YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY HISTORY OF ENGLHND UNDER HENRY THE FOURTH. PEINTED BY JAMES CLEGG, WET EAKE, EOOHDALE. STEAM PRINTING WORKS : — SCHOOL LANE. HISTORY OF ENGLAND UNDER HENRY THE FOURTH. IN TWO VOLUMES. BY JAMES HAMILTON WYLIE, M.A., One of Her Majesty's Inspectors of Schools. Vol. I. — 1399- 1404. LONDON : LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO. 1884. All rights reserved. I DEDICATE THIS VOLUME WITH GRATITUDE TO THE MEMORY OF ^utxtpljvstj dUjjetljatn* FUSTIAN MERCHANT, AND FOUNDER OF THE FIRST FREE LIBRARY AT MANCHESTER, WHO DIED A.D. 1653. I HAVE SPENT MANY PROFITABLE HOURS IN THK COMPANIONSHIP OF HIS BOOKS, AND IN THE QUIET SECLUSION OF THE VENERABLE COLLEGE, PRESERVED TO US AS A RELIC OF THE LANCASTRIAN AGE, THROUGH HIS ENLIGHTENED LIBERALITY. PREFACE. The materials for this volume have been put together during the broken intervals of a busy official life, often at a distance from original sources of information. They have taken more than twelve years to collect, and, if, after all, they shall seem trivial and unimportant, compared with the amount of time and labour which it has cost to gather them together, my apology for publishing them must be that the ground has not been thoroughly worked before. I do not, pretend to enunciate a political principle or advocate a social theory ; I merely attempt to decipher some facts from the life of the people of England in the dimness of a forgotten past. My acknowledgments are due to the officials of the Public Record Office for much courtesy and help received from them in the Search Room in London, and I venture to express regret that so little attention has been yet directed to the Archives of the 15 th century, especially since the publication of the valuable series of Original Letters, edited under the direction of the Master of the Rolls, by the Rev. F. C. Hingeston, some twenty-four years ago. Rochdale, July 1 8th, 1884. CONTENTS Chapter. page. I. Introductory 1 II. Dramatis Personse 19 III. The Coronation 39 IV. The First Parliament 46 V. Foreign Affairs 80 VI. The Death of Richard 91 VII. The Invasion of Scotland 119 VIII. Wales 141 IX. The Emperors of the East and West 156 X. The Lollards 168 XI. The Restoration of Isabella 191 XII. Conway 212 XIII. Ireland 219 XIV. Insurrection in Wales 241 XV. A Chapter of Marriages 251 XVI. The Begging Friars 265 XVII. " Revolted Mortimer " 281 XVIII. The Battle of Humbledon 288 XIX. The Scottish Prisoners 295 XX. The King's Marriage 306 XXI. Timur 312 XXII. The French Challenges 322 XXIII. The Annexation of Southern Scotland 337 XXIV. Owen in Caermarthen 341 XXV. The Battle of Shrewsbury '. 349 XXVI. The Submission of Earl Percy 366 XXVII. South Wales 371 XXVIII. The Pirate War 379 XXIX. The War Treasurers 400 XXX. The Commotion in Essex 417 XXXI. Caernarvon, Harlech, and Dartmouth 429 XXXII. The Franco- Welsh Alliance 439 XXXIII. Inaction 456 XXXIV. The "Illiterate" Parliament 469 LIST OF PRINTED BOOKS REFERRED TO IN THIS VOLUME. Those marked with an asterisk (*) are mostly contemporary with the events related. * Acts of the Parliaments of Scotland. Vol. I. London, 1844. Andrews, James Pettit. — History of Great Britain. 2 vols. London, 1794. * [Angl. Sacr.]— Wharton, Henry (b. 1664, d. 1695).— Anglia Sacra. 2 vols. London, 1691. * [Ann.]— Annales Rich. II. et Henr. IV. (1392-1406), probably by William Wyntershylle, Monk of St. Albans ; living in 1396, but died before 1429. 1vol. Chron. and Mem. H.T.Riley: London, 1866. Anstis, John (b. 1669, d. 1744). — Register op Order or the Garter. 2 vols. London, 1724. Arber, E. — English Garner. 6 vols. Birmingham, 1876. [Archaeo'l.] — Archjsologia ; or, Miscellaneous Tracts relating to Antiquity. Published by the Society of Antiquaries. 39 vols. London, 1770-1860. * Aretinus = Leonard Bruni (b. 1369). — De Temporibus suis. 1 vol. Venice, 1475. [Art de Ver.] — L'Art de Verifier les Dates ; Fr. DAntine (b. 1681, d. 1746) and others. 3 vols. Paris, 1783. * Bekyngton, Thomas (oirc. 1440). — Official Correspondence. 2 vols. Chron. and Mem. Williams: London. Beltz, G. F. (d. 1841). — Memorials of the Order of the Garter. 1 vol. London, 1841. * Bethencourt, Jean de (circ. 1402). — Histoire de la Conquete des Canaries. 1 vol. R. H. Major: London, 1872. Biondi, J. F. (b. 1572, d. 1644). — History of the Civill Warres of England. 1 vol. London, 1641. * Black Book of the Admiralty. 3 vols. Chron. and Mem. T.Twiss: London. Blomefield. — History of Norfolk. 