Bosworth

The early morning fog covered the ground like a soft plush blanket. The lush green grass of the marsh and surrounding fields seemed to be a favorite of the horses.  As they walked the field many tried to steal a snatch or two.  Their riders weary, pulled their heads up and spurred them lightly forward. Yet they could sense what was coming soon. Ever so soon as the sun began to rise.

Brakenbury was quiet for a change. Yet, quiet boisterous the night before at the inn, Richard thought he would never sleep. Tossing and turning in his room in the inn’s upper bedroom, sleep never came easy for him away from his normal chambers in London, and especially now, alone. How he missed Anne. She was not supposed to die. So many things awaited him back in London. His niece Elizabeth, needed a marriage and then there was her other sisters. He needed to make their mother happy. He needed her support, most importantly he needed this usurper, Henry Tudor dead. Of bastard lineage, now in England to challenge his right to the crown, Richard’s crown.  

He gripped the hilt of his sword. It was cold, even through his leather gloves. He repeated to himself the words of the priest from the morning mass as he blessed them all as they prepared for battle. He asked God again to give him strength and watch out for him. He prayed to his wife Anne to watch out for his soul and his body if he fell. He tried to push that thought out of his mind, far, far away.

One of his commanders called for them all to halt. Banners danced in the air in the distance. Their colors vibrant against the morning grey sky. He could see the Welsh banner men struggling against the winds and then the standard of Tudor.  A chill ran down Richard’s spine. Soon, very soon, everyone’s fate was to be decided.......

c. June 30, 2014 A.C. McMillin 

Books of Art and of Prayer

"R. Gloucester" before king.

“Lord Jesus Christ, deign to free my, your servant King Richard, from every tribulation, sorrow and trouble in which I am placed…hear me, in the name of all your goodness, for which I give thanks, and for all the gifts granted to me, because you made me from nothing and redeemed me out of your bounteous love and pity from eternal damnation to promising eternal life.” ~ From Richard III personal Book of Hours

 

Coat of Arms with boars of Richard III

A book can be a window to one’s soul. This is one of the reasons for the popularity of prayer books during the Middle Ages.  Prayer was always supposed to being you closer to God, especially in the Medieval Christian faith. During the 1400’s manuscripts started to become more available to the general public, not just the nobility.  Because of this, we have more historical evidence of what was read and circulated during this time, than we do from previous reigns.

These prayer books of the Middle Ages were also known as “Book of Hours.” Their use as a devotional item is this main reason for their prevalence and preservation today. There are many famous prayer books that have survived for example: Les Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry, the Visconti Hours, Hours of Catherine of Cleves, and even the personal prayer book of King Richard III, which has a story of its own. What were these books for? And why where they so important to the medieval owner?

A page from Richard III's Book of Hours

To understand the importance of these books of prayer, it is important to understand the impact of religion on society at this time. Life during the 15^th century was nowhere near as secular as it is today.  Daily life revolved for both the nobility and common folk around the church; the Catholic Church. Prayer was said daily, and many frequented church at least once a day, at times more especially during Lent.  Before a day of battle during war; mass was said before engaging the enemies, on the battlefield.  Because of this, many would being the books with them to battle or with them on their campaigns to make sure their souls were cleansed or prepped incase they ended up in Gods hands.

These books were known as “primers.” They provided the readers or owners a range of personal prayer to recite as apart of their own daily meditation. Important prayers included passages from psalms, and collections of the Old Testament. These texts were grouped together in the books, which we know as the “Hours.” Examples of some of these included “Office of the Virgin” and “Office of the Dead” (Source: notes: “Book of Hours” Lecture from England in the Time of Richard III, Future Learn class)

The structure of the books yet even though many commissioned for the individual, personally did have a similar structure or layout.

A Calendar of Church feasts

An excerpt from each of the four gospels

The Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The fifteen Psalms of Degrees

The seven Penitential Psalms

A Litany of Saints

An Office for the Dead

The Hours of the Cross

Various other prayers

(source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_hours)

These books because of the period they were produced have paintings inside them, which are very useful in understanding 15^th and 16^th century life.  It is this reason why they are very popular with scholars when studying the period. They also are very important in understanding medieval Christianity. The books were tailored to their owners such as a man, or lady, and at times their names incorporated into some of the text and prayers to make it more personal. Also heralds or coat of arms were incorporated into the book to identify its original owner.

