those rebels were 66 open murderers, adul-Norfolk from Thomas of Brotherton, fifth terers, and extortioners." The most per-son of Edward I. Another was lord Stantinent intelligence which it communicated ley; who, though an original Yorkist, bewas, that the exiles had already chosen one came suspected by Richard on account of Henry Tudor to be their chief, who already his friendship with Hastings, and his marusurped the royal estate of England, "where- riage with the countess-dowager of Richunto he had no interest, title, or color, being mond, the mother of Henry Tudor. The descended of bastard blood on both sides; difficulties of Stanley's position were infor Owen Tudor his grandfather was a bas- creased by his son George lord Strange tard,* and his mother was daughter unto being in the hands of Richard, treated as a John duke of Somerset, son unto John earl faithful adherent; but who might be dealt of Somerset, son unto dame Catherine Swin- with as a hostage, in case of the defection ford by John of Gaunt, and the issue of of the father. He temporized; seemed to their double adultery." fluctuate; and, though probably a party to But these reasonings were no longer the agreement for the marriage of Henry seasonable. The greater part of the York and Elizabeth, preserved a show of neutralparty, alienated by the crimes of Richard, ity longer than could be conceived, if the whose impartial tyranny destroyed Hast- extent and remoteness of his domains were ings with as little scruple as Woodville, not considered. had acquiesced in Morton's project for pre- Early in the month of August, 1485, serving their own connexion with the regal Henry earl of Richmond embarked from dignity by seating Elizabeth of York on the Harfleur, and landed at Milford Haven on throne. the 6th of that month; a place chosen A compromise between the various in- partly, perhaps, from some reliance on the terests, opinions, and prejudices of a com- partiality of the Britons to their native race, munity would lose its nature and its use- but more probably from the facility of unfulness if it were invulnerable by argu- disturbed disembarkation, and from the opments derived from any one of the princi- portunity afforded to the rising of the malples which it labors to reconcile. A perfect contents by the distance of his point of atlogical consistency is incompatible with tack. The situation of Stanley's domains on such pacifications; every party must sacri- his left was probably also not an unimportfice a portion of their opinions, as well as ant circumstance in directing his choice of a share of their interests. A compromise a landing-place. between conflicting factions was effected Richard, as active and vigilant in war as on the ground that each party should be, his brother Edward, marched from London as it were, represented on the throne by a on the 16th of August; and being perhaps queen whom Richard's unnatural deeds doubtful of his competitor's line of advance, and projects pronounced to be the heiress moved to the central provinces, that he of York; and by a king who, though he might more easily turn his attack wherever could not indeed succeed under the title of the appearance of the enemy required. the house of Lancaster, was the only re- Both armies met at Bosworth in Leicestermaining leader of the Lancastrian party. shire, on Monday the 22d of August, 1485, A few of the most eminent Yorkists ad- in a battle memorable for having composed hered to the principle of an inheritable the long disorders of the kingdom, and recrown, clouded as it was by the crimes of stored it after the lapse of nearly a thouRichard. They probably reconciled them- sand years to a race of native princes. selves to a deviation from it, in the prefer- Stanley continued to march slowly, and ence of him to his niece, by the same ob- hung aloof on the skirts of the hostile arvious necessity for a vigorous chief in the mies till the morning of the day of battle: approaching struggle which silenced the but he had quieted Richmond's anxieties in prejudices of the other Yorkists against the a secret interview during the preceding succession of a Tudor. Among the emi- night. Richard took advantage of a marsh nent persons who adhered to Richard as a which covered his right flank, and comking of the house of York, was Sir John manded his bowmen to assail the enemy, Howard, created duke of Norfolk in conse- whom the discharge of arrows threw into quence of the marriage of his father with confusion. A close fight with swords folthe coheiress of the Mowbrays; a family lowed for a short time; but lord Stanley, who inherited the estates and dignities of who still hovered on the edge of the field, at this critical moment joined the earl of * A statement, whether true or false, perfectly Richmond, and determined the fortune of far as mere hereditary right is concerned, appears to the day. For a moment the earl of Oxford, be conclusive. The clause cxceptâ dignitate regali, who commanded Henry's army, suspected in the letters patent of Richard II. to John of Gaunt, immaterial. The latter assertion is true, and, as it is altogether