into Smithfield, where he was met by the king, who invited him to a conference under a pretence of hearing and redreffing his grievances. Tyler ordering his companions to retire, till he fhould give them a fignal, boldly ventured to meet the king in the midft of his retinue; and accordingly began the conference. The demands of this demagogue are cenfured by all the hiftorians of the time, as infolent and extravagant; and yet nothing can be more juft than those they have delivered for him. He required that all flaves fhould be set free; that all commonages fhould be open to the poor as well as the rich, and that a general pardon hould be paffed for the late outrages. Whilft he made thefe demands, he now and then lifted up his fword in a menacing manner; which infolence fo raised the indignation of William Walworth, then mayor of London, attending on the king, that without confidering the danger to which he expofed his majefty, he stunned Tyler with a blow of his mace; while one of the king's knights riding up, difpatched him with his fword. The mutineers, feeing heir leader fall, prepared themselves to take revenge; and their bows were now bent for execution, when Richard, though not quite fifteen years of age, rode up to the rebels, and with admirable prefence of mind, cried out, "What, my people, will you then

kill your king? be not concerned for the lofs of your leader; I myfelf will now be your gene"ral; follow me into the field, and you fhall "have whatever you defire." The awed multitude immediately defifted: they followed the king as if mechanically into the fields, and there he granted them the fame charter that he had before given to their companions.

Thefe grants for a fhort time gained the king great popularity; and it is probable it was his own

defire to have them continued; but the nobles had long tafted the fweets of power, and were unwilling to admit any other to a participation. The parliament foon revoked these charters of enfranchisement and pardon; the low people were reduced to the fame flavish condition as before, and several of the ringleaders were punished with capital feverity. The infurrections of the barons against their kings, are branded in our history with no great air of invective; but the tumults of the people against the barons, are marked with all the virulence of reproach.

The cruelty which was exercised against the popular leaders upon this occafion, created no Imall enmity against the king. He had first granted them a charter, which implied the justice of their demands; and he was feen, foon after, weak enough to revoke what he had before allowed the juftice of. It is probable alfo, that his uncles were not backward in encrealing this general dislike against him; as by that means they were more like to continue in their prefent authority. His own capricious conduct, indeed, might very well countenance them in the restrictions they placed upon him; as he very foon teftified an eager defire to govern, without any of the requifites to fit him for fuch a difficult undertaking: he foon difcovered an attachment to favourites, without any merit on their fide to entitle them to fuch flattering diftinétions. Robert Vere, earl of Oxford, a young man, whofe perfon was faultlefs, but whofe morals were debauched, had acquired an entire afcendant over him. This nobleman was firft created marquis of Dublin, and then duke of Ireland, with the entire fovereignty, during life, of that ifland. He gave him his own coufin in marriage; and foon after permitted him to repudiate her for another lady, of whom he was enamoured.

De

He foon became the channel through, which all royal favour paffed to the people; and he poffeffed all the power, while the king had only the shadow of royalty.

A partiality in princes ever produces animofity among their fubjects.. Those noblemen, who were either treated with difrefpe&t by the favourite, or who thought that they had themfelves better pretenfions to favour, inftantly took the alarm, and combined against him. At the head of this affociation were Moubray earl of Nottingham, Fitz Alan earl of Arundel, Percy earl of Northumberland, Montacute earl of Salisbury, and Beauchamp earl of Warwick. These uniting, refolved on the deftruction of the favourite; and they began by marking out Michael de la Pole, who was then chancellor, and Oxford's chief friend and fupporter, as the first object of their venge ance. He was accordingly impeached in parlia ment; and although nothing material was alleged against him, fuch was the intereft of the confpiring barons that he was condemned and deprived of his office.

From punishing his minifters they foon after ventured to attack the king in person. Under a pretence that he was as yet unable to govern, alA. D. though he was at that time twenty-one, they appointed a commiffion of fourteen 1386.

perfons, upon whom the fovereign power was, to be transfer ed for a year. This was, in fact, totally depriving the king of all power, and oppreffing the kingdom with a confirmed ariftocracy This measure was driven forward by the duke of Gloucester; and none but thofe of his own faction were admitted as members of the committee. It was not without a struggle that the king saw himself thus totally divefted of authority;

he

he endeavoured first to gain over the parliament to his interefts, by influencing the fheriffs of each county, who were then the only returning officers. This measure failing, he applied to the judges; and they, either from motives of intereft, or from conviction, declared that the commiffion which had deprived him of his authority, was unlawful; and that those who procured or advifed it, were punishable with death. This fentence was quickly opposed by declarations from the lords; the duke of Gloucefter faw his danger if the king fhould prevail; and fecretly affembling his party, he appeared in arms at Haringay Park, near Highgate, at the head of a body of men, more than fufficient to intimidate the king, and all his adherents. These infurgents, fenfible of their own power, were now refolved to make use of the occafion; and began by demanding of the king the names of those who had advised him to his late rash measures. A few days after, they appeared armed in his prefence, and accufed, by name, the archbishop of York, the duke of Ireland, the earl of Suffolk, and Sir Robert Trefilian, one of the judges who had declared in his favour, together with Sir Nicholas Bember, as public and dangerous enemies to the ftate. It was now too late for the oppofite party to attempt any other vindication of their conduct than by arms. The duke of Ireland fled into Chefhire, where he attempted to raife a body of forces; but was quickly obliged to Ay into Flanders, on the arrival of the duke of Gloucester with a fuperior army. Soon after the king was obliged to fummon a parliament; an accufation was drawn up against five of his counfellors; of these only Sir Nicholas Bember was prefent; and he was quickly found guilty, condemned, and executed, together with Sir Robert VOL. II. E Trefilian,

Trefilian, who had been difcovered and taken dur ing the interval. But the blood of one or two was not fufficient to fatiate the refentment of the duke of Gloucefter; lord Beauchamp of Holt was fhortly after condemned and executed; and Sir Simon Burley, who had been appointed the king's governor, fhared the fame fate, although the queen continued for three hours on her knees before the duke, imploring his pardon.

It might be fuppofed, that after fuch a total fubverfion of the royal power, there would be no more ftruggles, during this reign, between the prince and his nominal fubjects; but whether from the fluctuation of opinions among the people, or from the influence of a military force, which had been lately levied against France, we find Richard once more refolving to shake off that power, which had long controuled him, and actually bringing the parliament to fecond his refolutions.

A. D.

In an extraordinary council of the nobility, affembled after Eafter, he, to the aftonifhment of all prefent, defired to know 1389. his age; and being told that he was turned of two and twenty, he alledged, that it was time then for him to govern without help; and that there was no reason that he fhould be deprived of thofe rights, which the meaneft of his fubjects enjoyed. The lords anfwering, in fome confufion, that he had certainly an indifputable right to take upon himself the government of the kingdom: "Yes, replied he, Ï' have long been "under the government of tutors; and I will now "firft fhew my right to power by their removal." He then ordered Thomas Arundel, whom the commiffioners had lately appointed chancellor, to give up the feal, which he next day delivered to William of Wickham, bishop of Winchester. He next removed the duke of Gloucefter, the earl

of