of Warwick, and other lords of the oppofition, from the council. The bishop of Hereford loft his office of treasurer; the earl of Arundel was deprived of the poft of high-admiral; all the great officers of the household, as well as the judges, were changed; and all the offices felt the influence of this extraordinary revolution. The king being thus left at liberty to conduct the bufinefs of government at difcretion, began by fhewing many marks of moderation towards thofe who before had endeavoured to deprefs his power; he feemed to be entirely reconciled to his uncles; and he remitted fome fubfidies which had been granted him, that acquired him for a time the affections of the people. But he wanted thofe arts that are ufually found to procure a lafting refpect; he was fond of luxurious pleafures, and idle oftentation; he admitted the meaneft ranks to his familiarity; and his converfation was not adapted to imprefs them with a reverence for his morals or abilities. His military talents on which mankind then placed the greatest value, were feldom exerted, and never with any great fuccefs. The French war was scarce heard of; and fome fuccessful inroads of the Scotch, particularly that which brought on a difputed victory at Otterbone, were only oppofed by thofe barons whofe poffeffions lay along the frontier. He gained indeed fome reputation for arms in Ireland; but his fucceffes there were too infignificant to give him a decifive character. From thence, the fmall regard which the public bore his perfon, difpofed them to murmur against his administration, and to receive with avidity every complaint which difcontent, or ambition, fuggefted to his prejudice. Whether the duke of Gloucester was fecretly displeased with this mean difpofition in his royal nephew, or wanted to inake himself king, by fomenting E 2 A. D. 1396. menting jealoufies against him, must remain for ever unknown; but certain it is, that he used every art to encrease the averfion of the nation against him, and to establish his own popularity. He reprefented the peace which had been juft then concluded with France, as the refult of the king's pufillanimity; and plaufibly appeared to lament that Richard fhould have degenerated fo far from the heroic virtues of his father. He frequently spoke with contempt of the king's perfon and government, and deliberated concerning the lawfulness of throwing off all allegiance to him. These were infults that deferved to be chaftifed in any fubject; but that called aloud for punishment in him, whose popularity was dangerous, and who more than once had teftified a difpofition to rebel. As all his conduct was fecretly obferved by the king's emiffaries, Richard at length formed a refolution of ridding himself entirely both of him and his faction, fenfible that he then had the parliament entirely at his difpofal. He accordingly ordered Gloucester to be immediately arrefted, and fent over to Calais, at which place there was no danger of a rescue from his numerous adherents. The earls of Arundel and Warwick were seized at the fame time; and a parliament was fummoned at Westminster, which the king knew to be obedient to his will. This parliament, as he was apprized, paffed whatever acts he thought proper to dictate; they annulled for ever the commiffion of fourteen, which had ufurped upon his authority; they repealed all thofe acts which had condemned his former minifters; and revoked the general pardon which the king had granted, upon his affuming the reins of government into his own hands. In confequence of this, feveral of the party of Gloucefter were were impeached, condemned, and executed. FitzAlan, archbishop of Canterbury, was banifhed the kingdom, and his temporalities fequeftered. The earl of Arundel vainly attempted to plead the king's general pardon, to ftop his execution; the earl of Warwick fhewing figns of contrition, had his life fpared, but was banifhed to the ifle of Man. The greatest criminal yet remained; and a warrant was accordingly iffued to the earl marechal, governor of Calais, to bring over the duke of Gloucefter to take his trial, as the reft had done. It is probable this nobleman would have shared the fame fate with the reft of his party; but he was privately dispatched in prifon, being fmothered, as it afterwards appeared, between two pillows, by the keepers. The death of a nobleman fo popular as the duke, did not fail to encreafe thofe animofities which had already taken deep root in the kingdom. The aggrandifement of fome new favourites, contributed ftill more to make the king odious; but though he feemed refolved, by all his actions, to fet his fubjects against him, it was accident that gave the occafion for his overthrow. After the deftruction of the duke of Gloucester and the heads of that party, a misunderstanding broke out among thofe noblemen who had joined in the profecution. The duke of Hereford appeared in parliament, and accused the duke of Norfolk of having spoken feditious words against his majesty, in a private conversation. Norfolk denied the charge; gave Hereford the lie; and offered to prove his innocence by fingle combat. As proofs were wanting for legal trial, the lords readily acquiefced in that mode of determination; the time and place were appointed; and the whole nation waited with anxious fufpence for the event. At length the E 3 day 66 day arrived, on which this duel was to be fought; and as combats of this kind were then very prevalent, it may not be amifs to describe the ceremonies on that occafion. Hereford, the challenger, first appeared on a white charger, gaily caparifoned, armed at all points, and holding his drawn fword. When he approached the lifts, the marechal de-manded his name and bufinefs; to which he repli-. ed, I am Henry of Lancaster, duke of Hereford, come hither acco ding to my duty, against "Thomas Mowbray duke of Norfolk, a falfe "traitor to God and the king, the realm and me." Then taking the oath that his quarrel was juft and true, he defired to enter the lifts, which being granted, he fheathed his fword, pulled down his beaver, crofled himself on the forehead, feized his lance, paffed the barrier, alighted, and fate down in a chair of green velvet, placed at one end of the lifts. He had fcarce taken his feat when the king came into the field with great pomp, attended by the lords, the count de St. Pol, who came from France on purpofe to fee this famous trial, and ten thousand men at arms, to prevent tumults and difturbances. His majefty being feated in his chair. of state, the king at arms proclaimed, that none but fuch as were appointed to marfhal the field, fhould prefume to touch the lifts upon pain of death. Then another herald proclaimed aloud, "Behold "here Henry of Lancafter, duke of Hereford, "who has entered the lifts to perform his devoir 66 against Thomas Mowbray, duke of Norfolk, on pain of being counted falfe and recreant." Juft then the duke of Norfolk appeared in arms, mounted upon a barbed horfe, with a coat of arms of crimfon velvet embroidered with lions of filver, and mulberry trees; and having taken his oath be fore fore the conftable and marechal, entered the field, exclaiming aloud, "God defend the right." Then alighting from his horfe, he placed himself in a chair of crimson velvet oppofite to his antagonist, at the other end of the lifts. After which, the marechal having incafured their lances, delivered one to the challenger, and fent a knight with the other to the duke of Norfolk; and proclamation was made that they should prepare for the combat. Accordingly, mounting their horfes, and clofing their beavers, they fixed their lances in reft, and the trumpets founded the charge. The duke of Hereford began his career with great violence; but, before he could join his antagonist, the king threw down his warder, and the heralds interpofed. By the advice and anthority of his parliamentary commiffioners, he' ftopped the combat,, and ordered both the combatants to leave the kingdom. The duke of Norfolk he banished for life, but the duke of Hereford only for ten years. Thus the one was condemned to exile without being charged with any offence, and the other without being convicted of any crime. The duke of Norfolk was overwhelmed with grief and defpondence at the judgment awarded againft him; he retired to Venice, where, in a little time after, he died of a broken heart. Hereford's behaviour on this occafion was refigned and fubmiffive, which fo pleafed the king, that he confented to fhorten the date of his banishment four years; and he alfo granted him letters patent, enfuring him the enjoyment of any inheritance which fhould fall to him during his abfence. But nothing could be more fluctuating than Richard's promifes or friendhip. The earl of Hereford retiring into Flanders, and from thence to Paris, found there a very favourable reception from the French E 4 |