Buckingham’s death took place at Helmsby, in Yorkshire, and the immediate cause was an ague and fever, owing to having sat down on the wet grass after fox-hunting.  Pope has given the following forcible, but inaccurate account of his last hours, and the place in which they were passed:—­

    ’In the worst inn’s worst room, with mat half hung,
     The floors of plaster and the walls of dung,
     On once a flock-bed, but repaired with straw,
     With tape-tied curtains never meant to draw;
     The George and Garter dangling from that bed,
     Where tawdry yellow strove with dirty red,
     Great Villiers lies:—­alas! how changed from him,
     That life of pleasure and that soul of whim! 
     Gallant and gay, in Claverdon’s proud alcove,
     The bower of wanton Shrewsbury and love,
     Or, just as gay, at council in a ring
     Of mimic’d statesmen and their merry King. 
     No wit to flatter left of all his store,
     No fool to laugh at, which he valued more,
     Then victor of his health, of fortune, friends,
     And fame, this lord of useless thousands ends.’

Far from expiring in the ‘worst inn’s worst room,’ the duke breathed his last in Kirby Moorside, in a house which had once been the best in the place.  Brian Fairfax, who loved this brilliant reprobate, has left the only authentic account on record of his last hours.

The night previous to the duke’s death Fairfax had received a message from him desiring him to prepare a bed for him in his house, Bishop Hill, in York.  The next day, however, Fairfax was sent for to his master, whom he found dying.  He was speechless, but gave the afflicted servant an earnest look of recognition.

The Earl of Arran, son of the Duke of Hamilton, and a gentleman of the neighbourhood, stood by his bedside.  He had then received the Holy Communion from a neighbouring clergyman of the Established Church.  When the minister came it is said that he inquired of the duke what religion he professed.  ‘It is,’ replied the dying man, ’an insignificant question, for I have been a shame and a disgrace to all religions:  if you can do me any good, pray do.’  When a Popish priest had been mentioned to him, he answered vehemently, ‘No, no!’

He was in a very low state when Lord Arran had found him.  But though that nobleman saw death in his looks, the duke said he ’felt so well at heart that he knew he could be in no danger.’

He appeared to have had inflammation in the bowels, which ended in mortification.  He begged of Lord Arran to stay with him.  The house seems to have been in a most miserable condition, for in a letter from Lord Arran to Dr. Sprat, he says, ’I confess it made my heart bleed to see the Duke of Buckingham in so pitiful a place, and so bad a condition, and what made it worse, he was not at all sensible of it, for he thought in a day or two he should be well; and when we reminded him of his condition, he said