 

The rosary held by Anne, was also an important religious item.

Today hundreds survive in England alone.  Mainly because there were a large portion made, and they were produced in large numbers. Being that they were personal possessions of many, this aided their survival during the Reformation, yet still a fraction where subject to being discarded and destroyed with the destruction of the monasteries.  They were originally created as original manuscripts, but later were manufactured in commercial workshops with the personal details or inserts put in to give personalization for the owner.  With the introduction of printing, the books were printed via woodcut on vellum or parchment and parts were left not detailed for later imagery and colorization and personalization for the new owner.  Almost majority were composed in Latin yet some in French and Latin.

“At day-break on the Monday following there were no chaplains present to perform Divine service on behalf of king Richard, nor any breakfast prepared to refresh the flagging spirits of the king; besides which, as it generally stated, in the morning he declared that during the night he had seen dreadful visions, and had imagined himself surrounded by a multitude of dæmons. He consequently presented a countenance which, always attenuated, was on this occasion more livid and ghastly than usual…” Croyland Chronicle (http://www.r3.org/on-line-library-text-essays/crowland-chronicle/)

It is interesting to note one of the prayer books that has survived today; was one of King Richard III.  It is believed that 11-13 books survived today that were form his personal collection.  It is not surprising to find that he owned one, being a devote Catholic it was a common item to have, and to accompanied him on his travels and battles.  His book as noted above, has an interesting story.  The book is actually a second hand book, which is to have believed to been made around 1415 in London.  A close examination of the prayers included n the book; tell us that it was made for a priest.  Sometime after Richard acquired it, the long prayer at the end was added.  This prayer added holds an important significance. Not only does it ask for protection and relief from grief and sickness, but it also asks for protection from the hatred and the plots of his enemies and for reconciliation or forgiveness from them.  This prayer he added is actually a variant of a standard prayer that was included in similar versions of Book of Hours.  The prayer was widely circulated and even used by some of Richard’s contemporaries such as Alexander, Prince of Poland.  It later became important in the post-Tridentine Roman-primer that was printed and became standard staple in the Counter-Reformation of lay piety. 

 

One last prayer (Richard III portrayed by Aneurin Barnard)

When examining Richard as a person and his connection to his religion; catholcisum, this prayer it demonstrates an individual who is devoted, pious, but also isolated in his individualism.  This shows the importance of prayer in lay people of the later Middle Ages.  It also shows us how his individual enemies, and their intent and actions affected him as a person.  His concience in turmoil is directly shown through his need for personal prayer symbolizing his closeness to his religion and reasons behind his own personal for forgiveness.  This book of Richards’ and its meaning, offers both insight to the hostility and turmoil of medieval life during the War of the Roses and the impact of faith on the individual.  The prayers against harm from thyne enemies and need for protection show how unstable English society was at this time. 

After his untimely death at Bosworth, it was said that Henry Tudor found Richard’s prayer book in his tent, and gave it to his mother, Margaret Beaufort. She apparently altered it and wrote her name in it.  The prayer he wrote “praying for deliverance from various forms of affliction, sickness and danger” was left intact.  Unfortunately, the prayer’s intent and his closeness to his faith that he hoped would keep him out of harms way, didn’t quite work out that way.  It is noted though his faith and hope in God, did give him the courage to fight until his death.

Duffy, Eamon. Marking the Hours: English People and Their Prayers 1240-1570 Published by Library of Congress/Eamon Duffy c. 2006 pp. 100-102 (google ebooks)

Personal notes from “England in the Time of Richard III” course by Future Learn Nov. 2013.

http://www.medievalhistories.com/book-of-hours-of-richard-iii/ accessed: 2/28/14

http://www.lambethpalacelibrary.org/content/annunciation accessed: 3/1/14

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_hours accessed: 2/28/14

Mary Mary Quiet Contrary....

