RICHARD RESIGNS TO A REGENCY.-1387.

159

9. The afflicted old man accordingly accompanied the army into Scotland, and performed all the duties of a soldier and commander, as if he had a heart free from sorrow; but as soon as the expedition was ended, he went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, and did not live to return.

CHAPTER LXXXIX.

The King offends his Nobles, and is obliged to resign his Power to a Regency, but resumes his Authority.-Death of the Duke of Glou

1. DURING the absence of the Duke of Lancaster, the king had made himself very unpopular by giving the principal offices of state to a set of worthless favorites, the chief of whom was Michael de la Pole, the son of a merchant of London.

2. A party was formed against the king, at the head of which was the Duke of Gloucester. This became powerful enough to compel Richard to surrender the government of the kingdom to a council of regency, consisting of fourteen noblemen. Many of the favorites were put to death, and De la Pole, who had been made Earl of Suffolk, saved his life by flying from the kingdom.

3. Not content with depriving his nephew of all power, Glouces ter determined to destroy every friend that remained to him. Richard, though he had assembled around him so many vicious characters, had still preserved his respect for Sir Samuel Burleigh, a good and

LXXXIX.--1. How did Richard give offence to his nobles? Who was his chief favor ite? 2. What was the consequence of his conduct? 3, 4. What is said about Sir

160

TRIAL BY COMBAT.-1397.

venerable old man, who had been appointed his tutor by the Black Prince.

4. Neither the affection which that prince was known to have had for him, nor his own age and virtue, could preserve him from the malice of Gloucester, who procured his condemnation on a pretended charge of high treason. And though the good Queen Anne remained on her knees three hours before the inexorable Gloucester, begging for his life, he was executed like a common traitor.

5. Richard submitted quietly to the tyranny of his uncle for about a year and a half, and then, suddenly rousing himself into action, asserted his own right to the sovereign power. He removed the officers appointed by Gloucester, and filled their places with men of ability. He acted with such prudence and vigor that Gloucester and his party were thunderstruck, and relinquished their authority. 6. Richard now sought to purchase the friendship of his uncle by grants of immense value, but the duke was not of a character to remain long in a state of quiet. The king, having information of his plots, determined to be beforehand with him, and caused him to be seized by surprise and carried to Calais.

7. The Duke of Gloucester was accused of high treason, and a parliament was summoned to meet at Westminster, September 17th, 1397, for his trial. So many nobles came to London to attend this, that every lodging in London, and for ten miles around, was filled.

8. When the day of trial arrived, the Governor of Calais was summoned to bring his prisoner; but, instead of producing him, he sent word that Gloucester had died in prison. The particulars of his death are not known, but there is every reason to believe that h was murdered by the orders of the king.

CHAPTER XC.

Trial by Combat, between the Dukes of Hereford and Norfolk.-Cere monies used on that Occasion.

1. SOME of the nobles did not hesitate to charge the king with the murder of Gloucester. The Duke of Norfolk one day expressed this opinion in the hearing of Henry Bolingbroke, a son of John of Gaunt, and of course the cousin of the king. Henry was highly indignant at this charge, and made a formal complaint against the duke for speaking seditious words.

2. It was decreed by the lords in parliament that the matter should be decided by a personal combat between the accuser and the accused; a common mode of deciding doubtful questions of law or of fact, as we

Samuel Burleigh? 5. How long did Richard submit to the rule of his uncle? What lid he do then? 6, 7, 8. Relate the rest of the incidents of the Duke of Gloucester's life. XC.-1. What was the ground of quarrel between the Dukes of Hereford and Norfolk

TRIAL BY COMBAT.—1,97.

161

have before stated. It may interest the reader to have a description of the ceremonies used on the occasion.

3. The accuser first appeared, in full armor, with his drawn sword in his hand, and mounted on a white charger, with housings of greer and blue velvet, on which were embroidered swans and antelopes of gold. When he approached the lists, the marshal demanded, Who he was? To which he answered, "I am Henry of Lancaster, Duke of Hereford, come hither according to my duty, against Thomas Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk, a false traitor to God, the king, the country, and me."

4. Then, taking the oath that his quarrel was just and true, he desired to enter the lists. This being granted to him, he sheathed his sword, made the sign of the cross upon his forehead, seized his lance, which had hitherto been borne by his squire, and passing the barrier or entrance to the lists, alighted from his horse, and sat down in a chair of green velvet, placed at one end of the lists.

5. He had scarce taken his seat, when the king came into the field, with great pomp, attended by the peers, and ten thousand men-atarms, to preserve order among the spectators. The king being seated in his chair of state, a herald proclaimed that none but the marshals should presume to touch the lists, under pain of death.

6. Then another herald proclaimed aloud, "Behold here Henry of Lancaster, Duke of Hereford, who has entered the lists to make good his charge against Thomas Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk, on pain of being counted false and recreant.”

7. The Duke of Norfolk immediately appeared in arms, mounted upon a horse, with housings of crimson velvet, embroidered with lions of silver and mulberry-trees, his armorial bearings; and having taken his oaths, entered the field, exclaiming aloud, "God defend the right!"

