House and Garden 
THE DRAWING-ROOM 
sprang upon his steed, and dashing right 
through a crowd assembled at the gate, 
galloped alone and fast, untracked by any 
human enemy, but goaded by that foe that 
mounts the rider’s steed, over held, over fell, 
over dyke, through hedge, and in the dead of 
night reined in at last before tbe royal towers 
of Windsor. 
We need not follow the startling events of 
the Wars of the Roses, the rapid change of 
fortune, the death of “the King-maker,” 
“the greatest and last of the barons,” on the 
blood-stained held of Barnet. The owner 
of “the More," by a time-serving policy, con¬ 
trived to retain the apparent friendship of the 
King, who was secretly plotting his ruin. It 
was accomplished in this wise. Edward 
invited the prelate to Windsor, and when 
they were hunting in the forest the guest told 
his royal host of some extraordinary game 
which he had at Moor Park. The King 
expressed his pleasure to see it, and promised 
to come for a day’s sport. The Archbishop 
returned to his house in high spirits, and pre¬ 
pared a mighty feast, bringing together all 
the plate which he had hidden during the 
wars, and borrowing some from his friends. 
When everything was ready, a royal summons 
was delivered into his hands, ordering him to 
repair to Windsor. He 
was arrested, and sent 
a prisoner to Calais. 
The King seized his 
estate, his plate and 
property, and the tem¬ 
poralities of his see. 
His mitre, which glit¬ 
tered with precious 
stones, was converted 
“into a crown, and the 
jewels that shone at 
Moor Park were ap¬ 
plied to adorn the royal 
diadem, and perhaps 
still sparkle there.” 
Their former owner 
did not long survive 
his disgrace, and soon 
was brought home to 
die. He lies buried in 
the Minster at Leices¬ 
ter, but no tablet marks 
the memory of the 
powerful prelate who, with his brother, once 
ruled England, but was at heart a craven and 
unscrupulous time-server. Warkworth, in his 
chronicles, speaking of his great wealth and 
short-lived prosperity, concludes: “Such 
as were gathered in sin were lost in 
sorrow.” 
The estate remained to the Crown until 
the reign of Henry VII., who granted it to 
John de Vere, the thirteenth Earl of Oxford, 
to whom he was principally indebted for his 
throne. De Vere was the hero of Bosworth 
Field, and led the gallant archers in that 
memorable fight which sealed the fate of the 
despicable Richard III. He received abun¬ 
dant reward for his prowess and faithfulness, 
and amongst the confiscated lands bestowed 
upon him was Moor Park. He died without 
issue in 1513, and his property reverted to the 
Crown. Henry VIII. used it as a royal resi¬ 
dence, and gave it to Cardinal Wolsey, who 
enlarged or rebuilt the mansion, and often 
lived here in magnificent state. Hither came 
cardinals, ambassadors, nobles, and princes, 
and on several occasions King Henry came, 
and was entertained with royal splendour. 
In 1529 King Harry and his first Queen 
stayed a whole month at the More, and 
though Anne Boleyn was in her train, Cardinal 
