These gentlemen therefore remained. And no sooner
had all others departed than the monk was admitted by a private
entrance to the chamber. The king received him with great joy
and satisfaction, stating he was anxious to die in the communion
of the catholic church, and declaring he was sorry for the wrongs
of his past life, which he yet hoped might be pardoned through
the merits of Christ.
He then, as we read in the Stuart Papers, "with exceeding
compunction and tenderness of heart," made an exact confession of
his sins, after which he repeated an act of contrition, and
received absolution. He next desired to have the other
Sacraments of the church proper to his condition administered to
him: on which the Benedictine asked if he desired to receive the
Eucharist; eagerly he replied, "If I am worthy pray fail not to
let me have it." Then Father Huddleston, after some exhortation,
prepared to give him the Sacrament; when the dying man,
struggling to raise himself, exclaimed, "Let me meet my heavenly
Lord in a better posture than lying in bed." But the priest
begged he would not move, and then gave him the Communion, which
he received with every sign of fervour. And for some time he
prayed earnestly, the monk and the duke kneeling by the while,
silence obtaining in the room. This was presently broken by the
sad and solemn tones of the priest's voice, reading a
commendation of the soul to its Maker: the which being ended,
the Benedictine, with tears in his eyes, took leave of his
majesty.
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