5 vols. Lynn, 1775. * Boucicaut, Jean le Maingre (b. 1365, d. 1421). — Histoire du Marechal Boucicaut (1368-1407), by a Contemporary (name unknown), in Nouvelle Collection des Memoires pour servir a 1' Histoire de France — Michel et Poujoulat, serie I., vol. 2, pp. 203-332. . Paris, 1836. Bonnechose, F. P. (b. 1801).— Les Reformateurs Avant la Re- forme. 2 vols. Paris, 1844. X. REFERENCES— Continued. Brut-y-Tywysogion.— A Welsh Chronicle, 681 to 1282. 1 vol. J. Williams : London, 1860. Buik of the Croniclis of Scotland. 3 vols. Chron. and Mem. London. (A metrical version of Boethius.) Burn, Richard (d. 1785). — Ecclesiastical Law. 2 vols. London, 1763. Byegones. — Relating to Wales and the Border Counties. Oswestry, 1871, &o. Camden.— Britannia. 1 vol. London, 1557. * [Capgr.] Capgrave, John (b. 1393, d. 1464).— The Chronicle of England to 1 417 (written circ. 1462) . 1 vol. F. C. Hingeston: London, 1858. — Liber de Illustribus Henricis. 1 vol. London, 1858. Carte, Thos. (b. 1686, d. 1754). — A General History of England. 4 vols. London, 1750. Caxton, W. (b. 1412, d. 1492). — Chronicle of England. 2 vols. Blaydes : London, 1861. [Chalco.] Chalcocondyles Laonicus (circ. 1450). — De Origine et rebus gestis Turcorum. 1 vol. Paris, 1650. * Christine de Pisan (b. 1363, d. 1431). — Livre des faicts du sage Roi Charles V., in Nouvelle Collection des Memoires de France — Michaud et Poujoulat. Vols. I., II. Paris, 1836. * [Chron. Giles.] Incerti Scriptoris Chronicon. 1vol. J.A.Giles: London, 1848. * [Chron. Lond.] A Chronicle of London, 1189-1483, Edited by N. H. Nicholas. 1 vol. London, 1827. [Chron. R. II.— H. VI.] A Chronicle of Reigns of R. II., H. IV., H. V., H. VI. (1377-1461.) A translation into English of Eulo- gium as far as 1413, Edited by J. S. Davies. 1 vol. Camd. Soc. London, 1856. * Clavijo, Ruy Gonzalez de (d. 1412), Embassy to the Court of Timur. 1 vol. C. H. Markham : London, 1859. Cluvier, Ph. (b. 1580, d. 1623).— Iniroductio ad Universam Geo- graphiam. 1 vol. Amsterdam, 1697. * Codinus, George (d. 1453 oirc.)— De Officiis Ecclesmj et aul^i Constantinopolitan*. 1 vol. Paris, 1648. Collier, Jeremy (b.1650, d. 1726).— Ecclesiastical History. 2 vols. London, 1708. Collins, Arthur (b. 1682, d. 1760).— The Peerage of England. 9 vols. London, 1779. * [Cone] Concilia Magn.e Britannia et Hiberni.e. — D Wilkins (b. 1685, d. 1745). 4 vols. London, 1737. Contelorio, F. (circ. 1620). — Catalogue des Cardinaux. Rome 1641. ' REFERENCES— Continued. xi. Cooper, C. P.— Account of Public Records. 2 vols. London, 1832. ? [Croyl. Hist.] Historic Croylandensis Continuatio. 2 vols. Fulman : Oxford, 1684. Daniel, Geo. (1616-1657).— Trinarchordia. A. B. Grosart. 4 vols. 1878. Davies, C. M. — History of Holland. 3 vols. London, 1841. [Dep. Keep. Rept.] — Annual Reports of Deputy Keeper of Public Records.— F. Palgrave, T. D. Hardy, &c. 43 vols. London, 1840- 1882. Du Cange. — Glossarium ad Scriptores Medle et infim/e Latinitatis. 6 vols. Paris, 1733. Ducas Michael (circ. 1453).— Historia Byzantina (1350-1453). 1 vol. Paris, 1649. Duchesne, Andre (b. 1584, d. 1640) .—Histoire d'Angleterre. 1vol. Paris, 1614. Dugdale, Wm. (b. 1605, d. 1686). — The Baronage of England. 2 vols. 1675. Elmham, Thos. (ciro. 1415). — Vita et Gesta Henrici Quinti. 1 vol. Hearne : Oxford, 1727. [Eulog.] Eulogium Historiarum, continued to 1413, probably by a Monk of Canterbury. 3 vols. Chron. and Mem. F. S.Haydon: London. Evans, Evan. — De Bardis Dissertatio. 1 vol. London, 1764. [Eves.] Historia vit/E et regni Rich. II. (to 1402), by a Monk of Evesham, a Contemporary (name unknown). 1vol. T. Hearne: Oxford, 1729. [Excheq. Rolls Scot.] The Exchequer Rolls of Scotland. — G. Burnet. 4 vols. Edinbro', 1876-1880. [Fab.] Fabyan, Robt. (d. 1512). — The New Chronicles of England and France (chiefly from Gaguin). 1 vol. London, 1559. Fasciculi Zizaniorum. 1vol. W. W. Shirley : London, 1858. Fortescue, Sir John (circ. 1450). — De laudibus Legum Anglm. 1 vol. J. Selden : London, 1672. Foss, Edw. — The Judges of England. 4 vols. London, 1848-51. Four Masters (Annals of the). 3 vols. Dublin, 1856. Fox, John (b. 1517, d. 1587).— Acts and Monuments. 3 vols. London, 1641. [Frois.] Froissart, Jean (b. 1337 circ, d. 1410). — Histoire et Chronique Memorable. 4 vols, in 2. Paris, 1574. Xll. REFERENCES— Continued. Geoffrey of Monmouth (temp. H. I.) — British History. A. Thompson. 1 vol. London, 1842. * Gerson, Jean Charles (b. 1363, d. after 1418).— J. Gersonii Opera Omnia. 5 vols. L. E. du Pin : Antwerp, 1706. Gibbon, E. (b. 1737, d. 1794).— Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. 8 vols. London, 1855. ?Gobelin, Persona (b. 1358, d. after 1418). — Cosmodromium. Frankfort, 1599. — Also in Meibom. (H.) — Scriptores Rerum Germanicarum. Helmstadt, 1688. Gough, Richard (b.l735,d. 1809) .