drowned, till news came he had got into Holland, where not being a welcome guest he wandered up and down two or three years, like a fugitive, and at Lorain in Brabant ended his life.

By this time the lords had got matter enough against the King, at least to justify their arms, and thereupon with an army of forty thousand men they came to London, where after some debate, they were

received, and
went to the
King, to whom
lutations, they
ter which he had
Duke of Ireland,
for their destruc-
the letters which
had written to
a safe conduct
into France,
to his own dis-
kingdom's.
upon the King's
would come the
Westminster, to
these matters,
ed, only at the
Earls of Not-
Derby stayed all

some of them Tower, to the after humble sashewed the letIwritten to the to levy an army tion; likewise the French King him, containing for him to come there to do acts honour, and the After which, promise that he next day to treat further of the lords departKing's desire the tingham and night, but before

the King went D. OF IRELAND. to bed, his mind

was quite altered

as to keeping

his promise with the lords, which they understanding, sent peremptorily to him, that if he came not according to his word, they would chuse another King who should hearken to the faithful council of his lords. This touched the King to the quick, so that the next morning he went and met them, and they declared to him how much it concerned the good of the kingdom that those traitors so often spoken of, should be removed from the court; to which the King, though much against his will, at last condescended, and thereupon the Archbishop of York, and the Bishop of Chichester fled no man knew whether; the Bishop of Durham, Lord Treasurer, Lord Zouch, Lord Burrel, Lord Beaumont and others were expelled the court, and constrained to put in bail, to appear the next parliament. Also certain ladies were.

expelled the court, as the Lady Poynings, Lady Mouling and others; several other knights with three of the King's chaplains, and the Dean of his chapel, were likewise committed to prison.

Shortly after, the parliament began, called afterwards the parliament that wrought wonders; on the first day whereof, all the judges but one, were arrested as they sat upon the bench, and sent to the Tower, and several lords and bishops were impeached; but the Lord Chief Justice Tresillian having made his escape, was afterward takeǹ and hanged at Tyburn. Sir Nicholas Brember was beheaded with an axe which he had prepared for the beheading of others; after this divers lords and knights, and among the rest the steward of the King's household, were beheaded on Tower Hill. Also all the judges were condemned to die, but by the Queen's intercession, they were only banished the realm, and all their lands and estates confiscated, only a small salery was allowed them for their support. Finally, in this parliament an oath was required, and obtained of the King, that he would perform such things as the lords should order, and this oath was likewise required of all the People of the kingdom.

After this the

cester and some

discontent, con

upon the King, Lancaster

and

mit them to priother lords of cil they deterbe drawn and King having noa wile he seized of Gloucester presently

to

soon after lost his thered with pilwrite, and divers committed to the after the Earl of

beheaded on

a parliament

obtained the

Duke of Glouother lords upon spire to seize the Dukes of York, and comson, and all the King's coun mined should hanged, but the tice thereof, by upon the Duke and sends him Calais, where he life, being smolows, as some other lords are Tower; soon

Arundel was

Tower Hill, and being called, the

whole

power of

127

A

the parliament to be conferred upon certain persons, or to any seven or eight of them, and these by virtue of this grant, proceeded to conclude upon many things which concerned the whole parliament to the great prejudice of the state, and a dangerous example in time to come. general pardon was also granted for all the King's subjects, except fifty, whose names he would not express, but reserved them to himself, that when any of the nobility offended him, he might at his pleasure name him to be one of the number excepted, and so keep them still within his danger. Also in this parliament the judges gave their opi nions, that when articles are propounded by the King to be handled in parliament, if other articles be handled before those be first determined, that it is treason in them that do it. And for the more strengthening the acts of this parliament, the King purchased the Pope's bulls, containing several grievous censures, and curses to those that should break them.

And now the heads of the opposite faction having lost their heads,. all things as well settled as could be desired, the King was secure as thinking himself safe, and he had been indeed safe, if time and fortune were not actors in revenge, as well as men, or rather if a superior power did not interpose, whose ways are as secret as himself is invin-cible. About this time it happened that Thomas Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk, and Henry, Duke of Hereford, accused each other for speaking words sounding highly to the King's dishonour, whereupon a combat is agreed upon between them, which being ready to be began, the King interposed, and banished the Duke of Norfolk for ever, and the Duke of Hereford for six years. But soon after, several discontented lords solicit the Duke of Hereford to return into England and take the government upon him, and they would be ready to assist him; who thereupon without much deliberation prepares to come over, and landing at Ravenspur in Yorkshire, where many lords, gentlemen, and common people repaired to him, to whom he solemnly protests, that though some of them had invited him to come and take the government, yet he came only to take possession of the inheritance descended to him from his father, which King Richard unjustly and contrary to his promise had seized into his hands.

