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But Edward already knows that Queen Margaret's troops "doe hold their course toward Tewksbury" (1. 19); and he resolves to go thither "straight." We learn from The Arrivall of King Edward IV. that news of her landing reached him on April 16; and on April 24 he marched from Windsor in search of her army. He did not ascertain the Lancastrians' purpose to give him battle at Tewkesbury until May 3, though before leaving Windsor he was satisfied that they were not coming directly towards London, but were keeping to the north-west, in hope of gathering reinforcements from Wales and Lancashire.1

Act V. sc. iv.-The dramatist has disregarded his authority in making Queen Margaret address her confederates with such assurance of future triumph 2 (11. 1-38); for Halle says (297) that, when news of Barnet field came,

[Warwick's she, like a woman al dismaied for feare, fell to the ground, her harte was perced with sorowe, her speache was in maner passed, all her spirites were tormented with Malencoly.

defeat overwhelmed Margaret.]

Margaret would have deferred a battle, but she yielded to Somerset's advice that war should be renewed without delay (Halle, 298, 299). Act V. sc. v.-In The True Tragedie this scene opens with the following stage direction: "Alarmes to the battell, Yorke flies, then the chambers be discharged. Then enter the King, Cla. & Glo. & the rest, & make a great shout, and crie, for Yorke, for Yorke, and then the Queene is taken, & the prince, & Oxf. & Som. and then sound and enter all againe." These instructions-which I print with the punctuation unaltered-show that a retreat and victorious re-entry of the Yorkists were exhibited on the stage. At Tewkesbury field, Richard- -as we learn from Halle (300)-led the Yorkist vaward against that part of the entrenched Lancastrian camp which was defended by Somerset. Failing to carry the position by assault, Richard, "for a very politique purpose, wyth all hys men reculed backe." Somerset followed the Yorkists who, turning, discomfited their pursuers, and, supported by Edward's division, entered the camp. The Lancastrians who remained there were soon routed. "The Quene was founde in her Charriot almost deade for sorowe." 3 The Prince was "apprehended," and Somerset was "by force" taken prisoner.

1 These particulars, with the dates of April 16, 24, and May 3, are given in Arrival, 22, 24, 25, and 28.

2 Her speech just before the armies join battle (3 Hen. VI., V. iv. 77-81) has a slight general resemblance to Warwick's oration when he was on the point of engaging Edward's troops at Barnet. The Earl told his men that "they fight not onely for the libertie of the countreye agaynste a tiraunte, which wrongfullye and againste all right had inuaded and subdued thys realme, but they fyght in the querel of a true and vndubitate king against a cruell man and a torcious vsurper; in the cause of a Godly and a pitiful Prince against an abhominable manqueller and bloudy boutcher; . . . In which cause beyng so good, so godly, & so iust, God of very iustice must nedes be their shilde and defence."-Halle, 295.

3 On May 7 Edward heard that she had been found in " a powre religiows place" near Worcester, where she stayed during the battle.- Arrival, 31,

The victory won, Edward immediately disposes of two Lancastrian leaders (11. 2, 3):

Away with Oxford to Hames Castle straight!

For Somerset, off with his guiltie Head!

Oxford shared the Lancastrians' defeat at Barnet, but he was not with them when they were vanquished at Tewkesbury, on May 4, 1471. It was not until February 15, 1474,1 that

[Hol. iii. 693/2/20. Halle, 304.] Iohn earle of Oxford, which after Barnet field both manfullie and valiantlie kept saint Michaels mount in Cornewall, either for lacke of aid, or persuaded by his friends, gaue vp the mount, and yeelded himselfe to king Edward (his life onelie saued), which to him was granted. But, to be out of all doutfull imaginations, king Edward also sent him ouer the sea to the castell of Hammes, where, by the space of twelue yeeres, hee was in strong prison shut vp and warilie looked to.

On May 6, 1471,2

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beheaded.]

[Halle, 301.] was Edmond duke of Somerset. . . behedded Somerset in the market-place at Tewkesbury.

As Oxford and Somerset are led out, Edward asks (11. 9, 10):

Is Proclamation made, That who finds Edward

Shall haue a high Reward, and he his Life?

Scarcely have these words been uttered when Prince Edward is seen approaching. The King thus addresses his rival (11. 14-16):

Edward, what satisfaction canst thou make

For bearing Armes, for stirring vp my Subiects,
And all the trouble thou hast turn'd me to?

16

Prince. Speake like a Subiect, prowd ambitious Yorke!

Suppose that I am now my Fathers Mouth;

Resigne thy Chayre, and, where I stand, kneele thou,
Whil'st I propose the selfe-same words to thee,

20

Which, Traytor, thou would'st haue me answer to !