—Sepulchral Monuments. 3vols. London, 1786-1799. Godwin, F. (b, 1561, d. 1633).— A Catalogue of the Bishops of England. 1 vol. London, 1615. Green, J. R. (d. 1883). — A Short History of the English People. 1 vol. London, 1877. Greenwood, Thos. — Cathedra Petri. 6 vols. London, 1856. * [Greg. Chron.] Gregory, Wm. (b. 1410 circ, d. 1467). — Gregory's Chronicle. 1 vol. Camd. Soc J. Gairdner : London, 1876. Halle, Edward (b. 1499 circ, d. 1547). — Union of Families of Lancastre and Yorke. 1 vol. London, 1550. * [Hard.] Hardyng, John (b. 1378, d. 1470 circ). — Chronicle from Brute to Flight of Henry VI. to Scotland, in verse. 1 vol. Sir H. Ellis : London, 1812. Harpsfeld, Nicholas (d. 1583). — Historia Anglicana Ecclesiastica. 1 vol. Douai : 1622. Hayward, Sir John (d. 1627). — The First Part of the Life and Raigne of King Henrie the IIII. 1 vol. London, 1599. Herbert, Wm.— History of Livery Companies of London. 2 vols. London, 1837. Hody, Humphrey (b. 1659, d. 1706). — De Grscis Illustribus. 1 vol. Oxford, 1742. [Holins.] Holinshead, Raphael (d. 1580 circ). — The Historie of England. 3 vols, in 2, fol. London. Hook, W. F. — Lives of the Archbishops of Canterbury. 4 vols. London, 1865. Howorth, H. H. — History of the Mongols. 2 vols. London, 1876, &o. * [lnq. Post mort.] Calendarium Inquisitionum Postmortem Sive Esoetarum. 4 vols. Cayley & Bayley : London. lolo MSS.— Williams, Edwd. (b. 1745, d. 1827). 1vol. Llandovery, 1848. * [ Iss. Roll Excheq.] Issue Roll of Exchequer, 44 Ed. III. (1370). F. Devon. 1 vol. London, 1835. REFERENCES— Continued. XIII. * [Juv.] Jouvenel des Ursins, Jean (b. 1388, d. 1473). — Histoire de Charles VI. 1 vol. D. Godefroy : Paris, 1653 ; also Vol. II. Nouvelle Collection : Paris, 1836. Kennet, White (b. 1660, d. after 1718).— Compleat History of England. 3 vols. London, 1706. * [King's Council, Ireland.] A Roll of Proceedings of King's Council, in Ireland, 16 Rich. II. 1 vol. J. Graves : London, 1877. [Lei. Col.] Leland (d. 1553). — De rebus Britannicis Collectanea. 6 vols. Hearne : London, 1715. Le Neve, J. (b. 1679, d. 1741). — Fasti EccLESiiB Anglicans. 3 vols. T. D. Hardy : Oxford, 1854. Lewis, Sam I. — Topographical Dictionary. 4 vols. London, 1831. Lingard, John (b. 1771, d. 1851). — The History of England to 1688. 5th edition. 10 vols. London, 1849. Lobineau, G. A. (b. 1666, d. 1727). — Histoire de Bretagne. 2 vols. Paris, 1707. * [Loch Ce.] — Annals of Loch Ce. 2 vols. Chron. and Mem. Hen nessey : London. Lowth. — Life of William of Wickham. 1 vol. Oxford, 1777. Lysons, Danl. & Saml.— Magna Britannia. London, 1814, &o. Madox, Thos. — History of the Exchequer to Ed. II. 1 vol. London, 1711. Mallet, Paul Henry (b. 1730, d. 1807). — Histoire de Dannemarc. 1 vol. Copenhagen, 1758. Manet, F. G. B. — Histoire de la petite Bretagne. 3 vols. St. Malo, 1834. * Martene, Edmund (b. 1654, d. 1739). — Thesaurus Anecdotorum. 5 vols. Paris, 1717. Matthew, F. D. — The English Works of Wyclif. 1vol. Early Eng. Text Soc, 1880. Mezerai, Francois Eudes de (b. 1610, d. 1683). — Histoire de France. 3 vols. Paris, 1643. Michelet, M. — The History of France. 2 vols. London, 1844. Milman, H. H. — History of Latin Christianity. 6 vols. London, 1857. * [Mod. ten. Pari.] Modus tenendi Parliamentum. A treatise written, probably, temp. Ed. II., Edited by T. D. Hardy. 1 vol. London, 1846. Monasticon Anglicanum.— W. Dugdale (b. 1605, d. 1686). 6 vols. Caley & Ellis : London, 1817. XIV. REFERENCES— Continued. * [Monstr.] Monstrelet, Enguerrand de (b. 1390 oirc, d. 1453).— Chronique. 1 vol. Paris, 1603. * [Mon. Fran.] Monumenta Franciscana. 1vol. Chron. and Mem. J. S. Brewer: London. Morant Philip (b. 1700, d. 1770).— History of Essex. 2 vols. 1760. Morice de Beaubois. Dom Pierre Hyacinth (b. 1693). — L'Histoire de Bretagne, 1750. 20 vols. Guincamp, 1835. Mosheim, John L. (b. 1695, d. 1755). — Ecclesiastical History.— A. MacLaine. 2 vols. London, 1765. Motley, J. L. — The Rise of the Dutch Republic. 1 vol. London, 1852. Muratori, L. A. (b. 1672, d. 1750). — Scriptores Rerum Italicarum. 27 vols. Milan, 1723, &c. Newcourt, Richard (d. 1716). — Repertorium Ecclesiasticum. 2 vols. London, 1708. Nicholas, N. H. — History of the Orders of Knighthood. 4 vols. London, 1842. — History of the Royal Navy. 2 vols. London, 1847. * [Ord. Priv. Co.] Ordinances of the Privy Council of England. — Sir H. Nicholas. 7 vols. London, 1834. [Orig. Let.] Original Letters illustrative of English History. Sir H. Ellis. ( Series II. 4 vols. London, 1827. j Series III. 4 vols. London, 1846. Ormerod, Geo. — History of Cheshire. 