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Thursday at night, and so purvey you, that you may abide there till Monday, I trust to God, that you shall so speak to my husband; and I shall pray that we shall bring the matter to a conclusion, etc. For, cousin,

It is but a sympill oke,

That [is] cut down at the first stroke.

For you will be reasonable, I trust to God, which have you ever in His merciful keeping, etc.

By your cousin,

DAME ELIZABETH BREWS.

Margery Brews to John Paston.

Right reverend and worshipful, and my right well-beloved Valentine, I recommend me unto you, full heartily desiring to hear of your welfare, which I beseech Almighty God long for to preserve to His pleasure, and your heart's desire. And if it please you to hear of my welfare, I am not in good heele [health] of body, nor of heart, nor shall be till I hear from you; For there wottys no creature what pein that I endure, And for to be deede, I dare it not dyscure [discover].

And my lady my mother hath laboured the matter to my father full diligently, but she can no more get than you know of, for the which God knoweth I am full sorry. But if that you love me, as I trust verily that you do, you will not leave me therefore; for if that you had not half the livelihood that you have, for to do the greatest labour that any woman alive might, I would not forsake you.

And yf ye commande me to keepe me true wherever I go,
I wyse I will do all my myght yowe to love and never no mo.
And yf my freends say, that I do amys,

Thei schal not me let so for to do,

Myne herte me bydds ever more to love yowe
Truly over all erthely thing,

And yf thei be never so wroth,

I tryst it schall be better in tyme commyng.

No more to you at this time, but the Holy Trinity have you in keeping. And I beseech you that this bill be not seen of none earthly creature save only yourself, etc.

etc.

And this letter was indited at Topcroft, with full heavy heart,

By your own

MARGERY BREWS.

Margery Brews to John Paston.

Right worshipful and well-beloved Valentine, in my most humble wise, I recommend me to you, etc. And heartily I thank you for the letter which that you sent me by John Bekarton, whereby I understand and know, that you be purposed to come to Topcroft in short time, and without any errand or matter, but only to have a conclusion of the matter between my father and you; I would be most glad of any creature alive, so that the matter might grow to effect. And there as you say, and you come and find the matter no more towards you than you did aforetime, you would no more put my father and my lady my mother to any cost or business, for that cause, a good while after, which causeth my heart to be full heavy; and if that you come, and the matter take to none effect, then should I be much more sorry and full of heaviness.

And as for myself, I have done and understood in the matter that I can or may, as God knoweth ; and I let you plainly understand that my father will no more money part with all in that behalf, but an £100 and fifty marks, which is right far from the accomplishment of your desire.

Wherefore, if that you could be content with that good, and my poor person, I would be the merriest maiden on ground; and if you think not yourself so satisfied, or that you might have much more good, as I have understood by you before; good, true and loving Valentine, that you take no such labour upon you, as to come more for that matter, but let [it] pass, and never more to be spoken of, as I may be your true lover . . during my life.

No more to you at this time, but Almighty Jesus preserve you, both body and soul, etc.

By your Valentine,

MARGERY BREWS.

48. THE PRINCES IN THE TOWER (1483).

More's nephew Rastell, who in 1557 edited the Life of Richard III., mentions 1513 as the date of composition. The value of its evidence against Richard has been often and warmly denied by reason of the source whence the author procured his facts, and of its inaccuracy. When a boy More belonged to the household of John Morton, Archbishop of Canterbury, an

active opponent of the late king. Information gained from such a quarter, or coloured by such an influence, could not, critics have urged, be trustworthy. Besides, the book contains errors of detail. Against these hostile arguments must be ranged More's shrewdness, probity and independence of judgment nor are his slips unaccountable. For the present it may be said that, notwithstanding all attempts to reverse commonly accepted views of Richard's character, the burden of disproof rests with his defenders.

SOURCE.-History of King Richard III. Sir Thomas More (1478-1535). Ed. J. R. Lumby. Cambridge, 1883. P. 81.

