''The Fortunes of Perkin Warbeck: A Romance'' is an 1830

historical novel Historical fiction is a literary genre in which the plot takes place in a setting related to the past events, but is fictional. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for historical fiction literature, it can also be applied to other t ...

Mary Shelley Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (; ; 30 August 1797 – 1 February 1851) was an English novelist who wrote the Gothic novel '' Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' (1818), which is considered an early example of science fiction. She also ...

about the life of

Perkin Warbeck Perkin Warbeck ( 1474 – 23 November 1499) was a pretender to the English throne claiming to be Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York, who was the second son of Edward IV and one of the so-called " Princes in the Tower". Richard, were he alive ...

. The book takes a

Yorkist The House of York was a cadet branch of the English royal House of Plantagenet. Three of its members became kings of England in the late 15th century. The House of York descended in the male line from Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York, t ...

point of view and proceeds from the conceit that Perkin Warbeck died in childhood and the supposed impostor was indeed Richard of Shrewsbury.

Henry VII of England Henry VII (28 January 1457 – 21 April 1509) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizure of the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death in 1509. He was the first monarch of the House of Tudor. Henry's mother, Margaret Beauf ...

is repeatedly described as a "fiend" who hates

Elizabeth of York Elizabeth of York (11 February 1466 – 11 February 1503) was Queen of England from her marriage to King Henry VII on 18 January 1486 until her death in 1503. Elizabeth married Henry after his victory at the Battle of Bosworth Field, which mark ...

, his wife and Richard's sister, and the future

Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...

, mentioned only twice in the novel, is a vile youth who abuses dogs. Her preface establishes that records of the

Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is sep ...

, as well as the histories of

Edward Hall Edward Hall ( – ) was an English lawyer and historian, best known for his ''The Union of the Two Noble and Illustre Families of Lancastre and Yorke''—commonly known as ''Hall's Chronicle''—first published in 1548. He was also sever ...

Raphael Holinshed Raphael Holinshed ( – before 24 April 1582) was an English chronicler, who was most famous for his work on ''The Chronicles of England, Scotlande, and Irelande'', commonly known as ''Holinshed's Chronicles''. It was the "first complete printe ...

, and

Francis Bacon Francis Bacon, 1st Viscount St Alban (; 22 January 1561 – 9 April 1626), also known as Lord Verulam, was an English philosopher and statesman who served as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England. Bacon led the advancement of both ...

, the letters of

Sir John Ramsay ''Sir'' is a formal honorific address in English language, English for men, derived from Sire in the High Middle Ages. Both are derived from the old French "Sieur" (Lord), brought to England by the French-speaking Normans, and which now exist i ...

to Henry VII that are printed in the Appendix to

John Pinkerton John Pinkerton (17 February 1758 – 10 March 1826) was a Scottish antiquarian, cartographer, author, numismatist, historian, and early advocate of Germanic racial supremacy theory. He was born in Edinburgh, as one of three sons to Ja ...

's History of Scotland establish this as fact. Each chapter opens with a quotation. The entire book is prefaced with a quotation in French by Georges Chastellain and Jean Molinet.

Plot and themes

In this novel, Mary Shelley returned to ''

The Last Man ''The Last Man'' is an apocalyptic, dystopian science fiction novel by Mary Shelley, first published in 1826. The narrative concerns Europe in the late 21st century, ravaged by a mysterious plague pandemic that rapidly sweeps across the ent ...

''s message that an idealistic political system is impossible without an improvement in human nature. This

, influenced by those of

Sir Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet, playwright and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European and Scottish literature, notably the novels '' Ivanhoe'', '' Rob Roy ...

, fictionalises the exploits of Perkin Warbeck, a pretender to the throne of

King Henry VII Henry VII (28 January 1457 – 21 April 1509) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizure of the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death in 1509. He was the first monarch of the House of Tudor. Henry's mother, Margaret Beaufort, ...

who claimed to be Richard, Duke of York, the second son of

King Edward IV Edward IV (28 April 1442 – 9 April 1483) was King of England from 4 March 1461 to 3 October 1470, then again from 11 April 1471 until his death in 1483. He was a central figure in the Wars of the Roses, a series of civil wars in Englan ...

