The Usurption of Richard III by Macini
The Usurption of Richard III by Macini is in Tudor Books.
But the brothers of Edward, who were then living, although each of them bore the matter heavily, one, however, who was born secodn to Edward and Duke of Clarence, more openly expressed his displeasure; while he bitterly and openly attacked the obscure origin of Elizabeth; while he preached against the king for marrying a widow, when he should have married a virgin. The other brother, Richard, who now reigns, then Duke of Gloucester, because he was more apt at dissimulation and had less authority due to being younger, did nothing or said nothing that could be argued against. Therefore, after those princes were defeated, who had renewed war against Edward because of such marriages, and had restored Henry's faction to hope of the kingdom; likewise, after Henry himself and his factions were brought to their end, Edward was confirmed in the kingdom: the queen, mindful of the insults to her family and the accusations against herself, namely, that according to the customs of their ancestors she was not the legitimate wife of the king, believed that her offspring already conceived by the king would never reign unless the Duke of Clarence were removed: which she easily persuaded the king himself. This fear of the queen was heightened by the fact that the Duke of Clarence was of the most elegant appearance, so that he seemed worthy of the throne: moreover, he had such popularity of eloquence that nothing he desired seemed difficult to achieve.
Fratres vero Eduardi, qui duo tunc vivebant, etsi graviter uterque eandem rem tulerunt; alter tamen, qui ab Eduardo secundo genitus erat et dux Clarentinorum, manifestius suum stomachum aperuit; dum in obscurum Helisabette genus acriter et palam inveheretur; dumque contra morem viduam a rege ductam predicaret, quem virginem uxorem ducere opportuisset. Alter vero frater, Riccardus qui nunc regnat, tunc Closestriorum dux, tum quia ad dissimulandum aptior erat, tum quia minor natu, minus auctoritatis habebat, [page v] nihil egit aut dixit quo argui posset. Postquam igitur debellatis iis principibus, qui propter huiusmodi nuptias bellum Eduardo renovaverant, et partes Henrici in spem regni reduxerant: postquam item Henrico ipso partibusque suis ad exitum perductis, Eduardus in regno confirmatus fuit: regina, memor contumeliarum in genus suum et criminum in seipsam obiectorum, quod scilicet more maiorum legitima regis uxor non esset, existimavit, nunquam prolem suam ex rege iam susceptam regnaturam, nisi dux Clarentie aufferretur: quod et ipsi regi facile persuasit. Augebat hunc regine timorem, quod dux Clarentie elegantissime erat forme, ut dignus videretur imperio: preterea popularis eloquentie vero habebat tantum, ut nihil quod cuperet difficile ei factu visum esset.
Therefore, whether by fabricated accusation or by true accusation, the Duke of Clarence was accused, because he had aspired to the king's death with magic and witchcraft. With this charge brought, he was condemned: and subjected to the ultimate punishment. But the type of punishment chosen was that he would exchange his life for death by being plunged into a barrel of the softest Falernian wine. At that time, Richard, Duke of Gloucester, moved by grief for his brother, could not help but be heard saying that he would someday avenge his brother's death. From then on, he rarely came to the royal court. He stayed in his own province. He endeavored to bind his own people to himself by his offices and justice. His clear reputation for morals and his studies attracted others to love him not insignificantly. In military matters, he was so renowned that whatever difficult and perilous tasks were to be carried out for the kingdom, they were entrusted to his counsel and leadership. Richard sought the goodwill of the people through these means: and he avoided the envy of the queen, from whom he lived far away.
