ard resumed his march to the
southward. He arranged it so as to overtake the party of the prince
and the Earl of Rivers on the way.

He arrived at the town of Northampton on the same day that the prince,
with the Earl of Rivers and his escort, reached the town of Stony
Stratford, which was only a few miles from it. When the earl heard
that Gloucester was so near, he took with him another nobleman, named
Lord Gray, and a small body of attendants, and rode back to
Northampton to pay his respects to Gloucester on the part of the young
king; for they considered that Edward became at once, by the death of
his father, King of England, under the style and title of Edward the
Fifth.

Gloucester received his visitors in a very courteous and friendly
manner. He invited them to sup with him, and he made quite an
entertainment for them, and for some other friends whom he invited to
join them. The party spent the evening together in a very agreeable
manner.

They sat so long over their wine that it was too late for the earl and
Lord Gray to return that night to Stony Stratford, and Richard
accordingly made arrangements for them to remain in Northampton. He
assigned quarters to them in the town, and secretly set a guard over
them, to prevent their making their escape. The next morning, when
they arose, they were astonished to find themselves under guard, and
to perceive too, as they did, that all the avenues of the town were
occupied with troops. They suspected treachery, but they thought it
not prudent to express their suspicions. Richard, when he met them
again in the morning, treated them in the same friendly manner as on
the evening before, and proposed to accompany them to Stony Stratford,
in order that he might there see and pay his respects to the king.
This was agreed to, and they all set out together.

In company with Richard was one of his friends and confederates, the
Duke of Buckingham. This Duke of Buckingham had been one of the
leaders of the party at court that were opposed to the family of the
queen. These two, together with the Earl of Rivers and Lord Gray, rode
on in a very friendly manner toward Stratford. They went in advance of
Richard's troops, which were ordered to follow pretty closely behind.
In this manner they went on till they began to draw near to the town.

Richard now at once threw off his disguise. He told the Earl of
Rivers and Lord Gray that the influence which they were exerting over
the mind