impossible to reconcile to Henry's title derived from the Beaufort branch. † Dugdale. Fenn, ii. 335. the new auxiliaries; but Oxford soon recov-from the burgesses of Yarmouth a promise ering his confidence, the battle was resumed. to support their candidates for that borough, Richard saw Henry approaching, and hast- who were Dr. Alleyne and John Russe.f ened to meet his competitor man to man. In the next instance, after the duke of The last day of the monarch was distin- Norfolk found it impracticable to return his guished by his accustomed prowess: he son-in-law, Mr. Howard, for the county, an slew with his own hand Sir Charles Bran- intimation is thrown out, of means by which don; and, while engaged in the hottest con- an indefinite extension of influence in the test, he fell by a death too honorable for his elections of other towns, and in the revivals crimes, but becoming the martial virtues of disused franchises, might be obtained. of his life. After his death, resistance be-"If ye miss to be burgess of Maldon, and came vain a thousand men of Richard's my lord Chamberlayne will, ye may be in army were slain in the action, which lasted another place; there be a dozen towns in two hours. The duke of Norfolk, lords Fer- England that choose no burgess, which rers, Radcliffe, and Brackenbury were ought to do it; ye may set in for one of among the slain. The killed of the earl of those towns, and ye be friended."‡ Richmond's army amounted only to one A curious illustration of the habitual exhundred, of whom Sir Charles Brandon was ercise of the influence of the crown, as the only man of note. Lord Stanley, who well as of the nobility, in elections, may be by his timely interference substantially seen in a familiar letter contained in the transferred the crown to Henry, was also same collection. "Sir Robert Coniers dined the person who formally, when it was found with me this day, and showed me a letter among the spoils of Richard, placed it on that came from the king to him, desiring his head, exclaiming, "Long live king Hen-him that he should wait upon his well-bery!" which was repeated with military ac- loved brother, the duke of Suffolk, at Norclamation by the victorious army. In five wich, on Monday next coming, for to be at days afterwards the king acknowledged his the election of knights of the shire; and he signal services by conferring on him the told me that every gentleman in Norfolk dignity of earl of Derby. and Suffolk, that are of any reputation, hath When the civil war was approaching, we writing from the king in likewise as he first clearly discern, from the private and had." confidential correspondence of the Pastons, It was in this period of civil war, that a family of note in Norfolk, the frequent in- two writers of sagacity describe England terposition of the grandees in the elections as superior to her neighbors, in a mild and of commoners, or rather their general influ- equitable government, of which the habitence over the choice. In the year 1455, ual influence had abated the ravages of a we find a circular letter from the duchess contest between incensed factions, and deof Norfolk, to her husband's adherents in prived intestine commotions of a great part that county, apprizing them of the necessi- of their horrors.|| "In England," says Philip ty "that my lord should have at this time de Comines, a soldier and a traveller, "the in the parliament such persons as belong evil of war falls on those only who make unto him, and be of his menial servants," it." Sir John Fortescue, an English lawand therefore entreating them to apply their yer, long resident in France, contrasts the voice unto John Howard and Roger Cham- operations of absolute monarchy, in impovberlayne, to be knights of the shire. On erishing and depressing the people of that this passage, it is only necessary to observe, kingdom, with that more free government that "menial" at that period was a word which raised up the race of English yeowhich had scarcely any portion of its mod-men, qualified by their intelligence, and by ern sense, and might be applied with pro- their independent situation, as well as spirit, priety to any gentleman bred within the to take an important part in dispensing juswalls of the duke's castle. By another short tice as jurors; T- an accession to popular dispatch from lord Oxford, in the autumn of power, which spread more widely over orthe same year, it appears that Sir William Chamberlayne and Henry Grey were to be supported by the two dukes as candidates for the county of Norfolk.* In 1472 also, the dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk, after a "Selon mon advis entre toutes les seigneuriez du conference on the subject, agreed to have monde dont j'aye connoissance, ou la chose publique Sir Richard Harcourt and Sir Robert est mieux traitée et on regne moins de violence sur le peuple et ou il y a nuls edifices abattus ni demolis Wyngefield to represent the county, and to pour la guerre c'est l'Angleterre, et tombent le sort recommend Sir John Paston to be elected et le malheur sur eux qui font la guerre."