thin. His countenance was mild and pleasing, unless he was excited, when it would assume an expression of fierceness. In comparison, howerer, with his tall, and remarkably handsome brothers, Richard may have appeared insignificant, and even ugly.

With the description of Richard's body, given by Shakespeare, harmonizes what is said about his growing up, and mental development, and about his character and disposition. His own mother reporting about it says:

He was the wretched'’st thing, when he was young;

So long agrowing, and so leisurely.(Rich. III. II. 4.)— And again she says to Richard:

Thou cam'st on earth to make the earth my hell.

A grievous burthen was thy birth to me;

Tetchy and wayward was thy infancy;

Thy school-days frightful, desperate, wild, and furious;

Thy prime of manhood daring, bold, and venturous,

Thy age confirm'd, proud, subtle, sly, and bloody,

More mild, but yet more harmful-kind in hatred:

What comfortable hour canst thou name,

That ever grac'd me in thy company?(Rich. III. IV. 4.) That is an appalling picture in the mouth of a mother, but it seems again an invention of the poet. History does not know much about Richard's youth and development. It seems however that the boy was, indeed, of a weak, and perhaps sickly constitution, and so it is very likely he caused his mother great trouble and anxiety, and perhaps much taxed her patience and forbearance as sickly children will often do. But it may have been just the care that she was forced to bestow upon her weak boy that endeared him to her more than any of her other children, and, on the other hand, attached Richard for life to his loving mother. He seems to have remained under her care up to his eighth year, sharing with her all vicissitudes of her rather restless life, whether surprised and seized by the opponent faction, or fleeing from their enemies. So he was staying with his mother at Ludlow castle when it was sacked(Oct. 1459), and he was imprisoned with her at Tunbridge castle in Kent until they were either released, or made their escape to London. They were still staying there when his father, and his brother Rutland were killed after the battle of Wakefield(Dec. 31. et 1460). At this sad news Lady Cecily thought to secure her youngest sons best by sending them to the Continent. At Utrecht they remained till Edward had mounted the English throne. At their return King Edward made George Duke of Clarence, and Richard Duke of York. As Richard was now at the age when noble boys, according to the custom, were entrusted to some warrior of renown to be instructed by him in the most necessary of sciences, that of managing a horse, and handling a sword, it is most likely that he, too, was now given to some: valiant knight to be introduced by him into the duties and accomplishments of knighthood(Hal- sted, Richard III.) And it seems most likely that this knight was no other than the cousin of his mother, the bravest, and most renowned warrior of that time, the Earl of Warwick. There is no direct proof for this supposition, but there has been found in the Exchequer roll this entry: Paid to Richard, Earl of Warwick for costs and expenses incurred by him on behalf of the Duke of Gloucester, the kings brother“... The entry is of the year 1465, when Richard was in his 14tb- year. There is another proof that Richard must have finished chis military education about that