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and yet, in the end, contributed to settle and confirm the conftitution.

When Richard was depofed, the earl of Northumberland made a motion in the house of peers, demanding the advice of parliament, with regard to the future treatment of the depofed king. To this they replied that he fhould be imprifoned in fome fecure place, where his friends and partizans should not be able to find him. This was accordingly put in practice; but while he ftill continued alive, the ufurper could not remain in fafety. Indeed fome confpiracies and commotions which followed foon after induced Henry to wish for Richard's death; in confequence of which, one of those affaffins that are found in every court, ready to commit the most horrid crimes for reward, went down to the place of this unfortunate monarch's confinement, in the castle of Pomfret ; and, with eight of his followers, rufhed into his apartment. The king concluding their defign was to take away his life, refolved not to fall unrevenged, but to fell it as dearly as he could; wherefore, wrefting a pole-axe from one of the murderers, he foon laid four of their number dead at his feet. But he was at length overpowered, and ftruck dead by the blow of a pole-axe; although fome affert that he was ftarved in prifon. Thus died the unfortunate Richard, in the thirty-fourth year of his age, and the twenty-third of his reign. Though his conduct was blameable, yet the punifhment he suffered was greater than his offences, and in the end his fufferings made more converts to his family and cause, than ever his most meritorious actions could have procured them, He left no pofterity, either legitimate or otherwife.

It

It was during this reign, that John Wickliff, a fecular prieft, educated at Oxford, began to propagate his doctrines; and he has the honour of being the first perfon who had fagacity to fee through the errors of the church of Rome, and courage enough to attempt a reformation. He denied the doctrine of the real prefence, the fupremacy of the church of Rome, and the merit of monaftic vows. He maintained that the fcriptures were the fole rule of faith; that the church was dependent on the ftate; that the clergy ought to poflefs no eftates; and that the numerous cere-1 monies of the church were hurtful to true piety. In short, most of his doctrines were fuch as the wisdom of pofterity thought fit to establish; and Wickliff failed in being a reformer, only because the minds of men were not fufficiently ripened for the truths he endeavoured to inculcate. The clergy of that age did not fail to oppofe Wickliff with fury; but as his doctrines were pleafing to the higher orders of the laity, he found protection from their indignation. John of Gaunt was his particular friend and favourer; and when fummoned to appear before the bishop of London, that nobleman attended him into the court; and defended him both from the refentment of the clergy, and the rage of the populace. However, in process of time, he had the fatisfaction to fee the people, who were at firft ftrongly prejudiced against him, entirely declaring in his favour; and although he was often cited to appear before the prelates, yet, from the estimation he was held in both among the higher and lower ranks of the laity, he was always difmiffed without injury. In this manner he continued during his whole life, to leffen the credit of the clergy, both by his preaching and writings; and at last died of a palfy, in

the

the year 1385, at his rectory of Lutterworth, in the county of Leicefter; while the clergy took care to reprefent his death as a judgment from heaven, for his multiplied herefics and impieties.

CHAP.

CHA P. XVI.

HENRY IV.

UMEROUS formalities are feldom ufed N but to cover diftruft or injuftice. Henry the fourth, knowing the weakness of his A. D. title, was, at least, determined to give 1399. his coronation all poffible folemnity, and to make religion a cloak to cover his ufurpation. Accordingly, particular care was taken to procure a certain oil, faid to have been prefented by the Virgin Mary to Thomas Becket, during his exile. The phial that contained this precious balm had fallen into the hands of a hermit, who gave it to the duke of Lancaster, affuring him that all kings anointed with that oil, would become true champions of the church. On the present occafion, being feized by Henry among the other jewels of Richard, he was anointed with it in all the forms; at the fame time declaring, that he afcended the throne by the right of conqueft, the refignation of Richard in his favour, and as the moft direct defcendant of Henry the third, king of England. Thefe were the formalities made ufe of to hide his ambition, or perhaps quiet his own fears; for the heir of the house of Mortimer, who had in the late reign been declared in parliament the true heir of the crown, was ftill alive, although yet but a boy of seven years of age. Him Henry detained, together with his younger brother, in an honourable cuftody, at Windfor castle.

But notwithstanding thefe precautions for his fecurity, Henry foon found that the throne of an ufurper is even a bed of thorns. Such violent ani

mofities

mofities broke out among the barons, in the first feffion of his parliament, that forty challenges were given and received, and forty gauntiets thrown down, as pledges of the fincerity of their refentment. But though thefe commotions were feemingly fuppreffed by his moderation for that time, yet they foon broke out into rebellion; and a confpiracy was fet on foot for feizing Henry at Windfor, and replacing Richard on the throne, who was supposed to be yet alive. This plot was fet on foot by the earls of Rutland, Kent, Huntington, and ford Spencer, whom Henry had degraded from fuperior titles, conferred upon them by the late king. The particulars of their scheme were committed to writing, and each of the confederates had a copy figned by all the reft. Among the number of thefe, the duke of Aumerle was one, furnished with a paper, which he unfortu nately dropt out of his bofom, as he was fitting one day at dinner with his father, the duke of York. The father perceiving fomething fall, privately took it up, and to his great aftonishment discovered the contents, which he refolved, with all diligence, to discover to the king, and accordingly rode off with the utmost expedition to Windfor, where the court refided at that juncture. In the mean time, the fon finding the fad mifchance that happened, and gueffing the cause of his father's expedition, was refolved, if poffible, to prevent his information; and haftening by a fhorter way, difcovered the whole to the king, and obtained the royal pardon before his father could arrive, who coming foon after, produced the paper, with the names of the confpirators.

In the mean time, while Henry employed the moft vigorous efforts to difpel the rifing ftorm, the confpirators, finding their first intentions fruftrated, dreffed

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