felf like a merchant, and then withdrew privately from the court, only attended by a page; and coming into Shore's fhop, then the richest in Lombard-ftreet, he found Mr. Shore, her husband, attending the business in the shop, and very bufy in his own affairs; and fo for a little while, tarrying till he was, at leifure, he defired to fee fome plate, which was prefently fhewed him, and under pretence of carrying it with him beyond the feas, foon agreed for a confiderable quantity, But the main commodity our dif guifed merchant wanted, was ftill behind, for the charming wife kept all this while incognito, it not being her hour to come down into the shop; which made him very uneafy, delaying the time with talking of feveral matters tranfacted in England and beyond the feas, until she did appear, after which he frequently returned to buy plate.”

The king's frequent vifits, however, to the Lombardstreet tradesman, at last produced a connection, that, though with royalty, proved fatal to her at laft, for Mrs. Shore, though well educated, and of an amiable difpofition, had not resolution and virtue fufficient to refift the temptations and folicitations of the king; and the indifference the felt for her husband, induced her with lefs reluctance to place herself intirely under the monarch's protection. This intrigue is stated to have taken place between 1462 and 1468; and according to the teftimony of a contemporary historian, continued to his death, during which time he made no improper use of her afcendancy over his affections, but employed herself in relieving the poor and distressed, that he was humble and courteous to all, and could even read and write, qualifications very uncommon in a woman of that age.

Often when the king had been offended with his officers and fervants, fhe, by her witty and facetious carriage with the king, would drive away the ftorm which otherwise would have poured down upon them: fo that her very

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enemies would fay, ""Twas pity fhe was a whore;" and that was the ftain that clouded all her glory, and blemished all the goodness which fhe had, or good he did, and fapped the foundation of her happiness.

"But notwithstanding all her charity and goodness, fhe was not without enemies at court; for there were ladies there that envied her favour with the king, and were not willing it fhould be engroffed fo much by her, that they could have no share in it; and therefore oftentimes would rally her, but ftill were baffled in their vain attempts; for the always had the fortune to come off victorious, which was more than his former mistress, the lady Beezly, (whom he ftill kept) could fay, although the had lately given herself to religion. In fhort, the had the good word of the world, and was seriously pitied in her difgrace with the king.

"Thus lived Jane Shore for fome years in the midst of earthly delights and worldly grandeur. But, alas! there's nothing stable nor fixed under the fun: Kings, though they are earthly gods, muft die like men, for they are made of the fame mouldering clay with other mortals, of which king Edward was to Jane Shore too fad an inftance; for he died at Westminster, in the fortieth year of his age, and twenty-third of his reign. This event happened in 1483. Hereupon lord Haftings fent and took Jane Shore (whom he courted before king Edward knew her) to his own bed, keeping her as his concubine. Shore thought it the greatest honour she could then afpire to. Befides, the thought that lord would be a fhelter to her from the anger of the queen, and of other ladies at the court, who bore no great affection to her, because fhe had engroffed fo much of his favour. But lord Haftings was fo far from being able to protect her that he could not long protect himself; for falling under the difpleafure of Richard, duke of Gloucefter, brother to the late king, then protector, and after

wards

wards king himself, he accufed him in the council-chamber at the Tower, of having, with the queen, and Jane Shore, confpired to bewitch him.-Adding, by St. Paul (which was his ufual oath) he would neither eat nor drink till his (lord Hastings's) head was off; and fo, being led out into the green within the Tower, he was there beheaded on a log, without staying for the formality of a scaffold or a priest."

Thus fell the amiable and accomplished lord Haftings, his popularity, and his known partiality to the young princes, his nephews, and open protection of Jane Shore, who had also fhewn much affection for them, rendered her equally obnoxious to the ambitious and cruel protector.

Holingshed, from whom we have quoted the above, with all the fimplicity and truth, which characterifes our early hiftorians, relates the proceffion of her penance after the had been feized and condemned before him, though not without her making an able defence, in which the cleared herself of every accufation of witchcraft, and of the other matter on the score of the frailty of her fex.

"She was stript," fays the venerable hiftorian, "of all her apparel, having only on her smock, and over that a white fheet, in one hand a lighted taper of wax, and in the other a cross; in which garb the walked barelegged and bare-foot all through Cheapfide and Lombardftreet, with a crowd of people to behold her; looking very lovely and charming, even in this penitent dress, that she was beloved by some, and pitied by others, and her hard fate lamented by all, except fuch as had engaged in Richard's accurfed defigns.

This penance was followed by a fevere proclamation against her, by strictly prohibiting all perfons whatsoever, on pain of death, and confifcation of all their goods and

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