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TeMirrorofPrincesandtheDistortingMirror...
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thatthesameismostiustandrespondenttootherauncientandpraiseablecom-
monwealesl(emphasisadded)
Manycompilersofmirror-booksdidlikewiselIntheEpistleDedicatoriead-
dressedtotheEarlofEssexatthebeginningofhistranslationofGiovam-
battistaNenna)sIlNennio(KelsoNol634;EnglishversionNenniooraTreatise
ofNobility,KelsoNol493),WilliamJoneswrote:
YourL[ordship)s]perfectionscanwellwitnesse,thatyourdemerites,haueadded
suchgracetoyourNobilitie,thatnotonlythecommonsortdoeadmire,butthe
courtlikewiseandthechiefestglorythereof,doetestifie,thatboththeseconioyned
togetherinyourL[ordship]doemakeyouperfectlyNoblelButifyourH[ighness]
wouldbeholdatruerIdeaofright,&accomplishedNobility,thenthisAuthor
writethof,yourL[ordship]needbutasinaglasstoviewyourselfe,andthereby
tosetdownewhatyouseeinyourselfel(emphasisadded)
WenowhaveaninsightintothefullmeaningofthemetaphorlAsArthur
Kinney(2004:5)writes,TudorsandStuartscould“relyonmirrorsasfunda-
mental(andtrustworthy)meansofself-knowledge,followingthedictate,as
oldasSocrates,toknowthyselfl”Butthemirrorwasalsoaninstrumentforthe
payingofcompliments,flattery,or,intheextremecase,sycophancyandself-
aggrandisementlItisinthislight,Ibelieve,thatweshouldreadthesymbolic
meaningofthemirror-smashingepisodeinShakespeare)sRichardII,whichis
theimmediatesequeltothedeposition(4l1l264-99)l
Richardsummonsallpresenttowitnesshispersonalactofabdication
(ll203),andtheninthewordsoflines204-14andtheaccompanyingges-
turesperformsaritualtoabjurehismonarchicalstatuslHedisownshiscrown,
putsawayhissceptre,withhistearswashesoftheholyoilwithwhichhewas
anointedathiscoronation,andrevokesallthefeudaloathsofloyaltymadeto
himlHehasgonethroughaceremonyofhisownmakingwhichhasallthefea-
turesofalegaltransaction,aformulalYetwhenaskedwhetherheis“contented
toresignthecrown”(abdicatingofhisownfreewill-ll200),andaskedtoread
thelistof“grievouscrimes”heisaccusedof-herefusestocomplyl
TeKing)sTwoBodies,ErnstKantorowicz)sseminalinterpretationofthe
play,describesthedualconceptofthepersonofthemonarchastheindividual
whoissimultaneouslyandindeliblythehumanreceptacleof“theking)sbody
politic,god-likeorangel-like”(Kantorowicz1957:27)lToindulgeinananach-
ronisticexplanation-whenforcedtoabdicateRichardplungesintoastateof
schizophrenia:itisthepublicRichardinhisbody,thecrownedandanointed
headofthestatethatrepudiateshisirrevocableomceasking,buttheprivate