The Children's Book of LondonMitton, G. E. (Geraldine Edith)
History
The Children's Book of London
Mitton, G. E. (Geraldine Edith)
London (England) -- Description and travel -- Juvenile literature
Perhaps Edward cried out, and said furious things at this; for if ever
the Duke of Gloucester had meant to do it he gave up the idea. Perhaps,
also, his idea had been at first just to keep his nephews prisoners
without harming them; but now he saw that every year they grew older
they would be more dangerous to his plans, and so he resolved on a
terrible deed.
He sent for Robert Brackenbury, the keeper of the Tower, and told him
plainly that if he would murder the little princes he should be well
paid. Brackenbury was a brave man, and he refused boldly, saying he
could not do such a wicked thing for all the money in the world. Then
Richard said angrily: 'Will no man do what I want?' And a page who was
sleeping on a couch near the door to guard it heard, and answered that
he knew a man who would do anything the Duke wanted. Richard told him to
fetch this man, who was Sir James Tyrrell, and between them they made up
their dreadful plot. Tyrrell was to ask Brackenbury to give him the keys
of the Tower for one night, and in that night he would see the deed was
done. Now Brackenbury could not refuse. He might guess what was going to
happen; but if he refused to give the keys his head would be cut off,
and the little princes would be killed just the same. So he agreed, and
went away sorrowfully.
Then in the dark of the night Sir James Tyrrell took with him two
men--rough, odious men, called Dighton and Probyn, who would have killed
anyone for money. One was a gaoler at the Tower, and the other was
Tyrrell's own groom, and the three crept up the dark winding stair to
the room the boys were sleeping in. Even those rough men were horrified
at what they had come to do when they saw those two beautiful boys with
their curling golden hair falling on their shoulders and their faces
close together, sleeping so sweetly. But they remembered the money they
were to have if they succeeded and the anger of wicked Richard if they
failed, and they took up great pillows and held them down over the boys'
faces until they were smothered. Perhaps the boys did not suffer at all,
but just dreamed away into death.
When it was done the men showed the two bodies to Tyrrell, who was
waiting, and then, hurrying down the heavy stone staircase, they pulled
out some of the great stones at the foot, and buried them there and
covered them up with stones. So that no one knew certainly what had
become of the princes at the time. But two hundred years after, in doing
some repairs, workmen came upon the bones of two boys, just about the
sizes of the two little princes, at the foot of the stairs, and so the
secret came out. And now, if you visit the Tower, you can see the very
spot where they were buried.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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