THE LIFE AND DEATH OF KING RICHARD THE SECOND, Who Was deposed of His Crown, by reason of His not regarding the Council of the Sage and Wise of His Kingdom, but followed the advice of of wicked and lewd Council, and sought as fare as in him lay, to deprive many good English Subjects of their lives and estates, who stood wholly for the good of the Commonalty; but at a Parliament holden, His Counsellors were all called, whereof some fled, others received condign punishment according to the Law.  
Published by a Wellwisher to the Commonwealth, being worthy the observation of all men in these times of Distractions.  
LONDON, Printed for G. Tomlinson, and T. Watson, 1642.   

The Life and Death of King Richard the second.  
RIchard the second born at Bordeaux, the son of Prince Edward, being but eleven years old, began His Reign the 21. day of June in the year of our Lord God 1377. In beauty, bounty and liberality, He fare passed all His Progenitors, but was over much given to rest and quietness, loving, little deeds of Arms, and for that He was young, was most ruled by young Council, and regarded nothing the Counsels of the Sage and Wise men of the Realm, which thing turned this Land to great trouble, and himself to extreme misery, as is by these Verses declared. 
When this King first began to Reign, the Laws neglected were, 
Vox clamantis, Joh. Gawer.   
Wherefore good Fortune him forsook, and the earth did quake for fear,  
The people also whom He polled, against Him did rebel,  
The time doth yet bewail the woes, that Chronicles do tell.  
The foolish Council of the Lewd, and young He did receive,  
And grave advice of aged heads, He did reject and leave,  
And then for greedy thirst of Coin, some Subjects He accused,  
To gain their Goods into His Hands, thus He the Realm abused.   
THe Duke of Gloucester with other, entered the Tower of London, year 1388 and having a little talk with the King, they recited the conspiracy, whereby they had been indicted, and they shown forth also the Letters which he had sent unto the Duke of Ireland, that he should assemble an Army to their destruction, etc. In the end, the King promised on the next morning to come to Westminster, and there to entreat at large for reformation of all matters.  
In the morning, the King came to Westminster, where after a little talk, the Nobles said, That for His Honour and Commodity of His Kingdom, it was behooveful, That the traitorous whisperers, flatterers, and unprofitable people were removed out of place, and others to be placed in their rooms.  
The King, though sore against his mind, when he saw how the Lords were bend, and that he wanted power to withstand them, condescended to do what they would have him; and to conclude, the King, at the request of the Lords, commanded the suspected persons of his Court and Family to be awarded to prison, to answer at the next Parliament; which persons were, Sir Simon Burghley, Sir William Elmham, Sir Nicholas Dagworth, Sir john Golfar, which was not yet returned out of France: All these, with ma y more, were apprehended as evil affected persons, and enemies to the State.  
The third day of February the Parliament began at Westminster, which Parliament continued till the 13 of june next following, except from the Vigil of Palm-Sunday, until the Octaves of Easter: This Parliament was named, The Parliament that wrought wonders. The Lords came to this Parliament with a sufficient Army for their own Sureties: The first day of this Parliament were atrested as they sat in their Places, all the justices, except Sir William Skipwith, and Sir Roger Fultharp, Sir Robert Belknape, Sir john Carey, Sir john Holt, Sir William Borrow, and john Alecton, the King's Sergeant at Law; all these were sent to the Tower, and there kept in several places.  
The cause was, for that where in the last Parliament divers Lords were made Governors of the Realm, both by the assent of the Parliament, and also by the advice and counsel of all the justices and yet notwithstanding the said justices ill Council holden at Nottingham did the contrary: whereupon it was now determined, that they should now make answer to their do. Moreover, in the beginning of this Parliament were openly called Robert Vere, Duke of Ireland, Alexander Nevil, Michael de la Pool, Duke of Suffolk, Sir Robert Trisilian, Lord chief justice of ENGLAND, and Nicholas Brembar, whom the King oft times made Lord Mayor of London, against the mind of the Citizens, to answer before Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester, Richard Earl of Arundel, Thomas Beauchamp Earl of Warwick, Henry Earl of Derby, and Thomas Earl of Nottingham, upon certain Articles of high Treason, which these Lords did charge them with: And forasmuch as none of them appeared, it was ordained by the whole assent of Parliament, That they should be banished for ever, and their Lands and Goods to be forfeited into the King's hands, their Lands entailed excepted, which should descend to their heirs.  
The Process against those five Lords, comprised 38 Articles.  