. Shelley believed that Warbeck really was Richard and had escaped from the

. She endows his character with elements of Percy Shelley, portraying him sympathetically as "an

angel In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles ...

ic essence, incapable of wound", who is led by his sensibility onto the political stage. She seems to have identified herself with Richard's wife, Lady Katherine Gordon, who survives after her husband's death by compromising with his political enemies. Lady Gordon stands for the values of friendship, domesticity and equality; through her, Mary Shelley offers a female alternative to the masculine power politics that destroy Richard, as well as the typical historical narrative which only relates those events.Bunnell, 132; Lynch, 143-44. Shelley also creates a strong female character in the round-faced, half-Moor, half-Fleming, Monina de Faro, Richard's adoptive sister, whom Robin Clifford demands as his wife. Monina is a versatile young lady who acts as decoy, messenger, and military organizer, in addition to her close friendship with both Richard and Katherine. Robin Clifford epitomizes mixed loyalties—an old friend descended from Lancastrians, who is constantly divided against himself. Stephen Frion, secretary to Henry VII and betrayed by him, is an elder foil, whose loyalties shift back and forth dependent on Henry's grace, whereas Clifford's wavering is based on genuine emotion. The book opens immediately after the

Battle of Bosworth The Battle of Bosworth or Bosworth Field was the last significant battle of the Wars of the Roses, the civil war between the houses of Lancaster and York that extended across England in the latter half of the 15th century. Fought on 22 Au ...

on August 22, 1485 (a scanning error in the

Dodo Press Book Depository (previously ''The Book Depository'') is a UK-based online book seller with a large catalogue, offering free shipping to over 160 countries. Founded by a former Amazon employee, it was acquired by Amazon on July 4, 2011. History ...

2000 edition gives the date as 1415). Three knights are fleeing from the battle, Sir Henry Stafford, Lord Lovel, and Edmund Plantagenet, although the latter two are not identified until they split from Stafford and arrive at a church. All three are members of the defeated Yorkist contingency. With the aid of John de la Pole, the Earl of Lincoln, Lovel and Edmund are involved in spiriting away Richard, Duke of York into the hands of Mynheer Jahn Warbeck, a Flemish moneylender who had previously housed him and pretended that Richard was his deceased son, Perkin Warbeck. This is not considered safe enough for the youth at the present time, so it is arranged for Richard to go with Madeline de Faro, Warbeck's 25-year-old sister. Madeline is married to mariner Hernan de Faro, and the two have a daughter named Monina, and Richard and Monina develop a strong sibling bond, Richard aware he could never marry a commoner. It is she who rescues and nurses him back to health after his first taste of battle in the

Granada War The Granada War ( es, Guerra de Granada) was a series of military campaigns between 1482 and 1491 during the reign of the Catholic Monarchs, Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon, against the Nasrid dynasty's Emirate of Granada. It e ...

Characters

Richard of Shrewsbury, 1st Duke of York Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from Old Frankish and is a compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' and ''*hardu-'' 'strong, brave, hardy', and it therefore means 'str ...

, son of King Edward IV and nephew of King Richard III *

, deceased son of Mynheer Jahn Warbeck, and alias of Richard * Lady Katherine Gordon, Richard's wife, and cousin of James, daughter of Lord Huntley * Monina de Faro, adoptive sister of Richard and close friend to Lady Katherine *Edmund Plantagenet, bastard son of Richard III, cousin and close ally of Richard *

Stephen Frion Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; ...

, French-born secretary of Henry VII and opportunistic enemy/ally of Richard *Sir Robert "Robin" Clifford, alternate friend/betrayer of Richard *

James IV of Scotland James IV (17 March 1473 – 9 September 1513) was King of Scotland from 11 June 1488 until his death at the Battle of Flodden in 1513. He inherited the throne at the age of fifteen on the death of his father, James III, at the Battle of Sau ...

, friend to Richard *

Madeline Warbeck de Faro ''Madeline'' is a media franchise that originated as a series of children's books written and illustrated by Ludwig Bemelmans, an Austrian-American author. The books have been adapted into numerous formats, spawning telefilms, television series a ...

, wife of Hernan de Faro, mother of Monina, adoptive mother of Richard, and sister of Mynheer Jahn Warbeck * Hernan de Faro, a Moorish sailor converted to

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global popula ...

, husband of Madeline, father of Monina, adoptive father of Richard *

, Earl of Richmond and first Tudor King of England *

, wife of Henry VII and sister of Richard *

Elizabeth Woodville Elizabeth Woodville (also spelt Wydville, Wydeville, or Widvile;Although spelling of the family name is usually modernised to "Woodville", it was spelt "Wydeville" in contemporary publications by Caxton, but her tomb at St. George's Chapel, Wind ...

