and addicted to pleasure; passions, allegiance. When men came to reall of them, the most inconsistent flect in cold blood on the crimes with a prudent economy, and conse- which led him to the throne; and the quently dangerous in a limited and rebellion against his prince; the demixed government. Had he pos- position of a lawful king, guilty somesessed the talents of gaining, and, times of oppression, but more frestill more, of overawing his great ba- quently of imprudences; the exclurons, he might have escaped all the sion of the true heir; the murder misfortunes of his reign, and been of his sovereign and near relation: allowed to carry much farther his op- these were such enormities, as drew pressions over his people, if he real- on him the hatred of his subjects, ly was guilty of any, without their sanctified all the rebellions against daring to rebel, or even murmur, him, and made the executions, though against him. But when the gran- not remarkably severe, which he dees were tempted, by his want of found necessary for the maintenance prudence and rigour, to resist his au- of his authority, appear cruel as well thority, and execute the most violent as iniquitous to his people. Yet, enterprises upon him, he was natu- without pretending to apologize for rally led to seek for an opportunity these crimes, which must ever be of retaliation; justice was neglected; held in detestation, it may be remarkthe lives of the chief nobility sacri- ed, that he was insensibly led into ficed; and all these evils seem to have this blameable conduct, by a train of proceeded more from a settled design incidents, which few men possess of establishing arbitrary power, than virtue enough to withstand. The from the insolence of victory, and the injustice with which his predecessor necessities of the king's situation. had treated him, in first condemning The manners, indeed, of the age, him to banishment, and then despoilwere the chief sources of such vio- ing him of his patrimony, made him nalence; laws, which were feebly exe- turally think of revenge, and of recuted in peaceable times, lost all their covering his lost rights; the headauthority in public convulsions. Both strong zeal of the people hurried him parties were alike guilty; or, if any into the throne, the care of his own difference may be remarked between security, as well as his ambition, made them, we shall find the authority of him an usurper; and the steps have the crown, being more legal, was always been so few between the commonly carried, when it prevailed, prisons of princes and their graves, to less desperate extremities than that we need not wonder that Richthose of aristocracy.* Hume. ard's fate was no exception to the ge

$57. Character of HENRY IV.

neral rule. All these considerations made the king's situation, if he retained any sense of virtue, very much The great popularity which Henry to be lamented; and the inquietudes, enjoyed before he attained the crown, with which he possessed his envied and which had so much aided him in greatness, and the remorses by which the acquisition of it, was entirely lost, it is said, he was continually hauntmany years before the end of his reign, ed, rendered him an object of our and he governed the people more by pity, even when seated upon the terror than affection, more by his own throne. But it must be owned, that policy than their sense of duty and his prudence, vigilance, and foresight in maintaining his power, were *He was starved to death in prison, or mur-admirable; his command of temper dered, after having been dethroned, A. D. 1399, in the year of his age 34; of his reign 23. remarkable; his courage, both mili

tary and political, without blemish: and he excelled in all warlike and and he possessed many qualities, manly exercises.

Ibid.

which fitted him for his high station, Died 31st August, 1422; in the and which rendered his usurpation year of his age 34; of his reign, the of it, though pernicious in after-times, 10th. rather salutary during his own reign, to the English nation. Died 1413. Aged 43. Hume.

58. Character of HENRY V.

or

59. HUME's Account of HENRY VI. (for there is no regular Character of this Prince given by this Historian) is expressed in the following Manner.

This prince possessed many eminent virtues; and, if we give indulgence to ambition in a monarch, In this manner finished the reign rank it, as the vulgar do, among his of Henry VI. who, while yet in his virtues, they were unstained by any cradle, had been proclaimed king considerable blemish; his abilities ap- both of France and England, and peared equally in the cabinet and in who began his life with the most the field the boldness of his enterpri- splendid prospects which any prince ses was no less remarkable than his in Europe had ever enjoyed. The personal valour in conducting them. revolution was unhappy for his peoHe had the talent of attaching his ple, as it was the source of civil friends by affability, and gaining his wars; but was almost entirely indiffeenemies by address and clemency. rent to Henry himself, who was ut

:

The English, dazzled by the lus-terly incapable of exercising his autre of his character, still more by that thority, and who, provided he met of his victories, were reconciled to perpetually with good usage, was the defects of his title. The French equally easy, as he was equally enalmost forgot he was an enemy; and slaved, in the hands of his enemies his care of maintaining justice in his and of his friends. His weakness civil administration, and preserving and his disputed title, were the chief discipline in his armies, made some causes of his public misfortunes: but amends to both nations for the ca- whether his queen and his ministers lamities inseparable from those wars were not guilty of some great abuses in which his short reign was almost of power, it is not easy for us, at occupied. That he could forgive this distance of time, to determine. the earl of Marche, who had a better There remain no proofs on record right to the throne than himself, is a of any considerable violation of the sure proof of his magnanimity; and laws, except in the death of the Duke that the earl relied so on his friendship, of Gloucester, which was a private is no less a proof of his establish- crime, formed no precedent, and was ed character for candour and since- but too much of a piece with the rity. usual ferocity and cruelty of the times.

