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Tower that Richard will not suffer their visit (11. 15-17; cp. p. 376
above). In the previous scene (III. vii. 242-244) Richard's coronation
was appointed for to-morrow. Stanley now enters, and, addressing
Anne, says (11. 32, 33):

Come, Madame, you must straight to Westminster,
There to be crowned Richards Royall Queene.

On July 6, 1483,1-nearly a fortnight after the election at
Baynard's Castle,-Richard and Anne ascended their thrones in
Westminster Abbey,

& queene

[Hol. iii. 734/1/3. Halle, 376.] where the cardinall of Cantur- The king burie, & other bishops them crowned according to the custome of crowned. the realme, .

...

Queen Elizabeth then bids Dorset begone (11. 42, 43):

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If thou wilt out-strip Death, goe crosse the Seas,
And liue with Richmond, from the reach of Hell:

Dorset went with Queen Elizabeth into sanctuary at Westminster,2 and left it to join the rebellion raised by Buckingham in October, 1483.3 Buckingham, before his capture, hoped either to collect a new army, or else shortlie to saile into Britaine to the earle of Richmond" (Hol. iii. 743/2/56. Halle, 394). Dorset, more fortunate, was one of those who "fled by sea," and "arriued safelie in the duchie of Britaine" (Hol. iii. 743/2/68. Halle, 394). When Richmond returned to Brittany, after his fruitless attempt to succour the rebellion,

[Hol. iii. 745/1/55. Halle, 396.] he was certified by credible information, that the duke of Buckingham had lost his head; and that the marquesse Dorset, and a great number of noble men of England, had a little before inquired and searched for him there, and were now returned to Vannes. . . .

When they knew that he was safelie returned into Britaine, Lord, how they reioised! for before that time they missed him, and knew not in what part of the world to make inquirie or search for him. For they doubted and no lesse feared least he had taken land in England, & fallen into the hands of king Richard, in whose person they knew well was neither mercie nor compassion.

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Wherefore in all speedie maner they galoped toward him, and [Their meethim reuerentlie saluted.

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Act IV. sc. ii.-Richard enters "crownd" (Q.) ; attended by Buckingham, Catesby, a Page, and others. The King requires Buckingham's consent" that the young Princes shall die (1. 23). Buckingham 2 Polyd. Verg., 540/39. 3 Hol. iii. 743/1/59 (Halle, 393).

1 Cont. Croyl., 567.

Richmond.]

A rumour

spred abroad

66

craves some litle breath, some pawse," ere he can "positively speake
in this" (11. 24, 25); and goes out. Angered by Buckingham's
hesitation, Richard calls the Page and asks (11. 34, 35):

Know'st thou not any whom corrupting Gold
Will tempt vnto a close exploit of Death?
Page. I know a discontented Gentleman,

Whose humble meanes match not his haughtie spirit:
Gold were as good as twentie Orators,

Rich. What is his Name?

36

And will (no doubt) tempt him to any thing.

His Name, my Lord, is Tirrell.

40

Page.

Rich. I partly know the man: goe, call him hither, Boy.

After the Page's exit, Richard hears from Stanley of Dorset's flight, The King then says (11. 51-53):

Come hither, Catesby: rumor it abroad

That Anne, my Wife, is very grieuous sicke;1

I will take order for her keeping close.

In March, 1485,2 Richard

[Hol. iii. 751/1/18. Halle, 407.] procured a common rumor

of the queenes (but he would not haue the author knowne) to be published and

death; at

the procure

ment of king Richard.

spred abroad among the common people, that the queene was
dead; to the intent that she, taking some conceit of this strange
fame, should fall into some sudden sicknesse or greeuous maladie :
and to prooue, if afterwards she should fortune by that or anie
other waies to lease hir life, whether the people would impute hir
death to the thought or sicknesse, or thereof would laie the blame
to him.

