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hurled forth pell-mell in unutterable confusion, set every table in a roar. Only Attila laughed not; not a line in his rigid countenance changed till his youngest son Ernak came, laughing like everybody else, and sat down beside him. He did not shrink away like his elder brother and sit on the edge of the couch. His bright, happy eyes looked up into the face of his father, who gently pinched his cheek and looked back upon him with a mild and softened gaze. Priscus expressed aloud his wonder that the youngest son should be so obviously preferred to his elder brethren: whereupon one of the barbarians who sat near him, and who understood Latin, whispered to him confidentially that it had been foretold to Attila by the prophets that the falling fortunes of his house should by this son be restored.

The drinking-bout was protracted far on into the night, and the ambassadors left long before it was over. At daybreak next morning they again sought an interview with Onégesh, and petitioned that without further loss of time they might receive Attila's answer and return to their master. Onégesh set his secretaries, Roman captives, to work at the composition of the letter of reply. Then they preferred another request, for the liberation of the widow and children of a certain Sulla, a citizen of Ratiaria, who had apparently been killed at the same time when they were taken captive and their home destroyed. Onégesh entirely refused to hear of their gratuitous liberation, but at length, when the ambassadors begged him to reflect on their former prosperity, and to pity their present misfortunes, he laid the matter before Attila, and obtained a reluctant consent to send the children back as a present to Theodosius. As to the widow the Hun remained inexorable: the price of her freedom was fixed at £500. Such abject entreaties to a squalid barbarian for the liberation of the family of a woman bearing the name of him

"Whose chariot rolled on Fortune's wheel,
Trumphant Sulla,"

seem to intensify the force of Byron's magnificent apostrophe

"Couldest thou divine

To what would one day dwindle that which made

Thee more than mortal, or that so supine

By else than Romans Rome could e'er be laid;

She who was named Eternal, and arrayed
Her warriors but to conquer, she who veiled
Earth with her haughty shadow, and displayed,

Till the o'ercanopied horizon failed,

Her rushing wings-oh! she who was Almighty hailed?"

Another visit to Attila's chief wife beguiled the tedium of the ambassadors' sojourn in the royal village. "She received us," says Priscus, "both with honeyed words and with an elaborate repast. And each of the company wishing to do us honor in Scythian fashion, arose and presented us with a full cup of wine; and when we had drank it they put their arms round us and kissed us, and then received it back from our hands."

RAPHAEL HOLINSHED

RAPHAEL HOLINSHED. An English chronicler; born at Bosley, Cheshire, about 1520; died at Bramcote, 1580. Compiler and author of "Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland," which furnished material to Shakespeare and other dramatists.

THE MURDER OF THE PRINCES IN THE TOWER

KING RICHARD after his coronation, taking his waie to Glocester to visit (in his new honour) the towne of which he bare the name of his old, deuised (as he rode) to fulfill the thing which he before had intended. And forsomuch as his mind gaue him, that his nephues liuing, men would not reckon that he could haue right to the realme: he thought therefore without delaie to rid them, as though the killing of his kinsmen could amend his cause, and make him a kindlie king. Wherevpon he sent one John Greene, (whom he speciallie trusted) vnto sir Robert Brakenberie, constable of the Tower, with a letter and credence also, that the same sir Robert should in anie wise put the two children to death.

This John Greene did his errand vnto Brakenberie, kneeling before our ladie in the Tower. Who plainlie answered,

that he would neuer put them to death to die therefore. With which answer John Greene returning, recounted the same to king Richard at Warwike yet in his waie. Wherewith he tooke such displeasure & thought, that the same night he said vnto a secret page of his: "Ah! whom shall a man trust? Those that I haue brought vp my selfe, those that I had weent would most suerlie serue me, euen those faile me, and at my commandement will doo nothing for me." "Sir (quoth his page) there lieth one on your pallet without, that I dare will saie, to doo your grace pleasure, the thing were right hard that he would refuse." Meaning by this sir James Tirrell, which was a man of right goodlie personage, and for natures gifts worthie to haue serued a much better prince, if he had well serued God, and by grace obteined as much truth and good will as he had strength and wit.

The man had an high heart, & sore longed vpward, not rising yet so fast as he had hoped, being hindered & kept vnder by the meanes of sir Richard Ratcliffe, and sir William Catesbie, which longing for no mo parteners of the princes fauour; and namelie, not for him, whose pride they wist would beare no peere, kept him by secret drifts out of all secret trust, which thing this page well had marked and knowne. Wherefore this occasion offered, or verie speciall friendship he tooke his time to put him forward, and by such wise doo him good, that all the enimies he had (except the deuill) could neuer haue doone him so much hurt. For vpon this pages words king Richard arose (for this communication had he sitting at the draught, a conuenient carpet for such a councell) and came out into the pallet chamber, on which he found in bed sir James and sir Thomas Tirrell, of person like, and brethren of bloud, but nothing of kin in conditions.

