love and freindship-第15章

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d　me　to　pay　him　a　visit　to　Italy　and　to　bring　him　his　little　Louisa　whom　both　her　Mother；　Step…mother；　and　himself　are　equally　desirous　of　beholding。　　As　to　our　accepting　his　invitation；　it　is　at　Present　very　uncertain；　Lady　Lesley　advises　us　to　go　without　loss　of　time；　Fitzgerald　offers　to　escort　us　there；　but　Matilda　has　some　doubts　of　the　Propriety　of　such　a　schemeshe　owns　it　would　be　very　agreable。　I　am　certain　she　likes　the　Fellow。　　My　Father　desires　us　not　to　be　in　a　hurry；　as　perhaps　if　we　wait　a　few　months　both　he　and　Lady　Lesley　will　do　themselves　the　pleasure　of　attending　us。　Lady　Lesley　says　no；　that　nothing　will　ever　tempt　her　to　forego　the　Amusements　of　Brighthelmstone　for　a　Journey　to　Italy　merely　to　see　our　Brother。　　〃No　（says　the　disagreable　Woman）　I　have　once　in　my　life　been　fool　enough　to　travel　I　dont　know　how　many　hundred　Miles　to　see　two　of　the　Family；　and　I　found　it　did　not　answer；　so　Deuce　take　me；　if　ever　I　am　so　foolish　again。〃So　says　her　Ladyship；　but　Sir　George　still　Perseveres　in　saying　that　perhaps　in　a　month　or　two；　they　may　accompany　us。　Adeiu　my　Dear　Charlotte　Yrs　faithful　Margaret　Lesley。


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THE　HISTORY　OF　ENGLAND

FROM　THE　REIGN　OF　HENRY　THE　4TH　TO　THE　DEATH　OF　CHARLES　THE　1ST

BY　A　PARTIAL；　PREJUDICED；　AND　IGNORANT　HISTORIAN。

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To　Miss　Austen；　eldest　daughter　of　the　Rev。　George　Austen；　this　work　is　inscribed　with　all　due　respect　by　THE　AUTHOR。


N。B。　There　will　be　very　few　Dates　in　this　History。



THE　HISTORY　OF　ENGLAND


HENRY　the　4th

Henry　the　4th　ascended　the　throne　of　England　much　to　his　own　satisfaction　in　the　year　1399；　after　having　prevailed　on　his　cousin　and　predecessor　Richard　the　2nd；　to　resign　it　to　him；　and　to　retire　for　the　rest　of　his　life　to　Pomfret　Castle；　where　he　happened　to　be　murdered。　It　is　to　be　supposed　that　Henry　was　married；　since　he　had　certainly　four　sons；　but　it　is　not　in　my　power　to　inform　the　Reader　who　was　his　wife。　Be　this　as　it　may；　he　did　not　live　for　ever；　but　falling　ill；　his　son　the　Prince　of　Wales　came　and　took　away　the　crown；　whereupon　the　King　made　a　long　speech；　for　which　I　must　refer　the　Reader　to　Shakespear's　Plays；　and　the　Prince　made　a　still　longer。　　Things　being　thus　settled　between　them　the　King　died；　and　was　succeeded　by　his　son　Henry　who　had　previously　beat　Sir　William　Gascoigne。


HENRY　the　5th

This　Prince　after　he　succeeded　to　the　throne　grew　quite　reformed　and　amiable；　forsaking　all　his　dissipated　companions；　and　never　thrashing　Sir　William　again。　　During　his　reign；　Lord　Cobham　was　burnt　alive；　but　I　forget　what　for。　　His　Majesty　then　turned　his　thoughts　to　France；　where　he　went　and　fought　the　famous　Battle　of　Agincourt。　　He　afterwards　married　the　King's　daughter　Catherine；　a　very　agreable　woman　by　Shakespear's　account。　　In　spite　of　all　this　however　he　died；　and　was　succeeded　by　his　son　Henry。


HENRY　the　6th

I　cannot　say　much　for　this　Monarch's　sense。　　Nor　would　I　if　I　could；　for　he　was　a　Lancastrian。　　I　suppose　you　know　all　about　the　Wars　between　him　and　the　Duke　of　York　who　was　of　the　right　side；　if　you　do　not；　you　had　better　read　some　other　History；　for　I　shall　not　be　very　diffuse　in　this；　meaning　by　it　only　to　vent　my　spleen　AGAINST；　and　shew　my　Hatred　TO　all　those　people　whose　parties　or　principles　do　not　suit　with　mine；　and　not　to　give　information。　　This　King　married　Margaret　of　Anjou；　a　Woman　whose　distresses　and　misfortunes　were　so　great　as　almost　to　make　me　who　hate　her；　pity　her。　　It　was　in　this　reign　that　Joan　of　Arc　lived　and　made　such　a　ROW　among　the　English。　　They　should　not　have　burnt　her　but　they　did。　　There　were　several　Battles　between　the　Yorkists　and　Lancastrians；　in　which　the　former　（as　they　ought）　usually　conquered。　　At　length　they　were　entirely　overcome；　The　King　was　murderedThe　Queen　was　sent　homeand　Edward　the　4th　ascended　the　Throne。


