ORIN, moft unhappie fwaine, COR Little foode is on the plaine; Full of danger in the rocke: Wolfes and beares doe kepe the woodes; 5 Meadowes fubject are to floodes; Moores are full of miry lakes. Yet to fhun all plaine, and hill, How may then reliefe be found ? Such is hapless Corins fate; Since my waywarde love begunne Equall doubts begett debate 15 What to feeke, and what to fhunne. Spare to fpeke, and fpare to fpeed; Yet her fight augments my paine. What may then poor Corin doe? For to linger thus in woe Is the lover's fharpeft hell. Q4 20 XXV. JANE XXV. JANE SHORE. Tho' fo many vulgar errors have prevailed concerning this celebrated courtezan, no character in history has been more perfectly handed down to us. We have her portrait drawn by two masterly pens, the one has delineated the features of her perfon, the other thofe of her character and ftory. 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 fer-ve to correct many popular mistakes relating to her catastrophe. The firft is from Sir Thomas MORE's hiftory 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 cove"tife, the protector fent into the houfe of Shores wife (for "her husband dwelled not with her) and Spoiled her of al that ever he had, (above the value of 2 or 3 thousand marks) "and fent her body to prifon. And when he had a robile laide unto her, for the maner fake, that she went about to bewitch "him, and that she was of counsel with the lord chamberlein "to destroy him in conclufion when that no colour could faj"ten upon these matters, then he layd heinously to her charge "the thing that herself could not deny, that al the world wift was true, and that natheles every man laughed at to here "it then fo fodainly fo highly taken, that he was naught of her body. And for thys caufe (as a goodly continent "prince, clene and fautles of bimjelf, fent oute of heaven into "this vicious world for the amendment of mens maners) be caufed the bishop of London to put her to open penance, going before the croffe in proceffion upon a fonday with a taper 66 " in her band. In which he went in countenance and pace "demure so womanly; and albeit fhe was out of al array "fave her kyrtle only, yet went fhe fo fair and lovely, namelye "while the wondering of the people cafte a comly rud in her "chekes (of which he before had moft miffe) that her great "Shame wan her much praise among those that were more amorous of her body, then curious of her foule. And good folke alfo, that hated her living, and glad wer to fe fin corrected, yet pittied thei more her penance then rejoiced "therin, when thei confidred that the protector procured it "more of a corrupt intent, then ani vertuous affeccion. 66 many "This woman was born in London, worshipfully frended, "boneftly brought up, and very wel maryed, faving fame"what to foone; her husbande an honeft citizen, yonge, and goodly, and of good fubftance. But forafmuche, as they 66 were coupled ere fhe 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, eafe, plejure and "other wanton welth, was able joone to perfe a soft tender "hearte. But when the king had abused her, anon her bufband (as he was an honest man and one that could his good, not prefuming to touch a kinges concubine) left her up to him al together. When the king died, the lord chamber"len [Haftings] toke her * : which in the kinges daies, albeit "he was fore enamoured upon her, yet he forbare her, either "for reverence, or for a certain frendly faithfulnes. 66 66 66 Proper * After the death of Haftings, she was kept by the marquis of Dorfet, fen to Edward IV's queen. In Rymer's Fadera is a proclamation of Richard's dated at Leicester 08. 23. 1483. wherein a reward of 1000 marks in money, or 100 a year in land is offered for taking "Thomas late "marquis of Dorfet," who" not having the fear of God, nor the fal "vation of his own foul, before bis eyes, bas damnably debauched and "defiled many maids, widows, and wives, and LIVED IN ACTUAĻ ADULTERY WITH THE WIFE OF SHORE." Buckingham was at that time in rebellion, but as Dorfet was not with him, Richard could not accufe bim of treason, and therefore made a handle of these pretended debaucheries to get him apprebended. "Proper fhe was, and faire: nothing in her body that you "avold have changed, but if you would have wished her fomewhat higher. Thus fay thei that knew her in her youthe. Albeit fome that NOW SEE HER (FOR YET SHE "LIVETH) deme her never to have bene wel visaged. Whose jugement feemeth me fomewhat like, as though men should geffe the bewty of one longe before departed, by her fcalpe "taken out of the charnel houfe; for now is fhe old, lene, "withered, and dried up, nothing left but ryvilde fkin, and "hard bone. And yet being even fuch, whofo wel advise "ber vifage, might geffe and devife which partes boru filled, "avold make it a faire face. "Yet delited not men fo much in her bewty, as in her plea"fant behaviour. For a proper wit had fhe, and could both "rede wel and write; mery in company, redy and quick of "aunfwer, neither mute nor ful of bable; fometime taunting "without difpleafure, and not without difport. The king "would fay, That he had three concubines, which in thre "divers properties diverfly excelled. One the merieft, another "the wilieft, 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 were fomwhat << greater perfonages, and natheles of their humilitè content "to be nameles, and to forbere the praife of thofe properties, "but the merieft was this Shoris wife, in whom the king therfore toke Special pleasure. For many he had, but her be "loved, whofe favour to fai the trouth (for finne it wer to "belie the devil) fhe never abused to any mans hurt, but to 66. many a mans comfort and relief. Where the king toke 66 difpleasure, he 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, Jhee obtained "pardon of great forfeitures fhe gate men remiffion: and finally in many weighty futes fhe ftode many men in gret ftede, either for none or very fmal rewardes, and thofe rather gay than rich: either for that she was content with the "dede felfe well done, or for that she delited to be fucd unto, "and to show what she was able to do wyth the king, or for "that wanion women and welthy be not alway covetous. "I doubt not fome fhal think this woman too fleight a thing "to be written of, and fet amonge the remembrances of great "matters: which thei fbal Specially think, that happely fhal "efteme her only by that thei NOW SEE HER. But me femeth "the chaunce fo much the more worthy to be remembred, in "how much foe is Now in the more beggerly condicion, unfrended and worne out of acquaintance, after good fub"ftance, after as grete favour with the prince, after as grete "fute and feeking to with al thofe, that in those days had "bufynes to fpede, as many other men were in their times, "which be now famoufe only by the infamy of their il dedes. Her doinges were not much leffe, albeit thei be muche.laffe "remembred because thei were not fo evil. For men ufe, if they have an evil turne, to write it in marble; and whofo "doth us a good tourne, we write it in dufte. Which is not "worst proved by her; for AT THIS DAYE fee beggeth of "many at this daye living, that at this day had begged, if hee had not bene." See More's workes, folio bl. let. 1557. pag. 56, 57. 66 trait. DRAYTON has written a poetical epiftle from this lady to her royal lover, in his notes on which he thus draws her por"Her ftature 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 proportion's "colour, her body fat, white and Smooth, her countenance cheerfull and like to her condition. The picture which I "have feen of hers was fuch as fhe rofe out of her bed in the morning, having nothing on but a rich mantle caft under one arme over her shoulder, and fitting on a chaire, on "which her naked arm did lie. What her father's name was, or where he was borne, is not certainly knowne: but Shore a young man of right goodly perfon, wealth and behaviour, "abandoned her bed after the king had made her his concubine. "Richard III.caufing her to do open penance in Paul's church 66 -yard, COMMANDED THAT NO MAN SHOULD RELIEVE HER, which the tyrant did not fo much for his hatred 10. "finne, but that by making his brother's life odious, be might 66 |