39 



charge^ and attempt, with some of his forces, to cut his way to Henry, 

 and to terminate the battle by despatching him, and in his charge slew 

 Sir William Brandon and unhorsed Sir John Cheney. Richard's 

 daring enterprise at first seemed likely to be attended with success, 

 but was frustrated by Sir William Stanley,^ who then declared for 

 Henry, and threw the weight of three thousand fresh soldiers into the 

 scale of the latter, and attacked Richard's right flank. 



This appears to have been the important period of the battle alluded 

 to by Shakespeare — 



Catesby — " Rescue, my Lord of Norfolk I Eescue I Rescue ! 

 The king enacts more wonders than a man, 

 Daring an ojiposite to every danger ; 

 His horse is slain, and all on foot he fights, 

 Seeking for Richmond in the throat of death. 

 Eescue, fair Lord, or else the day is lost." 

 Shakespeare's Richard III, Act v. sc. ith, {Bosworth Field). 

 It was at a critical moment that Sir William Stanley declared for 

 Henry, because if he had deferred his aid a very short time longer, he 

 might have deferred it for ever, for fortune seemed at that moment to 

 be propitious to Richard's enterprise and invincible courage ; and Henry 

 was in the utmost danger, and it was probable that he must either have 

 perished or fled. 



The consequence of Sir William Stanley's opportune and most valu- 

 able assistance was, that Richard and most of the noblemen, knights, 

 and soldiers, who accompanied him in the charge, were surrounded 

 by superior numbers and slain, and Henry obtained the victoiy.' 

 It is not known mth any degree of certainty what the respective 



step, or to have been in any shape concerned in that insurrection ; yet precisely Iho 

 same reasons which are assigned for Lord Stanley's defection from Richard at the 

 Battle of Bosworth, in 1485, appear equally to apply to mfluence him in 1483, when 

 the Duke of Buckingham took up arms. It is very difficult to account for Lord 

 Stanley's then remaining quiescent, unless we may infer that there was a feeling 

 of jealousy in his mind, and that he suspected that as the Duke of Buckingham was a 

 more powerful nobleman than himself, and was of the blood royal of England, it was 

 possible that he might, if successful, claim the crown in his own right, or that Lord 

 Stanley did not consider that the feeling of the noblemen and gentry against Richard 

 was then sufficiently ripe or decided for an insurrection ; or that he was watching 

 events, with the purpose of adhering at last to the strongest. 



' When Richard made his charge, it sliould seem that he advanced from his right 

 centre, because the ancient liistorians state that he "rode out of the syde of the 

 range of his battaile" — Ilall, fo. 34, Grafton, fo. 861 ; "Rode out of the side of tho 

 range of his battel" — Ilolinshed, fo. 759. 



■' Sir William Stanley, whose services so opportunely given, and of such inestimable 

 value, was requited by Uenry's putting him to death in 1496, on a very questionable 

 and frivolous charge. 



' The historical authorities for this paper are Hall, Uolinshed, Grafton, Baker, 

 Speed, .Stow, Dugdalo, Sandford, and Rot. Tarl. vol. vi. 