1 Escaping from the rout at Barnet, John Earl of Oxford went first to Scotland and afterwards to France.-Warkw., 16, 26; Arrival, 20. On April 10, 1473, he was at Dieppe, purposing, as was supposed, to sail for Scotland.Paston, iii. 88. He landed at St. Ossyths in Essex on May 28, 1473, but soon reembarked.-Paston, iii. 92. On September 30, 1473, he took possession of St. Michael's Mount in Cornwall, which he defended against the royal forces until February 15, 1474, when the defection of his garrison obliged him to surrender. He was then brought as a prisoner to Edward, who immediately sent him to Hammes Castle (Calais).—Warkw., 26, 27; Polyd. Verg., 532/44. William of Worcester (Itinerarium, 122) and Warkw. differ as to the length of the siege, and the former gives Feb. 19 as the date of surrender.

2 Arrival, 31. Warkw., 19.

The Prince repeats his claim to sovereignty (11. 33-37), and is forthwith murdered:

Edw. Take that, thou1 likenesse of this Rayler here!

Rich. Sprawl'st thou ? take that, to end

Clar. And ther's for twitting me with

The account of Prince Edward's death here
Holinshed, whose authority was Halle (301).

[Stabs him.
thy agonie!
[Rich. stabs him.
periurie !

40

[Clar. stabs him. dramatized is given by

[Hol. iii. 688/2/7.] After the field was ended, proclamation was made, that whosoeuer could bring foorth prince Edward aliue or dead, should haue an annuitie of a hundred pounds during his life, and the princes life to be saued, if he were brought foorth Sir Richard aliue. Sir Richard Crofts [the Prince's captor], nothing mistrusting the kings promise, brought foorth his prisoner prince Edward, being a faire and well proportioned yoong gentleman; 2 whom when king Edward had well aduised, he demanded of him, how he durst so presumptuouslie enter into his realme with banner displaied?

Crofts deliuereth the prince in hope that his life should have beene saved.

Prince Edward murthered.

Wherevnto the prince boldlie answered, saieng: "To recouer "my fathers kingdome & heritage, from his father and grandfather "to him, and from him after him to me, lineallie descended." At which words king Edward said nothing, but with his hand thrust him from him, or (as some saie) stroke him with his gantlet; whom, incontinentlie, George duke of Clarence, Richard duke of Glocester, Thomas Greie marquesse Dorcet, and William lord Hastings, that stood by, suddenlie murthered: . . .

Act V. sc. vi.-Having helped to slay Prince Edward, Richard posts off "to London on a serious matter" (V. v. 47). Scene vi. is laid at the Tower. Richard enters with Henry, whom, after some conference, he stabs to death (1. 57) with a sword (1. 63). Henry died on May 21 or 22, 1471.3 He was

1 38. thou] Whole Contention (Q3). the 3 Hen. VI.

2 being a

gentleman] Hol. beynge a good Femenine & a wel feautered younge gentleman Halle, 301. Edward apostrophizes him as "thou likenesse of this Rayler here" [Queen Margaret].

3 Warkw. (21) says: "And the same nyghte that Kynge Edwarde came to Londone, Kynge Herry, beynge inwarde [? in ward] in presone in the Toure of Londone, was putt to dethe, the xxj. day of Maij, on a tywesday_nyght, betwyx xj. and xij. of the cloke, beynge thenne at the Toure the Duke of Gloucetre, brothere to Kynge Edwarde, and many other”; ... From a chronicle (MS. Arundel, Mus. Brit. 28, fol. 25, vo, cited in Warkw., xiii.) we

[Hol. iii. 690/2/61.] in the Tower spoiled of his life, by Richard duke of Glocester, (as the constant fame ran,) who (to the intent that his brother king Edward might reigne in more suertie) murthered the said king Henrie with a dagger.

Edward is ignorant of Richard's sudden resolve to despatch Henry (1. 83). More-whose narrative I here give in Halle's words (343) -asserts that Richard

1

Edw. Halle
[303].
the sixt
King Henrie

murthered in
the Tower.

the .vi. slayn

in the towar the iij.

by Richard

slewe in the towre kynge Henry the sixt; saiynge: "now is there Kyng Henry "no heire male of kynge Edwarde the thirde but wee of the house "of Yorke!" whyche murder was doen without kyng Edward his assent; which would haue appointed that bocherly office to [too Halle] some other rather then to hys owne brother.

Act V. sc. vii.-We may suppose this scene to be laid in the Palace at Westminster. There are present King Edward, Queen Elizabeth, Clarence, Gloucester, Hastings, and the infant Prince Edward, of whom a nurse has charge. Clarence demands (11. 37-40):

What will your Grace haue done with Margaret ?
Regnard, her Father, to the King of France

Hath pawn'd the Sicils and Ierusalem,

And hither haue they sent it for her ransome.