Hereupon many more lords join with him, and all the King's castles are surrendered to him, and the Lord Scroop, Treasurer of England, Sir Henry Bushy and Sir Henry Green being seized, were condemned, and beheaded for misgoverning the King and the realm. King Richard was at that time in Ireland, busy in suppressing the rebels, and had no notice of the Duke's arrival in England.

till six weeks after; but hearing of it, he sends the Earl of Salisbury before to raise an army, and promiseth to come himself within six days; the Earl provides an army of forty thousand men, but when the King came not at his time, they all disbanded and went away; the King coming over and finding how he was, fell into despair, and secretly the next night gets into Conway Castle.

The Duke of Hereford, (now Duke of Lancaster by his father's death) sends the Earl of Northumberland to the King, that if his grace would undertake there should be a Parliament called, wherein justice might be done, and himself pardoned all offences, he would be ready to come to him on his knees, and as an humble subject to obey him; yet upon this conference with the Earl, some say, the King required only that himself and eight more, whom he would name, might have an honorable allowance, with the assurance of a private quiet life, and that then he would resign his crown, and that upon the Earl's oath that this should be performed, the King agreed to go with the Earl to meet the Duke, but after four miles riding, coming to the place where they had laid an ambush, the King was seized, and carried prisoner to Flint Castle, where the Duke of Lancaster came to him, and bowing the knee thrice came toward him, whom the King took by the hand and lifted him up, saying, dear cousin, you are welcome, the Duke humbly thanking him, said, my Sovereign Lord and King, the cause of my coming at this present is (your honour saved) to have restitution of my person, my lands and heritage; whereto the King answered, dear cousin, I am ready to accomplish your will, so that you enjoy all that is yours without exception.

After this, coming out of the castle, the King called for wine, and then mounted on horse-back, and by easy journies came to London, and the next day he was committed to the Tower. As the King was carried toward London, divers citizens conspired to lye in wait by the way, and suddenly slay him, partly for private grievances, and partly for the severity he had used toward the whole City; but the mayor having notice thereof, prevented it, and rid forth with a considerable company to conduct him safely to the Tower, and soon after a Parliament was called by the Duke of Lancaster, but in the name of King Richard, where many henious points of misgovernment were laid to his charge, and were drawn up into three and thirty articles, the chief whereof were.

That he had wastefully spent the treasure of the realm upon unworthy persons, whereby great taxes were laid upon the people; that

he had borrowed great sums of money, and given his letters patent to repay the same, and yet not one penny ever paid. That he had taxed men at the pleasure of himself and his unhappy council, and had spent the money in folly and not in paying poor men for their victuals and viand. That he said the laws of the realm were in his head and breast, by reason of which fantastical opinion he destroyed noblemen and impoverished the commons; that he most tyranously and unprincely said, that the lives and goods of all 'his subjects were in his hands and at his disposition; that when divers lords, as well spiritual as temporal, were appointed by Parliament to treat of matters concerning the good of the kingdom, while they were busy therein, he and others of his party went about to impeach them of treason; and that the King caused all the rolls and records to be kept from them contrary to his promise made in Parliament, and to his open dishonour. That he had private spies in every place, and if any discoursed of his lascivious living or his illegal actings, he presently apprehended them, and grievously fined them. That he changed knights and burgesses of Parliament at his pleasure, putting out divers persons and placing others in their room to serve his will and appetite. That when divers lords and justices were sworn to speak the truth in many things which concerned the honour and profit of the realm; the King so threatened them that they durst not speak what was right. That by force and threats he compelled the judges of the realm to condescend to him, for destruction of divers of the lords. That he caused his father's own brother, the Duke of Glocester, without law to be attached, and sent to Calais, and there without cause to be secretly murdered. That contrary to the great charter of England, he caused several lusty young men to challenge divers old men, upon matters determinable at common law in the court martial, where trial is only by battle, which old men. fearing, submitted themselves to his mercy, whom he fined unreasonably at his pleasure. That in all his leagues with foreign princes his way of writing was so subtle and dark that no other prince nor his own subjects could believe or trust him; that he craftily devised certain private oaths contrary to law, causing several to swear the same to the utter undoing of many honest men. That he assembled certain Lancashire and Cheshire men to make war upon the lords, and suffered them to rob and spoil without prohibition; that notwithstanding his pardon granted them, he inforced divers of those who joined with the lords to be again intolerably fined to their utter undoing.