There remain, in history, few instances of such mutual trust; and still fewer, where neither found reason to repent it.

The exterior figure of this great prince, as well as his deportment, was engaging. His stature was somewhat above the middle size; his countenance beautiful; his limbs gen- ty teel and slender, but full of vigour ;

$60. SMOLLETT's Account of the Death of HENRY VI. with some Strictures of Character, is as follows.

This insurrection* in all probabilihastened the death of the unfortuRevolt of the bastard of Falconbridge.

nate Henry, who was found dead in sive, that the bishop, who was his conthe Tower, in which he had been fessor for ten years, declares, that in confined since the restoration of Ed- all that time he had never commitward. The greater part of historians ted any sin that required penance or have alleged, that he was assassinated rebuke. In a word, he would have by the Duke of Gloucester, who was adorned a cloister, though he disa prince of the most brutal disposi- graced a crown; and was rather retion; while some moderns, from an spectable for those vices he wanted, affectation of singularity, affirm that than for those virtues he possessed. Henry died of grief and vexation. He founded the colleges of Eton This, no doubt, might have been the and Windsor, and King's College in case; and it must be owned, that Cambridge, for the reception of those nothing appears in history, from scholars who had begun their studies which either Edward or Richard at Eton.

could be convicted of having contriv- On the morning that succeeded ed or perpetrated his murder: but, his death, his body was exposed at at the same time, we must observe St. Paul's church, in order to prevent some concurring circumstances that unfavourable conjectures, and, next amount to strong presumption against day, sent by water to the abbey of the reigning monarch. Henry was Chertsey, where he was interred: of a hale constitution, but just turned but it was afterwards removed by of fifty, naturally insensible of afflic-order of Richard III. to Windsor, tion, and hackneyed in the vicissi-and there buried with great funeral tudes of fortune, so that one would solemnity. not expect he should have died of

age and infirmity, or that his life

62. Another Character of EDWARD IV.

would have been affected by grief $61. Character of EDWARD IV. arising from his last disaster. His Edward IV. was a prince more sudden death was suspicious, as well splendid and showy, than either pruas the conjuncture at which he died, dent or virtuous; brave, though immediately after the suppression of cruel; addicted to pleasure, though a rebellion, which seemed to declare capable of activity in great emergenthat Edward would never be quiet, cies; and less fitted to prevent ills while the head of the house of Lan- by wise precautions, than to remedy caster remained alive and lastly, the them after they took place, by his visuspicion is confirmed by the cha- gour and enterprise. Hume. racters of the reigning king and his brother Richard, who were bloody, barbarous, and unrelenting. Very different was the disposition of the ill-fated Henry, who, without any princely virtue or qualification, was he was one of the handsomest men in totally free from cruelty or revenge: England, and perhaps in Europe. on the contrary, he could not, without His noble mien, his free and easy reluctance, consent to the punish- way, his affable carriage, won the ment of those malefactors who were hearts of all at first sight. These sacrificed to the public safety; and qualities gained him esteem and affrequently sustained indignities of fection, which stood him in great the grossest nature, without discover- stead in several circumstances of his ing the least mark of resentment. life. For some time he was exceedHe was chaste, pious, compassion- ing liberal: but at length ne grew ate, and charitable; and so inoffen-covetous, not so much from his na

When Edward ascended the throne,

tural temper, as out of a necessity to he was ever victorious in all the batbear the immediate expenses which tles wherein he fought in person. his pleasures ran him into.

Edward died the 9th of April, in the 42d year of his age, after a reign of twenty-two years and one month.

Rapin.

