Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1844-12-14
RICHARD THE THIRD,

BEAUFORT, &c, PHILADELPHIA CAREY g.
HART.
Fhe following npt quotation from Thuyci.
| dldes is on the title page of the volume before
us:-"For men are accustomed to receive from
each other the reports of events which have
happened before their time without accurate in.
vesiIgatlon, even although they relate to their
own country" And Richard Panagenet of
England, ot all the great names which have
come down to us in history, stands alone as the
most wonderful instance of the power of rumor,
tradition, nursery tale, and poetry, to backen
name and fame in the minds of people at large
-ot their power TO metamorphosc right into
wrong, virtue into vice, heroism into fendsh.
ness, light into darkness, an angel into devil.
| Instances of the Frightening power of tradition
and poetry we have many, and perhaps, in the
present relation, the name of Richard Ceur de
Lion may be most i;ly adduced as specimen
/ But there is not nearly the difference, on the
one side, between the real Richard and the lion.
hearted King of Scott, as there is between the
worlds Richard IlI.-,he Richard oc the stage
| and the real hero, warrior, and statesmen who,
unhappiy for his country, fell on Boswor,hs
/ field
! We are glad 10 see the volume before us
| Walpole and Buwer have done s,methng for
Richard of Gloucester, and the glorious portrait
| OF the latter, in "The Last of the Barons" is
! probably very near the real truth But here
is royal octave of 400 pages exclusively devo.
ted to the uhcct-lngeniousy faithfully, ard
nobly has the authoress completed her task.
The "Richard III. y of Shakespeare is proved to
be one OF the most imaginative of that writer's
creations, formed from the Glsehoods of the Tu
dor writers, growu INTO tradition, under the ia
vor of the rclgnng family; and the cnor,nities
OF the stage monster of malignity are shown to
have little more connection With the real prince
than the crimes of Rrgia with the virtues of
a Washington.
1t Is impossible fo- u.s. of course, to enter
much into the details of such work as the one
before as We ccHasHtnd il to all readers, as
both interesting and Instructive capable OF en-
| tightening most OF them with regard to the
much abused character of its hero Bat we
cannot refrain from touching upon several points
IN the LIE o.! Richard and contrasting them with
/ the appearance and actions OF the tyran, of
Shakespeare. Richard was not thirty.three
years old when hc was slain at Buswnrth-thc
Richard of The stage is weathcrbcaten warrior
ot fifty. Atthe time Of the supposed scene be-
tween Gloucester and Lady Aune, the former
was but nineteen the latter but seventeen wears
OF age. Hoy are both represented at the thea.
/ ire! Anne as mourning wtlow, Richard as
descending mend. The truth i, that Anne
had never been married, but had been beloved
by Richard for years, although she was aiIianced
10 Edward, the IancastcrIan prince of Wales
- AT the d"s,t of ,hat prince, Richard esked
her openly of the king and parliament They
were married, and lived happily together for
thirteen years, having but one Son, Edward,
who died greatly lamented when nearly twelve
years nfa age, The stage Richard kills adv
Anne for the purpose OF marrying his brothers
daughter. atlcrward queen to Henry VII La
dy Anne died, in fact, for grief at the loss other
son, and was sincerely mourned by Richard,
who opc,,ly dIsclaimcd, "heiore the mayor and
citizens Of London" all ntcntioa of marrying
his niece. Moreover, he chose his nephew for
his successor, and Afterwards, on account of
TINT youths incapahilty, he selected his cousln,
the Earl OF Lincoln, as heir apparent to the
throne" The cause Henry Of Richmond, up.
on the stage, is that OF virtue and rght-in
truth, Richard was chosen king by the parlia-
mcnt, and confirmed by the peop!c--lienry had
no more claim to the throne than any private
gentleman ofthe reahn--and Richard fell hv
THE most cold blooded treason of Lord Stanley
and the Earl Of Northumberland. Richard was
followed 10 the field by the first chivalry of Eng.
/ iand--he fought TO the last as good general
and brave soldier, and died with the words,
treason treason upon his lips. When stan
ley and Northumberland joined his cnemies,
and when his own troops were flying on every
side, he refused TO escape, saying Mot one
! foot will fly, so long as breath abides within
| my breast; for by Tim that shapeth both sea and
land, this day shall end my battles OF my lie,
| | will die King OF England" His enemies had
long sworn his ruin, and crattily took advantage
OF the proper moment to accomplish it,
1t now proved that he had nothing Whatever
to do with the death of Henry Va and the duke
of Clarence, and there is nothing bat rumor TO
establish the fact OF the young princes having
ever died in the tower, much less that they
! were murdered by Richard The latter lived