had been for a long time as good as dead. Some said that they
did not even believe that the child was Margaret's son. There was a
story that she had had a child, but that he was very weak and puny,
and that he had died soon after his birth, and that Margaret had
cunningly substituted another child in his place, in order to retain
her position and power by having a supposed son of hers reign as king
after her husband should die. Margaret was a woman of so ambitious and
unscrupulous a character, that she was generally believed capable of
adopting any measures, however criminal and bold, to accomplish her
ends.

But, notwithstanding these rumors, Parliament acknowledged the infant
as his father's son and heir. He was named Edward, and created at once
Prince of Wales, which act was a solemn acknowledgment of his right to
the succession. Prince Richard made no open opposition to this; for,
although he and his friends maintained that he had a right to the
crown, they thought that the time had not yet come for openly
advancing their claim, so for the present they determined to be quiet.
The child might not survive, and his father, the king, being in so
helpless and precarious a condition, might cease to live at any time;
and if it should so happen that both the father and the child should
die, Richard would, of course, succeed at once, without any question.
He accordingly thought it best to wait a little while, and see what
turn things would take.

He soon found that things were taking the wrong turn. The child lived,
and appeared likely to continue to live, and, what was perhaps worse
for him, the king, instead of declining more and more, began to
revive. In a short time he was able to attend to business again, at
least so far as to express his assent to measures prepared for him by
his ministers. Prince Richard was accordingly called upon to resign
his protectorate. He thought it best to yield to this proposal, and he
did so, and thus the government was once more in Henry's hands.

Things went on in this way for two or three years, but the breach
between the two great parties was all the time widening. Difficulties
multiplied in number and increased in magnitude. The country took
sides. Armed forces were organized on one side and on the other, and
at length Prince Richard openly claimed the crown as his right. This
led to a long and violent discussion in Parliament. The result was,
that a majority was obtained to vote in