66 46 66 ** in her hand. In which he went in countenance and pace "demure fo womanly; and albeit fhe was out of al array fave her kyrtle only, yet went fhe fo fair and lovely, nameiye, while the wondering of the people caste a comly rud in "her chekes (of which the before had most miffe) that her great shame wan her much praise among thoje that were more amorous of her body, then curious of her foule. And many good folke alfo, that hated her living, and glad wer "to fe fin corrected, yet pittied thei more her penance then rejoiced therin, when thei confidred that the protector pro"cured it more of a corrupt intent, then any virtuous affeccion. "This woman was born in London, worjbipfully frended, honestly brought up, and very wel maryed, javing fome"what to foone; her husbande an honeft citizen, yonge, and goodly, and of good fubftance. But forafmuch as they were coupled ere he wer wel ripe, the not very fervently "loved, for whom he never longed. Which was happely "the thinge, that the more easily made her encline unto the 66 66 66 66 66 king's appetite, when he required her. Howbeit the respect "of his royaltie, the hope of gay apparel, eafe, plefure, and "other wanton welth, was able joone to perfe a joft tender "bearte. But when the king had abufed her, anon her 66 bufband (as he was an honest man, and one that could his good, not prefuming to touch a kinges concubine) left her up to him al together. When the king died, the lord "chamberlen [Haflings] toke her: which in the kinges "daies, albeit he was fore enamoured upon ber, yet he forbare "ber, * After the death of Haflings, fhe was kept by the marquis of Dorfet, fon to Edward IV's queen. In Rymer's Feedera is a proclamation of Richard's, dated at Licefter, Oct. 23. 1483. wherein a reward of 1000 marks in money, or 100 a year in land is offered for taking “Thomas late "marquis of Dorset," who“ not having the fear of God, nor the jai"vation of bis own foul, before his eyes, bas damnably debauched and "defiled many maids, widows, and wives, and LIVED IN ACTUAL ADULTERY WITH THE WIFE OF SHORE." Buckingham was at that time in rebellion, but as Dorfet was not with him, Richard could not accufe bim of treason, and therefore made a bandle of these pretended debaucheries to get him apprehended. Vide Rym. Feed, tom, xij. pag. 204, "her, either for reverence, or for a certain frendly faithful 66 66 ness. 66 Proper he was, and faire: nothing in her body that you "wold have changed, but if you would have wished her "fomewhat higher. Thus fay thei that knew her in ber 'youthe. Albeit fome that NOW SEE HER (FOR YET SHE "LIVETH) deme her never to have bene wel visaged: "Whofe jugement seemeth me somewhat like, as though men fhould geffe the bewty of one longe before departed, by her fcalpe taken out of the charnel-house; for now is fhe old, lene, withered, and dried up, nothing left but ryvilde skin, "and hard bone. And yet being even fuch, whofo wel ad"wife her visage, might geffe and devife which partes how filled, wold make it a faire face. 66 66 66 66 "Yet delited not men fo much in her bewty, as in her plea"fant behaviour. For a proper wit had she, and could both "rede wel and write; mery in company, redy and quick of aunfwer, neither mute nor ful of bable; fometime taunting "without difpleafure, and not without difport. The king "would fay, That he had three concubines, which in three "divers properties diverfly excelled. One the meriest, an"other the wilieft, the thirde the holiest harlot in his realme, as one whom no man could get out of the church lightly to any place, but it wer to his bed. The other two wer "fomwhat greater perfonages, and natheles of their humilite content to be nameles, and to forbere the praise of those pro"perties; but the merieft was the Shoris wife, in whom the king therfore toke Special pleasure. For many he had, "but her he loved, whofe favour, to fai the trouth (for finne it wer to belie the devil) she never abused to any mans hurt, but to many a mans comfort and relief. Where "the king toke displeasure, she would mitigate and appease "his mind: where men were out of favour, fhe wold bring "them in his grace: for many, that had highly offended, "fhee obtained pardon: of great forfeitures fhe gate men remiffion and finally in many weighty futes fhe ftode many men in gret frede, either for none or very fmal rewardes, "and thofe rather gay than rich: either for that she was " content 66 " content with the dede felfe well done, or for that he de“lited to be fued unto, and to show what she was able to "do wyth the king, or for that wanton women and welthy "be not alway covetous. 66 "I doubt not fome fhal think this woman too fleight a thing to be written of, and fet amonge the remembraunces of great matters: which thei fhal Specially think, that happely fhal efteme her only by that thei NOW SEE HER. "But me femeth the chaunce fo much the more worthy to be "remembred, in how much she is Now in the more beg"gerly condicion, unfrended and worne out of acquaintance, "after good fubftance, after as grete favour with the "prince, after as grete fute and feeking to with al thofe, that in those days had bufynes to fpede, 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 leffe, albeit thei be muche lesse remembred because thei were not fo evil. For men ufe, if they have an evil "turne, to write it in marble; and whofe doth us a good "tourne, we write it in dufte*. Which is not worst proved by her; for AT THIS DAYE fhee beggeth of many at this daye living, that at this day had begged, if " fhee had not bene." See More's workes, folio, bl. let. 1557. pag. 56. 57. 68 66 66 DRAYTON has written a poetical epiftle from this lady to her royal lover, in his notes on which he thus draws her portrait. "Her ftature was meane, her haire of a dark yellow, ber face round and full, her eye gray, delicate harmony being betwixt each part's proportion, and each "proportion's colour, her body fat, white and fmooth, her countenance cheerfull and like to her condition. VOL. II. 66 66 S The pic 66 ture *Thefe words of Sir Thomas More probably suggested to Shakespeare that proverbial reflection, in Hen. viij. Alt. 4. sc. 11. "Men's evill manners live in brafs: their virtues "We write in water." Shakefp. in bis play of Rich. III. follows More's Hift. of that reign, and therefore could not but fee this paffage, 66 "ture which I have feen of hers was fuch as fhe rose out of her bed in the morning, baving nothing on but a rich "mantle caft under one arme over her shoulder, and fitting 66 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. caufing her to do open penance in Paul's church-yard, 66 COMMANDED THAT NO MAN SHOULD RELIEVE HER, which the tyrant did not fo much for his hatred to finne, but that by making his brother's life odious, he might "cover his horrible treafons the more cunningly." Se England's Heroical epiftles, by Mich. Drayton, Efq; Lond. 1637. 12mo. 66 An original Picture of JANE SHORE almost naked is preferved in the Provost's Lodgings at Eton; and another picture of her is in the Provost's Lodge at King's College Cambridge: to both which foundations fee is fuppofed to bave done friendly offices with EDWARD IV. A small quarto Mezzotinto Print was taken from the former of these by J. FABER. The following ballad is printed from an old black letter copy in the Pepys collation. Its full title is, "The woefull "lamentation of Jane Shore, a goldfmith's wife in London, "fometime king Edward IV. his concubine. To the tune of LIVE WITH ME, &c." [See the first volume.] To very ftanza is annexed the following burthen": Then maids and wives in time amend, F Rofamonde that was fo faire, I' Had cause her forrowes to declare, In maiden yeares my beautye bright My parents they, for thirst of gaine, To Matthew Shore I was a wife, 5 10 In Lombard-street I once did dwelle, I fpred my plumes, as, wantons doe, At last my name in court did ring 20 25 ser |