on I am ready to admit is, the imputed assassination of
his young nephews; not only an unnatural crime, but sacrilege to that
divinity which was believed to hedge a king. The cotemporary ballad of
the 'Babes in the Wood,' was circulated by Buckingham to inflame the
English heart against one to whom he had thrown down the gauntlet for a
deadly wrestle. Except that the youngest babe is a girl, and that the
uncle perishes in prison, the tragedy and the ballad wonderfully keep
pace together. In one, the prince's youth is put under charge of an
uncle 'whom wealth and riches did surround;' in the other, 'the uncle is
a man of high estate.' The play soothes the deserted mother with,
'Sister, have comfort;' the ballad with, 'Sweet sister, do not fear.'
The drama says that:

'Dighton and Forrest, though they were fleshed villains,
Wept like two children, in their death's sad story.'

And the poem:

'He bargained with two ruffians strong,
Who were of furious mood.'

But

'That the pretty speech they had,
Made murderous hearts relent,
And they that took to do the deed.
Full sore did now repent.'

There is a like agreement in their deaths:

'Thus, thus, quoth Dighton, girdling one another
Within their alabaster, innocent arms.'

And the ballad:

'In one another's arms they died.'

Finally, the greatest of English tragedies represents Richard's remorse
as:

'My conscience hath a thousand several tongues,
And every tongue brings in a several tale,
And every tale condemns me for a villain.'

While the most pathetic of English ballads gives it:

'And now the heavy wrath of God
Upon their uncle fell;
Yea, fearful fiends did haunt his house.
His conscience felt a hell.'

As it is probable that this ballad was started on its rounds by
Buckingham, the arch-plotter, was eagerly circulated by the Richmond
conspirators, and sung all over the southern part of England as the
fatal assault on Richard was about to be made, we shall hardly wonder
that, in an age of few books and no journals, the imputed crime hurled a
usurper from his throne.

But was he really _guilty_? Did he deserve to be set up as this
scarecrow in English story? The weight of authority says, 'Yes;' facts
are coming to light in the indefatigable research now being made in
England, which may yet say: 'No.'

The charge was started by the unprincipled Buckingham to excuse his
sudden conversion from an acco