8. Alighting from his horse, he placed himself in a chair of crimson velvet, opposite to his antagonist at the other end of the lists. Then the marshal, having measured their lances, delivered one to the Duke of Hereford, and sent a knight with the other to the Duke of Norfolk; he then made proclamation that they should prepare for the combat.

9. They immediately mounted their horses, closed the visors of their helmets, and fixed their lances on their rests. The trumpets sounded the charge; the Duke of Hereford rushed forward with the greatest violence, but before he could reach his antagonist, the king threw down his sceptre, which was a signal for the heralds to interpose, and to stop the combat.

10. He ordered their lances to be taken away, and banished the Duke of Hereford for ten years, and the Duke of Norfolk for life. Nothing could have been more ill judged than this measure, which was attributed to the king's cowardice. In those ferocious times, personal courage was considered the greatest virtue a monarch could possess, and the want of it exposed him to the contempt of his subjects, and therefore to no little danger.

2. How was it ordered that the dispute should be settled? 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Give an account

162 RESIGNATION AND DEATH OF RICHARD.—1399-1400.

11. The measure gave general dissatisfaction. There was a feel ing of disappointment at the loss of the show, and of indignation at the injustice done to the parties themselves. Henry of Lancaster was a great favorite with the soldiers; was possessed of immense wealth, and related to all the great families of the kingdom. He was a dangerous subject to offend; but still no ill consequences to the king might have ensued, but for some new wrongs inflicted upon him.

CHAPTER XCI.

Henry of Lancaster returns to England with an Army, and compels Richard II. to resign the Crown.--Death of Richard.

1. IN 1399, John of Gaunt died, and Richard at once seized on all his great estates. His son Henry, called Bolingbroke, from the place of his birth, was in France when he heard of this new outrage committed against him. He resolved immediately to reclaim his rights, and being assisted with ships and soldiers by the Duke of Brittany, he landed in England, July 4th, 1399.

2. The king was at that time in Ireland, and his uncle, the Duke of York, governed England during his absence. It is probable that Henry, when he first landed, had no view beyond that of getting back his inheritance; but finding himself joined by some powerful noblemen, he soon began to entertain designs upon the throne itself.

3. The Duke of York was preparing, on the king's part, to make resistance; but he too, being persuaded by Henry that he had only come to claim his inheritance, joined him with the forces under his command.

4. Richard himself soon after landed at Milford Haven, and finding that his uncle, instead of having an army ready for his service, had gone over to the party of Henry, retired with a few friends to Conway. After some negotiations, he imprudently agreed to a personal conference with his cousin at Flint Castle, to which Richard at once proceeded, with his few attendants.

5. The next day Henry arrived, attended by his army. Richard, who was watching on the walls for his coming, went down to meet him; the duke, after some ceremony, entered the castle in full armor, only making bare his head in compliment to the fallen king.

6. Henry, having thus secured the person of Richard, led him in triumph to London. On the road he was subjected to many indignities both from the duke and from the people, and on his arrival at the capital he was committed as a prisoner to the Tower.

of the ceremonies used on the occasion. 9. How did the matter end? 10. What did the king do to the parties? 11. How was the measure received?

XCI.- When did John of Gaunt die? What became of his estates? What did Henry do? When did he land in England? 2. Where was the king? By whom was Heary joined? 4, 5. What became of Richard? 6. How was he treated by Henry

JOHN WICKLIFFE.-1376-1381.

163

7. Henry now openly declared his design upon the crown, and compelled the king to sign a paper containing a resignation of it. This paper was communicated to parliament, who gave it their approval. Henry was unanimously declared to be the successor, and was led to the vacant throne by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York.

8. Richard was conveyed to Pontefract Castle, and there put to death in the beginning of the year 1400, in the thirty-fourth year of his age, and the twenty-third of his reign. He is called the last sovereign of the line of Plantagenet; Henry and his successors being styled The House of Lancaster.

FAMILY OF RICHARD II.

WIFE.

Anne of Bohemia, who died before him. He was espoused to Isabella of France, at the time of his deposition. He left no children.

TABLE OF THE KINGS OF THE LINE OF PLANTAGENET.

Account of John Wickliffe, who attempted to produce a Reformation in Religion.

1. In the course of our story we have had frequent occasion to speak of the pride and luxury of the clergy. This was in part the consequence of the idle lives which the liberality of a superstitious people enabled them to lead, and in part to the corrupting doctrines of the established church.

2. John Wickliffe, born about the year 1324, was the first who dared to protest openly against the errors of the time. He was himself a priest, and had gained great distinction at the University of Oxford, where he was educated, by his abilities and acquire. ments, and more especially by his knowledge of the Scriptures.

3. He first became publicly known in the latter part of the reign of Edward III., by a controversy with the begging friars, an order of monks, who, because our Saviour and his apostles avoided worldly riches and honors, pretended to imitate them by going

7. What did he compel the king to do? What did parliament do? 8. When and where did Richard die? What was his age? How long had he reigned? What line of sov reigns ended with him? What were his successors styled?

XCII.-2. When was John Wickliffe born? 3, 4 What did he do? 5. By whom