, mother of Richard and former queen: widow of Edward IV *

Jane Shore Elizabeth "Jane" Shore (née Lambert) (c. 1445 – c. 1527) was one of the many mistresses of King Edward IV of England. She became the best-known to history through being later accused of conspiracy by the future King Richard III, and compelle ...

, mistress of Edward IV, Richard's father * Edward Plantagenet, 17th Earl of Warwick, son of George, Duke of Clarence, prisoner of Henry VII * John de la Poole, Earl of Lincoln * Lady Margaret Brampton, ally of Richard * Sir Edward Brampton, her husband *

Arthur, Prince of Wales Arthur, Prince of Wales (19/20 September 1486 – 2 April 1502), was the eldest son of King Henry VII of England and Elizabeth of York. He was Duke of Cornwall from birth, and he was created Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester in 1489. A ...

, eldest son of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York *

Margaret Tudor Margaret Tudor (28 November 1489 – 18 October 1541) was Queen of Scotland from 1503 until 1513 by marriage to King James IV. She then served as regent of Scotland during her son's minority, and successfully fought to extend her regency. Ma ...

, eldest daughter of Henry and Elizabeth *

Prince Harry Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, (Henry Charles Albert David; born 15 September 1984) is a member of the British royal family. He is the younger son of Charles III and his first wife Diana, Princess of Wales. He is fifth in the line of succ ...

, second son of Henry and Elizabeth *

Thomas Grey, 1st Marquess of Dorset Thomas Grey, 1st Marquess of Dorset, 1st Earl of Huntingdon, 7th Baron Ferrers of Groby, (145520 September 1501) was an English nobleman, courtier and the eldest son of Elizabeth Woodville and her first husband Sir John Grey of Groby. Her secon ...

, son of Elizabeth Woodville by her first marriage *

Thomas Stanley, 1st Earl of Derby Thomas Stanley, 1st Earl of Derby, KG (1435 – 29 July 1504) was an English nobleman. He was the stepfather of King Henry VII of England. He was the eldest son of Thomas Stanley, 1st Baron Stanley and Joan Goushill. A landed magnate of imm ...

John de Vere, 13th Earl of Oxford John de Vere, 13th Earl of Oxford (8 September 1442 – 10 March 1513), the second son of John de Vere, 12th Earl of Oxford, and Elizabeth Howard, a first cousin of John Howard, 1st Duke of Norfolk (2nd creation), was one of the principal ...

Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham, KG (4 September 1455 – 2 November 1483) was an English nobleman known as the namesake of Buckingham's rebellion, a failed but significant collection of uprisings in England and parts of Wales again ...

* Lord Lovel * John Morton,

Bishop of Ely The Bishop of Ely is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Ely in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese roughly covers the county of Cambridgeshire (with the exception of the Soke of Peterborough), together with a section of nor ...

, close ally of Henry VII * Richard Fox, Bishop of Exeter, Bath and Wells, Durham, and Winchester, ally of Henry VII * Christopher Urswick *Richard Simon *

Lambert Simnel Lambert Simnel (c. 1477 – after 1534) was a pretender to the throne of England. In 1487, his claim to be Edward Plantagenet, 17th Earl of Warwick, threatened the newly established reign of Henry VII (1485–1509). Simnel became the ...

* Mynheer Jahn Warbeck, father of Perkin Warbeck *

Charles the Bold Charles I (Charles Martin; german: Karl Martin; nl, Karel Maarten; 10 November 1433 – 5 January 1477), nicknamed the Bold (German: ''der Kühne''; Dutch: ''de Stoute''; french: le Téméraire), was Duke of Burgundy from 1467 to 1477. ...

Isabella I of Castile Isabella I ( es, Isabel I; 22 April 1451 – 26 November 1504), also called Isabella the Catholic (Spanish: ''la Católica''), was Queen of Castile from 1474 until her death in 1504, as well as Queen consort of Aragon from 1479 until 1504 b ...

Ferdinand II of Aragon Ferdinand II ( an, Ferrando; ca, Ferran; eu, Errando; it, Ferdinando; la, Ferdinandus; es, Fernando; 10 March 1452 – 23 January 1516), also called Ferdinand the Catholic (Spanish: ''el Católico''), was King of Aragon and Sardinia fro ...

