Then did the duke use all the means he might,
By damn'd devices for to work their spite;

At length the devil put it in his head,
How all his plots fhould be accomplished.

With fugar'd words, which had a poison'd sting, He did entice the duke and the young king, For fafety's fake to lodge them in the Tower; A ftrong defence, and London's chiefeft flower.

With fair-spoke speeches and bewitching charms, He told them 'twould fecure them from all harms : Thus by fair words, yet cruel treachery,

He won their hearts within the Tower to lie.

Great entertainment he thefe princes gave, And caus'd the Tower to be furnish'd brave; With fumptous chear he feafted them that day: Thus fubtle wolves with harmless lambs do play.

With mufick fweet he fill'd their princely ears, And to their face a smiling count'nance bears; But his foul heart with mischief was poffefs'd, And treach❜rous thoughts were always in his breast.

When as bright Phoebus had poffefs'd the weft
And that the time was come for all to reft;
The duke of Glo'fter the two princes led
Into a fumptuous chamber to their bed.

When these sweet children thus were laid in bed, And to the Lord their hearty prayers had faid; Sweet flumb'ring fleep then clofing up their eyes, Each folded in the other's arms there lies.

The bloody uncle of thefe children fweet, Unto a knight to break his mind thought meet; One Sir James Tyrrill, which did think it beft, For to agree unto his vile request.

Sir James, he faid, my refolution 's this, And for to do the fame you must not mifs: This night fee that the king be murthered, With the young duke, as they do lie in bed :

So when these branches I have hewed down,
There is none left to keep me from the crown:
My brother, duke of Clarence, he was found
I' th' Tower, within a butt of Malmsey drown'd:

It was my plot that he should drowned be,
'Cause none should claim the crown but only me:
And when these children thou haft murthered,
I'll wear that diadem upon my head.

And know, thou Tyrrill, when that I am king,
I'll raise thy ftate, and honours to thee bring,
Then be refolv'd, and be not thou afraid.
My lord, I'll do it, bloody Tyrrill faid,

He

He got two villains for to act this part, Disguised murtherers, each a hell-bred heart; The one Miles Foreft, which their keeper was, The other John Dighton, mafter of his horfe.

At midnight then, when all things they were hush'd, Thefe bloody flaves into the chamber rush'd; And to the bed full foftly they did creep, Where these sweet princes lay full faft asleep:

Who presently did wrap them in the clothes, And stopp'd their harmless breath with the pillows; Yet did they strive and ftruggle what they might, Until the slaves had stified both them quite,

When as the murth'rers faw that they were dead, They took their bodies forth the fatal bed; And then they bury'd these same little ones, At the ftair-feet, under a heap of stones.

But mark how God did fcourge them for this deed, As in the chronicles you there may read; Blood deferves blood, for fo the Lord hath faid; And at the length their blood was truly paid.

For when their uncle he had reign'd two years,
He fell at variance then amongst his peers;
In Lei'stershire, at Bosworth he was flain,
By Richmond's earl, as he did rightly gain.

In pieces he was hewed by his foes;

Thus Richard crook-back ended life with woes;

They ftripp'd him then, and dragg'd him up and down, And on ftout Richmond's head they put the crown,

The bloody murtherer, Sir James Tyrrill,
For treafon loft his head on Tower-hill;
And to Miles Foreft fell no worse a lot;
Alive in pieces he away did rot.

And John Dighton, the other bloody fiend,
No man could tell how he came to his end.
Thus God did pay these murth'rers for their hire;
And hell-bred Pluto plagues them now with fire,

III.

The life and death of the great Duke of Buckingham, who came to an untimely end, for confenting to the depofing of the two gallant young princes, king Ed. ward the fourth's children,

A Tale of grief I muft unfold,
Α

A tale that never yet was told,

A tale that might to pity move,
The fpirits below, the faints above.

When

When wars did plague this maiden land,
Great Buckingham in grace did stand;
With kings and queens he ruled fo,
When he faid Ay, none durst say No.

Great Gloucefter's duke that wash'd the throne
With blood of kings to make 't his own,
By Henry Stafford's help' obtain'd

What reafon will'd to be refrain'd.

If any noble of this land,

Against great Gloucefter's aim did stand,
Old Buckingham with might and power,
In grievous woes did him devour.

He hop'd when Richard was made king,
He would much greater honours bring
To Buckingham and to his name,
And well reward him for the fame.

In Clarence death he had a hand,
And 'gainst king Edward's queen did ftand,
And to her fons bore little love,

When he as baftards would them prove.

King Edward fwore him by his oath,
In true allegiance to them both,
Which if I fail, I wifh, quoth he,
All Chriftians curfe may light on me.