Itaque sive conficto crimine, sive vero facinore delato, dux Clarentie reus est factus, quod in regis mortem cum magicis et maleficis aspirasset. Quo iudicio agitato, condemnatus fuit: et ultimo supplicio affectus. Supplicii autem genus illud placuit, ut in dolium mollissimi falerni mersus vitam cum morte commutaret. Eo tempore Riccardus dux Closestrius ex dolore fratris percitus, nequivit tantum simulare, quin auditus sit cum diceret, se aliquando fratris mortem esse vindicaturum. Ex eo perraro in regiam veniebat. In provincia sua se continebat. Suos officiis et iusticia sibi devincire studebat. Alienos clara fama morum et studiorum suorum ad sui amorem non mediocriter alliciebat. In militia ita clarus erat, ut quicquid arduum et cum periculo pro regno gerendum esset, eius consilio et ductui committeretur. [page vi] Iis artibus Riccardus populorum benivolentiam sibi quesivit: et regine invidiam, a qua procul vivebat, vitavit.
[Aug 1483]. Up to this point, although all the signs of aiming for the kingdom were evident, nevertheless some hope was left, that he would not establish the kingdom for himself, since he boasted of doing all these things as a punisher of injustices and treasons: and since all private memorials and public documents were marked with the titles and name of Edward the Fifth. But after Hastings was removed, all the servants who had served the little king were prohibited from approaching him. He himself, with his brother, was brought into the innermost chambers of his tower, and they began to be seen less and less through the bars and windows each day; so much so that they completely ceased to appear. The Strasbourg doctor, who was the last one his little king used, reported that the little king, as if a victim prepared for sacrifice, sought to cleanse his guilt every day with confession and penance, thinking that death was imminent for him. This place seems to demand that I not pass over the character of the young man in silence. But since there are so many things that he said and did generously, humanely, and even wisely, beyond what was appropriate for his age, I will excuse the labour itself with my right. However, I will not overlook this, that he was extremely learned in literature, so that he could speak elegantly, and whatever came to his hands, whether poetry or prose, unless it was from difficult authors, he understood completely and expressed excellently. He had such dignity in his whole body and such grace in his face that although he greatly delighted the eyes of those who beheld him, he never satisfied them. I have seen not a few people burst into tears and weep when his memory was brought up after he was removed from the sight of men, and it was already suspected that he had been eliminated. Whether he has indeed been removed, and by what manner of death, I have not yet discovered.
Hucusque quamvis affectari regnum omnia argumenta conspicerentur, attamen aliquid spei relinquebatur, quod sibi regnum non astrueret, cum tanquam iniuriarum et proditionis vindicem hec omnia se facere iactaret: cumque omnia privata monumenta et rescripta publica titulis et nomine Eduardi quinti notarentur. Sed postquam Astinco amotus est, omnes familiares qui regulo inservierant ab eius accessu prohibiti sunt. Ipse cum fratre in penitiores ipsius turris edes reducti, rarius per cancellos et fenestras in dies conspici ceperunt ; usque adeo ut penitus desierint apparere. Referebat Argentinus medicus, quo ultimo ex suis regulus usus fuit, regulum tanquam victimam sacrificio paratam singulis diebus confessione et penitentia suas noxas diluere, quod mortem sibi instare putaret. Postulare videtur hic locus ut adolescentis indolem silentio non preteream. Sed cum tam multa sint, que ab eo liberaliter humane quinimmo sapienter dicta et facta preterquam illi convenerat etati, memorantur: [page xxv] ut multo indigeant labore, laborem ipsum meo iure excusabo. Illud tamen non preteribo, quod apprime litteris eruditus fuit, ut loqui eleganter posset, et quicquid ad manus veniret, sive carmen sive prosa, nisi ex difficilioribus auctoribus esset, plane intelligeret et optime enuntiaret. Dignitatis habebat tantum in toto corpore et in vultu gratie, ut intuentium oculos, etsi multum pasceret, nunquam tamen satiaret. Non paucos homines in lacrymas et fletus prorupisse vidi, cum eius memoria fieret postquam a conspectibus hominum est amotus, et jam suspitio foret esse sublatum. An autem sublatus sit, et quo genere mortis, nihil adhuc compertum habeo.