A pathetic picture, of this poor widowed Queen, sitting all alone, amid the green rushes, a refugee from the ferocity of her wolfish brother-in-law. One devoid of chivalry and possessing only common human instincts of pity would have offered protection to a lady in such sad plight, but history does not record it of “Crookbacked Richard,” for he determined early to prove a villain and, to clothe his naked villany “with old odd ends stol’n forth of holy writ”; he seemed a saint, when most he played the devil and was not only devoid of pity for others, but found, in himself, no pity for himself.[41] An instance of the temporary violation of the royal charter privileges granted to St. Martin’s le Grand, occurred in September, 1442, when an officer was conducting a prisoner from Newgate to Guildhall. When they reached Panyer Alley five of the prisoner’s friends rushed out and rescued him from the officer and took him to St. Martin’s claiming sanctuary. The sheriffs of London went to the Church and not only took the prisoner, but all five of his friends, with chains round their necks to Newgate. The matter was brought before the King’s Star Chamber, by the Dean and Chapter of St. Martin’s le Grand and the claim advanced that the ancient charter privileges of the Church had been violated by the Sheriffs and the King ordered the men to be sent back to St. Martin’s “there to abide freely, as in a place having franchises, whiles them liked.”[42] During the reign of Henry VII., the interesting case of Humphrey Stafford, was decided, wherein the right of sanctuary, in treason, was expressly denied. Stafford had been attainted of treason and claimed sanctuary but was taken from the sanctuary and imprisoned in the Tower. When brought to the Bar of the King’s Bench, he pleaded his right of sanctuary, but after solemn discussion and reflection, the judges gave a unanimous decision that treason was such an exalted crime against the prerogatives of the King, that it could not be included within the crimes for which sanctuary would be allowed, and they disregarded the ancient charters to the contrary and gave judgment that Stafford should be executed.[43] It was attempted to have this holding reviewed the year following the decision, when the Abbot of Abingdon appeared before the judges and produced his ancient charters, upon which he claimed his privileges were founded and the whole issue was gone into in exchequer chamber, before the judges. The Abbot claimed that the judges should confer with the prelates before pronouncing judgment, but one of the judges replied that: