1809.] 
we done? we have put todeath him who 
was our sovereign lord for twenty-two 
years; I have lost my honour, 1 shall 
never go into any country without being 
reproached.” 
The modern historians who have 
adopted the opinion that Richard died 
of hunger, rest upon a circumstance 
which has often proved deceitful. It is 
the exposure of the body in St. Paui’s 
church, without any mark of violence. 
But, besides, in like cases, the know- 
ledge how to manage appearances, and 
the exposure of the corpse, surrounded by 
guards to the view, not examination of 
the public; our manuscript says, that the 
real object of this exposure was only to 
satisfy the public, that Richard was ac- 
tually dead. Richard was assassinated 
‘on the day of kings* anno 1400. . Those 
of his friends who had been taken, whe- 
ther in battle or their flight, were given 
up to divers punishments. The manu- 
Script is very copious 1) these melancholy 
details; and the naiveté of the old lan- 
guage seems to diminish the horror and 
auginent the interest which they excite, 
Among these noble victims of fidelity to 
Richard, were Sir Thomas Blount, and 
the Earl of Huntingdon, half-brother of 
Richard. 
Sir Thomas Blount, and a companion, 
named Benedict Selly, were dragged 
from Oxford to the place of execution, 
for more than a league: they were then 
hanged, the cords almost instantly cut, 
‘and they were made to speak, and seated 
upon a bench, betore a large fire. The 
executioner came, with a razor in his 
hand, threw himself at the knees of Sir 
Thomas Blount, whose hands were tied, 
and begged his forgiveness for the execu 
tion of his office. Sir Thomas then asked 
him, “ Are you he, who are to deliver me 
from this world ?” “‘ Yes,” (replied the exe- 
cutioner, sand added, “ Sir, I beg you wiil 
pardon me,” and Sir Thomas kissed and 
forgave him. ‘The executioner kneeled 
down, and Sir Thomas prepared himself : 
the former then made an incision on 
_ the belly, cut off the entrails just below 
the stomach, tied them in a knot with a 
string, on purpose that the ventricle of 
the heart might not entirely cease, and 
threw the entrails into the fire Then 
Sir Thomas le Blount was seated 
| 
* See the account of the Eton Montem, in 
this Magazine. 
+ This is badly expressed in the manu- 
script. : 
Montary Macy No. 179, 
Account of the last Days and Death of Richard II. 
518 
before the fire, his belly open, and saw. , 
his entrails burn before him. And Sir 
Thomas d’Arpeghen, chamberlain of. 
King Henry, insulting Blount’s misfor- 
tune, dared to say to him with a sneer, 
“ Go and seek a master who can cure 
you.” Instead of making any answer, 
Blount clasped his hands, saying, “ Je 
Deum Laudemus,” and blessed the hour 
when he was born, and that very day, 
“for I shall die, (he said,) in the sere 
vice of my sovereign lord, the noble 
King Richard.” 
Arpeghen wished him to reveal the 
accomplices of his treason, “‘ These words, 
(he said,) of traitor and treason belong to 
you, and the infamous Rutland: by you 
two is destroyed to-day the noble chivalry 
of England: [summon you both before 
the face of Jesus Christ, for the great 
treason, that between you both you have 
made against our sovereign lord, the no-= 
ble King Richard.”  The_ executioner 
then asked him, if he wished to drink, 
He answered, “No,” you have taken from 
me the place where [ ought to put that; 
thanks to God, they are my bowels, 
which burn.” Afterwards he begyed the 
executioner to release him froin this 
world, saying, it distresses me to look at, 
these traitors, who are present. The ex- 
ecutioner then knecled before him, and 
kissed him very humbly, and immediately 
afterwards his head was cut off, and he 
was quartered. 
As to the Farl of Huntingdon, he fled 
into the county of Essex: but on passing 
through a small town, which belonged to 
the Countess of Hereford, sister of the 
late Earl of Arundel, was recognized and 
taken into custody. Theeountess sent 
tidings of this event to Henry, and begged 
him to send to her the youngEarl of Avun- 
del, her nephew, that he might come and 
enjoy the revenge which she meantto take 
of the mau, to whose councils she chiefly 
attributed the death of her brother,which 
was, in fact, tu be rather imputed to the 
information of the Earl of Nottingham. 
Young Arundel came; he loaded Hun- 
tingdon with reproaches; the countess 
assembled the peasants, her vassals, to 
the number of eight thousand; she de- 
livered to them the Earl of Uuntingdon, 
bound and corded, ordering them to cut 
him in pieces: the unhappy man solicited 
mercy, representing to them, that he had 
never done thetn any harm: and except 
the Countess and the Earl of Arundel, 
all the others much pitied him, The 
countess was enraged; “ Cursed be youall 
for 
