but those of arms; fuch as the method of fitting on ́horseback, of wielding the lance, running at the ring, flourishing at a tournament, and addreffing a miftrefs. To attain thefe, was confidered as the fum of all human acquirements; and though war made their only ftudy, yet the rules of tactics, encampments, ftratagems, and fortifications, were almost totally difregarded. A. D. 1349. It was in this reign that the order of the garter was inftituted; the number received into which was to confift of twenty-four perfons, befide the king. A vulgar ftory prevails, but unfupported by any ancient authority, that the countess of Salisbury, at a ball, happening to drop her garter, the king took it up, and prefented it to her with these words, "Honi "foit qui mal y penfe;" Evil to him, that evil thinks. This accident it is faid gave rife to the order and the motto, it being the fpirit of the times, to mix love and war together, and for knights to plume themselves upon the flightest tokens that their addreffes were pleased to beftow. Edward left many children by his queen Philippa of Hainault; his eldest fon, the Black Prince, died before him, but left a fon, named Richard, who fucceeded to the throne; Edward's fecond fon was Lionel duke of Clarence; the third was called John of Gaunt, from the place of his birth, and was afterwards created duke of Lancafter. The fourth fon was Edmund, earl of Cambridge, and afterwards duke of York; the fifth fon was Thomas duke of Gloucefter, the most ambitious and enterprizing of all his family. There were fe veral daughters alfo; but as there is nothing mate niab in their history, we shall pafs over their names without further notice. CHAP. 'CHAP. XV. RICH ARD II. RICHARD II. came to the throne of his grandfather, when as yet but eleven years of age, and found the people difcontented and poor, the nobles proud and rebellious. A fpirit of profufion had entered into the kingdom with the fpirit of gallantry; which, while it produced indolence and rapacity among the higher orders, produced want and difobedience among the poor. As the king was a minor the government was vefted in the hands of his.hrde uncles, the dukes of Lancaster, York, and: Gloucefter; the diffe rence of whofe difpofitions, it was fuppofed, would ferve to check the defects of each other. Lan cafter, though experienced during the late reign in government, was neither popular nor enterprizing; York was indolent and weak; Glou cefter, turbulent, popular, and ambitious. Under the fecret influence of thofe, without any regency being appointed, the whole fyftem of government was kept together for fome years; the authority eftablished during the former reign, ftill continuing to operate in this. But though government was carried on, yet it was not without many commotions, arifing either from the impatience of the people, or the ambition of the great as the late king had left the kingdom involved in many dangerous and expensive wars; and as these demanded large and conftant fupplies, the murmurs of the people encreased in proportion. Nor were they leffened by the manner of carrying on thefe expeditions; which, in general, general, were languid, and upon the whole unfuccefsful. The duke of Lancaster laid claim to the crown of Caftile, and made a fruitless expedition the war with France produced no enterprize of luftre, and that with Scotland was rather unfuccessful. The expences, however, of the armaments to face the enemy on both fides, and a want of œconomy in the administration, entirely exhaufted the treasury; and a new tax of three groats on every perfon above fifteen, was granted. by parliament as a fupply. The indignation of the people had been for fome time encreasing, but a tax fo unequitable, in which the rich paid no mans shan she poor, kindled the refentment of the latter into flame. Notwithstanding the numbers who by war, by a refidence in towns, and by other means had become free, yet there were still multitudes in the country, who had lands in villenage, that were only flaves to the lords from whom they held. These had feen the advantages of liberty, from its effects on thofe of equal rank who had gone to live in towns; and they panted for a participation of those advantages. Several of thefe had become opulent enough to purchafe their freedom; but by an unjust act of parliament in this reign, thefe purchases were declared of no validity. This act the peasants confidered as an infraction of the laws of humanity, and fuch indeed it must be allowed to have been. But it had long been the prescriptive manner of reasoning, to have no regard for the rights of a certain class of men, who were fuppofed too low for juftice. The feeds of discontent were ftill more cultivated by the preaching of feveral men who went about the country inculcating the natural equality of mankind; and confequently, the right that all had to an equal participation of the goods of nature. Hitherto we have feen popular infurrections only in towns ; but we now find the fpirit of freedom gaining ground in the country. Our citizens at first began to perceive their own ftrength; and not long after did the peasantry, who had been annexed to the foil, claim a fhare in thofe advantages. We in the first inftance, find a knowledge of the rights of humanity, diffufing itself even to the very loweft of the people, and exerting itself in rude and terrible efforts for freedom. The minds of the peasants, being thus prepared for infurrection, the manner of gathering this unjuft poll tax, foon furnished them with a pretext for beginning the revolt. It vegan where a report was induftriously spread, that the peasants were to be deftroyed, thir houfes burnt, and their farms plundered. A blacksmith, well known by the name of Wat Tyler, was the first that excited them to arms. The tax-gatherers. coming to this man's house, while he was at work, demanded payment for his daughter, which he refufed, alleging that he was under the age mentioned in the act. One of the brutal collectors infifted on her being a full grown woman; and immediately attempted giving a very indecent proof of his affertion. This provoked the father to fuch a degree that he inftantly ftruck him dead with a blow of a hammer. The ftanders by applauded his fpirit; and, one and all, refolved to defend his conduct. He was confidered as a champion in the caufe, and appointed the leader and spokesman of the people. It is eafy to imagine the diforders committed by this tumultuous rabble: the whole neighbourhood rofe in arms; they burned and plundered wherever they came, and revenged upon their former mafters, all thofe infults which they had long fuftained with impunity. As the difcontent was general, the infurgents en creased creafed in proportion as they approached the capital. The flame foon propagated itself into Kent, Hertfordshire, Surry, Suffex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridge, and Lincoln. They were found to amount to about an hundred thoufand men, by the time they were arrived at Blackheath; from whence they fent a meffage to the king, who had taken fhelter in the Tower, defiring a conference with him. With this meffage Richard was defirous of complying, but was intimidated by their fierce demeanour. In the mean time they had entered the city, burning and plundering the houses of fuch as were obnoxious from their power, or remarkable for their riches. They broke into the Savoy palace, belonging to the duke of Lancaster, and put feveral of his attendants to death. Their animofity was particularly levelled against the lawyers, to whom they fhewed no mercy. Such was the vehemence of their fury, that the king began to tremble for his own fafety; and, knowing that the tower was not capable of ftanding against an affault, he went out among them, and defired to know their demands. To this they made a very humble remonftrance, requiring a general pardon, the abolition of flavery, freedom of commerce in market towns, and a fixed rent inftead of thofe fervices required by the tenure of villenage. As these requests were reafonable, the king foon complied; and charters. were accordingly made out, ratifying the grant. In the mean time, another body of these infurgents had broke into the Tower, and murdered the chancellor, the primate, and the treafurer, with fome other officers of diftinction. They then divided themselves into bodies, and took up their quarters in different parts of the city. At the head of one of thefe was Wat Tyler, who led his men |