Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-09-18

moment upon reign OF fnance, police,
and diplomacy.
On the other hand, the feet feel,
a. they tread, the plain solid earth
under them. They recognize that
Wars Of the Roses are no longer pos
sibiIities. II violent fate still be-
falls Kings and Queens aud their
councillors, they are done to death
by courts Of justice, not by the knife,
the poisoned bowl, or. midnight VIII
lainy. The nation, IL it has yet to
undergo the ordeal Of rebellious and
party strife, suffers not for tho pur-
poseless sport Of contending barons
and family factions; struggle OF
principles has raised the commotion,
and, at the end, the one which for
the national good should have gained
the ascendant, is seen TO have trl-
umphed. The ground is less DIVERSE
fled and less perplcsing. The pros
pect is both tanner and brighter.
Whatever the respective attractions
Of the one side Of English history and
Of the other, at any rate Bosworth
Field enjoys the distinction OF being
1.-THE great divide" Unless the cur
rent Of national life had swept with dis
passionate carelessness over so many
other historical footmarks, it would be
strange that the grave Of whole series
Of annals and phases of thoughts and
manner, and tine cradle of another.
from which, too, the reigning British
dynasty traces its descent, should have
been left for four centuries without as
much as q wayside cross, or such a
tablet as reminds posterity where an
actress or painter lodged. A memo
rial OF the sort Mr.. Burgess solicits is
an easy means by which Leicestcrsh'rc
might atone for rather more than
ordinary neglect, and satisfy the par
donable instinct for tangible acknow-
ledgment OF the scene of q great event.
English historians owe the event it.
self and its central figure the payment
in more real coin of a more real debt,
which has much too long been undis-
charged. The character Of Richard
ILL.,, his craftsmanship. his past, and
what might, had be won at Bosworth
Field, have been his future, remain
among the dark corners Of history.
They were not popular theme while
the Tudors and Stuarts sat on the throne;
and the accidents Of historical research |
have passed them by since. Shak-
speare's Richard the Third is the only |
Richard whom the English people has
ever known. His lineament can never
fade. His crimes, and cunning, and
savagery are burnt indelibly
into the fancy. Besides the Richard Of
poetry there was. however. King
assuredly better King, il
ess msiestically denoniacal felon. 1t
S high time that his moldering memory
should be cleansed for popular use
rom the mildew Of ages.
Historical explorers have collected
for the process. The store
las not yet been animated and vitalized
" touch such as many less interest
ng personalities and less critical cpl
odes have received. Richards place
ontinues practically vacant in
he gallery Of English history.
8 history pure and simple. While
rchTologists are reminded by
he close Of round term Of years Of
he propriety of raising monument Of
rick or stone where his life-blood was
he'd the historical genius, which is
OF extinct in the land, would offer a
-ibute yet more grateful and oppor-
Inc il it would sift truth from fable in
he pile of ashes inscribed with his
lme in English chronicle %