614 Account of the last Days and, Death of Richard IT. [ Jan. 1, 
the cause of majesty in King Richard. 
ne unfortunate prince was deposed, and 
Hienry of Lancaster proclaimed. ‘ The 
sentence of Richard was, that Richard of 
Bourdeaux, who had been called King of 
England, should be condemned to a royal 
prison; that he should have the best 
Bread, wine, and meat, which could be 
purchased for gold or silver: and if any 
attempt should be made to rescue him, 
he should be the first who died.” 
~ This last word was the signal of death. 
He was conspired against by a plot,* 
apparently in his favour, without his 
knowledge. For want of Richard, they 
éxhibited to the. people one of his chap-~ 
Tains (esquires, says the M.S.) named 
Maudlin or Magdeluin, who resembled 
the prince, in shape and figure. They 
began by spreading a murmur, that Rich- 
rd was delivered from prison, and when 
Gey thought they had got the public 
ind on their side, they appointed a 
tournament at Oxford, whither they pro- 
posed to train Henry, in order to impri- 
gon or assassinate him, The Earl of 
Rutland, who had flattered, and after- 
wards betrayed successively the Duke of 
Gloucester, and Richard IL. and who was 
then flattering Henry IV. in order to_ 
deceive him, was at the head of this con- 
spiracy. One day being at dinner with 
the Duke of York, his father, he received 
a mysterious paper, which be appeared 
to conceal with care: it was talked of, 
and he betrayed emotion. The duke 
wished to see the paper, and took it by 
force from his son. It was the plan of 
the conspiracy, and the list of the con- 
spirators, ‘ Vraitor, (he cried) you well 
know that Iam bail for you, and that I 
have pledged my person and _ property 
for you in parliament: I see well, that 
you wish me out of the way, but by Saint 
John,T had rather that you were hanged, 
than myself.” ; 
Immediately he mounted his horse, to 
acquaint the king ; the Earl of Rutland 
anticipated him to obtain pardon. The 
conspirators, knowing that the two princes 
were with the king, and thinking they 
had nothing more to contrive, invested 
Maudlin with the insignia of royalty. 
A party among the people thought or 
wished to think, that he was the king: 
they found in this chaplain all the graces 
of Richard, who bad sufficient to disguise 
his faults, and who was sufficiently unfor- 
‘tunate to excite commiseration. The 
—————— ES 
* This is most inconsistent with what 
follows. 
conspirators, intending to surprise Menry 
at Windsor, were themselves surprised at, 
Cirencester, by the mayor of the town, 
who conquered, and made the principal 
leaders prisoners. The Earl of Salisbury’ 
was killed in the battle; the Earl of Rut- 
Jand, who had been unable to join the 
conspirators; took the resolution of fight- 
ing them; and he was beheld, with in- 
dignation, carrying upon the point of a 
lance, the head of Lord Spencer, his bro- 
ther in law, and accomplice, and basely 
presenting it to Henry, whom*he would 
have served in the same manner, if the 
tournament at Oxford had taken place. 
The unfortunate Richard, closely 
guarded in the castle of Pontefract, did 
not long survive a conspiracy of which he 
was ignorant, Some historians say, that 
he killed himself: others, that he died of 
hunger; many that he was assassinated by 
order of Henry, but defended himself © 
courageously and sold his lifedear. The 
story of these last is confirmed by the 
manuscript. A knight, named Pierre 
d’Extron or Exton, sent by Henry, ar- 
rived at Pontefract, with seven other as- 
sassins. Richard was at table; Exton 
called the squire carver; and informed 
him on the part of Henry, that he was 
not, according to custom, to take the 
essay of the dishes served at Richard’s 
table, ‘¢ for, (said he) he will eat no more.” 
Richard perceived that the squire neg- 
lected this ceremonial, and ordered hin 
to doit. The squire fell on his knees, 
and told him the prohibition, which Ex- 
ton had just given him on the part of 
Heury. Richard lost his patience: he 
struck the squire with the knife which he 
held in his hand ; crying with rage, “‘ Go 
to the devil, you and your Lancaster !” 
Exton rushed in at the noise with his 
seven men armed, as well as himself: at 
sight of them, Richard pushed away the 
table, darted into the midst of the eight 
assasains, wrenched a baitle-axe from one 
of them, used it with success against 
them, overthrew four at his feet, and be- 
gan to iwtimidate many of the others, 
when Exton attacking him behind, struck 
him a blow on the head, which brought 
hin down. The king then begged mercy 
of God,’ and Exton. gave him another 
blow. Thus died the noble king Rich- 
ard, without confession, an event much 
to be regretted. [It was deemed a dis- 
grace, hence the mournful expressior of 
the author.] See M. Paris, 279, 511. 
Exton himself appeared terrified with 
his crime, he sat down by the body, and 
began to weep, saying, “ Alas! what have 
\ “we 
