SECTION III.

RICHARD III., KING OF ENGLAND.

1483 TO 1485-2 YEARS.

Personal History. Richard III. was born 1453, at Fotheringay castle, being the eighth child of Richard, duke of York, and brother of Edward IV. He married Anne, widow of the son of Henry VI., and had issue only Edward, prince of Wales, who died a year before his father. Richard was of the middle height, of a severe expression of countenance, and had one shoulder rather higher than the other. He was not crook-backed, as has been affirmed. He had a sound judgment, a natural fund of eloquence, the most acute penetration, and an invincible degree of courage. But his whole history shows that he was inclined to keep by blood what by blood he had acquired.

Political History. Richard's primary objects on mounting the throne were to secure new friends by bestowing great favours, and to attach old ones by rewarding them in full proportion to their deserts. The duke of Buckingham, whose family had lost a large portion of his estates by an escheat to the crown, had them restored to him, and was made lord high constable; and others were, in like manner, raised to wealth and office. But as Buckingham was, immediately after these grants, engaged in a conspiracy against Richard, it is presumed that some demand was still ungranted, or some fancied right denied. The earl of Richmond, heir to the crown after the king's own family, had been an object of jealousy to Edward IV.; insomuch that he had sent him in honourable custody to the duke of Brittany, who, on the usurpation of Gloucester, gave him his liberty. Richard, with his usual penetration, discovered that Buckingham was the leader of a party resolved on raising Richmond to the throne; but when he summoned him to his presence to charge him with the offence, the duke appeared in arms in Wales. Before he could muster his adherents, the troops of Richard surprised him, brought him prisoner to Salisbury, and beheaded him.

Hoping to put an end to the pretensions of Richmond, the king resolved on marrying Elizabeth, eldest daughter of his late brother king Edward, the undoubted heir of the house of York; but when Richmond, who was of the Lancaster family, and had determined on the same project, heard of the resolution of Richard, he hastily put to sea with 2000 men, landed at Milford-Haven, 1485, and, with a force augmented to 6000, continued his march until met at Bosworth near Lancaster by the king, with an army of 13,000 men. Nothing could be more skilful than the arrangements of Richard: and had not lord Stanley, one of his generals, deserted at the onset with at least 7000 men to the enemy, the contest would most probably have been decided in his favour.

Despair, however, inspired the king, with a double portion of courage; and leading on his main body in person, he every where sought his rival. The bodyguard of the earl, perceiving his intention, fiercely attacked him with a view to surround him; but for nearly an hour he kept them at bay, slaying three of them with his own hand, and severely wounding others. At length the numbers of his assailants prevailed; and, fighting to the last moment with a fury which awed all around him, he fell. Four thousand of his troops were slain or made prisoners, and the rest fled. The duke of Norfolk and Sir Robert Brackenbury were amongst the killed; and Sir William Catesby, a great instrument of Richard's crimes, was carried captive to Leicester, and beheaded. The king's body was found covered with his slaughtered enemies: and being thrown care

lessly across a horse, was carried to Leicester, and buried in the Grey Friars' church; but no memorial of that fact is now to be found.

Richard was thirty-two years old when he died; a far less aged man than we are accustomed to consider him, when we attempt to gather his character from Shakspeare, who represents him rather as the hoary villain, than the youthful and reckless adventurer. The battle of Bosworth closed the thirtyyears' war of the Roses, wherein more than 100,000 Englishmen lost their lives in civil contention.

CHIEF DOMESTIC EVENTS.

The last of the Plantagenets. | not having railways. The roads in EngRichard III. left a natural son; and on land and Wales extend now over 25,000 the night preceding the battle of Bos- miles, the cost of making which has worth, the king sent for him to his tent, been seven millions, and the cost of and told him that, should he prove a annual repairs, 1,300,000l. conqueror on the morrow, he would obtain an act of legitimacy in his favour. This youth, after his father's fall, gained his livelihood in the lowly employ of a bricklayer; and Sir Thomas Moyle, of Eastwell-place in Kent, eventually presented him with a piece of ground, whereon he built himself a house with his own hands, and in which he died aged eighty-one, 1550. Mr. Heseltine, in his talented romance, 'The Last of the Plantagenets,' has recorded all that has been known to historians of this individual's life.

