89 
RICHARD II. 
was shocked, if not surprised, to hear that these innocent boys had 
disappeared. "The commonly received story is to the effect that a man 
named Tyrrel, acting under orders from the King, smothered them 
with pillows, and afterwards buried them under a stairway. This 
report, which is in itself probable, receives confirmation from the fact 
that in the reign of Charles II. some workmen engaged in making 
repairs found the bones of two boys buried under the staircase leading 
bo the chapel of the Tower. 
3, Richard soon found that, though he had won a crown, he had not 
secured the confidence of his subjects. He had now arrayed against 
him not only the Lancastrians, but also many of the Yorkists, who 
were indignant at the murder of his nephews. "Che Duke of Bucking- 
ham, a former supporter, deserted him. ’Efforts were 
Feallilon made to effect a coalition of all the King's opponents, 
Richard, The Duke of Buckingham put himself at the head of the 
movement, Henry, Earl of Richmond, grandson of 
Owen Tudor and Catherine, widow of Henry V., and through his 
mother a remote descendant of ‚John of Gaunt, was fixed on as 
Richard’s successor. Richmond, who was an exile in Brittany, lent 
himself to the designs of the conspirators, assenting to his proposed 
marriage with Elizabeth, daughter of Kdward IV. The attempt came 
to nought. Buckingham was defeated and slain. Richmond, after 
vainly trying to effect a landing on the southern coast, returned ta 
France. 
4. But one Parliament was held in Richard’s reign. It passed a 
statute declaring ‘‘benevolences” unlawful. For the first 
Parlament; time the Acts of Parliament were printed. 
5. In 1484 Richard lost his only son, the young Prince Edward, 
Richard’ The next year his Queen also died, On the death of his 
 amlls. S son and his wife, he declared his nephew, John de la 
* Pole, Karl of Lincoln, heir to the throne. It is said that 
zt one time he cherished the unnatural purpose of marrying his niece, 
Elizabeth of York. 
6. The failure of Buckingham’s insurrection did not quench the 
ambition of the Karl of Richmond, Having been again 
Henry invited to Kngland by the various parties opposed to 
Earlof Richard, he carefully watched his opportunity. It must 
Richmond. ichard, he carefully watched his opportunity. Mus 
be understood that he had no rightful claim to the 
English throne. The Lancastrians accepted him as their repre- 
sentative, simply because their true royal line had been cut off in the 
carnage of the civil war. Richmond’s descent from Edward III, was 
tainted with illegitimacy. In the popular estimation, though not in 
reality, his claim received some strength from the fact that his grand- 
mother had been Queen, 
7. Richmond having collected a small force in Normandy, crossed