95-117) of the next scene, faithfully represent one of the several accounts of Richard's death. Sir Piers de murtherer of Exton, a king Richard [, because of or which Bolingbroke he heard [Hol. iii. 517/1/7.] One writer,1 which seemeth to haue great knowledge of king Richards dooings, saith, that king Henrie, sitting on a daie at his table, sore sighing, said: “Haue I no "faithfull freend which will deliuer me of him, whose life will be "my death, and whose death will be the preseruation of my life?" say). This saieng was much noted of them which were present, and especiallie of one called sir Piers of Exton. This knight incontinentlie departed from the court, with eight strong persons in his Mathe; though the dog's abandonment of his old master was deliberately cruel, while Barbary was, as Richard admits, “created to be awed by man," and "borne to beare." [Berner's Froissart, ed. 1 (152325), vol. ii. [Richard had would' one else.] [At Flint Mathe left Richard, Castle, And, as it was enformed me, kynge Richarde had a grayhounde called Mathe, who alwayes wayted vpon the kynge, and wolde knowe no man els. For, whansouer the kyng dyde ryde, he that fol. ccc.xii.] kept the grayhounde dyde lette hym lose, and he wolde streight rynne to the kynge and fawne vpon hym, and leape with his fore fete vpon the kynges shulders. And as the kynge & the erle of Derby talked togyder in the courte [of Flint Castle], the grayhounde, who was wont to lepe vpon the kyng, left the kynge & came to the erle of Derby, duke of Lancastre, and made to hym the same frendly countinaunce & chere as he was wonte and fawned to do to the kyng. The duke, who knewe nat the grayhounde, on Bolingdemaunded of the kyng what the grayhounde wolde do. "Cosyn," "broke.] quod the kyng, "it is a gret good token to you, and an yuyll sygne to me.' "Sir, howe knowe you that?" quod the duke. "I knowe it well," quod the kyng: "The grayhounde maketh you chere this day as kynge of Englande: (as ye shalbe, and I "shalbe deposed:) the grayhounde hath this knowledge natur"ally, therfore take hym to you; he wyll folowe you & forsake The duke vnderstode well those wordes, and cherisshed [Mathe the grayhounde, who wolde neuer after folowe kyng Richarde, but folowed the duke of Lancastre. me. Usk says (39, 40; 155) that the dog once belonged to Thomas Holland Earl of 1 The writer, I suppose, of Trais. (93-96; 248-250). Hol. had a MS. of Trais., which he cites as "The French pamphlet " (see p. 82, note 1, above). But Mr. Williams pointed out (Trais., 1., note 3) that a MS. of Froissart's fourth book (No. 8323 Regius, Bibliothèque du Roi) has an addition containing the familiar story of Richard's murder by Exton, the writer of which addition says that he was informed of its truth "par homme digne de foy, nommé Creton" (i.). The only important difference between Hol.'s version, and the original story as narrated by Creton and the writer of Trais. is that, according to the latter authorities, Bolingbroke expressly ordered Exton to slay Richard: the aside which gave Exton his cue ("Haue I no... of my life") first occurring, I believe, in Halle (20), whose account of Richard's murder agrees in other particulars with what Hol. relates. [This was an omen that should be would never after follow Richard.] to Pomfret with eight followers; and ordered the sewer not to taste Richard's food.] [Exton went companie, and came to Pomfret, commanding the esquier, that was accustomed to sew1 and take the assaie before king Richard, to doo so no more, saieng: "Let him eat now, for he shall not long eat." King Richard sat downe to dinner, and was serued without courtesie or assaie; wherevpon, much maruelling at the sudden change, he demanded of the esquier whie he did not his dutie: "Sir" (said he) "I am otherwise commanded by sir Piers of "Exton, which is newlie come from K. Henrie." When king Richard heard that word, he tooke the keruing knife in his hand, and strake the esquier on the head, saieng: "The diuell take "Henrie of Lancaster and thee togither!" And with that word, sir Piers entred the chamber, well armed, with eight tall men likewise armed, euerie of them hauing a bill in his hand. [When the sewer refused to taste the food, Richard struck him, and bade the manhood of king Richard. King Richard, perceiuing this, put the table from him, &, steping to the formost man, wrung the bill out of his hands, & so