C С ORIN, moft unhappie fwaine, Whither wilt thou drive thy flocke ? Full of danger in the rocke : 5 Wolfes and beares doe kepe the woodes; Forests tangled are with brakes : Moores are full of miry lakes. Yet to shun all plaine, and hill, Forest, moore, and meadow-ground, How may thien reliefe be found ? Such is hapless Corins fate; Since my waywarde love begunne What to seeke, and what to shunne. 15 Spare to fpeke, and spare to speed; Yet to speke will move disdaine : Yet her fight augments my paine. 20 What Corin doe? Is the lover's sharpelt hell. XXV. JANE SHORE. Tho' so many vulgar errors have prevailed concerning this celebrated courtezan, no character in history has been more perfectly handed down to us. We have her portrait drawn by two masterly pens, the one has delineated the features of her person, the other those of her character and story. Sir Thomas More drew from the life, and Drayton has copied an original picture of her. The reader will pardon the length of the quotations, as they serve to correct many popular mistakes relating to her catafirophe. The first is from Sir Thomas More's hisiory of Rich. 111. written in 1513, about thirty years after the death of Edw. IV. “ Now then by and by, as it wer for anger, not for cove"tise, the protector sent into the house of Shores wife (for ber husband dwelled not witk her) and spoiled ber of al that ever the had, fabove the value of 2 or 3 thousand marks) and sent her body to prison. And when he had a while laide unto her, for the maner fake, that she went about to bewitch “ him, and that she was of counsel with the lord chamberlein to destroy him: in conclusion when that no colour could faj: “ ten upon obese matters, then he layd heinously to her charge " the thing that herself could not deny, that al'the world wijf was true, and that natheles every man laughed at 10 bert “ it then so sodainly so highly taken, -- that she was naught " of her body. And for tbys cause (as a goodly continent prince, clene and fautles of bimjelf, sent oufe of heaven into " this vicious world for the amendment of mens maners) be ' caused the bishop of London to put her to open penance, goo ing before the crosje in procession upon a fonday with a taper " in her hand. In which she went in countenance and pace “ demure so womanly; and albeit she was out of al array “ fave her kyrtle only, yet went she lo fair and lovely, namelye So while the wondering of the people caste a comly rud in her “ chekes (of which she before had most misle) that her great foame wan her much praise among those that were more amorous of her body, then curious of her foule. And many good folke also, that hated her living, and glad wer to je “ fin corrected, yet pittied thei more her penance then rejoiced “therin, when thei confidred that the protestnr procured it more of a corrupt intent, then ani vertuous atteccion. “ This woman was born in London, worshipfully frended, " honeftly brought up, and very wel maryed, Javing some“ what to foone ; her husbande an honest citizen, yonge, and goodly, and of good substance. But forasmuche, as they were coupled ere she wer quel ripe, the not very fervently “ loved, for whom she never longed. Which was happely " the thinge, that the more easily made her encline unto the king's appetite, when he required her. Howbeit the respect of his royaltie, the hope of gay apparel, ease, plejure and s other wanton welth, was able joone to perje a soft tender But when the king had abused her, anon her husband ( as he was an honest man and one that could his good, not presuming to touch a kinges concubine) left her up to him al together. When the king died, the lord chamber" len (Hastings) toke her : which in the kinges daies, albeit “ be was fore enamoured upon her, yet be forbare her, either for reverence, or for a certain frendly faithfulnes. "6 hearte. “ Proper After the death of Hastings, she was kept by the marquis of Dorset, fon to Edward IV's queen. In Rymer's Fædera is a proclamation of Richard's dated at Leicester 08. 23. 