THE PRINCES OF THE TOWER.

Have in our armor watched the winter's night,
Went all afoot in summer's scalding heat,

That thou might'st repossess the crown in peace;
And of our labors thou shalt reap the gain.'

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Poor young prince, the Tower looms up before thee, though thou seest it not; and the shadow of it falls upon thy young life, lying in thy mother's lap, cast by the baleful eyes of him who cries in affected loyalty:

And that I love the tree from whence thou sprangest
Witness the loving kiss I give the fruit.'

1 Part III., Act V., Scene 7.

2 Part III., Act V., Scene 7.

RICHARD III.

THE Source of this play is Sir Thomas More's "Life of Richard III." More was a member of the household of the Bishop of Ely of the play, and must have had the best of opportunities for getting at the real facts. His history was incorporated into Hall and Holinshed's "Chronicle." Shakespeare follows him with great faithfulness, particularly in his description of Richard's person, and acts upon the hints of More in charging Richard's several crimes upon him.

Two other plays on the same subject were in existence, having only few things in common with Shakespeare, and these mainly of such a nature as could be secured by any biographer.

One of these, in Latin, by Dr. Thomas Legge, was said to have been acted at Cambridge in 1579.

The other was in English (anonymous): The True Tragedy of Richard III., Wherein is shown the death of Edward IV., and the smothering of the two young princes in the Tower.

Shakepeare's "Richard" is mentioned by Meres, having been published in 1597, and was issued in five quarto editions, besides the First Folio.

CHRONOLOGY OF EDWARD IV. (FROM 1471), EDWARD V., AND RICHARD III.

(Shakespeare includes these all under the title-play of "Richard III.") 1471. Edward IV. reigning in peace.

1473. Richard Gloster marries Anne Neville, daughter of Warwick, who had been either married or betrothed to the son of Henry VI., slain at Tewkesbury.

1475. Invasion of France under Edward IV., which results in the treaty of Picquiney. Under this treaty Edward was given a large sum of money; a marriage was arranged between his daughter and the son of Louis XI.; and Margaret of Anjou was released from her confinement to find a home with her father, King Rene.

1478. The Duke of Clarence arraigned and executed for treason. His family attainted.

1483. Death of Edward IV. (April 9).

Edward V. (his son,

The peers swear
The queen moth-

aged 12 years) enters London (May 4). fealty. Richard Gloster chosen Protector. er seeks sanctuary through fear of the Protector. Richard denounces the queen's relations as traitors. The Duke of York (younger brother of Edward V.) removed from sanctuary," under promise of life and good treatment. June 22, Dr. Shaw's sermon at Paul's Cross, declaring the illegitimacy of Edward V. and the Duke of York. June 25, an assembly of prelates and nobles (not a parliament) declared the fact of illegitimacy. June 26, Richard acknowledged by the peers as King of England. July 26, Richard and Anne crowned. The young princes disappear from English history, the public rumor being that they were murdered. Oct.Nov., revolt of the Duke of Buckingham. Earl of Richmond (last of the Lancastrian family) driven off by a storm from an attempted descent upon England.

1485. Henry, Earl of Richmond, sails from Harfleur to lay claim to the throne of England. Richard III. meets him and is defeated and slain at Bosworth Field (Aug. 21). Richmond crowned as Henry VII. on the battle-field.

CHAPTER VII.

RICHARD III. -THE LAST OF THE PLANTAGENETS.

Essential difference between "Richard III." and the other historical plays. -Why Richard is treated with more severity than other historical characters equally depraved.-The political situation at the beginning of the play. The queen's party versus the nobles with Buckingham at their head.-Three great historical events marked in the drama.—(I.) The death of Edward IV.-(II.) Richard's successful usurpation of the throne. (III.) Bosworth Field and Richmond.-Events between the death of Henry VI. and that of Edward.—The clearing of the field for Richard's ambitious plan. --The seizure of Clarence.—The unspeakable wooing of Anne by Richard.-The clashing of rival court factions.— Underplay of Margaret's fury.-Her artistic introduction in the drama. -Edward IV. effects a hollow reconciliation between the queen's faction and the nobles.-Edward's death.-Struggle of the rival factions to gain control of the young king.-Richard and Buckingham win. Fall of the queen's kindred.-The princes lodged in the Tower.Buckingham saps the popular loyalty by hinting at the illegitimacy of both Edward IV. and his sons.-Gloster's "scruples" overcome.Gloster's ambition attained and he is crowned with Anne as queen.The thorn in Richard's crown.-The falling away of Buckingham.— Death of the young princes.-Richmond's star begins to rise.-First revolt against Richard is crushed.-Richmond unable to land, and Buckingham defeated.-Anne dies, and Richard schemes for the hand of his niece Elizabeth.-This princess is pledged to Richmond by the faction opposed to Richard.-Gathering of the discontented nobles.— Night before the battle of Bosworth.-Visions of the rival commanders. Their moral raison d'être.- The day of battle; defeat of Richard and crowning of Richmond as Henry VII.-End of the Wars of the Roses.-Encouragement to literature under Edward and Richard.Progress of the commons.

THE curtain rises now upon the last act of the epic drama depicting the rise and fall of the House of Plantagenet and, incidentally, the decay of the feudal sys

THE PLAY A CHARACTER STUDY.

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tem which had been the backbone of English life from the days of William the Conqueror.

There is a very great difference between the handling of the incidents in "Richard III." and the method followed in the other historical plays. It is a character portrait. One figure dominates the movement of every scene and moulds the arrangement of every detail.

From King John to Henry VI. we have a series of panoramic views. The stage is crowded with figures of considerable importance. There are currents of movement apart from the titular hero.

But in Richard III., from the moment of his introduction in the famous sarcastic soliloquy:

Now is the winter of our discontent

Made glorious summer by this sun of York,1

until he dies fighting against fate on Bosworth Field, the subtle devil in the hunchback's heart plays with the other persons of the drama, and dominates their every movement. "I am myself alone," these words of the man self-exiled from sympathetic intercourse with his fellows express his character, and form the key-note of the whole bloody tragedy.

All readers approach this play with preconceived ideas, for which Shakespeare himself is largely responsible. There have been other historical personages as bloody and villainous as Richard, but few have been treated with such critical severity. The reason is that Richard is made the mouth-piece of his own depravity.

1 Act I., Scene 1.