The Rous Roll

While reading up on the life of Richard III, I have seen quite a few
reproductions of the original Rous Roll showing Richard as a normal
human being. We are told that Rous susbsequently changed his mind
and drew him with a scorpion tail. I have yet to see any
reproduction of this. Is it still extant??? If so, where there a
reproduction to be seen???

Angela

Hi Angela,

> We are told that Rous susbsequently changed his mind
> and drew him with a scorpion tail. I have yet to see any
> reproduction of this. Is it still extant??? If so, where there a
> reproduction to be seen???

Rous described him as a scorpion: "Richard was born at
Fotheringhay in Northamptonshire, retained within his mother's womb
for two years and emerging with teeth and hair to his shoulders. He
was born at the Feast of the Eleven Thousand Virgins. At his nativity
Scorpio was in the ascendant, which is the sign of a house of Mars.
And like a scorpion he combined a smooth front with a stinging tail."
(John Rous, 'Historia Regum Anglie' 1486)

But did Rous also draw a picture? Not only figuratively, but
literally?

Diana

Of course Rous also wrote a very complimentary description of Richard
(in Latin?) which somehow, fortunately for Ricardians, survived the
change of dynasty.
He then rewrote it as Diana quotes.
Bit like Stalin rewriting history, or Orwell's ministry of Truth.
On the Rous Rolls there is only one drawing, which has no tail or
spikes are deformities! What a surprise!
Paul

On Feb 28, 2005, at 11:07, Diana wrote:

>
>
> Hi Angela,
>
>> We are told that Rous susbsequently changed his mind
>> and drew him with a scorpion tail. I have yet to see any
>> reproduction of this. Is it still extant??? If so, where there a
>> reproduction to be seen???
>
> Rous described him as a scorpion: "Richard was born at
> Fotheringhay in Northamptonshire, retained within his mother's womb
> for two years and emerging with teeth and hair to his shoulders. He
> was born at the Feast of the Eleven Thousand Virgins. At his nativity
> Scorpio was in the ascendant, which is the sign of a house of Mars.
> And like a scorpion he combined a smooth front with a stinging tail."
> (John Rous, 'Historia Regum Anglie' 1486)
>
> But did Rous also draw a picture? Not only figuratively, but
> literally?
>
> Diana
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> Yahoo! Groups Links
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