ittle of stature, ill fetured of limmes, croke backed, his left
shoulder much higher than his right, hard fauoured of visage, and such as
is in states called warlye, in other menne otherwise, he was malicious,
wrathfull, enuious, and from afore his birth euer frowarde. * * * Hee was
close and secrete, a deep dissimuler, lowlye of counteynaunce, arrogant of
heart--dispitious and cruell, not for euill will alway, but after for
ambicion, and either for the suretie and encrease of his estate. Frende and
foo was muche what indifferent, where his aduauntage grew, he spared no
mans deathe, whose life withstoode his purpose. He slew with his owne
handes king Henry the sixt, being prisoner in the Tower."--SIR THOMAS MORE:
_Johnson's History of the English Language_, p. 39.

36. _From his description of Fortune, written about the year 1500._

"Fortune is stately, solemne, prowde, and hye:
And rychesse geueth, to haue seruyce therefore.
The nedy begger catcheth an half peny:
Some manne a thousaude pounde, some lesse some more.
But for all that she kepeth euer in store,
From euery manne some parcell of his wyll,
That he may pray therefore and serve her styll.
Some manne hath good, but chyldren hath he none.
Some manne hath both, but he can get none health.
Some hath al thre, but vp to honours trone,
Can he not crepe, by no maner of stelth.
To some she sendeth chyldren, ryches, welthe,
Honour, woorshyp, and reuerence all hys lyfe:
But yet she pyncheth hym with a shrewde wife."
SIR THOMAS MORE.

V. ENGLISH OF THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY.

37. _Example for the reign of Henry VII, who was crowned on Bosworth field,
1485, and who died in 1509._

"Wherefor and forasmoche as we haue sent for our derrest wif, and for our
derrest moder, to come unto us, and that we wold have your advis and
counsail also in soche matters as we haue to doo for the subduying of the
rebelles, we praie you, that, yeving your due attendaunce vppon our said
derrest wif and lady moder, ye come with thaym unto us; not failing herof
as ye purpose to doo us plaisir. Yeven undre our signett, at our Castell of
Kenelworth, the xiii daie of Maye."--HENRY VII: _Letter to the Earl of
Ormond: Bucke's Classical Gram._, p. 147.

38. _Example for the short reign of Richard III,--from 1485 to 1483._

"Right reverend fader in God, right trusty and right wel-beloved, we grete
yow