"By day, by night, I think of him 


In wood or mead, or where I be


My heart keeps watch for one who's gone


                                                          And yet I feel he's aye to me"
                                 ~Mary Queen of Scots, written after the death of Francis II

The fascination with Mary Queen of Scots is quite lengthily. Recently, she has been featured on the CW’s “Reign” and Swiss film maker Thomas Imbach, “Mary Queen of Scots” 2013.  What makes Mary such a fascinating topic, one of legend, one of children’s rhymes?  Her life was something that was a bit of a whirlwind romance with three husbands, all ending up dead, then later her death.

Currently Mary is gracing the screen every week on Thursday nights, in Reign. Adelaide Kane portrays her grace.  The show is supposed to be a loose adaptation of Mary’s life in France and leading up to when she returns to Scotland. But where the winter finale left off, we don’t know where Mary was running off too. All we know I she ran away. The Mary on the show is a bit head strong, willful, and not exactly virtuous, as she tumbles in the hay with Francis, before being wed.  I don’t think the real Mary would have done this, or would she have been allowed to.


Mary was the only child of James V of Scotland and Mary Guise of France. She was born in 1542 at Linlithgow Palace in Scotland. Her father James V soon died, conflicting sources say in battle and one states due to nervous collapse, and or drinking contaminated water.  Dates are also unclear. Wiki states 6 days after birth and another states one year.  The Scottish lords attempted to make peace with England.  A marriage was arranged between Mary and Henry VIII’s son Edward VI. The ink was barely dry on the treaty, when religious war broke out and the Catholic opposition took Mary to Sterling Castle.   The match was broken and Scotland went back to being France’s ally.  As a very young child, Mary was moved from castle to castle partly due to safety concerns. Part of the alliance, and the blood shed in Scotland, and due to Mary being such a young age, it questioned that the Scottish lords would not respect her authority, so she was sent to France at age 5 for her safety and well being.  Interestingly, it was while in France that her name of “Stewart” changed to “Stuart” for suit the French court. (Source: http://www.royal.gov.uk/historyofthemonarchy/scottish%20monarchs%28400ad-1603%29/thestewarts/maryqueenofscots.aspx)

Her arrival to France did not come with out cost. She was already betrothed to Francis II the son of King Henry II, of France’s son. Surprisingly, the depiction of Queen Catherine in “Reign” is actually pretty accurate, as she and Mary did not get along and were at odds many of the time. Mary and Francis II were married at Sunday, April 24th 1558 in the Cathédrale de Notre Dame de Paris.  Mary was 16 and Francis was 14 and Mary was 15. Unfortunately, the marriage didn’t last long, as Francis died two years later from an inner ear infection that had abscessed into his brain in 1560.  Months earlier in 1559, Henry II died from injuries obtained in a jousting tournament.  Her mother, died in Scotland also in 1560.  In the short amount of time, Mary lost her father-in-law, her mother, and her husband.  It is believed that she never truly emotionally recovered.  Loosing three people very close to her in such a short amount of time was devastating, yet it’s devastating to any person.

She returned to Scotland as Queen of the Scots aged eighteen in 1561.  When she left, Scotland was still predominantly Catholic, upon her arrival home; it was now a Protestant country, as a result of the teachings from John Knox.  It was in Scotland, she met the infamous Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley
--> (Mary and Darnley were first cousins). In the upcoming film “Mary Queen of Scots” Darnley is portrayed by Aneurin Barnard (The White Queen). I am eager to see this adaptation for many reasons.  Unfortunately, Darnley’s quick rise to fame brought a short ending to his life. He became arrogant, a drunkard and quiet overbearing according to sources. It is noted that he went into a rage because he believed that Mary’s secretary, David Rizzio were having an affair, and Darnley organized a gang and during one of Mary’s private parties stabbed him over 50 times. In June 1566 her son, James was born. Her marriage with Darnley continued to tumble in to ashes. The disastrous marriage ended on February 9th 1567 when Darnley was found by Mary and one of her servants murdered, by suffocation in the garden of Kirk O'Field. 