Louis XI of France Louis XI (3 July 1423 – 30 August 1483), called "Louis the Prudent" (french: le Prudent), was King of France from 1461 to 1483. He succeeded his father, Charles VII. Louis entered into open rebellion against his father in a short-lived revol ...

* Jasper Tudor, 1st Duke of Bedford *

Sir Thomas Broughton ''Sir'' is a formal honorific address in English for men, derived from Sire in the High Middle Ages. Both are derived from the old French "Sieur" (Lord), brought to England by the French-speaking Normans, and which now exist in French only as ...

Mary of Burgundy Mary (french: Marie; nl, Maria; 13 February 1457 – 27 March 1482), nicknamed the Rich, was a member of the House of Valois-Burgundy who ruled a collection of states that included the duchies of Limburg, Brabant, Luxembourg, the counties of ...

* Lord Barry, ally of Richard * Sir William Stanley, ally of Richard * Meiler Trangmar, assassin disguised as a monk *

Maurice FitzGerald, 9th Earl of Desmond Maurice FitzGerald, 9th Earl of Desmond (died 1520) was the brother of James FitzGerald, 8th Earl of Desmond.Cokayne, George Edward, Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct, or ...

, ally of Richard * John Lavallan, Lord Mayor of Cork and ally of Richard *

John Atwater John Atwater was an Irish merchant and Mayor of Cork known for his support of Perkin Warbeck the pretender to the English Crown. Atwater was a prominent Yorkist supporter opposed to the rule of the Tudor Dynasty led by Henry VII. After Warbeck's ...

, previous and subsequent Lord Mayor of Cork, ally of Richard *

Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham (3 February 1478 – 17 May 1521) was an English nobleman. He was the son of Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham, and Katherine Woodville, and nephew of Elizabeth Woodville and King Edward IV. Thu ...

* Lord Huntley, father of Katherine * John Ramsay, 1st Lord Bothwell, Laird of Kilmaine and spy of Henry VII at the court of James IV *

Alexander Stewart, 2nd Earl of Buchan Alexander Stewart, 2nd Earl of Buchan (died 1505) was the only son of James Stewart, 1st Earl of Buchan, and Margaret Ogilvy. Alexander succeeded to the Earldom and the Barony of Kingedward and other lands, probably in 1499, as he got sasine of ...

, ally of Ramsay * Lord Broke *

Margaret of York Margaret of York (3 May 1446 – 23 November 1503)—also by marriage known as Margaret of Burgundy—was Duchess of Burgundy as the third wife of Charles the Bold and acted as a protector of the Burgundian State after his death. She was a daugh ...

, Richard's aunt *

Gerald FitzGerald, 8th Earl of Kildare Gerald FitzGerald, 8th Earl of Kildare KG (born – ), known variously as "Garret the Great" (Gearóid Mór) or "The Great Earl" (An tIarla Mór), was Ireland's premier peer. He served as Lord Deputy of Ireland from 1477 to 1494, and from 1496 ...

Thomas FitzGerald of Laccagh Sir Thomas FitzGerald of Laccagh (c.1458–1487) was an Irish lawyer, statesman and soldier who was Lord Chancellor of Ireland under Richard III and Henry VII, but rebelled against Henry and was killed at the Battle of Stoke.Ball, F. Elrington ...

* Martin Schwartz *

René of Anjou René of Anjou ( it, Renato; oc, Rainièr; ca, Renat; 1409–1480) was Duke of Anjou and Count of Provence from 1434 to 1480, who also reigned as King of Naples as René I from 1435 to 1442 (then deposed as the preceding dynasty was restored t ...

* John Radcliffe, 9th Baron FitzWalter * Don Rodrigo Ponce de Leon, Marquess of Cadiz * Bartholomew Diaz * Sire de Beverem * Boabdil el Chico * El Zagal * El Zogoybi * Count de Tendilla * Almoradi Gomelez *

Charles VIII of France Charles VIII, called the Affable (french: l'Affable; 30 June 1470 – 7 April 1498), was King of France from 1483 to his death in 1498. He succeeded his father Louis XI at the age of 13.Paul Murray Kendall, ''Louis XI: The Universal Spider'' (Ne ...