King Richard (after the Parliament) discharged the old Officers of His Court, and also his Councillors, appointing others at his pleasure: He took the Seal from Thomas Arundel, Archbishop of York, and delivered it to William Micham, Bishop of Winchester, and made him Chancellor: The Bishop of Exeter his Treasurer, having taken that Office from the Bishop of Hereford, and Edmund Staford, Keeper of the Privy Seal, and made many new Officers, putting down the old, he removed fare off from the Council the Duke of Gloucester, the Earl of Warwick, and other worthy men, and put in their places (in despite of his Commons) such as pleased him.  
The King being at Dublin in Ireland, with an Army of men against the Irish, wondering in all that time he heard no news out of England, the passage was so dangerous, the wind being contrary, and Tempests so great; at the length came a Ship with heavy News, how the Duke of Hereford, and now by the decease of his father, Duke of Lancaster, was arrived in England at Ravenspurg, besides Wadlington in Yorkshire.  
Upon this News the King, being persuaded to make haste over, summoned together all the Welsh and English, to participate of his Fortunes, to meet the Duke of Hereford to Battle.  
The Duke of Aumraile, Constable and chief Governor of the King. Army against the Duke, hearing the King was fled, and he left to the mercy of his enemies, said unto the Soldiers, Let us shift for ourselves, my Masters, for the King is fled: whereupon the men ran away; Sir Thomas Percy. Steward of the Household, talking with the Constable, departed and took their way thorough Wales, but the Welshmen seeing such disorder, refused their assistance.  
The King being at Conway, now in great discomfort, sent the Duke of Exeter and Surrey, to Henry Duke of Hereford and Lancaster, to know what his meaning was, himself remaining at Conway in great perplexity, with him the Earl of Salisbury, the Bishop of Carlisle, Sir William Fercle Knight, in all but sixteen persons, than was news brought to the King, how his Constable had demeaned him, and likewise his Steward, which had caused his riches to be brought to Land, and going thorough Wales with it, the Welshmen had taken it.  
Upon this the King going towards the Duke, some that he sent as embassies to treat with the Duke, but he stayed some of the King's followers, and imprisoned them: So the King, though contrary to his mind, wanting force against the Duke to assist him in his wars, took the advice of some of his Bishops, who advertised him of the strength of Wales, and advised him to treat a Peace with the Duke, only on policy to regain new strength in Wales.  
After an agreement and peace made of these wars between the Duke and the King, they were both pacified, and promised each other to meet at London, where, when the King was come to the Castle Walls, where he beheld the Duke, with all his Host, of a hundred thousand men: there came before (that were departed from the Army) the Archbishop of Canterbury, Sir Thomas Percy, and the Earl of Rutland, from whom the Duke had taken the Office of Constable, more for a colour, then for displeasure, for they bore the Duke's Order, and not the Hart, which was the Kings: The Archbishop entered first, and after others with a great train, they went up to the Dungeon, and then the King came down from the Walls, unto whom they did reverence lowly on their knees; the King took them up, and took the Archbishop apart, and they two talked long together; but the Earl of Rutland kept him aloof: They took horse again, and road towards the Duke, that now was approaching near.  
The King went up again to the Walls lamenting; for when he saw the Duke's Host within two Bows shoot of the Castle, who compassed it round about, down to the Sea, the Earl of Northumberland went forth to the Duke, who after long talk, concluded that the Duke should not enter the Castle before the King had dined, for he was fasting: so the Host returned, and the King was set to dinner, with whom sat his assured friends, the Earl of Salisbury, and the Bishop of Carlisle, Sir Stephen Scrope, and Cecile: they sat long and eaten little, for they had no haste to rise.  
After dinner the Duke entered the Castle, all armed, his bassenet excepted; King Richard came down to meet the Duke, who assoon as he saw the King, fell down on his knees; and coming near unto him, he kneeled the second time, with his hat in his hand, and the King put off his Hood, and then spoke first fair, Cousin Lancaster ye are right welcome: The Duke bowing low down to the ground, answered, My Lord, I am come before you sent for me, the reason why I will show you; The common fame among your people is such, That ye have for the space of 20 or 22 years, ruled them very rigorously; but if it please our Lord, I will help you to govern better: The King answered, Fair Cousin of Lancaster, sigh it pleaseth you, it pleaseth me very well.  
The Duke spoke as ye have heard to the King, he spoke also to the Bishop of Carlisle, to Sir Stephen Scrope, and to Cecile, but to the Earl of Salisbury he spoke not, whereby the Earl perceived that the Duke hated him deadly.  
The Duke with a high sharp voice, bade bring forth the King's horses, and then two little Nags, not worth forty Franks, were brought forth; the King was set on the one, and the Earl of Salisbury on the other, and then the Duke brought the King from Flint to Chester, where he was delivered to the Duke of Glocesters' son, and to the Earl of Arundel his son, that loved him but a little, for he had put their fathers to death, who led him strait to the Castle.  
