(13) The Earl of Rutland, another son, elder than Richard, had been murdered at the battle of Wakefield and so was Omitted in that imaginary accusation.

(14) Clarence is the first who is said to have propogated this slandour, and it was much more consonant to his levity and indigested politics, than to the good sense of Richard.  We can believe that Richard renewed this story, especially as he must have altered the dates of his mother’s amours, and made them continue to her conception of him, as Clarence had made them stop in his own favor?

(15) It appears from Rymer’s Foedera, that the very first act of Richard’s reign is dated from quadam altera camera juxta capellam in hospitio dominae Ceciliae ducissae Eborum.  It does not look much as if he had publicly accused his mother of adultry, when he held his first council at her house.  Among the Harleian MSS. in the Museum, No. 2236. art. 6. is the following letter from Richard to this very princess his mother, which is an additional proof of the good terms on which they lived:  “Madam, I recomaunde me to you as hertely as is to me possible, beseeching you in my most humble and affectuouse wise of your daly blessing to my synguler comfort and defence in my nede; and, madam, I hertoly beseche you, that I may often here from you to my comfort; and suche newes as be here, my servaunt Thomas Bryan this berer shall showe you, to whom please it you to yeve credence unto.  And, madam, I beseche you to be good and graciouse lady to my lord my chamberlayn to be your officer in Wiltshire in suche as Colinbourne had.  I trust he shall therein do you good servyce; and that it plese you, that by this barer I may understande your pleasur in this behalve.  And I praye God send you th’ accomplishement of your noble desires.  Written at Pomfret, the thirde day of Juyn, with the hande of your most humble son, Richardus Rex.”

Buck, whose integrity will more and more appear, affirms that, before Edward had espoused the lady Grey, he had been contracted to the lady Eleanor Butler, and married to her by the bishop of Bath.  Sir Thomas More, on the contrary (and here it is that I am unwillingly obliged to charge that great man with wilful falsehood) pretends that the duchess of York, his mother, endeavouring to dissuade him from so disproportionate an alliance, urged him with a pre-contract to one Elizabeth Lucy, who however, being pressed, confessed herself his concubine; but denied any marriage.  Dr. Shaw too, the preacher, we are told by the same authority, pleaded from the pulpit the king’s former marriage with Elizabeth Lucy, and the duke of Buckingham is said to have harangued the people to the same effect.  But now let us see how the case really stood:  Elizabeth Lucy was the daughter of one Wyat of Southampton, a mean gentleman, says Buck, and the wife of one Lucy, as mean a man as Wyat.  The mistress of Edward she notoriously was; but what if, in Richard’s pursuit of the crown, no question at all was made