England under the Lancaster and York Families. Notwithstanding the war of the Roses, when every occupation but that of arms was abandoned by the majority, literature was not wholly neglected. The poets Gower and Chaucer contributed to give a character to our language; many colleges were founded to promote education; architecture, especially in the Gothic style, was encouraged; the very important art of Printing had its rise; and the foundation of the Protestant faith was laid by the followers of Wickliffe. Post-horses first used. The word Music and painting were quietly prac post, as implying speed, is derived from tised by the clergy; and the art of the old Latin expression, equis positis staining glass for churches was brought cursor; which implied a runner whose to perfection. The science of war was horses were in readiness; and letters materially affected by the more comwere first conveyed in England by per-mon use of projectile instruments; but sons who rode stated distances for gain, the cannons of this early period were 1483. The post-chaise is compara- too cumbrous for easy conveyance; tively a modern luxury, and is an improvement on the ancient post-cart, with two wheels, and a single horse, whereon the guide rode. It is worthy of observation that, as respects our fourhorse coaches, or stages, in the present day,an estimate has been made with great labour of the wear of iron in a journey of one hundred miles. The calculation is made from the diminution of the horseshoe, and the waste of the tire of each wheel, sixteen shoes, and four tires; and it is found that twelve pounds weight of iron is deposited on the road. This is uniformly the case on all roads

while the stone balls used in them were an uncertain, and often, to the party employing them, a dangerous species of missile. All disputes respecting the succession being at an end soon after the death of Richard III., a rapid advance both in religious information and general knowledge began amongst the English people; and the middle ages, with all their darkness and barbarism, being now closed by a combination of events, a new era commenced with the accession of the Tudor family to the throne.

CHIEF FOREIGN EVENTS.

The Reign of James III. of Scotland. from France and England, a party of It was in the minority of this prince, the peers pursued him to the castle of who succeeded his father James II. Stirling, and in a hasty engagement, slew 1460, that the unfortunate Henry VI. him, 1488. The example of neighfled to his court, and was hospitably bouring kings contributed not a little received by James Kennedy, archbishop to the corruption and ruin of James, of St. Andrew's, who surpassed all his who had early given specimens of an contemporaries in authority and pru- enlightened mind; as Edward IV. and dence. The whole reign of James was Richard III. of England, Louis XI. of occupied by his oppression of, and France, and John II. of Portugal, all contests with, his nobles; and when at laid the foundation of tyranny in their length he had secretly solicited succours respective states.

EMINENT PERSON.

Bellino, a painter of Venice, visited | wrong, but made all possible haste to Constantinople, and painted, by order get out of the Turkish dominions. of Mohammed II., the death of John SOVEREIGNS. Turkey. 1481, the Baptist. The sultan, to prove to Bajazet II. Popes. 1471, Sixtus IV.; the artist that the neck of the saint was 1484, Innocent VIII. Scotland. 1460, too long and too prominent in one part James III. France. 1483, Charles after decollation, called a slave to him, VIII. Denmark, Norway, and Sweand cut off his head with a blow of his den. 1481, John I. Portugal. 1481, sabre. Bellino, completely convinced John II. Germany. 1440, Fredeof his error, not only owned himself rick IV.

MODERN HISTORY.

PERIOD THE FIFTEENTH.

The House of Tudor.

1485 TO 1603-118 YEARS.

SECTION I.

HENRY VII., KING OF ENGLAND.

1485 TO 1509-24 YEARS.

Personal History. Henry VII., son of Edmund Tudor, earl of Richmond, was born at Pembroke 1457, and was in person tall, slender, and wellshaped; of a grave aspect, and saturnine complexion. He inherited a natural fund of sagacity, which study and experience materially improved; and was remarkable for coolness and presence of mind, when surrounded by difficulty and danger. His leading vice was avarice: yet was he a wise legislator, temperate in habits, and attentive to religious duties. His master-passions were the fear of deposition, and the love of wealth. Urged by the former, he put the earl of Warwick to death, lest he should avail himself of his superior claim to the crown; and actuated by the latter, numerous indeed were the mean and unjust actions of which he was guilty. In entering upon a war, he always stipulated with his allies that they should bear the cost, or obtained a larger subsidy than was needful from the parliament, or a tax from his people. His ministers, Empson and Dudley, were noted for their ingenuity in raising supplies: not an offence, real or alleged, but was compensated by a fine. Personally on one occasion, Henry, after having enjoyed the splendid hospitality of the earl of Oxford, accused his noble host of keeping more servants, in the shape of retainers, than the law allowed, and scrupled not to fine him accordingly 15,000 marks.

