Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

hast to dinner, which he might not go to, vntill this were doone, for sauing of his oth.

While Hastings lingers to muse on his sudden downfall, he recalls an incident till now unheeded (11. 86-88):

Three times to day my Foot-Cloth-Horse did stumble,
And started, when he look'd vpon the Tower,
As loth to beare me to the slaughter-house.

[Hol. iii. 723/1/71. More, 49/18.] Certeine is it also, that in riding towards the Tower, the same morning in which he was beheded, his horsse twise or thrise stumbled with him, almost to the falling.

At the close of this scene Hastings is led out to execution. I quote a passage which gives particulars of his death:

[Hol. iii. 723/1/19. More, 48/11.] So was he brought foorth to the greene beside the chappell within the Tower; and his head laid downe vpon a long log of timber, and there striken off,

Act III. sc. v.- "Enter Richard and Buckingham, in rotten Armour, maruellous ill-fauoured." They feign great timidity (11. 1421). Addressing the Lord Mayor,-who has been sent for to hear an explanation of the step which they have taken,-Richard speaks thus of Hastings (11. 29-32):

So smooth he dawb'd his Vice with shew of Vertue,
That, his apparant open Guilt omitted,

(I meane, his Conuersation with Shores Wife,)
He liu'd from all attainder of suspect.2

32

When Richard sent for "manie substantiall men out of the citie" (see next page), he despatched to the city a herald with a proclamation (the same which the scrivener produces in sc. vi., Act III.), giving particulars of the alleged conspiracy, and accusing Hastings of

[Hol. iii. 724/1/43.] vicious liuing and inordinate abusion of his bodie, both with manie other, and also speciallie with Shore's wife, which was one also of his most secret counsell in this most heinous treason; with whom he laie nightlie, and namelie the night last past next before his death.3

Buckingham asks the Mayor (11. 35-39):

Would you imagine, or almost beleeue,

(Wert not that, by great preseruation,

36

1 Enter Richard ]F. Enter Duke of Glocester and Buckingham in armour. Q.

2 suspect] Q. suspects F.

3 with whom... his death.] Halle (362). om. More.

Fore tokens

of imminent misfortune

with Hastings.

Lord

Hastings,

lord cham

berleine, beheaded.

Hastings's

conuersa

tion" with

Shore's

wife.]

[The

citizens, whom

Richard sent for, found him and

arrayed "in

brigan

ders."]

[Richard

said that he and

We liue to tell it,) that the subtill Traytor
This day had plotted, in the Councell-House,

To murther me and my good Lord of Gloster?

The succeeding excerpt shows that Hastings was not represented to have confessed his treason (11. 57, 58). The "substantiall men" were, however, outwardly as acquiescent as the credulous dramatic Mayor, who answers Richard thus (11. 62, 63):

But, my good Lord, your Graces word1 shal serue,
As well as I had seene and heard him speake:

[Hol. iii. 723/2/74. More, 51/14] Now flew the fame of this lords death [p. 724] swiftlie through the citie, and so foorth further about, like a wind in euerie mans eare. But the protector, immediatlie after dinner, intending to set some colour vpon the matter, sent in all the hast for manie substantiall men out of the citie into the Towre.

Now, at their comming, himselfe with the duke of Buckingham stood harnessed in old ill faring briganders, such as no man should weene, that they would vouchsafe to haue put vpon their backs, Buckingham except that some sudden necessitie had constreined them. And old ill-faring then the protector shewed them, that the lord chamberleine, and other of his conspiracie, had contriued to haue suddenlie destroied him, and the duke, there the same day in the councell. And what they intended further, was as yet not well knowne. Of which their treason he neuer had knowledge before ten of the clocke the same forenoone; which sudden feare draue them to put on for their defense such harnesse as came next to hand. And so had God holpen them, that the mischiefe turned vpon them that would haue professed to doone it. And this he required them to report.

Buckingham
had barely
escaped
death from
a plot of
Hastings.]

[The

citizens

believe this

tale, which Richard

desired them to report.]

Euerie man answered him faire, as though no man mistrusted the matter, which of truth no man beleeued.