Catesby departs, and Richard communes with himself (11. 61, 62):
I must be marryed to my Brothers Daughter,

Or else my Kingdome stands on brittle Glasse.

In 1485, Richmond heard that Richard

[Hol. iii. 752/2/47. Halle, 409.] intended shortlie to marie the ladie Elizabeth, his brothers daughter;

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The Page now returns with Tyrrel, who at once undertakes to despatch the Princes (11. 78-81).

Let me haue open meanes to come to them,

And soone Ile rid you from the feare of them.

Rich. Thou sing'st sweet Musique. Hearke, come hither, Tyrrel : Goe, by this token: rise, and lend thine Eare:

80

[Whispers.

1 is sicke and like to die] Q.

2 See p. 396, n. 3, below.

Tyrrel's work is to be done "straight" (F.), or before Richard sleeps (Q.).

The ensuing excerpts form the source of 11. 8-41; 66-85.

[Hol. iii. 734/2/38. More, 81/15.] King Richard, after his coronation, taking his waie to Glocester to visit (in his new honour) the towne of which he bare the name of his old, deuised (as he rode) to fulfill the thing which he before had intended. And forsomuch as his mind gaue him, that, his nephues liuing, men would not reckon that he could haue right to the realme, he thought therefore without delaie to rid them; as though the killing of his kinsmen could amend his cause, and make him a kindlie king. Whervpon he sent one Iohn Greene (whom he speciallie trusted) vnto sir Robert Brakenberie, constable of the Tower; with a letter and credence also, that the same sir Robert should in anie wise put the two children to death.

[Richard

determined

to have his

nephews

slain.]

John Greene sound]

[sent to

Robert Brakenberrie, constable of the Tower.

The murther yoong

of the two

princes set

abroch.

This Iohn Greene did his errand vnto Brakenberie, kneeling before our ladie1 in the Tower. Who plainelie answered, that he would neuer put them to death to die therefore. With which answer Iohn Greene returning, recounted the same to king Richard at Warwike, yet in his waie. Wherewith he tooke such displeasure & thought, that the same night he said vnto a secret page of his : "Ah! whom shall a man trust? Those that I haue brought vp "myselfe, those that I had weent would most suerlie serue me, euen "those faile me, and at my commandement will doo nothing for "me." "Sir" (quoth his page) "there lieth one on your pallet "without, that I dare well saie, to doo your grace pleasure, the "thing were right hard that he would refuse." Meaning this by sir Iames Tirrell, which was a man of right goodlie personage, and Sir James for natures gifts worthie to haue serued a much better prince; if he had well serued God, and by grace obteined as much truth and good will as he had strength and wit.

The man had an high heart, & sore longed vpward, not rising yet so fast as he had hoped, being hindered & kept vnder by the meanes of sir Richard Ratcliffe, [p. 735] and sir William Catesbie, which, (longing for no mo parteners of the princes fauour; and,

1 Kneeling in prayer before an image of our Lady.

Tirrell described.

loveth no

Authoritie partners kept Tyrrel ployment].

[: Ratcliffe and Catesby

out of em

[Richard

easily gained Tyrrel's consent.]

of the Tower deliuereth

namelie, not for him, whose pride they wist would beare no peere,) kept him by secret drifts out of all secret trust: which thing this page well had marked and knowne. Wherefore, this occasion offered, of verie speciall friendship he tooke his time to put him forward, and by such wise doo him good, that all the enimies he had (except the deuill) could neuer haue doone him so much hurt. For vpon this pages words king Richard arose, (for this communication had he sitting at the draught, a conuenient carpet for such a councell,) and came out into the pallet chamber, on which he found in bed sir Iames and sir Thomas Tirrels, of person like, and brethren of bloud, but nothing of kin in conditions.