3 vols. London, 1819. * [Ott.] Otterbourne, Thos. (a Franciscan, at Oxford, temp. H. IV., H. V.) — Chronica regum Anglic. 1 vol. Hearne: Oxford, 1732. Owen, H., and Blakeway, J. B.— History of Shrewsbury. 2 vols. London, 1825. [Parl/Hist.] The Parliamentary or Constitutional History of England. 24 vols. London, 1762. Pennant, Thos. (b. 1726, d. 1798).— A Tour in Wales. 2 vols. London, 1784. Pfeffel, Ch. F. (b. 1726, d. 1807).— Nouvel Abrege de l'Histoire d'Allemagne. 2 vols. Paris, 1776. Pinkerton, John (b. 1758).— The History of Scotland. 2 vols. London, 1797. * [Pol. Songs.] Political Poems and Songs, Ed. III. to Rich. III. Chron. and Mem. T. Wright. 2 vols. London. [Pol. Verg.] Polydori Vbrgilii (d. 1555) TJrbinatis Anglioe Historic Libri 27. 1 vol. Basle, 1560. Powel, David (b. 1552, d. 1598).— History of Cambria. 1vol. London, 1584. Prynne, Wm. (b. 1600, d. 1669).— Brief Register. 4 vols, in 2. London, 1659. REFERENCES— Continued. XV. Raleigh, Sir Walter (b. 1552, d. 1618).— The Prerogatives of Parliaments. 1 vol. Midelburgh, 1628. * [Rept. Dign. Peer.] Report touching the Dignity of a Peer of the Realm. 4 vols. London, 1826. Rinaldi (or Raynaldus), Oderic (b. 1595, d. 1671). — Annales Ecclesiastici. 8 vols. Cologne, 1693, &o. Ross (or Rouse), John (d. 1491). — Historia Regum Anglic. 1 vol. Hearne : Oxford, 1715. * [Rot. Pari.] Rolls of Parliament. Henry IV., Vol. III., pp. 415-666. 6 vols. London. * [Rot. Scot.] Rotuli Scotijs. 2 vols. London, 1814. * [Roy. Let.] Royal and Historical Letters during the Reign of Henry IV. Vol. I. (1399-1404). F. C. Hingeston : London, 1860. * [Rym.] Thomas Rymer (d. 1713). — Fcedera. 15 vols. London, 1704, &c; continued to 20 vols, by Robert Sanderson, 1735. See Hardy's Syllabus. 2 vols. .Rogers, J. E. Thorold. — History of Agriculture and Prices in England. 2 vols. Oxford, 1866. * Saintre, Petit-Jean de. — -Pleasant Chronicle of Little Jehan 1 de Saintre, written by Antoine de la Sale (b. 1398), translated by A Vance. 1 vol. London, 1862. Sandford, F. (b. 1630, d. 1693). — Genealogical History of Kings and Queens of Great Britain. 1 vol. London, 1707. * Schiltberger, Johan (circ 1400). — Bondage and Travels. 1 vol. J. B. Telfer : London (Hakluyt), 1859. * [Scottichron.] Bower, Walter (b. 1385, d. after 1449).— Scotti- chronicon. 2 vols. W. Goodall : Edinburgh, 1775. Scott, Sir Walter. — History of Scotland (in Lardner's Cabinet Cyclopaedia). 2 vols. London, 1830. Essay on Chivalry. Vol. 6 of Miscellaneous Prose Works. 28 vols. Edinburgh, 1834. Sismondi, J. C. L. S. de (b. 1773, d. 1842). — Italian Republics. 1 vol. London, 1832. Speed, J. (b. 1555, d. 1629). — History of Great Britain. 1 vol. London, 1623. Spondanus = Henri de Sponde, (b. 1568, d. 1643). — Annalium Baronii Continuatio. 2 vols. Paris, 1659. * [Stat.] — Statutes of the Realm. 9 vols. London. * St. Denys, Chronique du religieux de (1380-1422). — Bellaquet, Collection des Documents Inedits. 6 vols. Paris, 1839. Stephens, Thomas. — The Literature of the Kymry. 1 vol. Llandovery, 1849. Stonehouse, W. B. — History of the Isle of Axholme. 1 vol. London, 1839. XVI. REFERENCES— Continued. Stow, John (b. 1525 circ, d. 1605).— Chronicle of England. 1 vol. London, 1615. Strickland, Agnes. — Queens of England. 6 vols. London, 1868. Strutt, Jos. (b. 1749, d. 1802).— Angel-cynnan. 3 vols. London, 1775. Stubbs, W. Constitutional History of England. 3 vols. Oxford, 1878. Thomas. F. S. — Ancient Exchequer of England. 1 vol. London, 1848. Tillet, Jean du (b. 1500 circ, d. 1570). — Receuil des Rois de France. 1 vol. Paris, 1618. — Guerres et Traictez de Paix. 1 vol. Paris, 1588. * [Trais.] Chronique de la Traison et mort de Richard II., probably by a Monk of St. Denys, or a Priest who accompanied Henry from Paris. 1 vol. Engl. Hist. Soc B. Williams : London, 1846. Tyler, J. Endell. — History of Monmouth. 2 vols. London, 1838. Tytler, P. F.— History of Scotland. 9 vols. Edinbro', 1828-1843. * [Usk.] Adam of Use (b. 1360 circ.) — Chronicon Avm de Usk (1377- 1404), written after 1415. 1 vol. E. M. Thomson : London, 1876. Velli, P. F. (b. 1711, d. 1759), and Villaret Cl. (d. 1766) Histoire de France. # [Ven. State PP.] Calendar of State Papers relating to English Affairs in the Archives of Venice. Vol. I. 1202-1509. Raw- don Brown : London, 1864. # [Wals.] Thomas Walsingham (circ. 1440). — Historia Anglicana. Vol. II. 1381-1422. Chron. and Mem. 2 vols. H. T. Riley : London, 1846. * [Waur.] Waurin, Jehan de (b. 1390 circ, d. 1474 circ). — Receuil des Chroniques. 2 vols. W. Hardy : London. Williams, Folkstone. — Lives of the English Cardinals. 2 vols. London, 1868. Wynne, W.— History of Wales. 1 vol. London, 1774. - * [Wynt.] Wyntown, Andrew (b. 1344 circ, d. after 1420).