The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-08-06

victim. But II the natl0n nou hau any uouOts
regarding the Duke eft YOrk's ultimate dc.
signs they were all removed during the fol.
lowing autuian.
AZ the head of five hundred armed followers,
the sword of state borne IN gorgeous pomp be.
fore him, Richard marched TO Westminster,
stationed his men before Its door, entered, and
to the general surprise and deep CONSERVATION
Of the august peers Of the kingdom, proceeded
with naughty step down the long hall up TO
the raised dais of the throne,
| A stiffness deep as death rests upon the hor.
ror-sIricken assembly, and IN the chill OF that
dread stiffness Richard feels that any present
effort to wrest the crown from Henry would
be worse than madness.
At last the Archbishop OF Canterbury, be-
Ilieving that his venerable years and exalted
position might command even the respect of
prince, approached with the gracious request
that His Royal Iighness might be pleased to
visit the king IN another apartment
| Richards amiability had not been increased
| BY his serious defeat, and finglug back the
cutting retort, II know of NO one in this realm
whose duty is not rather to visit me than to
expect me to visit him." he turned his back
upon the notable lords and disdainiully eit
their presence.
I A number of prominent noblemcn, anxious
10 harmonic the discordant elements OF the
two great parties by inducing Henry to resign
! his birthright to Richard, waited upon the
king, and as needful preliminary to success
l fully broaching the object Of their visit deli
ca,ely limited that 1t would be profitable TO in
vestlga,e which possessed the best title to the
throne, himself or the Duke of York. What
was their chagrin and amazement to receive
from the lips of the prince, whom they had
supposed SO plant, the dignificd and impera.
live answer. my father was king; his father
was king | have myself worn the crown
for forty years, from my cradle. You have
all sworn fealty to me ~ your sovereign, and
your fathers did the same to my father ana
}, grandfather. How, then, can any one dispute
my CLAIM :.
! Richard. however, versed to perfection in
"the ways that were dark and the tricks that
were not CAIN" found no cause for despair IN
all this, and his confidence was amply JUST
fed by subsequent events. Delicate iiaitery
judlciously applied speclous promises OF won
derful results in the future, the admirable 80
phistry of special pleading, wrought wonder
1 ful effect upon even sturdy English parlla
ment That august body issued the potent
decree that while Henry was crowned king
during his lifetime, at his death the throne OF
| England was TO descend to Richard An or
der was issued ID lIenry's name commanding
/ Margaret to appear with the child at the capl
/ tai or suffer the penalty Ot treason. Margaret
had read Richards character too thoroughly
TO beIeye even Tor moment that her uniorlu-
nate husband had had any share in The docu
ment to which his signature had been affixed,
but none the less did the brutal insult offered
to her feelings as wife, mother and sovereign
enklndle her fierce scorntul anger towards It's
| real author. Love had lent its melting sweet
ness TO her tones, a Just indignation tipped
u them with living fame. The serene yet lofty
majesty OF the pale, fair face, the dauntless,
\ imperial bearing Of the Sigh! form OF the
woman who tor the supreme objects OF her
affection dared, stRgiGhdadsd and atone, 10 bat
tie against great nation, thrilled the hardy
mountaineers, while her eloquent, 'mpasson-
ed, almost inspired words, burned INTO their
hearts, lmpelling them to lay fortune and life
itself at her feet.
Meanwhile in England Henry, the automat.
ic king, and Richard, the gracious guardian
) of said king and benign protector Of the king
dom, moved through the usual routine of roy
= al life to the satisfaction of at least one of the
!, parties.
No intelligence of Margaret had reached
either her friends or foes. There was FAINT,
and az Richard deemed, blessed possibility
that her proud, exquisite face was lying in Il
nameless, humble grave; there was certainty
that If living she would never comply with
the terms offered her and must therefore wan
der In foreign lands homeless, exlled, and de-
serted for the remainder OF her life, and in
/ either case it was wildly absurd to suppose
that Margaret would rise again in his path as
the Banquo Of his ambitious dreams. Tran.
, gully court and nation glided onward III the
old grooves, Us if the existing order of things
was TO continue through all the future, dream
ing not that the great heroic heart of a single
woman was to beat against the admantlne wall
Of impossibi.ity and move it.
Eight days had passed since the royal order
, had been issued when ~ startled Lord De
fender, Jealous courtiers and sleepy people,
came the strange and awful tidings that Ma
garet had entered England and was about to
, answer Richards summons, not indeed as a
humble suppliant meekly begging for pardon,
b but rs an incensed queen ut the head OF a pow
erful and thoroughly ORGANIZED army, Had
the earth opened ut Richards feet and given
up its sheeted dead he could not have been
more appalled,.
Not an hour, however, was to be lost. Mar
4 ;aret was marching towards the south, sweep
ing like whirlwind all before ner.
II Hastily gathering his forces, Richard adj
vanced to meet her, entTcnchlng himself in
the stronghold of York, while the LancaS,rian
forces waited in the plains below. Margaret
had fenced too long with the Duke OF lork
no. to read the ms and outs of his crafty ma,
lure, and she crailily resolved to make the
weaknesses of his character play into her
hands; 30 she sent the taunling message that
the Duke must fight on the open PLAIN in fair
conflict. His Oldest and most faithful counselor
urged him to do no such perilous thing, but to
remain behind Notifications until reinforce
ments came to his aid. Richards pride had
been stung to the quick, and the blindness OF
his arrogant spirit speaks through every word
of his reply To his old and trusted officer, Sir
Davy Hall: "If did not then keep mysel.
shut up for fear of great strong prince, do
you think | will now, for fear OF scoldlng
woman, whose weapons are only her tongue
and her nails, and thus give occasion for peo'
pie to say that turned bastard before a wo.
man when no man has been able to make me
/, fear, in the name of God ana st. George al.
vance my banner for am determined that |