The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1844-07-31

Thu Inn where Richard Ill abode during his brief
.oiourn At Leicester even the very bed on which he
there reposed, are not exempt from The tale OF h0
ror which are associated with the memory Of tins
nrince On his departure Tor Boswosth IL appear,
from the result that he must have len many articles
Of value, either TOO cumbsrsomc 10 be removed, or
In themselves ilI-su,tcd for Temporary encampmet
ii the house Of entertainment where he had been
Abiding and which, ~ being the chief hosiery In
Leicester, was distinguished by the sppeatioa Of
Richards badge, the Silver Boar :" but has Dc.
feat and death and the dispersion of his followers
the victorious army, with The infursled rage which
In all ages accompanies any popular Excitement,
pced The owner Of the inn 10 pull down the emblem
of the deceased king, and TO substitute the blue for
the white boar. The apartments which The king had
occupied pilagcd aud ransacked, and The hang.
ings Of lie richly carved bed on which he had slept
during his stay in the town, were torn on and either
carried away Ms booty with other portable articles
or were destroyed on the spot. The bedstesd, how.
ever, being large aud heavy and apparently Of no
great value, was suffered 10 remain undisturbed with
the people Of the house thenceforth continuing
piece of standing furniture, and passed from tenant
10 tenant with the i'm for King Richard and his Sc
cretsry being both slain and all bis confidential friend,
executed, imprisoned, or cxilcd, II could not BE-
known that the weight of the bulky wooden frame.
work left in his sleeping apartment arose from It,
being reality The military chest Of the deceased
monarch II Was at once his Golfer and his couch
Many years, however. rolled on before this singular
fact became known, and then it was only accidental.
iy discovered, owing to the circumstance Of piece
Of gold dropping on the floor when the wife OF the
proprietor WIS nsking a bed which had been placed
upon il. On closer examination O double bottom was
Discovered, the intermediate space between which
was found to TO filed with gold coin TO considera.
BILE amount.
The treasure thus marvellous obtained, although
carefully concealed, helped in time to elevate the
humble publican :" man Of low condition !" 10 tie
proud station Of the chief mag slrate of his native
town But at his DEATH the vast riches that accrued
to his widow excited the cupidity Of a mental con.
nected with her establishment; and The wfu muir
der Of their MISTRESS in 1919 led TO the execution of
her female sers ant, and OF concerned with
her in the ruthless Decd thus adding a. other tragedy
to the many of higher import which are nsepara-
bly, cted with the recollection of this unhappy
prince.
The inn ITSELF rendered SO rema, kable as the las,
abiding place of the last monarch of the middle ages
large, handsome, half timber house, with one ,o-
ry projecting the other remained for upwards
of three centuries unchanged, ntesestng relic
alike of the architecture of its period of the re.
markable epoch of which it perpetuated But in the
year $780, although undecayed, unnjured, and defy
ing the ravages of timc this venerable fabric was
RACED TO the ground, to the regret Of all who hold s
cred such historical memorials and haow the relics
which link bygone ages with the present time. lis
lite, with the apPendsge Of an adjoining thorough
fare to which il formed an angle, and which st
tains the name Of Blue Boarlane," together with
the description and deneation OF its pictureque ap-
pearance, are now all that connects King Richard
with this interesting memorial of his last days at
Leicester
Not so, however, the beds!ead. That appendage
to the inn, although three hundred and fifty years
have elapsed since il was used by he sovereign, s
s'l in existence and in the most perfect state Of pre-
servation. Richly and curiously carved in oak, with
eurde-lys profu ely scattered it, its panneIs in
laid with black, brown and white woods, the style,
consisting of Saracenc figures in high reIieft pryes
from the siDgulary of its construct on the true pur
pose for which was designed, every portion Of ii bat
the body being fabricated TO take 10 pieces and put M
at will !; so that f. r travelling it speedily becamt
transo med into huge chest. although ingeniouslv
framed for the twofod purpose which led 10 its pre-.
servation. This relic, insignificant in itself, is the
history of Richard Ill &C Halsiead Richard M