King. Away with her, and waft her hence to France!

40

An interval of more than four historic years elapsed between the dates of Margaret's ransom and the battle of Tewkesbury; though, according to dramatic time, the latter event is very recent. In 1475 2 the agreement was made by which

learn that Henry "decessit" on May 21. According to Three Chronicles (B. L. C.), 184, he died "feliciter" on May 22. A fourth chronicle (MS. Laud, 674 (B. 23) fol. 11, ro, cited in Warkw., xi.) records that Henry "moriebatur" on May 22. A fifth chronicle (MS. Bib. Reg. 2 B. xv. fol. 1, r, cited in Warkw., xi.) fixes the time of his death between ("inter") the 21st and 22nd of May. Finally, the Yorkist writer of Arrival (38) asserts that Henry died on May 23, "of pure displeasure, and melencoly."

1 Glo. The Tower, man, the Tower; Ile root them out.] T. T. Tower, the Tower. 3 Hen. VI., V. v. 50. The words "now is . are in Halle, but not in Hol.

Rich. [The]

of Yorke

2 The articles of this agreement-"aduisez par et entre Le Roy de France dune part Et messires Iehan seigneur de Hauart et Thomas seigneur de mongomery chivalers conseillers du Roy dangleterre Touchant le bail et deliurance de dame marguerit fille du Roy de Secille"-are dated October 2, 1475. Her ransom was 50,000 crowns of gold. The original articles, signed by Lewis's own hand, are preserved in the British Museum. An order, dated November 13, 1475, and addressed to Sir Thomas Montgomery, authorizes him to receive Margaret from Thomas Thwaytes and deliver her to Lewis or to such persons as shall be chosen by Lewis and Montgomery in Edward's name. -Rymer, xii. 22. Her ransom was to be paid within five years (Rymer, xii. 51); and, on March 21, 1480, Edward gave Lewis a full acquittance.-Rymer,

[René paid Margaret's ransom by

selling Lewis

[Halle, 301.] King Reiner her father raunsomed her with

money, which summe (as the French writers afferme) he borowed XI. the two of kyng Lewes ye xi.; and, because he was not of power nor abilitie

Sicilies and

Provence.]

to repaye so greate a dutie, he solde to the French kyng & his
heyres the kingdomes of Naples and both the Sciciles, wyth the
countie of Prouince,

There is another unhistorical personage in this play besides the
dual "Somerset." "Westmerland" is a hot Lancastrian in 3 Hen. VI.,
I. i., but the historical second Earl-son of Ralph Neville, the first Earl
-kept aloof from civil strife.1

"Exeter," in the First and Third Parts of Henry VI., is, I suspect, the same person; though the historical Thomas Beaufort, Duke of Exeter, died in 1426, and, during the war of the Roses, this title was borne by Henry Holland. Holland was a staunch Lancastrian ; but the dramatic "Exeter" accepted the arrangement which reduced Henry VI. to the position of King by the grace of Richard Plantagenet.

French (Shakspeareana Genealogica, p. 199) conjectured that "Summerfield" (T. T.) or "Someruile" (3 Hen. VI., V. i. 7-15) was meant for Sir Thomas Somerville, who died 16 Henry VII., 1500.

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THE Tragedy of Richard the Third 2 is not separated from The third Part of Henry the Sixt by a dramatic interval of one clear day. For although Clarence's arrest-the first incident of the former drama— occurred in 1477,8 the action of sc. ii., Act I., takes us back to May

xii. 112. In consideration of the ransom, René agreed that Provence should
be united to the French crown after his death, and Margaret confirmed the
cession.-Jean de Troyes, 36, 37.

1 The dramatist might have been misled by finding in Halle (256) or Hol.
(iii. 665/1/27) that "the_earles of Northumberland and Westmerland" were
slain at Towton. John Lord Neville-a brother of Ralph Neville, second Earl
of Westmoreland-was killed in this battle, fighting on the Lancastrian side.
-Rot. Parl., v. 477/2.

3 I quote the text of FI.

3 We do not know when Clarence was arrested, but a probable date is based on the following facts: On May 20, 1477, Burdett and Stacy, dependents of Clarence, were executed for constructive treason.-D. K. Rep. 3, appendix ii. p. 214. On May 21, Clarence came to the Council Chamber at Westminster, accompanied by a priest named Godard, who read before the Council the declarations of innocence made by Burdett and Stacy previous to execution. Resenting this interference, Edward summoned Clarence to appear "certo die" at the palace of Westminster, and there, in the presence of the civic dignitaries, vehemently censured him. The Duke was put "sub custodiâ," and remained a prisoner till his death.-Cont. Croy'., 561,562. Edward's privy seals show

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