Then said the king merilie to them; What sirs, be ye in bed so soone? And calling vp sir James, brake to him secretlie his mind in this mischeeuous matter. In which he found him nothing strange. Wherefore on the morrow he sent him to Brakenberie with a letter, by which he was commanded to deliuer sir James all the keies of the Tower for one night, to the end he might there accomplish the kings pleasure, in such things as he had giuen him commandement. After which letter

deliuered, & the keies receiued, sir James appointed the night next issuing to destroie them, deuising before and preparing the meanes. The prince (as soone as the protector left that name, and tooke himselfe as king) had it shewed vnto him, that he should not reigne, but his vncle shuld haue the crowne. At which word the prince sore abashed, began to sigh, and said: Alas, I would my vncle would let me haue my life yet, though I leese my kingdome.

Then he that told him the tale, vsed him with good words, and put him in the best comfort he could. But foorthwith was the prince and his brother both shut vp, & all other remooued from them, onelie one (called Blacke Will, or William Slaughter) excepted, set to serue them and see them sure. After which time the prince neuer tied his points, nor ought rought of himselfe; but with that yoong babe his brother, lingered with thought and heauinesse, vutill this traitorous death, deliuered them of that wretchednesse. For sir James Tirrell deuised, that they should be murthered in their beds. To the execution whereof, he appointed Miles Forrest, one of the foure that kept them, a fellow fleshed in murther before time. To him he joined one John Dighton his owne horssekeeper, a big, broad, square, and strong knaue.

Then all the other being remooued from them, this Miles Forrest, and John Dighton, about midnight (the seelie children lieng in their beds) came into the chamber, & suddenlie lapping them vp among the clothes, so to bewrapped them and intangled them, keeping downe by force the fether-bed and pillowes hard vnto their mouths, that within a while, smoothered and stifled, their breath failing, they gaue vp to God their innocent soules into the ioies of heauen, leauing to the tormentors their bodies dead in the bed. Which after that the wretches perceiued, first by the struggling with the paines of death, and after lieng still, to be thoroughlie dead, they laid their bodies naked out vpon the bed, and fetched sir James to see them; which vpon the sight of them, caused those murtherers to burie them at the staire foot, meetlie deepe in the ground, vnder a great heape of stones.

Then rode sir James in great hast to king Richard, and shewed him all the maner of the murther; who gaue him great

thanks, and (as some saie) there made him knight. But he allowed not (as I haue heard) the burieng in so vile a corner, saieng, that he would haue them buried in a better place, bicause they were a kings sonnes. Lo the honourable courage of a king. Whervpon they saie, that a priest of sir Robert Brakenberies tooke vp the bodies againe, and secretlie interred them in such place, as by the occasion of his death, which onlie knew it, could neuer since come to light. Verie truth is it, and well knowne, that at such time as sir James Tirrell was in the Tower, for treason committed against the most famous prince king Henrie the seauenth, both Dighton and he were examined, and confessed the murther in maner aboue written: but whither the bodies were remooued, they could nothing tell.

And thus (as I haue learned of them that much knew, and little cause had to lie) were these two noble princes, these innocent tender children, borne of most roiall bloud, brought vp in great wealth, likelie long to liue, reigne, and rule in the realme, by traitorous tyrannie taken, depriued of their estate, shortlie shut vp in prison, and priuilie slaine and murthered, their bodies cast Got wot where, by the cruell ambition of their vnnaturall vncle and his despiteous tormentors. Which things on euerie part well pondered, God neuer gaue this world a more notable example, neither in what vnsuertie standeth this worldlie weale; or what mischeefe worketh the proud enterprise of an high heart; or finallie, what wretched end insueth such despiteous crueltie.

For first, to begin with the ministers, Miles Forrest, at S. Martins peecemeale rotted awaie. Dighton in deed yet walketh on aliue in good possibilitie to be hanged yer he die. But sir James Tirrell died at the Tower hill beheaded for treason. King Richard himselfe, as ye shall hereafter heare, slaine in the field, hacked and hewed of his enimies hands, haried on horssebacke dead, his hair in despite torne and tugged like a curre dog; and the mischeefe that he tooke, within lesse than three yeares of the mischeefe that he did: and yet all (in the meane time) spent in much paine & trouble outward, much feare, anguish and sorrow within.

He neuer thought himselfe sure. Where he went abroad, his eies whirled about, his bodie priuilie fensed, his hand euer

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