— The Orygynale Cronykil of Scotland. 2 vols. D. MacPherson : London, 1795. ADDENDUM. Chaucer (like Gower) recognizes the three-fold claim of Henry to the throne, addressing him thus : — " 0 conquer our of Brutes Albyoun, Which that by lygne and free eleccioun, Ben verray Kynge." The Compleynte of Chaucer to his Purse, 22. HISTORY OF ENGLAND UNDER HENRY THE FOURTH. CHAPTER I. Introductory. The history of the English nation under the Kings of the House of Lancaster has not yet, so far as I know, been fully treated by any modern enquirer. Like every portion of human history it is well deserving of minute examination, and is rich in dramatic interest. It is a time of transition in manners and learning, religion and government. It is, moreover, marked with strong and peculiar characteristics of its own, an accurate study of which may help to advance our knowledge of those periods immediately succeeding, which have long occupied so large a share of public attention. Edward III. ruled England for fifty years. His reign had begun in rebellion and parricide, amidst vicious and corrupt advisers, but by skill and vigour in his government at home, and by brilliant successes abroad, he had outlived the memory of his first evil training, and had reigned unquestioned as the leader and the patriarch of his people. But he left to his young grandson and successor a fearful legacy. The army was exhausted, the nation impoverished ; men's thoughts were just stirring under the rising breath of heresy, and a 'strange 1 Cf . the risings in Ghent, Languedoo, Florence, Paris, and Rouen, in 1381-2. 2 Introductory. [Chap. wave of democratic agitation was rolling over Europe, bearing , crude and violent remedies against tyranny and misrule. To these difficulties, which would have taxed the genius of a strong and wise prince, was added an element of danger more formidable than all the others combined. Years of plundering warfare in France and Spain had generated a spirit of restless ness and ambition amongst the great English nobles, and even before the death of Edward III. were heard the first threaten- ings of the coming storm. In 1377, Richard of Bordeaux ("the Redeless," as he was nicknamed after his fall) was crowned King of England. He was at the time a boy, eleven years old, under the care of powerful and unprincipled uncles. As he grew, he developed much of the character of his Plantagenet fathers, but little of their sturdiness. 'He was hasty and irresolute ; his features were delicate, his figure handsome ; his face often flushed, and his tongue stammered. With cultivated tastes he combined an excessive love of display ; and in beauty of person, in luxury of furniture and equipage and dress, he seemed a 2 "second Absalom." "His temper was arbitrary and wilful, and though punctual in the observance of the forms of religion, he was penetrated with a spirit of faithlessness and revenge. His 1 See the story of his hot ride from Daventry to Westminster to chas tise the French — but he changed his mind in the night. (1383) Wals., ii, 103. 2 Usk, 1. 3 Cf. his conduct at Flint and in the Tower : after long desponding silence and a passionate outburst of cursing, he chal lenged any four lords to fight, and kicked the Duke of Albemarle's cap across the room. — Trais., 216. Also the story of his thrashing the Earl of Arundel with his own hand, in Westminster Abbey, whilst the funeral service was proceeding for the Queen, just dead (1394). — Ann., 424. He sometimes spent whole nights in drinking and debauchery, in which he was joined by the Bishops of Carlisle and Woroester, and others. — Evesh., 169. Add his determination at Conway, when submitting to parley with Henry. "But in truth," said he to his friends, "whatever agreement or peace-he (Henry) may make with me, if I can ever get him into my power I will cause him to be foully put to death." Immediately afterwards he heard the mass very devoutly, "car il estoit vray catholique." — Trais., 50. I.] " Richard the Redeless." 