Page:Life and death of Jane Shore.pdf/3

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This lovely woman was the delight of her father, who clothed her richly, adorned her with jewels; and his trade lying among the court ladies, he often carried her with him to shew her the pastimes which were made frequently here to divert the Queen, &c. which gave her an early longing after a greater gentility than she had ever yet attained to or her city breeding was to produce.

When the grew to the age of fifteen her competent flock of beauty and good carriage, caused many to fall in love with her, and some great Lords fixed their eyes upon her, and to get her for a mistress, which her father perceiving sent her to his sisters at Northampton, where she remained about a year, till he supposed the enquiry after her was over, and that she might return without any hazard of being any further tempted to lewdness. Yet she was no sooner returned, but a plot was laid one night to have her carried away by Lord Hastings, who after the death of King Edward took her for his concubine, as will appear in this history: but the maid he had bribed with gold to get her abroad repenting such treacery to her master, gave timely notice, and so prevented it.