-Comines, for the borough of Maldon, and obtained liv. v. c. 19. * Fenn's Letters, vol. i. p. 97. 99. 103. Fenn's Letters, vol. ii. p. 103. ¶ Sir John Fortescue, De Laudibus Legum Anglo, c. 36. See also on the difference between an absolute and a limited monarchy. dinary life, than perhaps any other; and measure necessarily; nor can it be denied while it fostered the independence of the that policy required from the king that he people, contributed, by a happy peculiarity, should strengthen his most devoted adto interest their pride, in duly executing herents: but he had too long been the leader the law, and taught them to place their of a party not to be carried by his habits personal importance in enforcing the ob- and passions beyond the limits of necessity, servance of justice. or of prudence. To this vice, which might Nothing can be more decisive than the be owned not to be without excuse, the testimony of this eminent lawyer. He lays chief disorders of England under his adit down as a first principle, " that a king is ministration are doubtless to be ascribed; appointed to protect his subjects in their had he labored more heartily to be the imlives, properties, and laws; for this end he partial ruler of all his subjects, a nation has the delegation of power from the peo-weary of civil war would have more uniple, and he has no just claim to any other formly submitted to a government which, power." "In France, although well sup- although jealous and stern, maintained plied with all the fruits of the earth, yet peace and justice. they are so much oppressed by the king's Henry, at the opening of his reign, was troops, that you could scarce be accommo- perplexed by the various and jarring grounds dated even in the great towns. The king on which his title to the crown rested: cannot, in England, lay taxes: he cannot first, his marriage with Elizabeth; second, alter the laws, or make new laws, without his descent from the house of Lancaster; the consent of the whole kingdom in par- and, third, the right of conquest. The last liament assembled." These extracts may was too odious to be openly advanced. The ́ be properly closed by the short maxim fol- second could not be singly relied on, in lowing, after the perusal of which no man the event of a breach between himself and will be at a loss to understand the main his Yorkist adherents; and the first gave cause of the happiest of all revolutions security only in the case of his having issue the manumission of bondsmen. "The laws by his marriage with Elizabeth. "He of England in all cases declare in favor of rested on the title of Lancaster in the main, liberty."+ using the marriage and the victory as supThus early was the example of England porters." He immediately assumed the in entering on the progress towards liberty title of king, without mention of the in(the highest benefit which a single people tended marriage; and though, on his arcould confer on mankind) discovered by rival in London, he renewed his promise in the wisest men of an age, which may be that respect to his council, he was neverregarded as the worst in the history of this theless crowned separately, and he excluded country: the two governments were thus the name of Elizabeth from the parliaestimated according to their experienced mentary settlement in order to banish her effects, by men whose origin and fortune pretension to a participation of right. were not favorable to a prejudice on the did not exact such a recognition of his title side of England; the one a foreigner, who as would have been involved in a declarasaw the venality of the court and council tory act, nor did he, on the other hand, acof Edward IV.; the other an Englishman, cept the crown as a grant from parliament, indeed, but with the more bitter feelings but was content with the ambiguous lanof unjust exile and undeserved proscription. guage "that the inheritance of the crown Fortescue, even in his own banishment, and should rest, remain, and abide in the king.” amidst the tragical circumstances of his Yet it was entailed only on "the heirs of country, considers its government as the his body;" a limited and conditional gift. best model of legal liberty, and holds out All his titles, however, by descent, by marFrance as an example of the evil principle riage, by victory, or by parliamentary esof absolute power. He tablishment, were recited and confirmed in the next year by a papal bull.|| Many of these measures savor more of Lancastrian prejudices struggling for a time with prudence, to which it reluctantly + Bacon. § These particulars rest on the credit of Bacon, be owned that, in his history, he has unseasonably and savor somewhat of subtlety, in which it must indulged; for the words here applied to Henry are almost the same with those used in the case of Richard III. two years before.-Rot. Parl. vi. 240. The second and most ample of the bulls of Innocent VIII. is extant in Rymer, xii. 296. It is dated at Rome in March, 1486. and ungraciously yields, than of the refine-green in his estate, and contrary to his ments of policy, which the most famous of opinion,-perhaps to his desert, was not his historians is perhaps too prone to at- without much hatred throughout the kingtribute to a prince whom he evidently aim- dom. The root of all was, the discounteed at representing as an ideal model of nancing of the house of York." At the kingcraft.