removed, and the
way was open before her to become a queen. It is true that the
relationship which existed between her and Richard, that of uncle and
niece, was such as to make the marriage utterly illegal. But Richard
had a plan of obtaining a dispensation from the Pope, which he had no
doubt that he could easily do, and a dispensation from the Pope,
according to the ideas of those times, would legalize any thing. So
Richard cautiously proposed his plan to some of his confidential
counselors.

His counselors told him that the execution of such a plan would be
dangerous in the highest degree. The people of England, they said, had
for some time been led to think that the king had that design in
contemplation, and that the idea had awakened a great deal of
indignation throughout the country. The land was full of rumors and
murmurings, they said, and those of a very threatening character. The
marriage would be considered incestuous both by the clergy and the
people, and would be looked upon with abhorrence. Besides, they said,
there were a great many dark suspicions in the minds of the people
that Richard had been himself the cause of the death of his former
wife Anne, in order to open the way for this marriage, and now, if the
marriage were really to take place, all these suspicions would be
confirmed. They could judge somewhat, they added, by the depth of the
excitement which had been produced by the bare suspicion that such
things were contemplated, how great would be the violence of the
outbreak of public indignation if the design were carried into effect.
Richard would be in the utmost danger of losing his kingdom.

[Illustration: PORTRAIT OF THE PRINCESS ELIZABETH.]

So Richard determined at once to abandon the plan. He caused it to be
announced in the most public manner that he had never contemplated
such a marriage, and that all the rumors attributing such a design to
him were malicious and false. He also sent orders abroad throughout
the kingdom requiring that all persons who had circulated such rumors
should be arrested and sent to London to be punished.

Elizabeth's hopes were, of course, suddenly blasted, and the splendid
castle which her imagination had built fell to the ground. It was only
a temporary disappointment, however, for she became Queen of England
in the end, after all.

CHAPTER XVII.

THE FIELD OF BOSWORTH.

A.D. 1485-1492

Richmond goes on with his preparations at Paris.--The expe