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Modernized text of
How Richard Plantagenet Duke of Gloucester murdered his brother’s children, usurping the crown and in the third year of his reign was most worthily deprived of life and kingdom, in Bosworth plain, by Henry, earl of Richmond, after called King Henry the VII, the 22 of August 1485 prepared from
Mirror for Magistrates (
[Segar](bibl:SEGA3)).
What heart so hard, but doth abhor to hear
The rueful reign of me, the third Richard?
King unkindly called, though I the crown did wear,
Who entered by rigor, but right did not regard,
By tyranny proceeding in killing king Edward,
Fifth of that name, right heir unto the crown,
With Richard, his brother, princes of renown.
Of trust they were committed unto my governance,
But trust turned to treason, too truly it was tried,
Both against nature, duty, and allegiance,
For through my procurement most shamefully they dyed:
Desire of a kingdom forgetteth all kindred.
As after by discourse it shall be shewed here,
How cruelly these innocents in prison murdered were.
The lords and commons all with one assent,
Protector made me both of land and king.
But I therewith, alas, was not content:
For minding mischief I meant another thing,
Which to confusion in short time did me bring:
For I, desirous to rule and reign alone,
Sought crown and kingdom, yet title had I none.
To all peers and princes a president I may be,
The like to beware how they do enterprise,
And learn their wretched falls by my fact to foresee,
Which rueful stand bewailing my chance before their eyes,
As one clean bereil of all felicities:
For right through might I cruelly defaced.
But might helped right and me again displaced.
Alas, that ever prince should thus his honor stain
With the blood of innocents, most shameful to be told:
For these two noble imps I caused to be slain.
Of years not full ripe as yet to rule and reign:
For which I was abhorred both of young and old,
But as the deed was odious in sight of God and man,
So shame and destruction in the end I wan.
Both God, nature, duty, allegiance all forgot,
This vile and heinous act unnaturally conspired:
Which horrible deed done, alas, alas, God wot,
Such terrors me tormented, and my sprites’ fired
As unto such a murder and shameful deed required,
Such broil daily felt I breeding in my breast.
Whereby, more and more, increased mine unrest.
My brother’s children were right heirs unto the crown,
Whom nature rather bound to defend then destroy.
But I not regarding their right nor my renown,
My whole care and study to this end did employ,
The crown to obtain, and them both to put down:
Wherein I God offended, provoking just his ire,
For this my attempt and most wicked desire.
To cursed Cain compare my careful case,
Which did unjustly slay his brother just Abel:
And did not I in rage make run that rueful race
My brother duke of Clarence? whose death I shame to tell,
For that it was so strange as it was horrible:
For sure bedrenched was, and yet no water near,
Which strange is to bee told, to all that shall it hear.
The but he was not whereat I did shoot.
But yet he stood between the mark and me,
For had he liv’d, for me it was no boot
To tempt the thing that by no means could be.
For I third was then of my brethren three:
But yet I thought the elder being gone,
Then needs must I bear the stroke alone.
Desire of rule made me, alas, to rue,
My fatal fall I could it not foresee,
Puffed up in pride, so haughty then I grew,
That none my peer I thought now could bee,
Disdaining such as were of high degree:
Thus daily rising, and pulling other down,
At last I shot how to win the crown.
And daily devising which was the best way
And mean, how I might my nephews both devour:
I secretly then sent, without further delay.
To Brakenbury, then lieutenant of the tower,
Requesting him by letters to help unto his power,
For to accomplish this my desire and will.
And that he would secretly my brother’s children kill.
He answered plainly with a flat nay,
Saying that to dye he would not do that deed:
But finding then a proffer to my prey,
“Well worth a friend (quoth I) yet in time of need:
James Tyrrell hight his name, whom with all speed,
I sent again to Brakenbury as you heard before,
Commanding him deliver the keys of every door.
The keys he rendered, but partaker would not be
Of that flagitious fact. O, happy man, I say:
As you have heard before, he rather chose to dye.
Then on those silly lambs his violent hands to lay:
His conscience him pricked his prince to betray,
O constant mind, that wouldst not condescend,
Thee may I praise, and myself discommend.
What though he refused, yet be sure you may.
That other were as ready to take in hand that thing,
Which watched and waited as duly for their prey.