Anne of Brittany Anne of Brittany (; 25/26 January 1477 – 9 January 1514) was reigning Duchess of Brittany from 1488 until her death, and Queen of France from 1491 to 1498 and from 1499 to her death. She is the only woman to have been queen consort of France ...

* Hubert Burgh * Sir James Keating, prior of Kilmainham and ally of Richard * Richard Fitzroy * Sir Simon Mountford * Sir Thomas Thwaites * Sir Robert Ratcliffe * Sir Richard Lessey * William Worseley, Dean of St. Paul's * Master William Barley * Baron George Neville. ally of Richard *

Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I (22 March 1459 – 12 January 1519) was King of the Romans from 1486 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1508 until his death. He was never crowned by the pope, as the journey to Rome was blocked by the Venetians. He proclaimed himself E ...

* Adam Floyer * Lord William Dawbenny * Thomas Cressenor * Thomas Astwood * William Richford * Thomas Poyns * Doctor William Sutton * Robert Langborne * Sir William Lessey, * Gilbert Dawbenny, brother of William * Sir Edward Lisle *

John Tate (Lord Mayor of London) Sir John Tate (died 1515) was twice Lord Mayor of London and a Member of Parliament. He was born the son of Thomas Tate of Coventry and became a mercer of the City of London, initially apprenticed to his uncle, John Tate, a former (1473) Mayor ...

Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk, (1473 – 25 August 1554) was a prominent English politician and nobleman of the Tudor era. He was an uncle of two of the wives of King Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, both of whom were beheade ...

* Sir John Digby, Lieutenant of the Tower of London * Sir John Peachy * Lord Astley * Sir Patrick Hamilton of Kincavil, ally of Richard *Mary Boyd, suitor of James * Lady Jane Kennedy, suitor of James *

Lord Audley Baron Audley is a title in the Peerage of England first created in 1313, by writ to the Parliament of England, for Sir Nicholas Audley of Heighley Castle, a member of the Anglo-Norman Audley family of Staffordshire. The third Baron, the last ...

Anne de Mowbray, 8th Countess of Norfolk Anne de Mowbray, 8th Countess of Norfolk, later Duchess of York and Duchess of Norfolk (10 December 1472 – c. 19 November 1481) was the child bride of Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York, one of the Princes in the Tower. She died at the age ...

John de Mowbray, 4th Duke of Norfolk John de Mowbray, 4th Duke of Norfolk, (18 October 144414 January 1476), known as 1st Earl of Surrey between 1451 and 1461, was the only son of John de Mowbray, 3rd Duke of Norfolk and Eleanor Bourchier. His maternal grandparents were William B ...

Earl of Errol Earl of Erroll () is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1453 for Sir William Hay. The subsidiary titles held by the Earl of Erroll are ''Lord Hay'' (created 1449) and ''Lord Slains'' (1452), both in the Peerage of Scotland. ...

* Earl of Douglas * Sir Thomas Todd * Sir Roderick-de-Lalane * Andrew Stewart, Bishop of Moray * Master Heron, lieutenant of Richard chosen by Monina de Faro * Master Skelton, lieutenant of Richard chosen by Monina de Faro * Master Treireife, lieutenant of Richard chosen by Monina de Faro *

William Courtenay, 1st Earl of Devon William Courtenay, 1st Earl of Devon (1475 – 9 June 1511), feudal baron of Okehampton and feudal baron of Plympton, was a member of the leading noble family of Devon. His principal seat was Tiverton Castle, Devon with further residences a ...

, ally of Henry VII * Adam Wicherly * Mat Oldcraft *

John de Vere, 15th Earl of Oxford John de Vere, 15th Earl of Oxford, Lord Great Chamberlain KG PC (c. 1482 – 21 March 1540). was an English peer and courtier. Career John de Vere, born about 1482, was the son of John de Vere and Alice Kilrington (alias Colbroke), and the gr ...

* Empson * Garthe * John Cheney * Sir Harry de Vere * Clim of Tregothius *Swartz (son of Martin) * Clym of the Lyn, a forester and ally of Richard *

Sir Hugh Luttrell Sir Hugh Luttrell (about 1364 – 24 March 1428), of Dunster Castle in Somerset, feudal baron of Dunster, was an English nobleman and politician, who was an important military officer during the Hundred Years' War. He was a close associate of h ...

