Of his Death and Buriall.
KIng Richard, shortly after his Resignation, was conveyed to the Castle of Leeds in Kent, and from thence to Pomfret; where the common fame is, that he was served with costly meat, like a King, but not suffered once to touch it, and so dyed of forced famine. But Thomas Walsingham referreth it altogether to a voluntary pi∣ning of himselfe, through grief of his misfortunes. But one Writer, well acquainted with king Richards doings, saith, that king Henry sitting one day at his Table, said sighing, Have I no faithfull friend that will deliver me of him who will be my death•• This speech was specially noted by one Sir Piers of Ex••on; who presently, with eight persons in his company, went to Pomfret, commanding the Esquire that tooke the Assay before king Richard, to doe so no more, saying, Let him eat now, for he shall not eat long. King Richard sitting down to dinner, was served without Assay; whereat marvelling, he demanded of his Esquire, why he did not his duty? Sir (said he) I am otherwise commanded by Sir Piers of Ex••on, who is newly come from king Henry. When king Richard heard that word, he tooke the Carving knife in his hand, and stroke the Squire on the head, saying, The Devill take Henry of Lancaster and thee together: And with that word, Sir Piers entred the Chamber, with eight armed men, every of them having a Bill in his hand. King Richard per∣ceiving this, put the Table from him, and stepping to the foremost man, wrung the bill out of his hands, and slew foure of those that thus came to assaile him; but in conclusion, was felled with a stroke of a Poll-axe, which Sir Piers gave him upon the head, with which blow he fell down dead•• though it be scarce credible, that •• man upon his bare word, and without shewing any warrant, should be admitted to doe such a fact. Sir Piers having thus slaine him, wept bitterly: a poore amends for so heynous a trespasse. King Richard thus dead, his body was embalmed, and covered with Lead, all save the face, and then brought to London, where it lay at Pauls three dayes together, that all men might behold it, to see he was dead: The corps was after had to Langley in Buckinghamshire, and there buried in the Church of the Friers Preachers: but afterward, by k. Henry the Fift, it was removed to West∣minster, and there honorably entombed, with Queen Anne his wife; and that beau∣tifull picture of a King, sitting crowned in a Chaire of State, at the upper end of the Quire in S. Peters at Westminster, is said to be of him: although the Scots untruly write, that he escaped out of Prison, and led a solitary and vertuous life in Scotland, and there dyed, and is buried (as they hold) in the Black-Friers at Sterling. He lived three and thirty yeares, Reigned two and twenty and three moneths.