Reliques of Ancient English Poetry consisting of Old Heroic Ballads, Songs, and other Pieces of our earlier Poets, (Chiefly of the Lyric kind.) Together with some few of later Date |
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Reliques of Ancient English Poetry | ||
XXVI. JANE SHORE.
Tho' so many vulgar errors have prevailed concerning this celebrated courtezan, no charactér in history has been more perfectly handed dewn to us. We have her portrait drawn by two masterly pens; the one has delineated the features of her person, the other those of her character and story. Sir Thomas More drew from the life, and Drayton has copied an original picture of her. The reader will pardon the length of the quotations, as they serve to correct many popular mistakes relating to her catastrophe. The first is from Sir Thomas More's history of Rich. III. written in 1513, about thirty years after the death of Edw. IV.
“Now then by and by, as it wer for anger, not for covetise, the protector sent into the house of Shores wife (for her husband dwelled not with her) and spoiled her of al that ever she had, (above the value of 2 or 3 thousand marks) and sent her body to prison. And when he had a while laide unto her, for the maner sake, that she went about to bewitch him, and that she was of counsel with the lord chamberlein to destroy him: in conclusion when that no colour could fasten upon these matters, then he layd heinously to her charge the thing that herselfe could not deny, that al the world wist was true, and that natheles every man laughed at to here it then so sodainly so highly taken,—that she was naught of her body. And for thys cause (as a goodly continent prince, clene and fautles of himself, sent oute of heaven into this vicious wórld for the amendment of mens maners) he caused the bishop of London to put her to open penance, going before the crosse in procession upon a sonday with a taper
“This woman was born in London, worshipfully frended, honestly brought up, and very wel maryed, saving somewhat to soone; her husbande an honest citizen, yonge, and goodly, and of good substance. But for as muche as they were coupled ere she wer wel ripe, she not very fervently loved, for whom she never longed. Which was happely the thinge, that the more easily made her encline unto the king's appetite, when he required her. Howbeit the respect of his royaltie, the hope of gay apparel, ease, plesure, and other wanton welth, was able soane to perse a soft tender hearte. But when the king had abused her, anon her husband (as he was an honest man, and one that could his good, not presuming to touch a kinges concubine) left her up to him al together. When the king died, the lord chamberlen [Hastings] toke her : which in the kinges daies, albeit he was sore enamoured upon her, yet he forbare
“Proper she was, and faire: nothing in her body that you wold have changed, but if you would have wished her somewhat higher. Thus say thei that knew her in her youthe. Albeit some that now see her (for yet she liveth) deme her never to have bene wel visaged. Whose jugement seemeth me somewhat like, as though men should gesse the bewty of one longe before departed, by her scalpe taken out of the charnel-house; for now is she old, lene, withered, and dried up, nothing left but ryvilde skin, and hard bone. And yet being even such, whose wel advise her visage, might gesse and devise which partes how filled, wold make it a faire face.
“Yet delited not men so much in her bewty, as in her pleasant behaviour. For a proper wit had she, and could both rede wel and write; mery in company, redy and quick of aunswer, neither mute nor ful of bable; sometime taunting without displeasure, and not without disport. The king would say, That he had three concubines, which in three divers properties diversly excelled. One the meriest, another the wiliest, the thirde the holiest harlot in his realme, as one whom no man could get out of the church lightly to any place, but it wer to his bed. The other two wer somwhat greater personages, and natheles of their humilite content to be nameles, and to forbere the praise of those properties; but the meriest was the Shoris wife, in whom the king therfore toke special pleasure. For many he had, but her he loved, whose favour, to sai the trouth (for sinne it wer to belie the devil) she never abused to any mans hurt, but to many a mans comfort and relief. Where the king toke displeasure, she would mitigate and appease his mind: where men were out of favour, she wold bring them in his grace: for many, that had highly offended, shee obtained pardon: of great forfeitures she gate men remission: and finally in many weighty sutes she stode many men in gret stede, either for none or very smal rewardes,
“I doubt not some shal think this woman too sleight a thing to be written of, and set amonge the remembraunces of great matters: which thei shal specially think, that happely shal esteme her only by that thei now see her. But me semeth the chaunce so much the more worthy to be remembred, in how much she is now in the more beggerly condicion, unfrended and worne out of acquaintance, after good substance, after as grete favour with the prince, after as grete sute and seeking to with al those, that in those days had busynes to spede, as many other men were in their times, which be now famouse only by the infamy of their il dedes. Her doinges were not much lesse, albeit thei be muche lesse remembred because thei were not so evil. For men use, if they have an evil turne, to write it in marble; and whoso doth us a good tourne, we write it in duste . Which is not worst proved by her; for at this daye shee beggeth of many at this daye living, that at this day had begged, if shee had not bene.”
See More's workes, folio, bl. let. 1557. pag. 56. 57.Drayton has written a poetical epistle from this lady to her royal lover, in his notes on which he thus draws her portrait. “Her stature was meane, her haire of a dark yellow, her face round and full, her eye gray, delicate harmony being betwixt each part's proportion, and each
The following ballad is printed from an old black letter copy in the Pepys collection. Its full title is, “The woefull lamentation of Jane Shore, a goldsmith's wife in London, sometime king Edward IV. his concubine. To the tune of Live with me, &c [See the first volume.] To every stanza is annexed the following burthen:
For love and beauty will have end.