Though he had a great deal of wit, and a sound judgment, he committed, however, several oversights. But the crimes Edward is most justly charged with, are his cruelty, perjury, and incontinence. The first ap$63. EDWARD V. pears in the great number of princes Immediately after the death of the and lords he put to death, on the fourth Edward, his son was proscaffold, after he had taken them in claimed king of England, by the battle. If there ever was reason to name of Edward V. though that show mercy in case of rebellion, it young prince was but just turned of was at that fatal time, when it was twelve years of age, never received almost impossible to stand neuter, the crown, nor exercised any funcand so difficult to choose the justest tion of royalty; so that the interval side between the two houses that between the death of his father, and were contending for the crown. the usurpation of his uncle, the Duke

And yet we do not see that Ed- of Gloucester, afterwards Richard ward had any regard to that con- III. was properly an interregnum, dursideration. As for Edward's in- ing which the uncle took his measures continence, one may say, that his for wresting the crown from his newhole life was one continued scene phew.

of excess that way; he had abun

dance of mistresses, but especially 64. Character of RICHARD III.

three, of whom he said, that one was the merriest, the other the wittiest, Those historians, who favour Riand the other the holiest in the chard, for even He has met partiworld, since she would not stir from sans among later writers, maintain the church but when he sent for that he was well qualified for governher. What is most astonishing in ment, had he legally obtained it; the life of this prince is his good and that he committed no crimes but fortune, which seemed to be prodi- such as were necessary to procure gious. him possession of the crown: but

He was raised to the throne, after this is a very poor apology, when it is the loss of two battles, one by the Duke confessed, that he was ready to commit his father, the other by the Earl of the most horrid crimes which appearWarwick, who was devoted to the ed necessary for that purpose; and house of York. The head of the fa- it is certain that all his courage and ther was still upon the walls of York, capacity, qualities in which he really when the son was proclaimed in seems not to have been deficient, London. would never have made compensa

Edward escaped, as it were, by tion to the people, for the danger of miracle, out of his confinement at the precedent, and for the contaMiddleham. He was restored to the gious example of vice and murder, throne, or at least received into Lon- exalted upon the throne. This don, at his return from Holland, be- prince was of small stature, humpfore he had overcome, and whilst his backed, and had a very harsh disafortune yet depended upon the issue greeable visage: so that his body was of a battle which the Earl of Warwick in every particular no less deformed was ready to give him. In a word, than his mind. Hume.

§ 65. Character of HENRY VII. passion; and he remained an instance almost singular, of a man plaThe reign of Henry VII. was in ced in a high station, and possessed the main fortunate for his people of talents for great affairs, in whom at home, and honourable abroad. that passion predominated above amHe put an end to the civil wars with bition. Even among private persons, which the nation had been so long avarice is nothing but a species of harassed; he maintained peace and ambition, and is chiefly incited by order to the state; he depressed the the prospect of that regard, distincformer exorbitant power of the nobili- tion, and consideration, which atty; and, together with the friend- tends on riches.

ship of some foreign princes, he Died April 12th, 1509, aged 52, acquired the consideration and re- having reigned 23 years. Hume. gard of all.

He loved peace, without fearing

war; though agitated with crimi- $66. Character of HENRY VIII. nal suspicions of his servants and It is difficult to give a just summaministers, he discovered no timidity, ry of this prince's qualities; he was either in the conduct of his affairs, so different from himself in different or in the day of battle; and, though parts of his reign, that, as is well reoften severe in his punishments, he marked by Lord Herbert, his history was commonly less actuated by re- is his best character and description. venge than by the maxims of policy. The absolute and uncontrolled au

The services which he rendered thority which he maintained at home, his people were derived from his and the regard he obtained among forviews of private interest, rather than eign nations, are circumstances which the motives of public spirit; and entitle him to the appellation of a where he deviated from selfish regards great prince; while his tyranny and it was unknown to himself, and ever cruelty seem to exclude him from from malignant prejudices, or the the character of a good one. mean projects of avarice; not from He possessed, indeed, great vigour the sallies of passion, or allurements of mind, which qualified him for of pleasure; still less from the be- exercising dominion over men; nign motives of friendship and gene- courage, intrepidity, vigilance, inrosity. flexibility; and though these quali

His capacity was excellent, but ties lay not always under the guidance somewhat contracted by the narrow- of a regular and solid judgment, they ness of his heart; he possessed in- were accompanied with good parts, sinuation and address, but never em- and an extensive capacity; and every ployed these talents except some one dreaded a contest with a man great point of interest was to be who was never known to yield, or to gained and while he neglected to forgive; and who, in every controconciliate the affections of his people, versy, was determined to ruin himhe often felt the danger of resting his self, or his antagonist.

authority on their fear and reverence A catalogue of his vices would alone. He was always extremely comprehend many of the worst qualiattentive to his affairs; but possessed ties incident to human nature. Vionot the faculty of seeing far into fu- lence, cruelty, profusion, rapacity, turity; and was more expert at pro- injustice, obstinacy, arrogance, bigomoting a remedy for his mistakes, try, presumption, caprice; but neithan judicious in avoiding them. ther was he subject to all these vices Avarice was on the whole his ruling in the most extreme degree, nor was