during his sad pilgrimage towards the metropolis as a captive to Henry, and that their meeting and parting were tender and heart-breaking; but the whole of Richard's progress has been minutely described by eye-witnesses, who, it may be thought, would not have been silent on a circumstance so picturesque and touching. This interview must, therefore, be considered as a mere romance of history, interwoven into English historical ballads: Shakspeare has made use of it with beautiful effect.

In the midst of these changes, the young queen was hurried from place to place with little rest. From Wallingford she was carried by the popular party to Leeds-castle, in Kent, where she was placed under the care of the widowed duchess of Ireland; who, having been wronged by king Richard and his late queen, was not supposed to be extremely favourable to the cause of the imprisoned monarch. As lady de Coucy was sister to the duchess, she certainly obtained access to the queen again, notwithstanding her dismissal by king Richard; for she was at Leeds-castle when the insurgent Londoners took umbrage at her vicinity to the queen of Richard, and one of their leaders thus addressed her:-"Lady, make instant preparations of departure, for we will not suffer you to remain longer here. Take care, on saying farewell to queen Isabel, that you show not any tokens of anger at our dismissing you; but tell her that your husband and daughter in France have sent to entreat your return. This we advise you to do, if you regard your life. You must ask no questions and make no remarks to the queen, on any thing that is going on. You will be escorted to Dover, and embarked in the passage-boat for Boulogne." The lady de Coucy, alarmed at these menaces, and knowing those who made them to be cruel and full of hatred, replied, "That in God's name she would do as they directed."—" Palfreys and hackneys were furnished for herself and attendants, and all the French of both sexes were sent off. The foreign household of the queen being thus broken

1 Either Froissart is mistaken in this assertion, or the French servants of the young queen were replaced by Henry IV., for the Minutes of Council contain a long list of French persons who returned to France with Isabella as officials of her

household.

up, none were left with her that were at all attached to king Richard. A new retinue was formed for her, of ladies, damsels, and varlets, who were strictly enjoined never to mention the name of king Richard to her, or to acquaint her with what was become of him."

It is asserted by all authors of that day, that the heart of the young Isabella was devoted to Richard: the chroniclers of her own country especially declare, "that he had behaved so amiably to her, that she loved him entirely." While, by a cruel policy, her youthful mind was torn with the pangs of suspense and the pain of parting from her native attendants, Richard was conveyed from Shene by night and lodged secretly in the Tower, with such of his friends and ministers as were peculiarly obnoxious to the Londoners.

After enduring many mortifications at the Tower, king Richard offered to resign the crown to Henry of Bolingbroke, who immediately replied, "It is necessary that the three estates of the realm should hear this proposition; and in three days the parliaments will be collected, and can debate on the subject." So far his rejoinder was made with moderation and propriety, but he added,—" The people want to crcwn me; for the common report in the country is, that I have a better right to the crown than you. This was told our grandfather, king Edward, of happy memory, when he educated you, and had you acknowledged heir to the crown; but his love was so strong for his son the prince of Wales, nothing could make him alter his purpose. If you had followed the example of the prince, you might still have been king; but you have always acted so contrary, as to occasion the rumour to be generally believed throughout England that you were not the son of the prince of Wales, but of a priest or canon. I have heard several knights who were of the household of my uncle, the prince of Wales, declare that he was jealous of the conduct of the princess. She was cousingerman to king Edward, who began to dislike her for not having children by his son, for he knew that she had sons by her former marriage with sir Thomas Holland, since he had 1 Froissart, and MS. of the Ambassades.

himself stood godfather to two. The princess of Wales knew well how to keep my uncle in her chains, having through subtlety enticed him to marry her; but fearful of being divorced by the king his father, for want of heirs, and that the prince would marry again, it is said she had you, and another son who died in his infancy, by some other person.

And from your modes of thinking and acting being so different to the gallantry and prowess of the prince, it is thought you were the son of a priest or canon; for, at the time of your birth, there were many young and handsome ones in the household of my uncle at Bourdeaux. Such is the report of this country, which your conduct has confirmed; for you have ever shown a great affection to the French, and a desire to live at peace with them, to the loss of the honour of England. Because my uncle of Gloucester and the good earl of Arundel gave you good advice, and wished you to follow in the footsteps of your ancestors, you have treacherously put them to death. As for me, I will give you my protection, and will guard and preserve your life through compassion, as long as I shall be able." For two hours did Henry thus converse, continuing to reproach the king with all the wrong he had ever been guilty of in the whole course of his life. He then took leave, re-entered his barge, and returned to his house; and on the morrow renewed his orders for the assembling of parliament.