3 inglorious reign is the record of petty family struggles, without unity of purpose or common design; of shifting rivalries of factions striving to govern him and the nation through him ; no party solid enough to overawe the rest, but each breaking into new hatreds and mutual suspicions as their temporary objects seemed almost attained. Through jealousies amongst his enemies and the subservience of a packed parliament, the King seemed at last, by the twen tieth year of his reign, to have made himself absolute and independent of control. But he was only betrayed into a false security, and in the hour of his need he found himself without a friend. Thus, at the age of 33, in the opening vigour of manhood, with prospect of issue to succeed him, he abdicated the throne without a struggle, and was forced to remain a helpless prisoner for the rest of his short life. Richard had been married from his sixteenth year. His wife, Anne, (daughter of the Emperor Charles IV. and sister of the Emperor Wenceslaus, King of Bohemia) had died in 1394, leaving him a childless widower at the age of 28. But a marriage of convenience was soon arranged for him, and in 1396 he had been wedded to Isabella, eldest daughter of his neighbour Charles VI., King of France. She was at the time a girl of eight years old, but she was formally crowned at Westminster as Queen of England, and lived with the King as his wife. Having yet no son, Richard had declared his heir apparent to be Roger, Earl of March, the young grandson (by his mother's side) of the Duke of Clarence, third son of Edward III. But 'in the summer of 1398, the 1 He was killed in a skirmish against the O'Briens and O'Tooles, in Leinster, on St. Margaret's Day, July 20th, 1398. — See Dep. Keep. 36th Rep., pp. 213, 223. For an account of him see TJsk, 18. Adam of Usk was a protege of Edmund Mortimer, father of Roger. He con nects the family with the royal houses of England, Scotland, France, Spain, Italy, and Troy; and with the princes of Wales through Gwladus the Dark and Iorwerth the Broken-nosed. 4 Introductory. [Chap. Earl of March had been killed in Ireland, leaving two infant sons, 'Edmund and Roger, to succeed to his title and pretensions should the Queen have no male issue. While the succession was thus precarious, all doubt was for the moment cleared away by the rebellious return to England of Henry, 2Duke of Lan caster, who, with the consent of the nation and the parliament, deposed the King and usurped the throne. Henry Plantagenet (called afterwards Henry of Bolingbroke, from his birthplace in Lincolnshire) was the oldest surviving son of John of Ghent, fourth son of Edward III. and Blanche, only child of the Duke of Lancaster, a direct descendant by a younger branch from King Henry III. He was the youngest child of John of Ghent by this marriage. His three brothers had died young, and his mother died before he was three years old. He was thus King Richard's cousin. He was also his equal in 3age and in nobility of birth. During their boyhood there had been bitterness and jealousy between their fathers, Edward the Black Prince and John of Ghent ; and, at the time of Richard's father's death, the father of Henry had given open evidence of his ambition to dispossess his brother's line in favour of himself or his son. But after the full recognition of Richard as King these jealousies were forgotten, and the friend ship of the lads must have been cemented when they were exposed to a common danger from the rioters on Tower Hill (1381). In 1386, Henry was made Earl of Derby, and when still a very young man, had taken a prominent and independent part in the events of that eventful year, siding with his uncles, 1 Pat., 2 H. IV., i, 28, dated November 30th, 1400, grants 300 marks per ann. to Edmund, Earl of March and Roger, his brother. 2 Besides being Duke of Lancaster and Hereford, he was Earl of Derby, Lincoln, Leicester, and Northampton. — Rym., viii, 90. 8 Both were born in 1367, Richard in January, and Henry on April 3rd. — Notes and Queries, 4th Series, 11, 162. Both were married young, and both lost their wives in the same year, 1394. I.] Henry of Bolingbroke. 5 the Dukes of York and Gloucester, in procuring the Commission of Fourteen, which for a time virtually deposed the King and governed the country in his name. But it was soon evident that there was no unity of purpose amongst the Commissioners, and Henry, who was too young to he actually one of the members, was among the first to show his independence. In less than a year he had quarrelled openly with the Duke of Gloucester, and was working actively to overthrow him. Thus he was ready to take a high place in the confidence of the King on the fall of Gloucester in 1389, and his name appeared as one of the powerful lords who approved of the Duke's subsequent arrest and imprisonment eight years afterwards. In 1386, Henry had married Mary, daughter of Humphrey de Bohun, formerly Count of Hereford, "'the richest heiress in •England, except her sister, who was married to Henry's uncle, the Duke of Gloucester.'' She died at the age of 28 in 1394, leaving four sons and two daughters. This part of Henry's life was a time of roving restlessness and adventure. In 1390, Henry and Richard were both present at a grand joust of arms in the plain of St. Ingelbert, near Calais. 