreadful intentions with which he had
come.

"My lord," said he, turning to a bishop who sat near him, and who was
one of those that he was about to arrest, "you have some excellent
strawberries in your garden, I understand. I wish you would let me
have a plateful of them."

It was about the middle of June, you will recollect, which was the
time for strawberries to be ripe.

The bishop was very much pleased to find the great Protector taking
such an interest in his strawberries, and he immediately called a
servant and sent him away at once to bring some of the fruit.

After having greeted the other nobles at the board in a somewhat
similar style to this, with jocose and playful remarks, which had the
effect of entirely diverting from their minds every thing like
suspicion, he said that he must go away for a short time, but that he
would presently return. In the mean time, they might proceed, he said,
with their deliberations on the public business.

So he went out. He proceeded at once to make the preparations
necessary for the accomplishment of the desperate measures which he
had determined to adopt. He stationed armed men at the doors and the
passages of the part of the Tower where the council was assembled, and
gave them instructions as to what they were to do, and agreed with
them in respect to the signals which h