ESCAPE OF THE TUDORS.
When the spirit of the Lancastrians had been broken on the fields of
Barnet and Tewkesbury, and the violent deaths--if such they were--of
the monk-monarch and his gallant son had left the adherents of the Red
Rose without a prince to rally round, the house of York seemed to be
established forever.
That branch of the Plantagenets which owed its origin to John of Gaunt
was not, indeed, without an heir. The King of Portugal, the grandson
of Philippa, eldest daughter of John and Blanche of Lancaster, was
the personage with whom that honor rested; but Alphonso, albeit a
knight-errant in manhood's prime, not being yet turned of forty, and
rich in gold brought from Guinea, was not so utterly indiscreet as to
waste his energy and croisadoes on an enterprise in which Warwick, the
flower of English patricians and the favorite of the English people,
had so signally failed. Moreover, about this time, Alphonso was all
anxiety to wed Joan, the youthful daughter of the last King of Castile,
and make a Quixotic attempt, as husband of that princess, to wrest
the Spanish crown from Ferdinand and Isabella. Thus occupied with
projects of love and war, the King of Portugal does not appear to have
put forward any claims as heir of John of Gaunt, nor, perhaps, did the
English nation ever seriously consider his claims.
The extinction of Henry of Bolingbroke's posterity left the Red Rose
party without having at its head a king whose name might serve as a
rallying cry. But the adherents of the Lancastrian cause, however
dispirited, were not utterly subdued. They still cherished vague
hopes, and pointed to chiefs of high name; for John de Vere, Earl
of Oxford, Henry Holland, Duke of Exeter, and Jasper Tudor, Earl of
Pembroke, still lived; and while these noblemen--the first so noble,
the second so loyal, and the third so wary--were free, there was still
a prospect of revenge on the usurper. The fact, however, was, that the
Lancastrian lords were in a situation far from enviable, and might have
been forgiven had they cherished no aspiration more lofty than that of
getting safely away from the country, and beyond the reach of Edward's
vengeance.
When intelligence reached Jasper Tudor that Margaret of Anjou and
her captains had been totally routed, far from cherishing any such
delusions as imposed upon the rude intellect of Falconbridge, he
forthwith allowed his forces to disperse, and, making for the valley of
the Wye, took refuge in the strong-hold of Chepstow.
Situated at the mouth of the most beautiful of English rivers, Chepstow
is still an interesting ruin. At that time it was a magnificent castle,
stretching along a precipitous cliff, consisting of four courts and a
central building, and covering an area of three acres. To this fortress
Jasper, in the day of perplexity, retired to reflect on the past and
prepare for the future.
While at Chepstow Jasper had a narrow escape. Edward was naturally most
anxious to destroy the Lancastrians as a party, and eager, therefore,
to get so zealous an adherent of the Red Rose into his power. With a
view of entrapping his old adversary, he employed Roger Vaughan, one
of a clan who, like the Crofts, were ancient retainers of the house
of Mortimer, to repair to Chepstow. The contest between the Celt and
the Marchman was brief. Jasper was not to be outwitted. He penetrated
the secret of Vaughan's mission, caused him to be seized, and, without
formality, had his head struck off.
Having taken this strong measure, and thereby added to his danger in
the event of capture, Jasper proceeded to Pembroke. At that town the
outlawed earl was exposed to new dangers. Pursued to Pembroke by a
Welsh warrior named Morgan ap Thomas, he was besieged in the town; but
relief came from a quarter that could hardly have been expected. David
ap Thomas, who was Morgan's brother, but attached to the Red Rose,
rushing to Jasper's assistance, succeeded in raising the siege, and the
Welsh earl was freed for the time from pressing peril. But, having lost
all feeling of security, and every hope of holding out against Edward,
he committed the defense of Pembroke to Sir John Scudamore, took his
brother's son Henry, the young Earl of Richmond, under his wing,
embarked with the boy at Tenby, and once more as an outlaw and fugitive
sailed for the Continent.
The intention of Jasper and his nephew was to seek protection at the
court of Louis, and they steered their course toward the coast of
France. But fortune proved unfavorable to this design. Forever the
elements fought against the Lancastrians. Encountering contrary winds,
the Tudors were driven on the coast of Brittany, and, being compelled
to put into a port belonging to the duke, they could not avoid paying
their respects to that magnate. The duke received them with courtesy,
and treated them with hospitality, and so far all went pleasantly. But
when the Tudors prepared to pursue their way to France they were given
to understand that they were not at liberty to proceed.
The two earls were somewhat disconcerted on comprehending their actual
position. They made the best of circumstances, however; and, indeed,
all things considered, had not much reason to complain. The town of
Vannes was assigned them as a residence, and they were treated with the
respect deemed due to their rank. Except being narrowly watched, their
position was not uncomfortable.
Intelligence of the Tudors being at Vannes was not long confined to
Brittany. The news soon reached both Paris and London; and while the
French king claimed them as friends, the English king demanded them
as rebels and traitors. The duke, however, firmly adhered to the
resolution to keep them to himself; and Edward was fain to appear
content, and pay a yearly sum for their support. The duke, on his
part, gave assurances that they should have no opportunity of causing
disturbance to the English government.
When a few years passed over, circumstances had rendered young Henry
Tudor a more important personage, and Edward made a great effort to
obtain their extradition. To accomplish this object, he sent an embassy
to Brittany to invite Henry to England, promising him the hand of
the Princess Elizabeth. The Duke of Brittany was induced to consent,
and Henry repaired to St. Malo to embark. But Peter de Landois, the
duke's chief minister, who at that time pretended a high regard for the
Tudors, declared that Edward's offer was a snare, and pointed out the
impolicy of crediting Edward's profession of friendship. The duke was
convinced; and Richmond's embarkation having been delayed by a fever,
the result of anxiety, he returned to Vannes.
And at Vannes, as guest or captive of Brittany--he hardly knew
which--Henry Tudor was destined to remain, till one day the Bishop
of Ely and the Duke of Buckingham, conspiring in Brecknock Castle,
nominated him--a man described by Comines as "without power, without
money, without hereditary right, and without any reputation"--as a
candidate for the proudest of European thrones.