A Ricardian Christmas
A Ricardian Christmas
2014-12-24 22:48:59
Here's a link to an article about Richard's Christmases as king. http://www.medievalists.net/2012/12/21/richard-iiis-raucous-christmas-parties/
Most of it is sensible and reasonably well informed, but I take issue with the statement that he "spread rumours about how licentious and morally corrupt Edward IV's court had been. Admittedly, the petition of the Three Estates refers to this well-known licentiousness in one of the arguments used to persuade Richard to become king, but I'm unaware of any rumors that Richard himself spread. No doubt the gossip about Edward's licentiousness preceded Richard's reign, and much of it was true. Also, it's true that Richard wanted to set a moral example for his subjects, but allowing dancing and "vain changes of apparel" at Christmastime would not detract from that example, not to mention that the Croyland Chronicler is hypocritical in criticizing Richard's Christmas festivities after praising Edward for his!
Anyway, except for a slight hint that Richard was a hypocrite for not banning Christmas celebrations (as if he were a seventeenth-century Puritan instead of a fifteenth-century Catholic), the article is interesting and makes no mention of "crimes."
Carol
Most of it is sensible and reasonably well informed, but I take issue with the statement that he "spread rumours about how licentious and morally corrupt Edward IV's court had been. Admittedly, the petition of the Three Estates refers to this well-known licentiousness in one of the arguments used to persuade Richard to become king, but I'm unaware of any rumors that Richard himself spread. No doubt the gossip about Edward's licentiousness preceded Richard's reign, and much of it was true. Also, it's true that Richard wanted to set a moral example for his subjects, but allowing dancing and "vain changes of apparel" at Christmastime would not detract from that example, not to mention that the Croyland Chronicler is hypocritical in criticizing Richard's Christmas festivities after praising Edward for his!
Anyway, except for a slight hint that Richard was a hypocrite for not banning Christmas celebrations (as if he were a seventeenth-century Puritan instead of a fifteenth-century Catholic), the article is interesting and makes no mention of "crimes."
Carol
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