, Lancastrian ordered to take Richard prisoner * Long Roger, prisoner in the Tower of London who aids in Edward and Richard's escape attempt * Dame Madge, Long Roger's wife (

unseen character An unseen character in theatre, comics, film, or television, or silent character in radio or literature, is a character that is mentioned but not directly known to the audience, but who advances the action of the plot in a significant way, and w ...

) * Abel Blewet, prisoner in the Tower of London who aids in Edward and Richard's escape attempt, a murderous near-dwarf * Mat Strangeways, prisoner in the Tower of London who aids in Edward and Richard's escape attempt, a drunk * Master Astwood, prisoner in the Tower of London who aids in Edward and Richard's escape attempt, a miser

in flashbacks

Richard III of England Richard III (2 October 145222 August 1485) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. His defeat and death at the Ba ...

, Richard's paternal uncle, who allegedly orchestrated his murder *

Anthony Woodville, 2nd Earl Rivers Anthony Woodville, 2nd Earl Rivers (c. 144025 June 1483), was an English nobleman, courtier, bibliophile and writer. He was the brother of Queen Elizabeth Woodville who married King Edward IV. He was one of the leading members of the Woodvi ...

, Richard's maternal uncle, whose death was orchestrated by Richard III *

Edward V of England Edward V (2 November 1470 – mid-1483)R. F. Walker, "Princes in the Tower", in S. H. Steinberg et al, ''A New Dictionary of British History'', St. Martin's Press, New York, 1963, p. 286. was ''de jure'' King of England and Lord of Ireland fro ...

, Richard's older brother *

George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence (21 October 144918 February 1478), was the 6th son of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, and Cecily Neville, and the brother of English kings Edward IV and Richard III. He played an important role in the ...

, Richard's paternal uncle, whose death was orchestrated by Richard III * Sir James Tirell, vassal of Richard III whom he was alleged to have hired to kill Richard *

John Dighton John Gervase DightonCollections"John Dighton"''British Film Institute''. Retrieved 30 August 2020. (8 December 1909 – 16 April 1989) was a British playwright and screenwriter. Dighton was born in London to Basil Lewis Dighton, of West Ken ...

, servant of Tirell and alleged murderer of Richard *

James III of Scotland James III (10 July 1451/May 1452 – 11 June 1488) was King of Scots from 1460 until his death at the Battle of Sauchieburn in 1488. He inherited the throne as a child following the death of his father, King James II, at the siege of Roxburgh C ...

, father of James IV *

Thomas de Mowbray, 1st Duke of Norfolk Thomas de Mowbray, 1st Duke of Norfolk, KG (22 March 136622 September 1399) was an English peer. As a result of his involvement in the power struggles which led up to the fall of King Richard II, he was banished and died in exile in Venice. B ...

Roger de Clifford, 5th Baron de Clifford Roger de Clifford, 5th Baron de Clifford, ninth Lord Clifford, fifth Baron of Westmoreland (10 July 1333 – 13 July 1389), was the son of Robert de Clifford, 3rd Baron de Clifford (d. 20 May 1344), second son of Robert de Clifford, 1st Baron de ...

* Lady Maud Clifford * Mistress Margery, Richard's governess

Quotations

Each chapter opens with a quotation, sometimes two. The quotations come from the following authors: *

Edmund Spenser Edmund Spenser (; 1552/1553 – 13 January 1599) was an English poet best known for '' The Faerie Queene'', an epic poem and fantastical allegory celebrating the Tudor dynasty and Elizabeth I. He is recognized as one of the premier craftsmen o ...

, (I: 1, 5, 6, 15; II: 15; III: 10, 13, 15, 20) *

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

(usually spelled "Shakspeare"), (I: 2, 3, 4, 11, 13, 17; II: 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 13, 17, III: 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 16, 17, Conclusion) *

Percy Bysshe Shelley Percy Bysshe Shelley ( ; 4 August 17928 July 1822) was one of the major English Romantic poets. A radical in his poetry as well as in his political and social views, Shelley did not achieve fame during his lifetime, but recognition of his achi ...

, (I: 5, 12; II: 5, 9, III: 2, 21) *

Francis Beaumont Francis Beaumont ( ; 1584 – 6 March 1616) was a dramatist in the English Renaissance theatre, most famous for his collaborations with John Fletcher. Beaumont's life Beaumont was the son of Sir Francis Beaumont of Grace Dieu, near Thr ...

and John Fletcher, (I: 7) *Old Ballad, (I: 8, 9; III: 9) *

Lord Byron George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824), known simply as Lord Byron, was an English romantic poet and peer. He was one of the leading figures of the Romantic movement, and has been regarded as among the ...