As ever did the cat for the mouse taking,
And how they might their purpose best to pass bring:
Where Tyrrell he thought good to have no blood shed,
Becast them to kill by smothering in their bed.
The wolves at hand were ready to devour
The silly lambs in bed, whereas they lay,
Abiding death, and looking for the hour.
For well they wist, they could not scape away:
Ah, woe is me, that did them thus betray.
In assigning this vile deed to be done,
By Miles Forrest and wicked John Dighton.
Who prively into their chamber stale,
In secret wise somewhat before midnight,
And ’gan the bed together tug and hale,
Bewrapping them, alas, in woeful plight,
Keeping them down, by force, by power, and might.
With haling, tugging, turmoiling, turned and tossed,
Till they of force were forced yield the ghost.
Which when I heard, my heart I felt was eased
Of grudge, of grief, and inward deadly pain.
But with this deed the nobles were displeased,
And said: “O God, shall such a tyrant reign,
That hath so cruelly his brother’s children slain?’’
Which bruit once blown in the people’s ears,
Their dolor was such, that they burst out in tears.
But what thing may suffice unto the greedy man,
The more he baths in blood, the bloodier he is alway:
By proof I do this speak, which best declare it can,
Which only was the cause of this prince’s decay:
The wolf was never greedier than I was of my pray:
But who so useth murder, full well affirm I dare.
With murder shall be quit, ere he thereof beware.
And mark the sequel of this begone mischief:
Which shortly after was cause of my decay,
For high and low conceived such a grief
And hate against me, which sought, day by day,
All ways and means that possible they may.
On me to be revenged for this sin.
For cruelly murdering unnaturally my kin.
Not only kin, but king, the truth to say,
Whom unkindly of kingdom I bereft,
His life from him, I also wrought away,
With his brother’s, which to my charge was left:
Of ambition behold the work and weft,
Provoking me to do this heinous treason.
And murder them, against all right and reason.
After whose death thus wrought by violence,
The lords not liking this unnatural deed,
Began on me to have great diffidence,
Such brinning hate ‘gan in their hearts to breed.
Which made me doubt, and sore my danger dreede:
Which doubt and dread proved not in vain,
By that ensued, alas, unto my pain.
For I supposing all things were as I wished,
When I had brought these silly babes to bane,
But yet in that my purpose far I missed:
For as the moon doth change after the wane,
So changed the hearts of such as I had ta’en
To be most true, to troubles did me turn:
Such rage and rancor in boiling breasts doth burn,
And suddenly a bruit abroad was blown,
That Buckingham the duke, both stem and stout,
In field was ready, with divers to me known,
To give me battle if I durst come out:
Which daunted me and put me in great doubt,
For that I had no army then prepared:
But after that, I little for it cared.
But yet remembering, that oft a little spark
Suffered doth grow unto a great flame,
I thought it wisdom wisely for to warke,
Mustered then men in every place I came:
And marched forward daily with the same,
Directly towards the town of Salisbury,
Where I gat knowledge of the duke’s army.
And as I passed over Salisbury down,
The rumor ran the duke was fled and gone,
His host dispersed besides Shrewsbury town.
And he dismayed was left there post alone,
Bewailing his chance and making great moan:
Towards whom I hasted with all expedition.
Making due search and diligent inquisition.
But at the first I could not of him hear.
For he was ’scaped by secret byways.
Unto the house of Humphrey Banastre,
Whom he had much preferred in his days,
And was good lord to him, in all assays:
Which he full ill requited in the end,
When he was driven to seek a trusty friend.
For so it happened to his mishap, alas,
When I no knowledge of the duke could hear:
A proclamation, by my commandment, was
Published and cried throughout every shire.
That whoso could tell where the duke were,
A thousand mark should have for his pain:
What thing so hard but money can obtain?
But were it for money, meed, or dread,
That Banastre thus betrayed his guest,
Divers have diversely divined of this deed,
Some deem the worst, and some judge the best,
The doubt not dissolved, nor plainly expressed:
But of the duke’s death he doubtless was cause.
Which dyed without judgment, or order of laws.
Lo, this noble duke I brought thus unto bane.
Whose doings I doubted and had in great dread,
At Banastre’s house I made him to be ta’en,
And without judgment be shortened by the head,
By the shrive of Shropshire to Salisbury led.
