To Richmond's enquiry (1. 12), What men of name are slaine on either side? [see sidenote to 759/2/1]. Stanley replies: Iohn Duke of Norfolke, Walter Lord Ferrers,1 Sir Robert Brakenbury,2 and Sir William Brandon.3 Halle (419) and Holinshed record that Duke of slaine in the [Hol. iii. 759/2/1.] of the nobilitie were slaine Iohn duke of Norfolke Norffolke, There were slaine beside him, Walter lord Ferrers of Chartleie, sir Richard Radcliffe, and Robert Brakenberie, lieutenant of the Tower, and not manie gentleman more. The play ends with a speech of Richmond, which represents in a measure his address to his soldiers before Stanley placed the crown on his head (p. 420 above). I quote two excerpts partly illustrating the commencement of the dramatic oration (11. 15-17): Interre their Bodies as become their Births: The victory won, Richmond field. What persons of line on name were king Richards side. praised his soldiers, and that the [Hol. iii. 760/1/35. Halle, 420.] ascended vp to the top of a little mounteine, where he not onelie praised and lauded his valiant [Richmond souldiers, but also gaue vnto them his hartie thanks, with promise commanded of condigne recompense for their fidelitie and valiant facts; willing slain should and commanding all the hurt and wounded persons to be cured, to sepuland the dead carcasses to be deliuered to the sepulture. be delivered ture.] [Hol. iii. 759/2/32. Halle, 419.] Of captiues and prisoners there were a great number. For, after the death of king Richard was knowne and published, euerie man, in manner vnarming himselfe, & casting awaie his abiliments of warre, meekelie submitted themselues to the obeisance and rule of the earle of Richmond: of [After their the which the more part had gladlie so doone in the beginning, if death they might haue conuenientlie escaped from king Richards espials, soldiers which, hauing as cleere eies as Lynx, and open eares as Midas, Richmond.] ranged & searched in euerie quarter.1 1 Ferrers] Capell. Ferris Qq. Ff. 2 Brackenbury] F4. Brokenbury Qq. 3-8. Ff. 1-3. 3 Brandon was not slain. See p. 419, n. 1, above. 4 In V. iii. 221, 222, Richard goes out with Ratcliffe; saying, "Vnder our Tents Ile play the eaves-dropper [F4. Ease-dropper F.], To heare if any meane to shrinke from me.' master's Richard's Description of Edward the fourth. [His character.] Lastly I quote passages describing the characters and personal traits of Edward IV., George Duke of Clarence, Richard III., and Richmond. Edward [Hol. iii. 711/1/46. More, 2/17.] was a goodlie personage, and princelie to behold, of heart couragious, politike in counsell, in aduersitie nothing abashed, in prosperitie rather ioifull than proud, in peace iust and mercifull, in warre sharpe and fierce, in the field bold and hardie, and natheles no further (than wisdome would) aduenturous; whose warres who so well considered, he shall no lesse commend his wisedome where he voided, than his manhood where he vanquished. He was of visage louelie, of bodie mightie, strong, and cleane made: howbeit, in his latter daies, with ouer [Over liberal liberall diet, somewhat corpulent and boorelie, and nathelesse He was of youth greatlie giuen to fleshlie [Personal appearance.] diet in his latter days.] [Fleshly wantonness in youth.] George duke of Clarence. not vncomelie. wantonnesse : 2 [Hol. iii. 712/1/41. More, 5/9.] George duke of Clarence was a goodlie noble prince, and at all times fortunate, if either his owne ambition had not set him against his brother, or the enuie of *had not set his enimies his brother against him. The descrip tion of Richard the third. 4 [Hol. iii. 712/1/59. More, 5/25.] Richard, the third sonne, of whome we now intreat, was in wit and courage equall with either of them, in bodie and prowesse farre vnder them both; litle of stature, ill featured of limmes, crooke backed, his left shoulder appearance.] much higher than his right,3 hard favoured of visage, and such as is in states called warlie, in other men otherwise; he was malicious, wrathfull, enuious, and from afore his birth euer froward. It is for truth reported, that the duchesse his mother had so much adoo in hir trauell, that she could not be deliuered of him vncut; and that portentous he came into the world with the feet forward, as men be borne outward, and (as the fame runneth also) not vntoothed.5 [Malicious, wrathful, and envious.] (His birth.] 1 Cp. Rich. III., I. i. 139-141. ... 2 Cp. 3 Hen. VI., II. i. 41, 42; and the asides of Clarence and Richard in 3 Hen. VI., III. ii. 3 Cp. 3 Hen. VI., III. ii. 153-162; Rich. III., I. i. 14-23. 4 "Hard fauor'd Richard" (3 Hen. VI., V. v. 78). 5 Cp. 3 Hen. VI., V. vi. 49-54, 70-75; Rich. III., II. iv. 27-29; IV. iv. 162---168. general.] expendi. None euill capteine was he in the warre, as to which his dis- [A good position was more meetly than for peace. Sundrie victories had he, & sometimes ouerthrowes; but neuer on default as for his owne person, either of hardinesse or politike order. Free was he [Liberal in called of dispense, and somewhat aboue his power liberall: with ture.] large gifts he gat him vnstedfast freendship, for which he was faine to pill and spoile in other places, and got him stedfast hatred. He was close and secret, a deepe dissembler, lowlie of countenance, [A dissem arrogant of heart, outwardlie companiable where he inwardlie hated, not letting to kisse whome he thought to kill: despitious [Ambition and cruell, not for euill will