Something like remorse for these tyrannical modes of raising money, seized him at the close of life; and he ordered large sums to be distributed amongst the poor, hospitals to be founded, and restitution to be made wherever wrong had been done. Henry married Elizabeth, eldest daughter of Edward IV., by whom he had seven children, of whom the survivors were, Margaret, married first James IV. king of Scotland, then Archibald earl of Angus, and thirdly lord Methvin; Arthur, who married Katherine of Arragon, daughter of Ferdinand II. of Spain, but soon after died; and Henry VIII.

Political History. Long live king Henry the seventh!' resounded from all parts of the battle-field, when it was found that Richard had fallen. Whether Richmond's claim were defective or not was not now questioned, and the earl, adopting the high distinction so spontaneously awarded him, proceeded by

easy marches to London, which he entered in a close coach, to the surprise and disappointment of the crowds awaiting his arrival. He was crowned in a few days after (being in his 29th year), and in the next year espoused the princess Elizabeth, to the great satisfaction of the nation. Henry, however, was of a jealous temper; and loving his own family of Lancaster better than his wife's, the Yorkists, he regarded this joy of the people as a proof of their preference for the rival house, and was never very cordial with the queen.

Henry's first proceeding was a progress through the kingdom, wherein he awed many insurgent parties, and executed Sir Humphrey Stafford, a factious leader; and he had scarcely reached London on his return, when he received intelligence of an insurrection in Ireland, under one calling himself earl of Warwick, son of the duke of Clarence who had been drowned in the Tower. The king had no difficulty in proving the Irish claimant a cheat; but he sent the queen-dowager, who was supposed to have aided in the trick, to the nunnery of Bermondsey, and seized her lands and revenue. When the impostor landed in Lancashire with an army of German veterans, supplied by Margaret, widow of Charles the Bold, Henry met him at Stoke, in Nottinghamshire, and having routed his forces, took him prisoner. The pretended earl was a baker's son, named Lambert Simnel, whom a priest of Oxford, one Simon, had tutored to undertake the task of deception. Simon, being in holy orders, was imprisoned for life, instead of being summarily put to death : and Simnel, who was found to be a weak-minded youth, was made a scullion, and afterwards a falconer, in the royal service. To divert the nation from the question of his title, Henry, having allowed the queen to be solemnly crowned, sent troops under lord Brooke to assist the duke of Brittany (at whose court he had been brought up), in his contest with Charles of France; but when the dispute had been terminated by the marriage of Charles with the young duchess, he landed at Calais with 30,000 men, and claimed the crown of France as his hereditary right. Charles was weak enough to purchase the independence of his kingdom for 40,000l. of our present money, and a yearly pension of 25,000 crowns; and Henry, having thus satisfied his avarice, speedily withdrew his troops.

A new domestic calamity befel the king in 1492. The duchess of Burgundy, who had warmly supported the imposture of Simnel, publicly stated her conviction that her nephew, the duke of York (the prince murdered with his brother Edward V.) was still alive; and secretly thereupon sent Perkin, the son of Warbec, a renegade Jew, into Ireland, who was received as the true Richard Plantagenet by the unanimous voice of the credulous people of that island. When Henry soon after saw the king of France give colour to this second imposture, by entertaining young Warbec at Paris, and the duchess of Burgundy by honouring him with the romantic title of her white rose, he made Tyrrel and Dighton, who had been present at the murder of the princes, prove that fact to the world; and executed Sir William Stanley, as being the chief English agent in the plot. He also forced James IV. of Scotland to drive the impostor from his court, where he had married the king's relative, lady Catherine Gordon, and headed a Scottish irruption into Northumberland; and when at length the pretender appeared in arms in Cornwall, with the title of Richard IV., he came upon him while laying siege to Exeter, seized him at Beaulieu, and conducted him in mock triumph to London, where, after being some time imprisoned in the Tower, he was executed 1498, for planning the escape of himself and the earl of Warwick.

Henry's remaining days were spent in endeavours to marry his daughters well, in conferences with Ferdinand of Spain respecting the alliance of the prince of Wales with that monarch's house, and in the suppression of rebel