penance. In each of these processions her head was
covered only by a kerchief; her feet were bare; scrolls, containing a
narrative of her crime, were affixed to her white dress; and she was
received and attended by the Mayor, Sheriff, and Companies of London."

The historian, biographer, poet, playwright, and story-teller have all
related details of the career of Jane Shore. A sad tale it is, but one
which has always been popular both with gentle and simple. It is not
necessary to relate here at length the story of her life. She was born
in London, was a woman of considerable personal charms, and could do
what few ladies of her time were able to accomplish--namely, read well
and write. When some sixteen or seventeen years of age, she married
William Shore, a goldsmith and banker, of Lombard Street. She lived with
her husband seven years, but about 1470, left him to become one of the
mistresses of Edward IV. Her beauty, wit, and pleasant behaviour
rendered her popular at Court. The King died in 1483, and within two
months she was charged by Richard III. with sorcery and witchcraft, but
the charges could not be sustained. Her property, equal to about L20,000
at the present time, was taken from her by the King. He afterwards
caused her to be brought before the Ecclesiastical Court and tried for
incontinence, and for the crime she had to do penance in the streets of
London. Perhaps we cannot do better than quote Rowe's drama to relate
this part of her story:

Submissive, sad, and lonely was her look;
A burning taper in her hand she bore;
And on her shoulders, carelessly confused,
With loose neglect her lovely tresses hung;
Upon her cheek a faintish flush was spread;
Feeble she seemed, and sorely smit with pain;
While, barefoot as she trod the flinty pavement,
Her footsteps all along were marked with blood.
Yet silent still she passed, and unrepining;
Her streaming eyes bent ever on the earth,
Except when, in some bitter pang of sorrow,
To heaven, she seemed, in fervent zeal to raise,
And beg that mercy man denied her here.

We need not go into details respecting her life from this time, but
briefly state that it is a popular error to suppose that she was starved
in a ditch, and that the circumstance gave rise to the name of a part of
London known as Shoreditch. The black-letter ballad in the Pepys
collection, which makes Jane Shore die of hunger after doing penance,