Richard now bids Buckingham follow the Lord Mayor to Guildhall, and there seize an opportunity of decrying Edward IV. in the citizens' presence. As a proof of the late King's tyrannical humour Buckingham is to

Tell them how Edward put to death a Citizen,
Onely for saying he would make his Sonne
Heire to the Crowne; meaning indeed his House,
Which, by the Signe thereof, was tearmed so.

1 word] Q. words F.

76

In a speech delivered at the Guildhall, on June 24, 1483,1 Buckingham accused Edward of having turned "small trespasses into mispris[i]on, mispris[i]on into treason"; and, to prove his charge, cited the following case as being well known:

[Hol. iii. 728/2/35. More, 67/26.] Whereof (I thinke) no man looketh that we should remember you of examples by name, as though Burdet were forgotten, that was for a word spoken in hast Burdet. cruellie beheaded, by the miscontruing of the laws of this realme, for the princes pleasure.

Between the words "beheaded" and "by," Halle 2 inserted the subjoined parenthetical comment (369):

This Burdet was a marchaunt dwellyng in Chepesyde at ye signe of y croune, which now is ye signe of yes floure de luse, ouer agaynst soper lane. This man merely, in y° rufflyng time of king Edward y .iiij. his raign, sayd to his owne sonne that he would make him

1 According to Fab. (669) Shaw's sermon (see p. 379 below) was preached on June 15,-the Sunday following Hastings's execution on June 13,-and Buckingham's speech was delivered on Tuesday, June 17. These dates agree with More's order of events (cp. 56, 57, 63, 66). But Stallworthe-writing from London on Saturday, June 21, and mentioning, amongst other news, Hastings's execution-says not a word about Shaw's sermon (Excerpta Historica, 16, 17). Besides, as the sermon was a complete unveiling of Richard's purpose, we can hardly suppose that such a hazardous step would be taken before June 16, when the Duke of York was conveyed to the Tower.

2 In Grafton (ii. 107) the same story is foisted into More's narrative. Hol. records, under the year 1476, that "Thomas Burdet, an esquier of Arrow in Warwikeshire, .. was beheaded for a word spoken in this sort. King Edward in his progresse hunted in Thomas Burdets parke at Arrow, and slue manie of his deere, amongst the which was a white bucke, whereof Thomas Burdet made great account. And therefore when he vnderstood thereof, he wished the buckes head in his bellie that moued the king to kill it. Which tale being told to the king, Burdet was apprehended and accused of treason, for wishing the buckes head (hornes and all) in the kings bellie: he was condemned, drawne from the Tower of London to Tiburne, and there beheaded, and then buried in the Greie friers church at London."-Hol. iii. 703/1/6. 3 y] Halle (1548). om. Halle (1550).

raign] Ed. rage Halle. The six editions of Halle belonging to the British Museum have the wrong reading "rage." In one of these editions (6004, ed. 1548), a corrector has written n upon the e; a change which substitutes the reading ": "" ragn (= reign) for "rage." Crotchets enclose "This Burdet... Chepesyde" in the edd. of (?) 1542, and 1548, but these words are not marked as a parenthesis in the edd. of 1550, or in Grafton. Part of Halle's addition was thus expanded by Grafton (ii. 107); "This man merily, in the ruffling time, betwene king Edward the fourth, and king Henry the sixt, said to his owne sonne," . . In Halle and Grafton a comma is placed after "spoken." In More and Hol. "spoken" is unpunctuated, and in More a comma follows "hast." Hardyng-Grafton has not Halle's addition. The punctuation of More was evidently changed to suit Halle's version of Burdet's offence.

[Burdet was de Cheapside.]

a merchant dwelling at

Crown" in

[He said that he

his son heir

to "The

Crown."]

inheritor of y croune, meaning his owne house, but these wordes would make king Edward made to be misconstrued & interpreted that Burdet meant the croune of y realme: wherfore, within lesse space1 then .iiij. houres, he was apprehended, iudged, drawen and quartered in Chepesyde, by the misconstruynge of the lawes of the realme for the princes pleasure,

[For this

jest Edward caused

Burdet to

die a

traitor's

death.]