valiantlie defended himselfe, that he slue foure of those that thus came to The desperat assaile him. Sir Piers, being half dismaied herewith, lept into the chaire where king Richard was woont to sit, while the other foure persons fought with him, and chased him about the chamber. And in conclusion, as king Richard trauersed his ground, from one side of the chamber to an other, & comming by the chaire, where sir Piers stood, he was felled with a stroke of a pollax which sir Piers gaue him vpon the head, and therewith rid him out of life; 2 without giuing him respit once to call to God for mercie of his passed offenses. It is said, that sir Piers of Exton, after he had thus slaine him, wept right bitterlie, as one striken with the pricke of a giltie conscience, for murthering him, whome he had so long time obeied as king. K. Richard murthered. [Exton's remorse.] Act V. sc. vi.-This scene is postdated, for the revolt was suppressed before Richard's death. When sc. vi. opens, "the latest newes " which Bolingbroke has heard is that the rebels have burnt 1 66 them. sew ... assaie" = serve and remove the dishes, and taste the food in 2 February 14, 1400, is the usually accepted date of Richard's death (see Eves., 169); but, on January 29, 1400, Charles VI. referred to him as Richard late King of England, whom God pardon.-Rymer, viii. 124. Wylie (i. 114, 115) cites documentary evidence from which he infers that Richard was murdered about the middle of January, 1400. Cirencester; but whether they had been "tane or slaine" was unknown. As Holinshed's account of the rebellion was not dramatized, an epitome of the chief facts recorded by contemporary chroniclers will suffice. The rebel lords marched to Windsor, hoping to surprise Henry. Warned in time, he fled by night (Jan. 4-5) to London, and raised forces to oppose them. The rebels retreated, and arrived at Cirencester on January 6. At midnight, the townsmen attacked them in their lodgings, and, after a struggle which lasted for many hours, obliged them to surrender. The lords were then confined in the abbey. About vespers a chaplain attached to them set fire to some houses in Cirencester, in order that the prisoners might escape while the townsmen were extinguishing the flames. But the men of Cirencester, paying no heed to the fire, brought the rebels out of the abbey, and beheaded the Earls of Salisbury and Kent about sunset, on January 7, 1400.-Usk, 40, 41; 156. Traison, 80-82; 233-235. Ann. R. II.-H. IV., 323-326. Holinshed's narration of what befell the other conspirators should be compared with 11. 7-29. Thoma Spenser saith Wal, & others. beheaded.] of Blunt, Brocas, and others]. [Hol. iii. 516/2/16.] The lord* Hugh Spenser,1 otherwise called earle of Glocester, as he would haue fled into Wales, was taken and carried to Bristow, where (according to the earnest desires of the commons) he was beheaded. . . . Manie other that were [Spenser priuie to this conspiracie, were taken, and put to death, some at Hall. Oxford, as sir Thomas Blunt, sir Benet Cilie, knight, . . . but sir Execution[s Leonard Brokas, and [others] . . ., were drawne, hanged, and B beheaded at London. There were nineteene in all executed in Tho. one place and other, and the heads of the cheefe conspirators were Hall. set on polles ouer London bridge, to the terror of others. Shortlie conspira (The chief after, the abbat of Westminster, in whose house the conspiracie was begun, (as is said,) gooing betweene his monasterie & mansion, for thought fell into a sudden palsie, and shortlie after, without speech, ended his life. The bishop of Carleill was impeached, and condemned of the same conspiracie; but the king, of his mercifull 1 Qq. 1, 2, 3, 4, read: "The heades of Oxford, Salisbury, Blunt and Kent" (V. vi. 8). Fi has: "The heads of Salsbury, Spencer, Blunt, and Kent." As Aubrey de Vere, Earl of Oxford, had no share in the rebellion, the reading of FI should be preferred. 2 William Colchester, Abbot of Westminster, was a prisoner in the Castle of Reigate on January 25, 1400.-Claus: 1 H. ÍV. pars i. m. 19 (O. B.). He must have soon regained his freedom.-Ann. R. II.—H. IV., 330; and Claus, 1 H. IV. pars ii. m. 6 (O. B.). He was probably the William Abbot of Westminster present at Pisa in 1408.