FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129  
130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   >>  
am Castle. [Footnote N: For view of this castle, see page 273.] It is a very curious circumstance, showing how sometimes records of the most trivial and insignificant things come down to us from ancient times in a clear and certain form, while all that is really important to know is involved in doubt and obscurity--that the household expense-book of Anne at Middleham is still extant, showing all the little items of expense incurred for Richard's son, while all is dispute and uncertainty in respect to the great political schemes and measures of his father. In this book there is a charge of 22_s._ 9_d._ for a piece of green cloth, and another of 1_s._ 8_d._ for making it into gowns for "my lord prince." There is also a charge of 5_s._ for a feather for him, and 13_s._ 1_d._ paid to a shoemaker, named Dirick, for a pair of shoes. This expense-book was continued after Anne left Middleham Castle to go to London, as will be presently related. There are several charges on the journey for offerings and gifts made by the child at churches on the way. Two men were paid 6_s._ 8_d._ for running on foot by the side of his carriage. These men's names were Medcalf and Pacock. There is also a charge of 2_d._ for mending a whip! But to return to our narrative. The time for the coronation of Edward the Fifth was drawing near, but Richard intended to prevent the performance of this ceremony, and to take the crown for himself instead. The first thing was to put in circulation the story that his two nephews were not the legitimate children of his brother, Edward the Fourth, and to prepare the way for this, he wished first, by every means, to cast odium on Edward's character. This was easily done, for Edward's character was bad enough to merit any degree of odium which his brother might wish it to bear. Accordingly, Richard employed his friends and partisans in talking as much as possible in all quarters about the dissoluteness and the vices of the late king. False stories would probably have been invented, if it had not been that there were enough that were true. These stories were all revived and put in circulation, and every thing was made to appear as unfavorable for Edward as possible. Richard himself, on the other hand, feigned a very strict and scrupulous regard for virtue and morality, and deemed it his duty, he said, to do all in his power to atone for and wipe away the reproach which his brother's loose and wicked life had
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129  
130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   >>  



Top keywords:
Edward
 

Richard

 

expense

 
charge
 

brother

 

stories

 

circulation

 

character

 

Middleham

 

Castle


showing

 
wished
 

coronation

 
easily
 
return
 

narrative

 

nephews

 

performance

 

intended

 

legitimate


children

 

prepare

 

ceremony

 

Fourth

 

drawing

 
prevent
 

strict

 

feigned

 

scrupulous

 

regard


virtue

 

revived

 
unfavorable
 

morality

 

deemed

 

reproach

 

wicked

 

invented

 

Accordingly

 

employed


friends
 
partisans
 

degree

 

talking

 

quarters

 
dissoluteness
 

incurred

 
castle
 
dispute
 

extant