FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   >>  
overt acts of crime and violence; and it should be encouraged accordingly. (_To be concluded in our next_.) * * * * * Notes of a Reader. * * * * * THE LAST OF THE PLANTAGENETS. The only notice which occurs of "The Last of the Plantagenets" is, says the author of a Romance with the above name, in Peck's "Desiderata Curiosa," where a letter is inserted from Dr. Brett to Dr. Warren, the president of Trinity Hall, in which he says that, calling on Lord Winchilsea in 1720, his lordship pointed out to him this entry in the register of Eastwell--"Anno 1550, Rycharde Plantagenet was buryed the 22nd daye of December;" beyond this, not a word is known of him excepting what tradition affords, which, with some slight variations, for there are two versions of his history, is as follows:--When Sir Thomas Moyle built Eastwell, he observed that his principal bricklayer, whenever he quitted his work, retired with a book, a circumstance which attracted his attention, and on inquiry he found he was reading Latin: he then told Sir Thomas his secret, which was, that he was boarded with a Latin schoolmaster, without knowing who were his relations, until he was fifteen or sixteen; that he was occasionally visited by a gentleman who provided for his expenses; that this person one day took him to a fine house where he was presented to a gentleman handsomely drest, wearing a "star and garter," who gave him money, and conducted him back to school; that some time afterwards the same gentleman came to him, and took him into Leicestershire and to Bosworth Field, when he was carried to king Richard's tent; that the king embraced him, told him he was his son; adding, "Child, to-morrow, I must fight for my crown; and assure yourself, if I lose that, I will lose my life too, but I hope to preserve both, do you stand in such a place (pointing to the spot) where you may see the battle, out of danger, and when I have gained the victory come to me. I will then own you to be mine, and take care of you: but if I should lose the battle, then shift as well as you can, and take care to let nobody know that I am your father, for no mercy will be shown to any one so nearly related to me;" that the king gave him a purse of gold and dismissed him; that he followed those directions, and when he saw the battle was lost and the king slain, he hastened to London, sold his horse and his f
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   >>  



Top keywords:
battle
 

gentleman

 

Thomas

 

Eastwell

 

violence

 
assure
 
morrow
 

adding

 

encouraged

 

garter


conducted

 
wearing
 

presented

 

handsomely

 

school

 

carried

 

Richard

 

Bosworth

 

Leicestershire

 

embraced


related
 

father

 

dismissed

 
London
 
hastened
 
directions
 
pointing
 

preserve

 

danger

 

gained


victory

 
visited
 

register

 

Rycharde

 

Reader

 
Winchilsea
 

lordship

 

pointed

 

Plantagenet

 
excepting

buryed

 

December

 

calling

 
Desiderata
 

Romance

 

occurs

 

Plantagenets

 

notice

 

author

 
Curiosa