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1587

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Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 But forsomuch as this dukes demeanor ministreth in effect all the whole matter whereof this booke shall intreat, it is therefore conuenient somewhat to shew you yer we further go, what maner of man this was, that could find in his hart such mischiefe to conceiue. Richard duke of Yorke, a noble man and a mightie, began not by warre,Richard duke of Yorke. but by law to chalenge the crowne, putting his claime into the parlement, where his cause was either for right or fauor so farre foorth aduanced, that king Henrie his bloud (albeit he had a goodlie prince) vtterlie reiected, the crowne was by authoritie of parlement intailed vnto the duke of Yorke and his issue male in remainder, im|mediatlie after the death of king Henrie. But the duke not induring so long to tarrie, but intending vnder pretext of dissention and debate arising in the realme, to preuent his time, and to take vpon him the rule in king Henrie his life, was with manie nobles of the realme at Wakefield slaine, leauing thrée sonnes, Edward, George, and Richard.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 All thrée as they were great states of birth, so were they great and statelie of stomach, greedie and ambitious of authoritie, and impatient of partners. Edward reuenging his fathers death,Edward. depriued king Henrie, and atteined the crowne. George duke of Clarence was a goodlie noble prince,George duke of Clarence. and at all times fortunate, if either his owne ambition had not set him against his brother, or the enuie of his enimies had not set his brother against him. For were it by the quéene and lords of hir bloud, which highlie maligned the kings kinred (as women commonlie not of malice, but of nature hate them whome their husbands loue) or were it a proud appetite of the duke himselfe, in|tending to be king; at the least wise heinous treason was there laid to his charge: and finallie, were hée faultie, were he faultlesse, atteinted was he by par|lement, and iudged to the death, and therevpon hasti|lie drowned in a butt of malmesie. Whose death king Edward (albeit he commanded it) when he wist it was doone, pitiouslie bewailed, and sorrowfullie re|pented.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 Richard the third sonne, of whome we now in|treat, was in wit and courage equall with either of them,The descrip|tion of Ri|chard the third. in bodie and prowesse farre vnder them both, litle of stature, ill featured of limmes, crooke backed, his left shoulder much higher than his right, hard fa|uoured of visage, and such as is in states called war|lie, in othermen otherwise; he was malicious, wrath|full, enuious, and from afore his birth euer froward. It is for truth reported, that the duchesse his mother had so much adoo in hir trauell, that she could not be deliuered of him vncut; and that he came into the world with the féet forward, as men be borne out|ward, and (as the same runneth also) not vntoothed, whether men of hatred report aboue the truth, or else that nature changed hir course in his beginning, which in the course of his life manie things vnnatu|rallie committed. So that the full confluence of these qualities, with the defects of fauour and amiable proportion, gaue proofe to this rule of physiognomie:

Distor tum vultum sequitur distorsio morum.

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