The Washington herald., 1907-04-18
The Real Richard.

Richard OF gloucester, inird and last
Richard to sit upon the throne Of Eng
land. THE last Of the Plantagenets." has
long been held up TO public scorn as a
monster and demon, "a royal butcher and
prodigate, and a cruel and hcartless des-
pot. Not content with warplng his moral
nature to frightful angle, the Tudor
historians maliciously and falsely. it ap-
pears. attacked his physical makeup and
presented him 10 the world hunchbacked.
!H-proportoned. and vile 10 look upon
sent into the world scarce half made up %
More than four hundred years ago on
Bosworth's bloody deld. slain by the hand
Of Henry of Richmond. the first of the
Tudors passed Richard TO his reward
\ long time 10 wait for vindication-but
vlndication has come, and Richard has
been revealed TO as by a careful and
rainstaking historian in new and much
more pleasing colors.
According To Sir Clement X Markham.
K. c. B.. In his new book. Richard III:
I:!s Life and Character in the Light of
Recent Research" this erstwhiIe bloody
dog appears 10 have been a very decent
kind of n king, as kings went in those
strenuous times; his generally accepted
character being unwarranted inventions
Of the historians OF Henry Wis court
Archbishop Morton and Polyd6re Virgil
Henry's claim to the English throne was
very shaky. All readers Of history. which
even he could not change 10 suit his pur-
pose, know that TO have been the case
Therefore, according TO Sir Clement.
Henry sought TO rally about the house Of
Tudor love and respect not his by right
of birth by building a foundation out Of
Richards wrecked and battered reputa-
tion,
IngeniOusly is Richard relieved by the
research of his modern champion of all
completely in the death Of Henry VI. the
murder of his brother in q butt of
malmsey, the smothering Of the princes IN
the tower, or the summary taking off Of
Hastings, His wife. Anne. Is shown not 10
have been forced into unwilling we'd
lock with this Duke Of Gloucester, but
was, on the contrary. his willing. loving.
and lawful spouse. Indeed. all OF the
counts in the long indictment against
Richard are quashed by Sir Clement; re-
sponsibility for them being laid at the
door Of his successors because of the
need OF the Tudor dynasty to make itself
grand and royal by comparison. since it
was not entitled 10 be grand and royal
in its own lawful rights.
And We are very glad to hear 1t, too
We have long entertained serious doubts
as TO Richard; we have never been able to
quite accept him as the royal scamp of
ShalIespeare's painting That latter gen
tleman. living and writing Under the re-
sime OF a somewhat hot-tempered Tudor
Queen, was estopped for fear of losing
his head from painting Richard otherwise
than as the Tudors would have him
painted. Truth crushed to earth will rise
again. and even Richard has. we hope
come into his own al last. The final act
IN the drama Of Richards life shows. by
the Tudors' own confession. the striking
difference in the nature Of the last of the
Piansagenets' and the first of the Tu-
GERS" Whereas Richmond went into the
battle OF Bosworth protected by the
lnightly disguise OF six soldiers dressed
in armor 10 represent the earl, Richard
went in with his crown upon his head.
Il might have been necessary for Richard
to kill several Rlchmonds In order TO reach
the one he sought; there could be no mis-
take in the victim sought by the Tudor.
Which was the braver man?
To rehabllitated Richard III we ex,
tend a warm hand of welcome. We never
did actually think him wholly vile.