alway, but ofter for ambition, and cruell either for the suertie or increase of his estate. bler.] made him scrupulous.] Friend and fo was much what indifferent, where his aduantage (and ungrew; he spared no mans death whose life withstoode his purpose. Holinshed also contains the subjoined description of Richard, which was freely translated by Halle from Polydore Vergil (Angl. Hist., 565/3): The descripRichard. tion of king [Personal appearance.] was wont to bite his lip while musing.] [Hol. iii. 760/2/52. Halle, 421.] As he was small and little of stature, so was he of bodie greatlie deformed; the one shoulder higher than the other; his face was small, but his countenance cruell, and such, that at the first aspect a man would iudge it to sauour and smell of malice, fraud, and deceit. When he stood musing, he would bite and chaw busilie his nether lip; as who said, that his fierce nature in his cruell bodie alwaies chafed, stirred, and was euer vnquiet: beside that, the dagger which he ware, he would (when he studied) with his hand plucke vp & downe in the sheath to the midst, neuer drawing it fullie out: he was of a readie, pregnant, and quicke wit, wilie to feine, and apt [Character.] to dissemble: he had a proud mind, and an arrogant stomach, the which accompanied him euen to his death; rather choosing to suffer the same by dint of sword, than, being forsaken and left helplesse save his life of his vnfaithfull companions, to preserue by cowardlie flight such a fraile and vncerteine life, which by malice, sicknesse, or condigne punishment was like shortlie to come to confusion. Richard's remorse for his nephews' murder is thus pictured: 1 Cp. Rich. III., IV. ii. 27. See p. 371 above. [Would not by flight.] [Hol. iii. 735/2/39. More, 85/19.] I haue heard by credible report of such as were secret with his chamberleine, that, after this his nephews' abhominable deed doone, he neuer had a quiet mind. [Richard's remorse for murder.] The outward and inward troubles of tyrants by meanes of a grudging conscience. rest a He neuer thought himselfe sure. Where he went abroad, his eies whirled about, his bodie priuilie fensed,' his hand euer vpon his dagger, his countenance and maner like one alwaies readie to strike againe; he tooke il rest a nights, laie long waking and musing, sore wearied with care and watch, rather slumbered than [He took ill slept, troubled with fearefull dreames, suddenlie sometime start vp, lept out of his bed, and ran2 about the chamber; 3 nights.] The person of the earle described. Richmond [Hol. iii. 757/1/53. Halle, 416.] was a man of no great of Richmond stature, but so formed and decorated with all gifts and lineaments of nature, that he seemed more an angelicall creature, than a terrestriall personage. His countenance and aspect was cheerefull and couragious, his haire yellow like the burnished gold, his eies graie, shining, and quicke: prompt and readie in answering, but of such sobrietie, that it could neuer be iudged whether he were more dull than quicke in speaking (such was his temperance.) XIII. HENRY VIII. THE meeting of Henry and Francis-June, 1520 is a recent event 3 Cp. Rich. III., V. iii. 159, 160. June 7, 1520, was the date of their first meeting (Halle, 608); and they took leave of each other on June 24 (Halle, 620). 5 Halle, 805. [Hol. iii. 858/1/33. Halle, 608.] the two kings met in the vale of Andren, accompanied with such a number of the nobilitie of both realmes, so richlie appointed in apparell, and costlie iewels, as chaines, collars of S S, & other the like ornaments to set foorth their degrees and estates, that a woonder it was to behold and view them in their order and roomes, which euerie man kept according to his appointment. The intertwo kings in view of the the vale of Andren. kings The two kings meeting in the field, either saluted other in most louing wise, first on horssebacke, and after alighting on foot eftsoones imbraced with courteous words, to the great reioising of [The two the beholders: and, after they had thus saluted ech other, they embraced.] went both togither into a rich tent of cloath of gold, there set vp for the purpose, in the which they passed the time in pleasant talke, banketting, and louing deuises, till it drew toward the departed, euening, and then departed for that night, the one to Guisnes, the Guisnes, other to Ard. The historical Buckingham was not his "Chambers Prisoner (1. 13) on June 17, 1520; for on that day,-after Francis had taken leave of Queen Katharine and her ladies, [Hol. iii. 860/2/64. Halle, 616.] The lord cardinall, in statelie attire, accompanied with the duke of Buckingham, and other great lords, conducted forward the French king, and in their way they incountered and met the king of England and his companie right in the vallie of Anderne, apparelled in their masking apparell; which gladded the French king. But Thomas Howard, second Duke of Norfolk, was in England 1 while Henry and Francis were displaying the magnificence which the dramatic "Norfolk" saw and describes (11. 16-38). Though Buckingham asks who arranged the pageantry, he is able, on learning that Wolsey ordered all (11. 45-51), to give the following proof of the Cardinal's absolute control therein (11. 72-80): Buc. Why the Diuell, Vpon this French going out, tooke he vpon him 1 Calendar (Hen. VIII.), III. i. 873, 895. 72 [They Francis to [Buckingof Francis's ham was one The two kings meet in the valley of Anderne]. |