EDWARD　the　4th

This　Monarch　was　famous　only　for　his　Beauty　and　his　Courage；　of　which　the　Picture　we　have　here　given　of　him；　and　his　undaunted　Behaviour　in　marrying　one　Woman　while　he　was　engaged　to　another；　are　sufficient　proofs。　　His　Wife　was　Elizabeth　Woodville；　a　Widow　who；　poor　Woman！　　was　afterwards　confined　in　a　Convent　by　that　Monster　of　Iniquity　and　Avarice　Henry　the　7th。　　One　of　Edward's　Mistresses　was　Jane　Shore；　who　has　had　a　play　written　about　her；　but　it　is　a　tragedy　and　therefore　not　worth　reading。　　Having　performed　all　these　noble　actions；　his　Majesty　died；　and　was　succeeded　by　his　son。


EDWARD　the　5th

This　unfortunate　Prince　lived　so　little　a　while　that　nobody　had　him　to　draw　his　picture。　　He　was　murdered　by　his　Uncle's　Contrivance；　whose　name　was　Richard　the　3rd。


RICHARD　the　3rd

The　Character　of　this　Prince　has　been　in　general　very　severely　treated　by　Historians；　but　as　he　was　a　YORK；　I　am　rather　inclined　to　suppose　him　a　very　respectable　Man。　　It　has　indeed　been　confidently　asserted　that　he　killed　his　two　Nephews　and　his　Wife；　but　it　has　also　been　declared　that　he　did　not　kill　his　two　Nephews；　which　I　am　inclined　to　beleive　true；　and　if　this　is　the　case；　it　may　also　be　affirmed　that　he　did　not　kill　his　Wife；　for　if　Perkin　Warbeck　was　really　the　Duke　of　York；　why　might　not　Lambert　Simnel　be　the　Widow　of　Richard。　　Whether　innocent　or　guilty；　he　did　not　reign　long　in　peace；　for　Henry　Tudor　E。　of　Richmond　as　great　a　villain　as　ever　lived；　made　a　great　fuss　about　getting　the　Crown　and　having　killed　the　King　at　the　battle　of　Bosworth；　he　succeeded　to　it。


HENRY　the　7th

This　Monarch　soon　after　his　accession　married　the　Princess　Elizabeth　of　York；　by　which　alliance　he　plainly　proved　that　he　thought　his　own　right　inferior　to　hers；　tho'　he　pretended　to　the　contrary。　　By　this　Marriage　he　had　two　sons　and　two　daughters；　the　elder　of　which　Daughters　was　married　to　the　King　of　Scotland　and　had　the　happiness　of　being　grandmother　to　one　of　the　first　Characters　in　the　World。　　But　of　HER；　I　shall　have　occasion　to　speak　more　at　large　in　future。　　The　youngest；　Mary；　married　first　the　King　of　France　and　secondly　the　D。　of　Suffolk；　by　whom　she　had　one　daughter；　afterwards　the　Mother　of　Lady　Jane　Grey；　who　tho'　inferior　to　her　lovely　Cousin　the　Queen　of　Scots；　was　yet　an　amiable　young　woman　and　famous　for　reading　Greek　while　other　people　were　hunting。　　It　was　in　the　reign　of　Henry　the　7th　that　Perkin　Warbeck　and　Lambert　Simnel　before　mentioned　made　their　appearance；　the　former　of　whom　was　set　in　the　stocks；　took　shelter　in　Beaulieu　Abbey；　and　was　beheaded　with　the　Earl　of　Warwick；　and　the　latter　was　taken　into　the　Kings　kitchen。　　His　Majesty　died　and　was　succeeded　by　his　son　Henry　whose　only　merit　was　his　not　being　quite　so　bad　as　his　daughter　Elizabeth。


HENRY　the　8th

It　would　be　an　affront　to　my　Readers　were　I　to　suppose　that　they　were　not　as　well　acquainted　with　the　particulars　of　this　King's　reign　as　I　am　myself。　　It　will　therefore　be　saving　THEM　the　task　of　reading　again　what　they　have　read　before；　and　MYSELF　the　trouble　of　writing　what　I　do　not　perfectly　recollect；　by　giving　only　a　slight　sketch　of　the　principal　Events　which　marked　his　reign。　　Among　these　may　be　ranked　Cardinal　Wolsey's　telling　the　father　Abbott　of　Leicester　Abbey　that　〃he　was　come　to　lay　his　bones　among　them；〃　the　reformation　in　Religion　and　the　King's　riding　through　the　streets　of　London　with　Anna　Bullen。　　It　is　however　but　Justice；　and　my　Duty　to　declare　that　this　amiable　Woman　was　entirely　innocent　of　the　Crimes　with　which　she　was　accused；　and　of　which　her　Beauty；　her　Elegance；　and　her　Sprightliness　were　sufficient　proofs；　not　to　mention　her　solemn　Protestations　of　Innocence；　the　weakness　of　the　Charges　against　her；　and　the　King's　Character；　all　of　which　add　some　confirmation；　tho'　perhaps　but　slight　ones　when　in　comparison　with　those　before　alledged　in　her　favour。　　Tho'　I　do　not　profess　giving　many　dates；　yet　as　I　think　it　proper　to　give　some　and　shall　of　course　make　choice　of　those　which　it　is　most　necessary　for　the　Reader　to　know；　I　think　it　right　to　inform　him　that　her　letter　to　the　King　was　dated　on　the　6th　of　May。　　The　Crimes　and　Cruelties　of　this　Prince；　were　too　numerous　to　be　mentioned；　（as　this　history　I　trust　has　fully　shown；）　and　nothing　can　be　said　in　his　vindication；　but　that　his　abolishing　Religious　Houses　and　leaving　them　to　t