Then said the king merilie to them: "What, sirs, be ye in bed "so soone?" And calling vp sir Iames, brake to him secretlie his mind in this mischeeuous matter. In which he found him nothing The constable strange. Wherefore on the morow he sent him to Brakenberie with a letter, by which he was commanded to deliuer sir Iames all the keies1 of the Tower for one night; to the end he might there commande accomplish the kings pleasure, in such things as he had giuen him commandement. After which letter deliuered, & the keies receiued, sir Iames appointed the night next insuing to destroie them; deuising before and preparing the meanes.2

the keies to sir lames

Tirrell vpon the kings

ment.

When Tyrrel is gone, Buckingham re-enters and makes a demand (11. 91-94):

My Lord, I clayme the gift, my due by promise,
For which your Honor and your Faith is pawn'd;

92

1 The men sent to murder Clarence have a commission addressed to Brakenbury, who, after reading it, delivers to them the keys.-Rich. III., I. iv. 90-96.

2 Assuming this account to be true, the Princes were murdered about the middle of August, 1483. Richard III.'s privy seals show that he was at Warwick from August 8 to August 14. On August 15 he was at Coventry (H. S.). At Warwick Grene reported Brakenbury's answer (More, 81/33). On the day following Grene's arrival at Warwick, Tyrrel was despatched to take the keys of the Tower from Brakenbury (More, 82/2, 83/2). The deed was done on "the night nexte ensuing" the delivery of the keys to Tyrrel (More, 83/6). Warwick is 90 miles distant by road from London.-Lewis. Richard's reign messengers could post 100 miles a day.-Cont. Croyl., 571. If Tyrrel were sent from Warwick, the latest date for his departure must have been August 14, and he could reach London the same day. When Buckingham's rebellion began (October), there was a rumour that the Princes were dead.-Cont. Croyl., 568.

In

Th'Earledome of Herford,1 and the moueables,

Which you haue promised I shall possesse.

While carrying out a purpose of contemptuously ignoring Buckingham's demand, Richard, vouchsafing no response, addresses Stanley (11. 95, 96):

Stanley, looke to your Wife: if she conuey
Letters to Richmond, you shall answer it.

In 1484,2

[Hol. iii. 746/1/56. Halle, 398.] nothing was more maruelled at, than that the lord Stanleie had not beene taken and reputed as an enimie to the king; considering the working of the ladie Margaret his wife, moother to the earle of Richmond. But, forsomuch as the enterprise of a woman was of him reputed of no regard or estimation, and that the lord Thomas hir husband had purged himselfe sufficientlie to be innocent of all dooings and attempts by hir perpetrated and committed; it was giuen him in charge to keepe hir in some secret place at home, without hauing anie seruant or companie: so that from thense foorth she should neuer send letter or messenger vnto hir sonne, nor anie of his from dealing freends or confederats, by the which the king might be molested or troubled, or anie hurt or preiudice might be attempted against his realme and communaltie.

Still apparently unmindful of Buckingham, Richard soliloquizes about Henry VI.'s prophecy that Richmond should be King (see p. 329 above), which leads to a reflection on the prophet's unforeseen death,3 and is followed by a disagreeable reminiscence (11. 106-110):

Richmond! When last I was at Exeter,

The Maior in curtesie showd me the Castle,

And called it Ruge-mount: at which name I started,
Because a Bard of Ireland told me once,

I should not liue long after I saw Richmond.4

108

1 Herford] Q. Hertford F. erle of Herfordes landes Halle (382), but (387) Earle of Hartfordes landes. See p. 450, n. 2, below.

2 This general feeling of surprise at Stanley's freedom is spoken of by Halle (397, 398) as having been prevalent about the time when Richard's sole Parliament was sitting. The session opened on January 23, 1484.-Rot. Parl., vi. 237/1.

3

"How chance the prophet could not at that time

Haue told me, I being by, that I should kill him?" (Q. om. F.) The dramatic Richard of 3 Hen. VI. was, like the historic character, absent from England during Henry's brief restoration.

106-110. Richmond!... Richmond.] Q. om. F.

King

Richard

chargeth the

lord Stanleie

to keep his

secret place

against him.

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