The Duke now coming towards London, the Mayor and the Companies in their Liveries, with great noise of Trumpets, met the Duke, doing more reverence to him then to the King, rejoicing that God had sent them such a Prince that had conquered the Realm within one months' space.  
When the Duke came within two miles of the City, he caused the Host to stay, and then said to the Commons of the City, My Masters, behold here your King, consider what you will do with him: they answered, They would he should be led to Westminster: Whereupon he was delivered to them, and they led him to Westminster, and from thence by water to the Tower of London.  
The Duke entered into London by the chief Gate, and road thorough Cheap to Saint Paul's, where he was after lodged in the Bishop's Palace five or six days, and after at St john's without Smithfield, where he remained fifteen days: from thence he came to Hertford, where he abode three weeks; and then came back to London to hold the Parliament that began the first Wednesday of October in Westminster-hall, which they had hung and trimmed sumptuously, and had caused to be set up a Royal Chair, in purpose to choose a new King; near to which the Prelates were set, and on the other side sat the Lords, and after the Commons in order.  
The Archbishop of Canterbury made a Sermon, and took for his Theme, habuit Iacob benedictionem a patre suo; which Sermon being ended in Latin, a Doctor of the Law stood up and read an Instrument, in the which was contained, That King Richard had by his own confession, disabled himself to be worthy to Reign, and that he would resign the Crown to such a one as was sufficient to rule: This Instrument being read, the Archbishop persuaded them to persuade to the election of a new King; and perceiving they were all contented, for there were not passed four persons of King Richard's side (and they durst say nothing) he asked each of them which they would have for their King.  
Whether the Duke of York or not, and they answered no: He asked if they would have his eldest son the Duke of Aumrale, and they said, No: He asked if they would have his youngest son, and they said, No; and so of divers others: Then staying a while, he asked if they would have the Duke of Lancaster; and then they answered, They would none other: This demand being made, there they drew certain Instruments and Charters, and read them in presence of all that were there. Then the Archbishops coming to the Duke, fell on their knees, declaring to him how he was chosen King, and willed him to take regard if he would consent thereunto: Then the Duke, being on his knees, rose and declared that he accepted the Realm, sigh it was ordained by God: Then the Archbishop read what the new King was bound unto, and with certain-Ceremonies, signed him with the Cross: then he kissed the Archbishop: Then they took the Ring, to which the Kings be wedded to the Realm, and bore it to the Lord Percy that was Constable, who receiving it, shown it to all the Assembly, and then put it on the King's finger, the King then kissing the Constable: And then the Archbishop led him to the Siege Royal, and the King made his prayers on his knees before it, and after spoke unto them all, first to the Prelates, and then to the Lords, and all the other, and so set him down in the Seat; and thus he was invested, and King Richard put down: He sat a good while and kept silence, and so did all the rest, for they were in prayer for his prosperity in his Government, And when they had ended, where the Offices were void, the King created new. After this the Archbishop spoke certain things in Latin, praying for the King's prosperity, and the Realms, and after spoke in English upon this following, Vir dominabuntur in populo, Reg. 9 etc. And then exhorting all there present to pray the like, every man sat down: Then the King arose, and made his eldest son Prince of Wales: Then the Lords were sworn to be true to the Prince, as before they had done to his father: his second son was there made Duke of Lancaster.  
Thus was King Richard deposed when he had reigned 22 years, 3 months, and odd days, in such manner as ye have heard, whose Royalty had been such, That wheresoever he lay, his Person was guarded by 200 Cheshire-men: he had about him 13 Bishops, besides Barons, Knights, Esquires, and others, more than needed, insomuch that every day came to the Household to meat 10000 people, as appeared by the Messes told out of the Kitchen to 300 Servitors, etc.  
He was buried first in the Church of the Friars Preachers at Langley, besides St Albans, and after by commandment of King Henry 5 removed to Westminster, who after him Reigned: Henry Plantagenet, born at Bullingbrook, son to john of Gaunt, the Duke of Lancaster, was ordained King of England, and began his Reign in the year of our Lord God, 1399 and reigned many years with much peace and tranquillity, and banished all King Richard's favourites, so that he brought this Nation to so happy a Union, that the whole Realm enjoyed many graces of his favour in his Reign, of which many good Acts are still in force.  

Verses made then against the Bishops and Clergy.  
PLangunt Anglorum gentes crimen Sodomorum.  
Paulus fert, horum sunt Idola cause malorum.  
Surgunt ingrati, corrupto Semine nati  
Mentum Praelati, hoc defensere parati,  
Qui Reges estis populis quicunque p●ae estis,  
Qualiter his gestis gladiis probibere potestis.    
FINIS.