* time of the fermentation of various and It is certain that none of the titles relied even jarring factions, agreeing scarcely in on by Henry made the slightest approach any common ingredient but that of hatred to validity. Even if his descent from John against the king, Edward Plantagenet, the of Gaunt had been legitimate, he was not only surviving male of Clarence's family, the nearest descendant of that prince's was committed to the Tower, where he children; for princes and princesses of un- lingered through the remainder of his disputed legitimacy, the descendants of wretched life. John of Gaunt's first wife, Blanche of Lan- In the same year the first mention is caster, and of his second wife, Constantia made of a youth, named Sulford or Symnel, of Castile, were then living in the Spanish the son of an Oxford tradesman. This peninsula; but their distance and their youth, who had been trained, both in know-want of the means of interposition preclu- ledge and manners, by a subtle priest, callded all hope of enforcing their claims. Had ed Richard Symmonds, was then about the doctrine of the indefeasible succession fifteen years of age, a comely boy, not of the house of York been likely at that without some dignity and grace, which crisis to obtain the national concurrence, were the more agreeable, because unexthere were two unfortunate claimants in pected in so humble a station. But the England, Edward Plantagenet earl of War- general project of setting out, under a false wick, eldest son of George duke of Clar- name and pretensions, as a candidate for ence, and Margaret the daughter of that the crown, might have occurred to many prince and the spouse of Sir Richard Pole. in an age of revolutions, when, in the midst On the 14th of January 1486, the king of the almost general massacre of the royal espoused the princess Elizabeth of York, family, it was not improbable that some of agreeably to the compromise of parties that house, then merely children, might formed between cardinal Morton and queen have been withdrawn from the doom of Elizabeth Woodville, which was the found- their kindred, by the attachment or common ation of the subsisting government. The humanity of some of their adherents; and if king then began a military progress through any outward excitement had been wanting to the north. He defeated his opponents at the ambition of Symnel, it might have been Stoke, near Lincoln, and inflicted on them supplied by rumors and other incentives, severe punishments. This victory tempted proceeding from the court of Margaret, him to give the reins to his partiality. The duchess-dowager of Burgundy, the third stipulations of the original agreement fa- sister of Edward IV. "This princess," says vorable to the York party were performed, Bacon, "having the spirit of a man, and indeed, but sullenly. Whatever severities the malice (the personal resentment and were compatible with its letter were eagerly desire of revenge) of a woman, abounding and fiercely inflicted on them. The gra- in treasure, by her dower and her frugality, cious part of the contract was postponed to made it the chief end of her life to see the the last, while every blow from the hand majesty royal of England once more reof an enemy, however just, seemed, to the placed in her house; and had set up king disordered minds of the vanquished faction, Henry as a wall, at whose overthrow all a wrong to their whole body. her actions should aim and shoot, insomuch In February, 1486, "there followed an that all the counsels of his succeeding accident of state; whereof the relations troubles came chiefly out of that quiver are so naked, that they leave it unintelli- and she bare such a deadly hatred to the gible, and scarcely credible-not on ac- house of Lancaster, that she was nowise count of the nature of it, for events of the mollified by the conjunction of the two like sort either often occurred, or were houses in her niece's marriage, but rather liberally feigned, in the fifteenth century, hated her niece as the means of the king's but on account of the manner of it, es- accession to the crown." It is therefore pecially at the beginning. The king was probable, as our ancient writers tell us, that Symmonds and Lambert had been stirred A curious grant for life, which occurs soon after the accession, is preserved in Rymer, xii. 275., "of a up, partly by these inventions of the court of building contained in the palace of Westminster, Brussels, to harbor vague and vast hopes of together with the custody of the paradise and hell bettering and advancing themselves, at first under that palace, and of the contiguous buildings which formed the purgatory of our aforesaid palace." It should seem from these names that the praises of Chaucer had early rendered Dante popular in England. without stretching their serious expecta-with the utmost friendship, and allowed