kingham.--Richmond
retreats.--Unhappy situation of Elizabeth.--The princess.--He seeks to
get possession of Richmond.--Parliament.--New policy.--The plan
succeeds.--Excuses for the queen.--Her situation still unhappy.--The
marriage countermanded.--Richard's plan for the princess.--Elizabeth's
views on the subject.--Death of Richard's son.--Sickness of Queen
Anne.--Sufferings of the queen--Suspicions.--Elizabeth's eagerness to
marry the king.--Death of the queen.--Remonstrance of Richard's
counselors.--Richard gives up the plan.--Disappointment of Elizabeth.

While Richard was making his triumphal tour through the north of
England, apparently receiving a confirmation of his right to the crown
by the voice of the whole population of the country, the leaders of
the Lancaster party were secretly beginning, in London, to form their
schemes for liberating the young princes from the Tower, and restoring
Edward to the kingdom.

Queen Elizabeth, who still remained, with the Princess Elizabeth, her
oldest daughter, and some of her other children, in the sanctuary at
Westminster, was the centre of this movement. She communicated
privately with the nobles who were disposed to espouse her cause. The
nobles had secret meetings among themselves to form their plans. At
these meetings they drank to the health of the king in the Tower, and
of his brother, the little Duke of York, and pledged themselves to do
every thing in their power to restore the king to his throne. They
little knew that the unhappy princes were at that very time lying
together in a corner of the court-yard of the prison in an ignoble
grave.

At length the conspirators' plans were matured, and the insurrection
broke out. Richard immediately prepared to leave York, at the head of
a strong force, to go toward London. At the same time, he allowed the
tidings to be spread abroad that the two princes were dead. This news
greatly disconcerted the conspirators and deranged their plans; and
when the dreadful intelligence was communicated to the queen in the
sanctuary, she was stunned, and almost killed by it, as by a blow.
"She swooned away, and fell to the ground, where she lay in great
agony, like a corpse;" and when at length she was restored to
consciousness again, she broke forth in shrieks and cries of anguish
so loud, that they resounded through the whole Abbey, and were most
pitiful to hear. She beat her breast and tore her hair, calling all
the time to her chil