3 Henry greatly distinguished himself by his bodily strength and skill, but an eye-witness, the 8 Marquis de Saluzzo, reports that very little account was taken of Richard. In the same year, ''attended by three hundred English knights, he accompanied the Duke of Bourbon, at the call of the Doge of Genoa, in his expedition to Barbary, and was present at the taking of Tunis, "the only service which the Englishemen and Frenchmen performed together without jotte of jarre."5 He joined expeditions with the Teutonic knights on the shores of the Baltic and the Gulf of Danzig. 6In the winter of 1392 he left Venice for Jerusalem 'Strickland, i, 467. 2 Boucicaut, I, xvii. 3 Extract from Chevalier Errant in Trais., p. xliv. i Ven. State Papers, I, lxxxi. 5 Hayward, 31. 6 Ven. State Papers, I, lxxxii. 6 Introductory. [Chap. in a galley specially equipped for him on the recommendation of the Duke of Austria. He had long wished to visit the Holy Sepulchre in person, and 'still retained the wish long afterwards when King of England, but he failed to carry out his purpose, and returned to Venice disappointed in the spring of 1393. In September, 1396, he was present ain command of 1000 English lances at the battle of Nicopolis, and after the disaster she escaped from the fury of the Turks with Sigismund, King of Hungary, on board a Venetian galley on the Danube. 4He was afterwards urged to join an expedition against Friesland by the Count of Oostervant (1396), and to accompany the French force, which followed Marshal Boucicaut to the aid of the Emperor of Constantinople ; but from both he was dissuaded, and returned to England to lend his aid to that revolution which destroyed the Duke of Gloucester, and, for the moment, ¦ freed Richard from all effective control. Immediately after this revolution, Henry was created Duke of Hereford (September 29th, 1397). Up to this time he had given no evidence of any wish to drive his cousin from the throne. He was, it is true, capable of becoming a formidable enemy, 5rich, active, and unscrupulous ; but the part which he was soon to play seems rather to have been the result of events than of apy deliberate design. In September, 1398, he brought an accusation against the Duke of Norfolk; a favourite with Richard and lately a confederate with himself in the conspiracy against the Duke of Gloucester. The 1 Roy. Let., 421 ; Orig. Let., III., i, 54. 2 Ducas, ch. xiii. s Ven. State Papers, I, lxxxv. 4 Trais., xliv, quoting Barante, Dues de Bourgoyne, ii, 358. 5 The list of castles belonging to his family in cludes : Knaresborough, Pickering, Pontefract, Lydel, Dunstanborough (Northumberland), Cykhull (Durham), Bolingbroke, Lancaster, Leices ter, Kenilworth, Tutbury, Hertford, Pevensey, Monmouth, Skenfrith, Blanchcastle, Grossmont, Oken, Oggermore, Caerkennyn, Kidwelly. ARCHiEOL, xx, 62. I.] Henry of Bolingbroke. 7 political significance of this quarrel is difficult to unravel, but in the result 'both Dukes were banished by a kind of double ostracism, though the spirit and the letter of the sentence fell far more lightly on Henry. On October 13th, 1398, he left England and withdrew to Paris. *£2ooo annually was allowed to him "of the King's gift" and ^500 per annum to his eldest son, Henry. Early in the following year, while Henry was in Paris, his father died (February 3rd, 1399), and, in spite of law and of special promise, his vast estates were declared forfeit to the King. This may not in itself be a sufficient cause to justify rebellion and the course of violence upon which Henry now entered, but it supplied at least an occasion for return ; and when in the following s summer he landed in Yorkshire, he would find many to believe that he was quite sincere in his declaration that he came with arms in his hands, merely to demand the restoration of his family estates, without any fixed intention of putting himself at the head of a party, and allowing himself to be made King. Once in full tide, the rebellion hurried on. The King had been absent in Ireland since May. The heir-apparent was dead. The nation was over-taxed and discontented. The Earls of Northumberland and Westmore land admitted Henry to the north. The Castles of Pickering, Knaresborough, and Pontefract opened their gates to him. The city of London invited him. No resistance was offered. Richard was betrayed, entrapped, and deserted by his friends ; and on September 29th, 1399, being at the time a prisoner jn the Tower of London, he was induced to read and subscribe in the presence of a select deputation of witnesses a formal 1 The Duke of Norfolk died on his way from Jerusalem, and was buried at Venice (September, 1399), where a stone monument was erected to his memory —Ven. State Papers, I, lxxxiii. 