his tions beyond ecclesiastical preferment, but claim without discussion. The public exafterwards swelling with the rumors spread hibition of Warwick had disabused many by the duchess of Burgundy, until their in the capital; but the little colony in Ireaims at length reached the royal dignity. land called the English Pale, long ruled by Hitherto, their ambitious schemes, however the York party, retained their ancient atapparently impracticable, were at least in- tachments, little moved by mummeries in telligible, and not without parallel in histo- London, of which they had probably slow, ry; but the choice of the prince to be per- imperfect, and scanty information. The sonated, bids defiance to all attempts at ex- Irish chiefs took little part in the broils of planation. It had been industriously ru- the foreign tyrants. In the earlier part of mored, and it was perhaps believed by the these designs and movements, John earl priest of Oxford and his pupil, that Richard of Lincoln, the nephew of Edward IV., had duke of York had escaped from the assas- continued to take his share in the councils sins of his elder brother, and had found a of the reigning monarch; but before Symsecure asylum against the tyrant Richard nel's declaration and coronation, he had and the usurper Henry. In the beginning, contributed by his example and advice to it seemed to be intended to select Symnel, these solemn acts of national recognition, to personate this young prince; but for supported and spirited by the duchess of some reason which we can no longer ascer- Burgundy. He, with the lord deputy, the tain, nor even probably conjecture, the earl of Kildare, in May, 1487, took the bold prompters caused their puppet to assume measure of disembarking in Lancashire, the character of Edward Plantagenet, son with an Irish force, to seat the pretender of the duke of Clarence, and in that char- on the throne of England. They were aided acter to claim the crown. For the selec- by a band of 2000 mercenaries of Burguntion of this plan of imposture it is hardly dy and Germany, and were led into the field possible to see any plausible reasons. Had by the earls of Lincoln and Kildare, lord Symnel been really what he pretended to Lovel, Schwartz the leader of the foreign be, he had no pretension to the crown du- soldiers, and Sir Thomas Broughton, an opring the lives of his uncle Edward's daugh- ulent landholder of the north. On the 22d ters. The true earl of Warwick was then of June, 1487, the Irish army had penea prisoner in the Tower, at the mercy of trated into the heart of the kingdom. his most deadly foe. Henry ordered War- Though they do not appear to have gained wick to be led on horseback through the any conspicuous accession on their march, streets of London, in order that the most an advance so unmolested indicates the abignorant of the multitude might see the sence of a very decisive preponderance on grossness of the imposture. During the either side. "Both the armies joined and procession, many courtiers of Edward IV., fought earnestly and sharply."* The inwho were unfriendly to a Lancastrian gov-surgents, about 8000 in number, began the ernment, were allowed and encouraged to attack; one half of them were left dead, determine for themselves the identity of among whom were Lincoln, Kildare, the prisoner, by conversation with him, on Broughton, and Schwartz. Lovel was the occurrences of his infancy and child-seen in the flight, but never after heard of. hood. Every attempt to explain these cir- Symmonds the priest, and his pupil Symcumstances, by the supposition that the nel, were spared, and afterwards treated overthrow of the false Warwick was ne- with a sort of contemptuous compassion, cessary to the success of the true, is liable which is so much at variance with the comto the seemingly insurmountable objection, mon treatment of daring and formidable that as the Yorkist chiefs were not masters rebels in that age, that it may be considerof events, it must have been impossible to ed as another strange fact in this singular foresee whether those who were chosen to transaction. Symnel was made a turnspit act as tools might not at last snatch victo- in the king's kitchen, and after a due trial ry out of the hands of their employers. of his merit, promoted to the honorable ofThese hypotheses also assumed, that the fice of one of the king's falconers. Thus appearance and suppression of a pretender ended a revolt, absurd in its plan, unintelliare favorable to a like revolt in support of gible in some of its circumstances, suffered the just claimant in the same character, to keep up a sort of faint existence for a which appears to be the reverse of the or- longer period than its vital powers seemed dinary results of experience. to be capable of preserving it, and at last In February, 1487, the earl of Kildare, closed in a manner which neither valor nor lord deputy of Ireland, who, with the great- clemency could prevent from being someer part of the English settled in that coun- what ludicrous. try, was a zealous adherent of the house of York, received the pretended Warwick * Hall, 434. |