Hounds were said to be fleshed when they ate of the first game which they killed. See note on lines 9, 10 below.
IV. iii. 9, 10. Dighton . . . Forrest. '. . . sir Iames Tirrell deuised, that they should be murthered in their beds. To the execution whereof, he appointed Miles Forrest, one of the foure that kept them, a fellow fleshed in murther before time. To him he ioined one Iohn Dighton, his owne horssekeeper, a big, broad square, and strong knaue.' Holinshed, iii. 735. More, 83/23. The qualms of the murderers are Shakespeare's own additions. According to Holinshed, in the same passage, Sir James would not admit to Richard that he knew the princes had been buried in 'so vile a corner' as under 'the stair foot, beneath a heap of stones.' See l. 30.
IV. iii. 36. pent up. Edward Plantagenet, Earl of Warwick, son of George Duke of Clarence 'had beene kept in prison within the Tower almost from his tender yeares.' Holinshed, iii. 787. Halle, 490.
IV. iii. 37. daughter. Margaret Plantagenet, Countess of Salisbury, Clarence's daughter, was born August, 1473, and therefore was about twelve years old at Richard's death. Shakespeare has perhaps confused her with her first cousin. It was, according to Holinshed, the Lady Cicely, sister of Elizabeth, Richard's niece, that Richard planned to marry to a man of 'an vnknowne linage and familie.' Holinshed, iii. 752. Halle, 409.
IV. iii. 38. Abraham's bosom. Cf. St. Luke, xvi, 22: 'And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom. . . .'
IV. iii. 40. Britaine. Richmond was in exile in Brittany.
IV. iii. 43. S. d. Ratcliff. The Quarto reading is 'Catesby,' and this has been generally accepted by subsequent editors.