Had cause her sorrowes to declare,
Then let Jane Shore with sorrowe sing,
That was beloved of a king.
Was loved dear of lord and knight;
But yet the love that they requir'd,
It was not as my friends desir'd.
A husband for me did obtaine;
And I, their pleasure to fulfille,
Was forc'd to wedd against my wille.
Till lust brought ruine to my life;
And then my life I lewdlye spent,
Which makes my soul for to lament.
As London yet can witness welle;
Where many gallants did beholde
My beautye in a shop of golde.
Some sweet and secret friende to wooe,
Because chast love I did not finde
Agreeing to my wanton minde.
Into the eares of Englandes king,
Who came and lik'd, and love requir'd,
But I made coye what he desir'd:
Whose friendship I esteemed deare,
Did saye, It was a gallant thing
To be beloved of a king.
For to defile my marriage-bed,
And wronge my wedded husband Shore,
Whom I had married yeares before.
That I had made so sweet a choice;
And therefore did my state resigne,
To be king Edward's concubine.
To reape the pleasures of content;
There had the joyes that love could bring,
And knew the secrets of a king.
Commanding Edward with mine eye,
For Mrs. Blague I in short space
Obtainde a livinge from his grace.
I made unto promotion climbe;
But yet for all this costlye pride,
My husbande could not mee abide.
His heart with deadlye griefe did sting;
From England then he goes away
To end his life beyond the sea.
Impaired by my wanton shame;
Although a prince of peerlesse might
Did reape the pleasure of his right.
With lords and ladies of great sorte;
And when I smil'd all men were glad,
But when I frown'd my prince grewe sad.
To helplesse people, that were poore;
I still redrest the orphans crye,
And sav'd their lives condemnd to dye.
I succour'd babes of tender yeares;
And never look'd for other gaine
But love and thankes for all my paine.
And then my dayes of woe grew nighe;
When crook-back Richard got the crowne,
King Edwards friends were soon put downe.
That I so long had lived in;
Yea, every one that was his friend,
This tyrant brought to shamefull end.
That made a strumpet of a wife,
I penance did in Lombard-street,
In shamefull manner in a sheet.
Who late in court my credit knewe;
Which made the teares run down my face,
To thinke upon my foul disgrace.
My goodes, my livings, and my fee,
And charg'd that none should me relieve,
Nor any succour to me give.
To whom my jewels I had sent,
In hope therebye to ease my want,
When riches fail'd, and love grew scant:
When in my need for them I came;
To recompence my former love,
Out of her doores shee did me shove.
Which now my soul repents too late;
Therefore example take by mee,
For friendship parts in povertìe.
Whom I before had seen distrest,
And sav'd his life, condemn'd to die,
Did give me food to succour me:
That he was hanged for that deed;
His death did grieve me so much more,
Than had I dyed myself therefore.
Durst not afford mee any food;
Whereby I begged all the day,
And still in streets by night I lay.
Were turn'd to simple garments old;
My chains and gems and golden rings,
To filthy rags and loathsome things.
For leading such a wicked life;
Both sucking babes and children small,
Did make their pastime at my fall.
Whereby my hunger might be sed:
Nor drink, but such as channels yield,
Or stinking ditches in the field.
I yielded up my vital strength
Within a ditch of loathsome scent,
Where carrion dogs did much frequent:
Is Shoreditch call'd, as writers saye ,
Which is a witness of my sinne,
For being concubine to a king.
Be you assur'd that God is just;
Whoredome shall not escape his hand,
Nor pride unpunish'd in this land.
That yielded only to a king,
How shall they scape that daily run
To practise sin with every one?
Lest some disliking after prove;
Women, be warn'd when you are wives,
What plagues are due to sinful lives:
Then, maids and wives, in time amend,
For love and beauty will have end.
After the death of Hastings, she was kept by the marquis of Dorset, son to Edward IV's queen. In Rymer's Fœdera is a proclamation of Richard's, dated at Leicester, Oct. 23. 1483. wherein a reward of 1000 marks in money, or 100 a year in land is offered for taking “Thomas late marquis of Dorset,” who “not having the fear of God, nor the salvation of his own soul, before his eyes, has damnably debauched and defiled many maids, widows, and wives, and lived in actual adultery with the wife of Shore.” Buckingham was at that time in rebellion, but as Dorset was not with him, Richard could not accuse him of treason, and therefore made a handle of these pretended debaucheries to get him apprehended.
Vide Rym. Fæd. tom. xij. pag. 204.These words of Sir Thomas More probably suggested to Shakespeare that proverbial reflection, in Hen. viij. Act. 4. sc. 11.
“We write in water.”
Shakesp. in his play of Rich. III. follows More's Hist. of that reign, and therefore could not but see this passage.
Reliques of Ancient English Poetry | ||