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_ fiver or gold; ‘‘ an 
204 Manufcripts in the Library of the late King of France. [April 1, 
ang deferted to the Duke of Lancafter, 
owing to the forged letters which. had 
been circulated. All idea of refiftance now 
vanifhed ; and the Earl of Huntingdon, 
after much deliberation, was fent to the 
Duke of Lancafter to negociate.. The du- 
plicity of Lancafter, and the perjured vil- 
Jainy of the Duke of Northumberland, 
which ended in getting the unfortunate 
Richard into their hands, forms a moft 
firiking picture of bare-faced contempt 
fer all laws, human and divine. 
‘The whole - detail of this proceeding, 
and the lamentations of Richard, on 
finding himielf betrayed, and a prifoner, 
are extremely affeCting by their fmplicity, 
and contain many curious anecdotes of 
the Duke of Lancafter. They furnith 
ftrong proofs of great fenfibility, but cer- 
- tainly betray more attachment to France 
than was perfectly. confiftent with the in- 
terefts of England, though it muft be ob- 
ferved that they feem to flow more from 
perfonal attachment and friendfhips (which 
his marriage would juftify) than from 
any apparent mixture of political intereft. 
The infulting taunts of his mercilefs- 
enemies feem to have entirely broken 
Richard's fpirit, and to have deprived 
him of his only remaining confolaticn; 
they tore away his friends, who embraced 
him with tears, whilft he, mctionlefs with 
grief, and finking under the weight of 
his misfortunes, could neither weep nor 
fpeak. He was dragged in triumph to 
London ; but the manuf{cript is filent as to 
his figning an att of abdication, either 
voluntarily or through compulfion, as the 
greater part of our hiftories affert. 
The Parliament affembled in 1399; 
Lancaffer was the accufer, and Ri- 
chard was of ccurfe condemned unheard. 
Theintrepid Bithop of Carlifle alone ftood 
up in defence of his matter. ‘* What, 
{exclaimed he) you wiil liften to the de- 
fence of a robber, or an affaffin, and you 
deny that privilege to .your fovereign, 
whom you condemn unheard !”-—The ar- 
gsument could meet with no reply—it was 
unanfwerable ; but the honeft Bifhop was 
fent to a prifon, for daring to raife his 
voice in behalf of his mafer. Richard 
was formally depofed, and Henry of Lan- 
cafter proclaimed King.—The fentence is 
fingular: it directs, that he fhould be 
confined in a royal prifon; that he fhould 
have the beft-bread, the beit wine, and 
the bef meat, that could be procured for 
id if any difiturbance 
Should be made by armed people coming 
to affift him, that ise fhould be the firft 
. put to death.” Thefe laft words were but 
the fignal of his fate: Richard was ac- 
cufed of plots, of the exiftence of which 
the vigilance of his guards kept him to- 
tally ignorant. 
Some hiftcrians have faid, that he killed 
himfelf at Pomfret-caftle, to which he 
had been removed; cthers, that he died 
of hunger; but the majority, that he was 
murdered-by the order of Lancafer, that 
he defended himfelf courageoufly, and 
fold his life dearly. This laft account is 
confirmed by cur manufeript. Piers 
d’Exton, with feven other affaffins, were 
fent to Pomfret on this bloody errand. 
Exton, on his arrival, ordered the carver, 
in Lancafter’s name, in future, not to 
tafte the meat ferved up at Richard’s ta- 
ble; adding farcaftically, ** He fhall not 
eat much mere!’-~-Richard, perceiving 
the omifficn, inguired the caufe, when 
the carver, talling on his knees, alleged 
his orders asanexcufe. At this, Richard, 
lofing all patience, firuck him with a 
knife he had in his hand, exclaiming, 
‘¢ Get thee tothe Dewil, thee and thy Lan- 
cafter’ The noife roufed Exton, whe 
rufhed into the room with his feven armed 
braves. Richard immediately, overturn. 
ing the table, rufhed among the affaffins, 
and, wrenching a battle-axe from the 
hands of one of them, focn laid four dead 
at his feet—This bold refiftance intimi- 
dated the remainder ; but Exton, getting 
behind him, by ene blow on the head, 
brought Richard to the ground, and ano- 
ther ftroke deprived him of life. Exton 
himfelf could not help being moved at this 
horrid fcene, and, with tears in his eyes, 
exclaimed, “* that he had loft his honour for 
ever, and muft thenceforth become the 
conrempt and averfion of mankind.” 
Thoife hiftorians who contend that 
Richard was ftarved to death, rely on the 
circumftance of no marks of violence ap- 
pearing on his body when exhibited at 
St. Paul’s; but it is eafy to difguife ap- 
pearances; and it muft be recollected 
that a body furrounded by guards is ex- 
poled to the view, though not. to the ex- 
amination, of the /peétators: and the ma- 
nufcript puts an’end to conjectures as to 
the mode of his death, by aflerting, as 
the faét certainly was, that the main ob- 
jet was merely to’ prove ** the afual 
death of Richard, and they wanted nothing 
more.”’ 
This manufcript enlarges much on the 
dreadtulexecutions of Richard’s adherents 
and friends, who were almott all delivered 
up, and putto death. The flriking fim- 
piicity of expreffion, and the old language 
in which it is written, feems to_diminifh — 
our horror at thefe relations, while it cer- 
tainly augments our intereft. 
Among 
