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DEATH OF THE DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM. 151<br />

yet affected), he could not easily believe; for all this time<br />

he was not willing to take death to him, but in a few<br />

moments after he became calm, and received the sacrament<br />

with all the decency imaginable, and in an hour<br />

afterwards he lost his speech, and continued so until<br />

eleven at night, whenhe died.<br />

"The confusion he has left his affairs in will make his<br />

heir, whoever he be, very uneasy. To tell you truly,I<br />

believe there is no other willin being but what they sayis<br />

in the trustee's hands; for all the servants say they know<br />

there was a parchment sealed, which my Lord said he<br />

would alter, which they looked upon to be his will.<br />

Whether he has cancelleditIcannot find — some say one<br />

Mr. Burrellhas it, but nobody here can give any distinct<br />

account ofit; but my Lord himselfsaid positively,in the<br />

presence of several, that he had no willinbeing, so what<br />

to make of thisIcannot tell you. We suppose that it<br />

might be Sir WilliamVilliers thathe intendedfor hisheir;<br />

but he said several times before us all ' No,' so thatI<br />

cannot imagine,ifhe has any will, to whom he has given<br />

it,Imyself being as nearly related to him as any by full<br />

blood. Mr. Brian Fairfax and Mr. Gibson have been<br />

witnessesof myproceedingssince my beinghere. Ihope<br />

they will give an account of it. Ithought in honourI<br />

could not leave him in this condition, beingso nearly<br />

related to him, especially his Grace being in such a<br />

retired corner, where there was nobody but myself, tillI<br />

sent for this Mr. Gibson. My Lord Fairfax, of Gilling,<br />

came yesterdayin the afternoon;but he was speechless<br />

when he came.<br />

" Ihave ordered the corpse to be embalmedand carried<br />

to Helmsley Castle, and there to remain till my Lady<br />

Duchess her pleasure shall be known. There must be<br />

speedy care taken, for there is nothing here but confusion<br />

not to be expressed.<br />

" Though his stewardshave receivedvast sums,thereis<br />

not so much as one farthing,as theytellme,for defraying<br />

the least expense. ButIhave ordered his intestines to

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