-Martène's Thesaurus Novus Anecdotorum, ii. 1395 C. According to Dugdale (Monasticon, ed. 1817-30, i. 275, 276) Colchester was Abbot of Westminster until some date in October, 1420. Walsing. tors' heads London Bridge.] Westminster suddēlie. The abbat of dieth Thom. Wals. Carleill dieth The bishop of clemencie, pardoned him of that offense; although he died shortlie after,1 more through feare than force of sicknesse, as some haue written. through feare, or rather thorough greefe of mind, to see the wicked The excerpt quoted above (pp. 125, 126) contains all that Holinshed prosper as he has recorded touching Exton. From the subjoined description of Richard's funeral, it appears that Bolingbroke paid as much respect to the late King's memory as may warrant the closing lines of this scene. tooke it. Hall. [Richard's body con [Hol. iii. 517/1/49.] After he was thus dead, his bodie was imbalmed, and seered, and couered with lead, all saue the face, to the intent that all men might see him, and perceiue that he was departed this life: for as the corps was conueied from Pomfret to veyed from London, in all the townes and places where those that had the conueiance of it did staie with it all night, they caused dirige to be soong in the euening, and masse of Requiem in the morning; and as well after the one seruice as the other, his face discouered, was shewed to all that coueted to behold it. Pomfret to The dead bodie of K. Richard brought to ye Tower. Thus was the corps first brought to the Tower, and after through the citie, to the cathedrall church of saint Paule, bare faced; where it laie three daies togither, that all men might behold it. There was a solemne obsequie doone for him, both at Paules, [Funeral and after at Westminster, at which time, both at dirige ouernight, Westminster and in the morning at the masse of Requiem, the king and the citizens of London were present. When the same was ended, the corps was commanded to be had vnto Langlie, there to be buried in the church of the friers preachers. rites at and St. Paul's.] His person age. The following excerpts bear upon the characters of Richard II., Edmund Duke of York, and Sir John Bushy. In summing up the general aspect of society in Richard's time, Holinshed says, with regard to the King: [Hol. iii. 507/2/68.] He was seemelie of shape and fauor, & of nature good inough, if the wickednesse & naughtie demeanor of such as were about him had not altered it. His chance verelie was greatlie infortunate, which fell into such calamitie, that he tooke it for the best waie he could deuise to renounce his kingdome, for the which mortall men are accustomed 1 He lived several years after this time. See Wylie (i. 109, 110) for an account of Carlisle's fortunes subsequent to the rebellion. to hazard [p. 508] all they haue to atteine therevnto. But such misfortune (or the like) oftentimes falleth vnto those princes, which, when they are aloft, cast no doubt for perils that maie follow. [He was He was prodigall, ambitious, and much giuen to the pleasure ambitious, of the bodie. . . . prodigal, and dissolute.] adulterer,] [Hol. iii. 508/1/32.] Furthermore, there reigned abundantlie [He was an the filthie sinne of leacherie and fornication, with abhominable adulterie, speciallie in the king.1 York, says Holinshed, gentle [Hol. iii. 464/2/49.] being verelie a man of a gentle nature, York's wished that the state of the common-wealth might haue beene nature.] redressed without losse of any mans life, or other cruell dealing. He not [Hol. iii. 485/2/25.] was a man rather coueting to liue in [York was pleasure, than to deale with much businesse, and the weightie ambitious.] affaires of the realme.2 When John of Gaunt married Katharine Swinford, the Duke of Gloucester, disliked, [Hol. iii. 486/1/20.] being a man of an high mind and stout [Gloucester stomach, misliked his brothers matching so meanlie, but the duke but York of Yorke bare it well inough. tolerated, Gaunt's match.] Sir John Bushie, The Speaker of the "Great Parliament " (September, 1397) was [Hol. iii. 490/2/28.] sir Iohn Bushie, a knight of Lincolneshire, accompted to be an exceeding cruell man, ambitious, and couetous speaker. beyond measure. While discharging the office of Speaker at this Parliament, 1 Bolingbroke charges Bushy and Greene with tempting Richard to commit this sin (III. i. 11-15). 2 Hardyng thus describes him (340, 341): Edmonde hyght of Langley of good chere, Glad and mery and of his owne ay lyued, When all the lordes to councell and parlyament K |