the extent and uniformity of these camps; I could not help smiling while I conversed with the farmer who refides upon the verge of Richard's, when he repeatedly curfed him for spoiling his land; and I asked him whether the shade of Richard might not with equal propriety curfe him for spoiling his camp? Richmond's is the most obliterated; but according to the best observation I could make, it covers fix or feven acres, Lord Stanley's proceeds along the fummit of an eminence, in two lines, is perhaps four acres; and Sir William's, more compact, and more circular, covers about three, hence we may reasonably fuppofe, the King brought into the field 12,000 men, Richmond more than feven, Lord Stanley five, and Sir William three.

We are now entering upon one of the

moft

most important days in the Britsh annals, Monday the 22d of Auguft, 1485, which ánswers to our prefent September 2, a day which terminated the conteft between the rofes. A ftream of English blood had continued to flow for thirty years, occafioned by the fword, and the axe. The royal family, though numerous, was nearly extinct, the nobility almost destroyed, and the nation itself, thinned of inhabitants. There had already been many battles, and fome of them very deftructive, but this was the only one decifive. Though the united strength of all the parties brought into Bofworth Field, did not exceed 28,000 men, yet there had not been a battle fince that of Haftings, 419 years before, of fuch importance; and, as the importance of Haftings confifted in the fall of Harold, fo did that of Bofworth in the fall of Richard.

Both

Both the fovereigns were ufurpers, and both were conquered, and fucceeded by thofe who had no more right than themselves.

The death of Harold was owing to a random shot, that of Richard to a daring fpirit, but the refult of both was the fame, the lofs of a kingdom. The crown was now to be disputed, with the utmost acrimony, by two of the ableft politicians that ever wore one; they were both wife, and both crafty; equally ambitious, and equally ftrangers to probity. Richard was better verfed in arms, Henry was better ferved. Richard was brave, Henry a coward. Richard was about five feet four, rather runted, but only made crooked by his enemies; and wanted fix weeks of thirtythree. Henry was twenty-feven, slender, and near five feet nine, with a faturnine countenance, yellow hair, and grey eyes.

Richard was a man of the deepest penetration! perfectly adapted to form, and execute a plan; for he generally carried whạt another durft not attempt, and yet in him, we have a striking instance of the shortness of human forefight. He little thought, when he was clearing his way to the throne, by murder, he was murdering for Henry! that he was clearing the way for a man, whom, of all men, he most detefted; that by cutting off one obftacle, he only opened a profpect for another, and by destroying those who guarded the crown for the Plantagenet family, he paved a road for the Tudor.

Sir Simon Digby, having penetrated into Richard's camp, in the character of a night fpy, at the utmost hazard of his life, returned; and informed Henry, at day-break, that

the

the king was preparing for battle. Richmond's trumpets founded to arms.

From

this time till the engagement commenced, was about fix hours, from four till ten in the morning.

The first perfons who attended the king, were Lovell, the Lord Chamberlain; Catesby, the Attorney-General; and Sir Richard Ratcliffe, all privy councellors, to whom he uttered the ill-bodings of his heart. Iffuing from his tent, by twilight, he obferved a centinel asleep, and is said to have ftabbed him, with this remark, "I found "him asleep, and have left him as I found "him." Perhaps this was the only perfon Richard ever put to death, who deserved it.

He left his tents ftanding, and commanded the troops to rendezvous in Sutton