Mary quickly married after Darnley’s death. Her last husband was James Hepburn, Earl of Boswell.  Whether the marriage was consensual or forced, as it is rumored that Boswell raped her while they were in Durham, as they were married just three months after Darnley’s death in .  They were on their way back from visiting her son, that April of 1567.   They were married in a protestant ceremony in Edinburgh in May of the same year.  It is thought that she turned to Boswell when she was having marital problems with Darnley, and suggested that he helped orchestrate his murder, and the possible explosion at Kirk O’Field. This was perhaps one of the biggest mistakes she made and eventually caused her demise.  The word got out and this angered her subjects and fellow Scottish nobles. The lords rose up against her and she surrendered to their opposition in June of 1567 at Carberry Hill, which was near Edinburgh. She was taken to Loch Leven Castle where she was imprisoned but escaped in 1568.  During her imprisonment at Loch Leven, it is believed she miscarried twins, that July of  1567.  She fled to England, asking for Elizabeth I, her cousin for help but instead was arrested. Elizabeth's distaste for Mary’s decision to marry Boswell in the first place, was quite evident in one of her letters:

“How could a worse choice be made for your honour than in such haste to marry such a subject, who besides other and notorious lacks, public fame has charged with the murder of your late husband, besides the touching of yourself also in some part, though we trust in that behalf falsely.” (Letter to Mary, Queen of Scots, 23 June 1567." Quoted by Loades, 69–70.)

Mary was imprisoned for 19 years. What happened to Boswell? I guess you could say he took off. How noble and loyal… not. Apparently, he fled via ship and sailed to Demark. He was met with a surprise and surprisingly Anna Throndsen, a Norwegian noblewoman and a former wife of Boswells, with the backing of her family, assisted in arresting him. Had King Frederick not heard that the English were looking for him as a suspect in Lord Darnley’s murder, he might have gotten away. Boswell ended up in Dragsholm Castle, which was infamous for its horrid conditions. He went mad and died April 14, 1578.

Back in England, Sir Francis Walsingham helped build the case against Mary for Elizabeth I, as she was a direct threat to the throne.  Mary being Roman Catholic didn’t help Mary.  Religious uprisings broke out around the country as many rebellions.  The focus of the rebellions where attempts to free Mary and put her on the throne. The rebellion in 1569 was a loss that over 750 rebels were executed. The tension between Catholic and Protestant England only mounted while Mary was imprisoned.

It took many years for them to have enough evidence to convict her of treason, but more than enough plots were uncovered by Walsingham The fact that Mary was Catholic and to have the assumption or risk of a possible “Catholic” queen was not a popular subject by many.  It was noted, that Elizabeth was at first hesitant to sign Mary’s death warrant.  Mary dressed as a martyr, was executed at Fotheringhay Castle, north of London, on February 8, 1587.  Sad to note, Mary was not allowed to have her a Catholic priest present at her execution.  She brought her dog with her to her execution, as the dog came out and refused to leave its mistress. She was given 24-hour notice that she would die that day.  After Mary’s beheading, it was discovered that she was wearing a wig, a surprise to many. Her clothes, the wooden block, everything that was touched by her blood, and any personal effects were later burned to prevent people from taking pieces for religious or symbolic purposes. (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary,_Queen_of_Scots, Fraser 1994, p. 540; Guy 2004, p. 9)

Suspicions even after her death continued and do so today. It is questioned that Elizabeth didn’t really sign the death warrant, or ordered it, yet her secretary at the time Davidson, was even told not to carry out it’s orders. This is still being questioned today.

As a result of Mary’s turbulent life and the challenges and defeats she bore; she has always been quite a popular enigma to many, both in film, novel, and scholar.  She is perhaps one of the most heroic women of Tudor Scotland and England.

Sources:
http://www.royal.gov.uk/historyofthemonarchy/scottish%20monarchs%28400ad-1603%29/thestewarts/maryqueenofscots.aspx
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/mary_queen_of_scots.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_II_of_France
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary,_Queen_of_Scots
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Hepburn,_4th_Earl_of_Bothwell
http://scotlandsmary.com/