Richard III: His Life & Character, Reviewed in the Light of Recent ResearchMarkham, Clements R. (Clements Robert), Sir
History
Richard III: His Life & Character, Reviewed in the Light of Recent Research
Markham, Clements R. (Clements Robert), Sir
Great Britain -- Kings and rulers -- Biography; Richard III, King of England, 1452-1485
By far the most important of the original authorities, and the one on
which all subsequent history has been based, is Archbishop Morton. His
narrative is contained in the 'History of Richard III.,' erroneously
attributed to Sir Thomas More, who was in Morton's household when a
boy. This work first appeared in Hardyng's Chronicle, printed by
Grafton in 1543. It was embodied in Hall's Chronicle, and copied by
Holinshed. Fourteen years after its publication, another and somewhat
different version was brought out by Rastell in 1557. Rastell was
related to Sir Thomas More, and he alleged that his version was taken
from a manuscript in More's handwriting written about 1513. A Latin
version, written long before its publication, was printed at Louvain in
1566, with various additions to the imaginary speeches, and an address
to Henry VIII. and the Earl of Surrey. Sir George Buck[3] and Sir
John Harington[4] had heard that the work was written {169} by Morton.
The Latin version could not have been, for it is addressed to Henry
VIII., and Morton died in 1500.
The history, as we have it, contains long speeches and dialogues which
must have been fabricated by the writer. The narrative from the death
of Edward IV. to the accession of Richard was certainly written or
dictated by Morton, for no one else could have been cognizant of some
of the facts. The title given by the publisher is misleading. It is
not a 'history of Richard III.,' but a very detailed narrative of the
events from his brother's death to his own accession, covering a period
of less than three months. It ends abruptly at a point just before the
date of Morton's flight from England. His personal knowledge ceased
with his departure, and here the story suddenly comes to an end. He
was evidently acquainted personally with every detail, and he possessed
an exceptionally accurate memory.[5] The errors and alterations of
dates in the narrative must consequently have been made intentionally
and with an object. Morton's character and the value of his testimony
will be discussed more fully in a future chapter. The story of the
murder of the young princes at the end of the book cannot have been
written by Morton, for it alludes to events which happened after
October 12, 1500, the date of that prelate's death. The outline of the
story of the murder was no doubt inspired, as Lord Bacon shrewdly
suspected, by Henry VII. himself.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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