[Shaw and Penker described.]

...

When Buckingham has departed, Richard says (11. 103-105):
Goe, Louell, with all speed to Doctor Shaw;

[To Cate.] Goe thou to Fryer Penker; bid them both

104

Meet me within this houre at Baynards Castle.2 Among those whom Richard employed to advocate his right to the throne were

[Hol. iii. 725/2/30. More, 57/4] Iohn Shaw, clearke, brother to the maior, and frier Penker, prouinciall of the Augustine friers; both doctors of diuinitie, both great preachers, both of more learning than vertue, of more fame than learning.

Left alone, Richard mentions his resolve (ll. 108, 109)
to giue order, that no manner person
Haue any time recourse vnto the Princes.

...

When Richard became King (June 26,3 1483),

[Hol. iii. 735/1/37. More, 83/16.] foorthwith was the prince princes shut and his brother both shut vp, & all other remooued from them ;

The two

vp in close hold.

onelie one (called Blacke Will, or William Slaughter) excepted, set to serue them and see them sure.

Act III. sc. vi.-" Enter a Scrivener with a paper in his hand" (Q. with .. hand om. F.). He thus addresses the audience (11. 1-9):

...

[blocks in formation]

3 The Memoranda Rolls of the Exchequer in Ireland contain a letter from Richard III. to his Irish subjects, who were, it appears, uncertain about the exact date of his accession. The King informs them that his reign began on June 26, 1483.-Nicolas's Chronology of History, 326, 327. See also Cont. Croyl., 566, and York Records, 157, note.

The proclamation of Hastings's treason and vicious life (see p. 373 above) was

mation was

before

Hastings's

[Hol. iii. 724/1/62. More, 52/31.] made within two houres after that he was beheaded, and it was so curiouslie indicted, & so faire written in parchment, in so well a set hand, and therewith of it selfe so long a processe, that euerie child might well perceiue [The procla that it was prepared before. For all the time, betweene his death prepared and the proclaming, could scant haue sufficed vnto the bare writing death.] alone, all had it bene but in paper, and scribled foorth in hast at aduenture. So that, vpon the proclaming thereof, one that was schoolemaister of Powles, of chance standing by, and comparing the shortnesse of the time with the length of the matter, said vnto them that stood about him: "Here is a gaie goodlie cast, foule "cast awaie for hast." And a merchant answered him, that it was written by prophesie.

Act III. sc. vii.-The scene is laid at Baynard's Castle. Since sc. v. closed Buckingham had harangued the citizens at Guildhall. Richard now asks (1. 4):

Toucht you the Bastardie of Edwards Children?
Buck. I did; with his Contract with Lady Lucy,
And his Contract by deputie in France;1
Th'vnsatiate greedinesse of his desire,
And his enforcement of the Citie Wiues;2
Buckingham reminded the citizens at Guildhall how on Sunday
(June 22) Dr. Shaw

...

8

[Hol. iii. 729/2/53. More, 70/21.] "groundlie made open vnto "you, the children of king Edward the fourth were neuer lawfullie "begotten; forsomuch as the king (leauing his verie wife dame "Elizabeth Lucie) was neuer lawfullie maried vnto the queene their "mother,"

[ocr errors]

1 We do not learn from More that Warwick's marriage-making embassy was noticed in Buckingham's speech at the Guildhall. The Shaksperian Buckingham refers to this matter again (III. vii. 179-182), together with Edward's supposed contract to Lady Lucy. Ll. 5, 6 (his ... France), are not in Q.

28. And... Wiues] F. om. Q.

3 The Parliament which met on January 23, 1484, ratified a petition-no doubt presented to the Protector at Baynard's Castle-setting forth reasons for Richard's assumption of the crown. One of the petitioners' objections to the validity of Edward IV.'s union with Elizabeth Grey was "that at the tyme of contract of the same pretensed Mariage, and bifore and longe tyme after, the

[Jests of a

school

master and a

merchant.]

4 slanderous

lie confirmed Edward was

hard betrothed to

« AnteriorContinuar »