am Castle.

[Footnote N: For view of this castle, see page 273.]

It is a very curious circumstance, showing how sometimes records of
the most trivial and insignificant things come down to us from ancient
times in a clear and certain form, while all that is really important
to know is involved in doubt and obscurity--that the household
expense-book of Anne at Middleham is still extant, showing all the
little items of expense incurred for Richard's son, while all is
dispute and uncertainty in respect to the great political schemes and
measures of his father. In this book there is a charge of 22_s._ 9_d._
for a piece of green cloth, and another of 1_s._ 8_d._ for making it
into gowns for "my lord prince." There is also a charge of 5_s._ for a
feather for him, and 13_s._ 1_d._ paid to a shoemaker, named Dirick,
for a pair of shoes. This expense-book was continued after Anne left
Middleham Castle to go to London, as will be presently related. There
are several charges on the journey for offerings and gifts made by the
child at churches on the way. Two men were paid 6_s._ 8_d._ for
running on foot by the side of his carriage. These men's names were
Medcalf and Pacock. There is also a charge of 2_d._ for mending a
whip!

But to return to our narrative. The time for the coronation of Edward
the Fifth was drawing near, but Richard intended to prevent the
performance of this ceremony, and to take the crown for himself
instead. The first thing was to put in circulation the story that his
two nephews were not the legitimate children of his brother, Edward
the Fourth, and to prepare the way for this, he wished first, by every
means, to cast odium on Edward's character. This was easily done, for
Edward's character was bad enough to merit any degree of odium which
his brother might wish it to bear.

Accordingly, Richard employed his friends and partisans in talking as
much as possible in all quarters about the dissoluteness and the vices
of the late king. False stories would probably have been invented, if
it had not been that there were enough that were true. These stories
were all revived and put in circulation, and every thing was made to
appear as unfavorable for Edward as possible. Richard himself, on the
other hand, feigned a very strict and scrupulous regard for virtue and
morality, and deemed it his duty, he said, to do all in his power to
atone for and wipe away the reproach which his brother's loose and
wicked life had