ABSTRACT
Edward chose to keep most of Clarence’s estates in his own hands, and he distributed the duke’s offices and titles as he saw fit. The lieutenancy of Ireland, the office to which Clarence had clung so long, was given in July to his namesake, George of Windsor, a third son recently born to the king. “False, fleeting, perjured Clarence” is Shakespeare’s hackneyed characterization of the brother who plotted against Edward IV’s throne and ended his days in a butt of malmsey. After Clarence’s name had been thus reluctantly mentioned, the bill of attainder explained at some length why the king felt himself compelled to take action against him. Parliament was adjourned, or dissolved, eight days after Clarence’s execution. It had been summoned mainly for the purpose of passing the bill of attainder, but it had transacted a small amount of other business as well.