In the market place upon the scaffold new,
Where all the beholders did much his death rue.
And after this done I break up my host,
Greatly applauded with this heavy hap,
And forthwith I sent to every sea cost.
To foresee all mischiefs and stop every gap.
Before they should chance or light in my lap,
Giving them in charge to have good regard
The sea cost to keep, with good watch and ward.
Directing my letters unto every shrive,
With strait commandment under our name,
To suffer no man in their parts to argue,
Nor to pass forth out of the same.
As they tendered our favor, and void would our blame,
Doing therein their pain and industry.
With diligent care and vigilant eye.
And thus setting things in order as you hear,
To prevent mischiefs that might then betide,
I thought myself sure, and out of all fear,
And for other things began to provide:
To Nottingham castle straight did I ride.
Where I was not very long space,
Strange tidings came, which did me sore amaze.
Reported it was, and that for certainty,
The earl of Richmond landed was in Wales
At Milford Haven, with an huge army,
Dismissing his navy which were many sails:
Which, at the first, I thought flying tales,
But in the end did otherwise prove,
Which not a little did me vex and move.
Thus fawning fortune ’gan on me to frown,
And cast on me her scornful lowering look:
Then ’gan I fear the fall of my renown,
My heart it fainted, my sinews sore they shook,
This heavy hap a scourge for sin I took:
Yet did I not then utterly despair,
Hoping storms past the weather should be fayre.
And then with all speed possible I might,
I caused them muster throughout every shire,
Determining with the earl speedily to fight,
Before that his power much increased were.
By such as to him great favor did bear:
Which were no small number, by true report made,
Daily repairing him for to aid.
Directing my letters to divers noblemen,
With earnest request their power to prepare
To Nottingham castle, where, as I lay then,
To aid and assist me in this weighty affair:
Where straight to my presence did then repair,
John duke of Norfolk, his eldest son also,
With th’earl of Northumberland and many other mo.
And thus being furnished with men and munition,
Forward we marched in order of battle ‘ray,
Making by scouts every way inquisition,
In what place the earl with his camp lay:
Towards whom directly we took then our way,
Evermore minding to seek our most avail.
In place convenient to give to him battle.
So long wee labored, at last our armies met
On Bosworth plain, besides Leicester town,
Where sure I thought the garland for to get,
And purchase peace, or else to lose my crown:
But fickle fortune, alas, on me did frown,
For when I was encamped in the field,
Where most I trusted I soonest was beguiled.
The brand of malice thus kindling in my breast
Of deadly hate which I to him did bear,
Pricked me forward, and bade me not desist,
But boldly fight, and take at all no fear,
To win the field, and the earl to conquer:
Thus hoping glory great to gain and get,
Mine army then in order did I set.
Betide me life or death I desperately ran,
And joined me in battle with this earl so stout.
But fortune so him favored that he the battle wan,
With force and great power I was beset about:
Which when I did behold, in midst of the whole route.
With dint of sword I cast me on him to be revenged.
Where in the midst of them my wretched life I ended.
My body was hurried and tugged like a dog,
On horseback all naked and bare as I was borne:
My head, hands, and feet, down hanging like a hog,
With dirt and blood bespent, my corpse all to torn,
Cursing the day that ever I was borne:
With grievous wounds bemangled, most horrible to see.
So sore they did abhor this my vile cruelty.
Lo, hear you may behold the due and just reward
Of tyranny and treason, which God doth most detest:
For if unto my duty I had taken regard,
I might have lined still in honor with the best,
And had I not attempt the thing that I ought lest:
But desire to rule, alas, did me so blind,
Which caused me to do against nature and kind.
Ah, cursed caitiff, why did I climb so high,
Which was the cause of this my baleful thrall:
For still I thirsted for the regal dignity,
But hasty rising threateneth sudden fall:
Content yourselves with your estates all,
And seek not right by wrong to suppress,
For God hath promised each wrong to redress.
See here the fine and fatal fall of me,
And guerdon due for this my wretched deed.
Which to all princes a mirror now may be.
That shall this tragical story after read,
Wishing them all by me to take heed,
And suffer right to rule as it is reason:
For time tryeth out both truth and also treason.