"cleared Richard from several of the murders he " has been charged with, there are, notwithstand"ing, others of which it is highly probable that "he was the author, as Mr. Hume has very " fully evinced, in a note to the last edition of "his History of England, and which is given by " way of answer to the 'Historic Doubts.' " Mr. Hutton does not follow the steps of Mr. "Walpole; he attempts not entirely to exculpate "his 'hero' for so he styles him-but rather " to apologize for his conduct on the plea of " necessity *, from the force of his ambition, "and from the boldness of his character. "This endeavour to vindicate the character of "Richard, by comparing him with others who " have been guilty of equal or perhaps of greater " crimes than himself, will not be very satisfac 66 tory to the man of reason and virtue. It tends, "indeed, to the annihilation of every moral and " religious duty. The Tyrant who, after com"mitting three or four murders, shall stop his "hand, because his end is fully answered by "them, is scarcely less an object of detestation "than he who adds to their number in the pro"secution of his ambitious schemes." * " So spoke the Fiend, and with necessity, The Tyrant's plea, excus'd his dev'lish deeds." MILTON. "hand MONTHLY REVIEW, vol. LXXX. p. 124. "The two latest Historians of Richard the "Third do not concur in their representations of "their hero. Mr. Walpole, in his 'Historic "Doubts, vindicates him from the deformities "objected both to his person and mind. Mr. "Hutton aggravates those of the latter; but ad"mits doubts of the former. This eccentric "Writer, whom we have already met with at " Birmingham and London, finding nobody, in " any age, had described Bosworth Field from " ocular examination, because its geography was " omitted*, and that Mr. Burton, the Leices" tershire Antiquary, who owned and resided on "the next lordship to it, and must have con * See Mr. Robinson's Map, in p. 183. 1 “ versed * with many who actually saw the Battle, " left no anecdotes of it, made several visits to it " in the space of eighteen years."-" Mr. Hutton " has traced the march of Richard from Notting"ham, August 16, to his camp at the Brad"shaws on the 18th, and the sites of the camps " of the two competitors, and the two brothers " Stanley; and, from their contents, calculated the " number of the respective troops, amounting in "the whole to not quite 30,000 men. He is as " particular in detailing the Battle as if he had "been in it: but, for want of authorities, we " must take his word for it, for it is impossible "to follow him with other Authors. Mr. Robin"son has described the events astronomically, " Mr. Hutton, topographically, by leading us to "every scene of action." GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE, vol. LVIII. p. 726. "The Battle of Bosworth Field, as being de"cisive of a contest which, during a period of 30 " years, had deluged England with the blood of " its subjects, is doubtless one of the most memo"rable events of the kind in this Country. This "action has accordingly been described by seve" ral Writers, but by none so minutely as the " present Author, who is more than an Antiqua" rian-he is an enthusiast on the subject. Bos"worth Field appears to be classic ground with "Mr. Hutton; and we speak not without suffi"cient authority when we affirm, that he has " surveyed the favoured object of his researches " with an attention, an ardour, and a persever * "Mr. Burton was born in 1575, and the battle " was fought in 1485; so that a man must have been " 90 to have been born the year of Bosworth fight, " and 100 to have been ten years old at the time." "The ance, never before displayed by any English "Historian or Antiquary. He informs us that " he was interested, even from his childhood, in "this important event; that he has made seve"ral visits, in the space of 18 years, to the Field " itself, merely for information and inspection; " and that he has likewise made many enquiries " into the traditions in the vicinity of Bosworth " Field, and found it the most copious source of " intelligence." CRITICAL REVIEW, LXVI. p. 217. "Mr "Mr. Hutton's Battle of Bosworth Field con"tains a variety of circumstances relating to that " important and decisive event, which have been "unknown to our other Historians and Antiqua"ries. His information he has drawn, not only " from the best remaining Chronicles of the "times, but from repeated visits to the scenes of "action, which he has examined with uncom" mon ardour and attention, and minute enqui"ries into the traditions of its vicinity. This " work is interesting and amusing; and may eon"tribute to the illustration of this dark period of " English History." NEW ANNUAL REGISTER. PREFACE. |