GOUGH’S HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF PLESHY. 
pon in the oe intact court of Rich- 
ard, in which French counsels gained a com- 
plete ascendancy. 
«© That we have few historians of Rich- 
ard’s reign, is ascribed by Hearne,* to the 
influence of the House of Lancaster in the 
reign of Henry VI. A monk of Evesham is 
the principal writer of his life taken singly ; 
but enough will be found in the general his- 
tories of Walsingham and Froissart, to jus- 
tify the opinion of the weakness and folly, 
not to say the wickedness of his conduct. 
That he might have been trained by Sir 
Simon Burley and the Earl of Warwick, to 
be the most accomplished prince of his time, 
and that his person rendered him the pref- 
tiest gentleman, is allowed on all hands : but 
that he wanted’ stability, understanding, and 
‘principle, is too notorious to be denied ; 
that he would have been easily led, had he 
fallen into good hands, is confirmed by the 
ascendancy which evil counsellors gained 
overhim. Holinshed is almost the first his- 
torian who speaks favourably of him; but 
jt was reserved for those superstitious ido- 
Jizers of kingly power, Hearne ¢ and Carte, 
to extol his understanding, sagacity, and pe- 
netration, at the expence of his uncles and 
advisers. j 
«¢ Perhaps no contemporary historian has 
set his actions in a truer light than the lively 
and ingeisitive Froissart, who omitted no 
opportunity of satisfying his curiosity, and 
whose impartiality has been proved beyond 
contradiction.§ In this view large extracts 
_ have been here made from his history, which 
_ * Preface to the Monk of Evesham. 
~ § De la Carne de St. Palaye, 
12mo. 
@es inse. and B. L. iii. 508.511. 120. 
_t Ibid. 
Memoires on his writings, particularly his jadgment on 
his history, p. 322. Mem. dé I’ Acad. des Insc. and Bel part 
{| See Abbé Bignon’s Memoires on the ancient library of the Louvre. 
387 
TI am sorry to say, has been so disfigured in 
all the editions hitherto printed, that it was 
necessary to haye recource to a beautiful ma- 
nuscript copy of it, in the Royal Library 
now in the British Museum, in six volumes, 
folio, marked 14 D. I—vi., and illustrated 
with several’ beautiful illuminations, (of 
which two are here engraved from drawings 
made by the late Mr. Joseph Strutt, when 
he was selecting his Royal Antiquities from 
that valuable collection,) and from another 
beautiful manuscript, marked E. 11. in the 
same library, anon He green velvet. Itis by 
no means improbable that these volumes 
were part of the antient library of the king of 
France, in the Louvre tower, collected and 
augmented by John, Charles V. and VI., 
and in 1425, when the English made them- 
selves masters of Paris, purchased for 1200 
francs, by the duke of Bedford, regent, to be 
carried into England.|| 
«« ‘Phis manuscript deserves to be carefully 
collated with the latest edition, by Sauvage, 
Paris, 1574, folio ;4[ where among many 
other inaccuracies, the proper names of per- 
sons and places in Great Britain, are grossly 
misrepresented, and equally so those of other 
nations. 
«« The original orthography is retained in 
the manuscript, and the only differencé is in 
the division and titles of the charts, a dif- 
ference which Le Carne observed in the 
different manuscripts in the French king's 
library. The hope of seeing a correct edition 
of this historian from his countrymen, anda 
_ faithful translation from one of our own, for- 
t History of England, ii. 640. 
ettres, xx. p. 288. 340. 360. 
Mem. de I’ Acad. 
* * @ Froissart’s History was first published by Anthony Verard, at Paris, without date. 
three volumes, folio; by Michael le Noir, Paris, 1505, two volumes, folio; by Galleot du 
Pre, Paris, 1530, three volumes, folio ; by John de Tournes, Lyons, 1559, 1560, 1561, 
three volumes, folio ; revised and corrected by Denys Sauvage This last was exactly copied 
by one at Paris, by Gervais Maillot, 1574, three volumes, folio. ‘To these editions, Mr. 
ohnes adds others in his own possession. 1. By Guill. Eustace, Paris, 1514; 2. an 
edition by Denys Sauvage, printed by Michael Sommes, Paris, 1574, This I have, but the 
volumes are rather books making one sizeable volume. 3. Another edition, by D. Sauvage, 
ptinted for Michael de Royney, Paris, 1574. 
_ “Sauvage acknowledges that he printed from the three first black letter editions, and two 
Manuscript abridgements, making some alterations from better historians, ‘ to give a mean- 
ing to passages which were in want of it,” placing the original reading in the margin, and 
| Teaving names of persons and places unaltered ; ‘* from the impossibility of correcting them 
with success.” With regard to the language, besides his intention never to change any 
ing of the antient words, he accompanies them with an explanation whenever he thinks 
them not sufficiently intelligible, not always indeed successfully, but illustrating his chro- 
ology, geography, and facts, in notes from historians, maps and records. In the publié 
library at Paris, are upwards of thirty folio volumes, containing separately, some one of the 
four books into which this history is diyided ; some illuminated with miniatures. Man 
anuscripts have been written in England, or destined for that country, since the author is 
represented as offering his book to its king and queen. 
_ ‘Mr. Johnes observes, p. 206, “* M. de S. Palaye is ignorant how rich this country is in 
| manuscripts of Froissart. There are many magnificent. ones in the British Musetm, at 
ps rnb Jambridge, and in other public and private libraries. J have in my library not less 
an six, but not ome isa complete history.” - 
Cc2 
