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 fine clothes, and the
better to conceal himself from all suspicion of being the son of a
king, and that he might gain a livelihood, he put himself apprentice
to a bricklayer, and generally spent his spare time in reading. Sir
Thomas, finding him very old, is said to have offered him _the run of
his kitchen_, which he declined, on the ground of his patron having a
large family; but asked his permission to build a small house in one
of his fields, and this being granted, he built a cottage, and
continued in it till his death.
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