, (I: 9; III: 18) *

Homer Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...

Hymn A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn ...

to Mercury, (I: 10) * The Cyclops [

], (I: 10) *Thomas Moore, (I: 12; III: 4) *Geoffrey Chaucer, (I: 14) *Samuel Taylor Coleridge, (I: 16, 18) *John Ford (dramatist), John Ford, (I: 17; II: 9, 14, 18; III: 1, 6) *The Heir of Linne, The Heir of Lynne, (II: 1) *'' Two Noble Kinsmen'', ohn Fletcher and William Shakespeare(II: 7, III: 14, 19) * The Woeful Lamentation of Jane Shore, (II: 8) *

Ben Jonson Benjamin "Ben" Jonson (c. 11 June 1572 – c. 16 August 1637) was an English playwright and poet. Jonson's artistry exerted a lasting influence upon English poetry and stage comedy. He popularised the comedy of humours; he is best known for t ...

, (II: 16) *

Friedrich Schiller Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller (, short: ; 10 November 17599 May 1805) was a German playwright, poet, and philosopher. During the last seventeen years of his life (1788–1805), Schiller developed a productive, if complicated, friendsh ...

's ''

Wallenstein Albrecht Wenzel Eusebius von Wallenstein () (24 September 1583 – 25 February 1634), also von Waldstein ( cs, Albrecht Václav Eusebius z Valdštejna), was a Bohemian military leader and statesman who fought on the Catholic side during the Th ...

'' (III: 1, 8)

Notes

Bibliography

*Bennett, Betty T. "The Political Philosophy of Mary Shelley's Historical novels: ''Valperga'' and ''Perkin Warbeck''". ''The Evidence of the Imagination''. Eds. Donald H. Reiman, Michael C. Jaye, and Betty T. Bennett. New York: New York University Press, 1978. *Brewer, William D.
William Godwin, Chivalry, and Mary Shelley's ''The Fortunes of Perkin Warbeck''
. ''Papers on Language and Literature'' 35.2 (Spring 1999): 187–205. Rpt. on bnet.com. Retrieved on 20 February 2008. *Bunnell, Charlene E. ''"All the World's a Stage": Dramatic Sensibility in Mary Shelley's Novels.'' New York: Routledge, 2002. . *Garbin, Lidia. "Mary Shelley and Walter Scott: ''The Fortunes of Perkin Warbeck'' and the Historical Novel". ''Mary Shelley's Fiction: From Frankenstein to Falkner''. Eds. Michael Eberle-Sinatra and Nora Crook. New York: Macmillan; St. Martin's, 2000. *Hopkins, Lisa. "The Self and the Monstrous". ''Iconoclastic Departures: Mary Shelley after "Frankenstein": Essays in Honor of the Bicentenary of Mary Shelley's Birth''. Eds. Syndy M. Conger, Frederick S. Frank, and Gregory O'Dea. Madison, NJ: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 1997. *Lynch, Deidre. "Historical novelist". ''The Cambridge Companion to Mary Shelley''. Ed. Esther Schor. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003. . *Sites, Melissa. "Chivalry and Utopian Domesticity in Mary Shelley's ''The Fortunes of Perkin Warbeck''". ''European Romantic Review'' 16.5 (2005): 525–43. * Spark, Muriel. ''Mary Shelley''. London: Cardinal, 1987. . *Wake, Ann M Frank. "Women in the Active Voice: Recovering Female History in Mary Shelley's ''Valperga'' and ''Perkin Warbeck''". ''Iconoclastic Departures: Mary Shelley after "Frankenstein". Essays in Honor of the Bicentenary of Mary Shelley's Birth.'' Ed. Syndy M. Conger, Frederick S. Frank, and Gregory O'Dea. Madison, NJ: Farleigh Dickinson University Press, 1997. .

External links

''The Fortunes of Perkin Warbeck'' (1830), Volume II
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''The Fortunes of Perkin Warbeck'' (1830), Volume III
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''The Fortunes of Perkin Warbeck'' (1857)
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Fortunes of Perkin Warbeck, The 1830 British novels Novels set in the 15th century British historical novels Novels by Mary Shelley Perkin Warbeck