But in the meantime for this present matter, I shall rehearse you the dolorous end of those babes, not after every way that I have heard, but after that way that I have so heard by such men and by such means, as me thinketh it were hard but it should be true. King Richard, after his coronation, taking his way to Gloucester to visit, in his new honour, the town of which he bare the name of his old, devised as he rode to fulfil that thing which he before had intended. And forasmuch as his mind gave him that, his nephews living, men would not reckon that he could have right to the realm, he thought therefore without delay to rid them, as though the killing of his kinsmen could amend his cause, and make him a kindly king. Whereupon he sent one John Grene, whom he specially trusted, unto Sir Robert Brakenbery constable of the Tower, with a letter and credence also, that the same Sir Robert should in any wise put the two children to death. This John Grene did his errand unto Brakenbery kneeling before our Lady in the Tower, who plainly answered that he would never put them to death to die therefore, with which answer John Grene returning recounted the same to King Richard at Warwick yet in his way. Wherewith he took such displeasure and thought, that the same night, he said unto a secret page of his : "Ah, whom shall a man trust? Those that I have brought up myself, those that I had went [thought] would most surely serve me, even those fail me, and at my commandment will do nothing for me." Sir, quoth his page, there lieth one on your pallet without, that I dare well say, to do your grace pleasure, the thing were right hard that he would refuse"; meaning this by Sir James Tyrell, which was a man of right goodly personage, and for nature's gifts worthy to have served a much better prince, if he had well

66

Then

served God, and by grace obtained as much truth and good will as he had strength and wit. The man had an high heart, and sore longed upward, not rising yet so fast as he had hoped, being hindered and kept under by the means of Sir Richard Ratclife and Sir William Catesby, which longing for no more partners of the prince's favour, and namely not for him, whose pride they wist would bear no peer, kept him by secret drifts out of all secret trust. Which things this page well had marked and known. Wherefore this occasion offered, of very special friendship he took his time to put him forward, and by such wise do him good, that all the enemies he had except the devil, could never have done him so much hurt. For upon this page's words King Richard arose. (For this communication had he sitting at the draught, a convenient carpet for such a council) and came out into the pallet chamber, on which he found in bed Sir James and Sir Thomas Tyrell, of person like and brethren of blood, but nothing of kin in conditions. said the king merely to them: " 'What, sirs, be ye in bed so soon?" And calling up Sir James, brake to him secretly his mind in this mischievous matter. In which he found him nothing strange. Wherefore on the morrow he sent him to Brakenbery with a letter, by which he was commanded to deliver Sir James all the keys of the Tower for one night, to the end he might there accomplish the king's pleasure, in such thing as he had given him commandment. After which letter delivered and the keys received, Sir James appointed the night next ensuing to destroy them, devising before and preparing the means. The prince, as soon as the protector left that name and took himself as king, had it shewed unto him, that he should not reign, but his uncle should have the crown. At which word the prince sore abashed, began to sigh and said : "Alas, I would my uncle would let me have my life yet, though I lose my kingdom". Then he that told him the tale, used him with good words, and put him in the best comfort he could. But forthwith was the prince and his brother both shut up, and all other removed from them, only one called black Will or William Slaughter except, set to serve them and see them sure. After which time the prince never tied his points, not ought wrought of himself, but with that young babe his brother, lingered in thought and heaviness till this traitorous death delivered them of that wretchedness. For Sir James Tirel devised that they should be murdered in their beds. To the execution whereof, he appointed Miles Forest, one of the four that kept them, a fellow fleshed in murder before time. To him he joined one

John Dighton, his own horse-keeper, a big, broad, square, strong knave. Then all the other being removed from them, this Miles Forest and John Dighton, about midnight (the silly [innocent] children lying in their beds) came into the chamber, and suddenly lapped them up among the clothes, so bewrapped them and entangled them, keeping down by force the feather bed and pillows hard unto their mouths, that within a while smothered and stifled, their breath failing, they gave up to God their innocent souls into the joys of heaven, leaving to the tormentors their bodies dead in the bed. Which after that the wretches perceived, first by the struggling with the pains of death, and after long lying still, to be thoroughly dead; they laid their bodies naked out upon the bed, and fetched Sir James to see them. Which upon the sight of them, caused those murderers to bury them at the stair foot, metely deep in the ground under a great heap of stones. Then rode Sir James in great haste to King Richard, and shewed him all the manner of the murder, who gave him great thanks and, as some say, there made him knight. But he allowed not, as I have heard, the burying in so vile a corner, saying that he would have them buried in a better place, because they were a king's sons. Lo, the honourable courage of a king! Whereupon they say that a priest of Sir Robert Brakenbery took up the bodies again, and secretly enterred them in such place, as by the occasion of his death, which only knew it, could never since come to light. Very truth is it and well known, that at such time as Sir James Tirell was in the Tower, for treason committed against the most famous prince King Henry the Seventh, both Dighton and he were examined, and confessed the murder in manner above written, but whither the bodies were removed they could nothing tell. And thus as I have learned of them that much knew and little cause had to lie, were these two noble princes, these innocent tender children, born of most royal blood, brought up in great wealth, likely long to live to reign and rule in the realm, by traitorous tyranny taken, deprived of their estate, shortly shut up in prison, and privily slain and murdered, their bodies cast God wot where by the cruel ambition of their unnatural uncle and his dispiteous tormentors.

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