1483. wherein a reward of 1000 marks in money, or 100 a year in land is offered for taking " Tbomas late marquis of Dorfer," who « not baving tbe fear of God, nor the sale "vation of bis own foul, before bis eyes, bas damnably debaucbed and defiled many maids, widors, and wives, and LIVED IN ACTUAL ADULTERY WITH THE WIFE OF SHORE.” Buckingbam was at that time in rebellion, but as Dorfet was not with him, Richard could not accuse bim of treason, and iberefore made a bandle of these pretended doo baucberies to get kim apprebended. “ Proper she was, and faire : nothing in her body that you os quold have changed, but if you would have wished her “ fomewhat higher. Thu lay thei that knew her in her youthe. Albeit fome that now see her (For YET SHE “ Liveth) deme ber never to have bene wel visaged. W boje jugement feemeth me somewhat like, as though men should “ gefse the bewuty of one longe before departed, by ber fcalpe “ taken out of the charnel.house ; for now is the old, line, " withered, and dried up, nothing left but ryvilde skin, and “ hard bone. And yet being even fuch, whoso wel odvise “ her visage, might gese and devise which partes how filled, os quold make it a faire face. " Yet delited not men so much in her berty, as in her plea. “ fant behaviour. For a proper wit had me, and could both - rede wel and write ; mery in company, redy and quick of “ aunswer, neither mute nor ful of bable ; fometime taunting “ without displeasure, and not without difport. The king “ would say, That he had three concubines, which in thret “ divers properties diversly excelled. ne the meriest, another “ the wiliest, the thirde the holiest harlot in his realme, as one " swbom no man could get out of the church lightly to any place, " but it wer to his bed. The other two were somwhat greater personages, and natheles of their humilitè content « 1o be nameles, and to forbere the praise of those properties , “ but the merieft was this Shoris wife, in whom the king therfore toke special pleasure.. For many he had, but ber be « loved, whoje favour to sai the trouth (for finne it wer to “ belie the devil) je never abused to any mans hurt, but to " many à mans comfort and relief. Where the kirg toke “ displeasure, she would mitigate and appease his mind: “ where men were out of favour, she wold bring them in his grace : for many, that bad highly offended, jbee obtained pardon : of great forfeitures she gate men remision: and finally in many weighty Jutes the ftode many men in gret stede, either for none or very smal rewardes, and those rather gay then rich: either for that she was content wish the “ dede lelfe well done, or for that she delited to be fucd unto, « and to jhoru zuhat she was able io do wyth the king, or fer " that wanion women and weltby be not alway covetouts. 1 " I doubt not fome fal think this woman too fleight a thing " to be written of, and set amonge the remembraunces of great " matters : which theifbal specially think, that happely foal efteme her only by that thei now SEE HER. But me femeth " the chaunce so much the more worthy to be remembred, in “ how much time is now in the more beggerly condicion, un frended and worne out of acquaintance, after good fub ftance, after as grete favour with the prince, after as grete "Jute and seeking to with al those, that in those days had “ busynes to Spede, as many other men were in their times, which be now famouse only by the infamy of their il dedes. " Her doinges were not much lelje, albeit théi be mucke. lolje “ remembred because thei were not so evil. For men use, if they have an evil turne, to write it in marble; and whoso “ doth us a good tourne, we write it in dufte. Which is not worst proved by her ; for AT THIS DAYE shee beggeth of many at this daye living, that at this day had begged, if Jnee had not bene." See More's workes, folio bl. let. 1557. pag. 56, 57 trait. Drayton has written a poetical epifile from this lady to her royal lover, in his notes on which he thús draws her por “ Her fature was meane, her haire of a dark yellow, her face round and full, her eye gray, delicate harmony be" ing betwixt each part's proportion, and each proportion's colour, her body fat, white and smooth, her countenance cheerfull and like to her condition. The pikture which I " have seen of hers was such as she rose out of her bed in the morning, having nothing on but a rich mantle caf under one arme over her shoulder, and fitting on a chaire, on “ which her naked arm did lie. What ber father's name was, or where she was borne, is not certainly knowne : but Shore a young man of right goodly perfon, wealth and behaviour, " abandoned her bed after the king had made her his concubine, “ Richard III. causing her to do open penance in Parl's church -yard, COMMANDED THAT NO MAN SHOULD RELIEVE HER, which the tyrant did not so much for his hatred 10 “ Jinne, but that by making his brother's life odious, he might COVER |