As an interlude to the narrative of Froissart, which details the deep dejection of Richard, the accounts given by his faithful attendant, and the manuscript of the Ambassades, show Richard, at intervals, with the lion-like desperation of the Plantagenets awakened in his breast. Sometimes the thoughts of his young wife, a prisoner like himself, and perhaps in equal danger, gave rise to tempests of rage, before whose sway the insolence of the usurper seems to have quailed, when in his presence. The time of the interview here described must have been one day of the three which intervened between the conference concerning the abdication just detailed and the meeting of parliament. The dukes of York and Aunierle, and Henry, now called duke of Lancaster, went to the Tower, and

1 Froissart.

sent the young earl of Arundel' to bid the king come to them out of his privy chamber. When this message was delivered to Richard, he replied, "Tell Henry of Lancaster from me, I shall do no such thing; if he wants to see me, let him come to me."

On entering the king's apartment, none showed any respect to him but Henry, who took off his cap, and, saluting him respectfully, said, "Here is our cousin the duke of Aumerle, and our uncle the duke of York, who wish to speak to you." Richard answered, "Cousin, they are not fit to speak to me.” "But have the goodness to hear them," said Henry. Upon which Richard uttered an oath, and exclaimed, turning to York,2 2 "Thou villain! what wouldst thou say to me! And thou, traitor of Rutland! thou art neither good nor worthy to speak to me, nor to bear the name of duke, earl, or knight. Thou, and the villain thy father, foully have ye betrayed me;3 in a cursed hour were ye born; by your false counsel was my uncle Gloucester put to death!" Aumerle replied to the king, "That he lied," and threw down his bonnet at his feet: upon which the king said, "I am king and thy lord; and will continue king, and be greater lord than I ever was, in spite of all my enemies!" Upon this, Henry imposed silence on Aumerle.

Richard then, turning with a fierce countenance to Henry of Lancaster, asked "Why he was in confinement? and why under a guard of armed men? Am I your servant, or am I your king? What do you mean to do with me?" Henry replied, "You are my king and my lord; but the council of the realm have determined that you are to be kept in confinement till the decision of parliament." The king then swore a deep oath, and said, "Let me have my wife." "Excuse me," replied Henry; "it is forbidden by the council that you should see queen Isabel." Then the king in wrath walked about the room, breaking into passionate exclamations 1 Whose father Richard had put to death.

Richard had left him regent of England, which he surrendered to Henry without a struggle.

Aumerle had just surrendered the loyal city of Bristol, the last hope of the unfortunate king.

66

and appeals to Heaven, called them "false traitors," offered to fight" any four of them," threw down his bonnet as a gage, spoke of his father's and his grandfather's fame, and his reign of twenty-one years." Henry of Lancaster then fell on his knees, and besought him "to be quiet till the meeting of parliament."

Before the meeting of parliament, this burst of spirit had subsided in deep despondency. Stowe declares that Richard's abdication took place in Westminster-hall; and that, by a singular coincidence, this ceremony was the first solemnized in that building since its new erection by Richard. The parliament waited, sitting in Westminster-hall, the termination of the following scene, which took place at Richard's prison in the Tower. Henry rode to the Tower with a selected number of prelates, dukes, earls, and knights, and dismounted in the court-yard; while king Richard, royally dressed, with the sceptre in his hand and the crown on his head, entered the hall in the Tower, but without supporters on either side, which was his usual state. He then addressed the company as follows: "I have reigned king of England, duke of Aquitaine, and lord of Ireland, about twenty-two years; which royalty, lordship, sceptre, and crown I now freely and willingly resign to my cousin, Henry of Lancaster, and entreat of him, in the presence of you all, to accept of this sceptre." He then tendered the sceptre to Henry of Lancaster, who took it and gave it to the archbishop of Canterbury. King Richard next raised up his crown with both his hands from his head, and placing it before him said,-" Henry, fair cousin, I present and give to you this crown, with which I was crowned king of England, and with it all the rights dependent on it." Henry of Lancaster received the royal diadem, and delivered it over to the archbishop.

Thus was the resignation accepted,-Henry of Lancaster calling in a public notary, that an authentic act might be drawn up of this proceeding, which was witnessed by all present. Soon after the king was led back to the apartments in the Tower from whence he had been conducted. The two jewels (the crown and sceptre) were safely packed up and