2 Tyler, i, 35, quoting Pell Records. 3 The date is variously given :— " about June 24th," Evesh., 151 ; June 28th, Usk, 24 ; July 4th, Otterbourne, 203 ; July 22nd, MS. Bodl. Dodsworth, 116, fol. 148 in Trais., App. D, p. 286. 8 Introductory. [Chap. renunciation of his claims to be King. By this 'document, with his hand on the gospels, he absolved all his subjects, civil and ecclesiastical, from homage and service ; renounced the crown and government of his kingdom and dominions, purely, freely, simply, and absolutely; and declared that he was, and had been, insufficient and useless, and that he ought justly to be deposed. Finally, he declared that he would never hereafter withdraw or impugn this declaration, but that he would for ever maintain it in whole and in part. This last clause was of special significance, for this was not the first time that Richard had submitted to humble himself and his office before his rebellious subjects, and there is no doubt that he would have disavowed it on the first opportunity. But, for the present, he was entirely in the hands of a faction unusually compact and strong. Times could not be worse with him, and, by waiting, he might live to see his enemies divided again. So of his own accord he read and signed the declaration "with a smiling face.'' The account of the interview is given with unusual detail. The witnesses comprised an archbishop, a bishop,, a prior, an ahbot, two judges, two doctors-of-law, two public notaries, twq lords, two earls, and two knights. These met in the council chamber, and proceeded to the Tower, where they had an interview with Richard about nine o'clock in the morning. The King received them graciously, but requested to see also the Duke of Lancas ter (Henry) and the Archbishop of Canterbury (Arundel), and then in the presence of them all he signed the document. On the following day ^(Wednesday, September 30th, 1399), the Parliament met in the great hall at Westminster. It had been "summoned in Richard's name, and had assembled in haste, 1 It was drawn up on parchment, in quadam cedula pergameni redactam (Rot. Parl., iii, 416, Otterbourne, 212,) and. was seen and consulted by the St. Alban's Chronicler. s Frois., iv, 669. s Capgrave, 272. I.] Articles of Accusation. g The lords spiritual and temporal occupied their places, and a large crowd of the representatives of counties and boroughs filled the hall. There was no president. The throne stood empty dressed in cloth of gold. The Archbishop of York (Richard Scrope), whose cousin had just been executed by the mob as one of Richard's evil advisers, read the King's renunciation, in Latin and in English. The question was put whether it was expedient for the parliament and the kingdom that such renunciation should be accepted, and 'each and all, separately and by acclamation, made answer that it was. It was then proposed, for the removal of all scruple and doubt, to read publicly the list of charges against the fallen King. The articles of accusation were 32 in number. In spite of some verbiage and apparently needless repetition, they are drawn up with clearness and method. They exhibit the views of the dominant party alone, and probably put the case against the King in its blackest form. Many of them refer to personal grievances committed against particular individuals of the party now about to secure power ; others have a more general appli cation. A short notice of these articles of accusation will be useful from a two-fold point of view. They show the state of political parties at the time of Henry the Fourth's accession, thus forming a convenient introduction to the new period just opening ; and, by specifying the points in which King Richard is accused of breaking the law, they form a kind of manifesto or public declaration on the part of the coming King, that all who in future shall so transgress, will be justly liable to a similar punishment. Though they are called articles of accusation, it should be borne in mind that there was no formal trial, accu- 1 " Which no man then repugned." — Hardyng, 351 ; Lingard, iii, 186. For the worthlessness of unanimous parliaments, cf . the proceedings in 1387, where all had specially sworn that no statute then enacted should be repealed, with those of 1397, which repealed them wholesale. io Introductory. [Chap. sation, or defence. The case was regarded as closed by the * King's voluntary resignation, and these articles were set forward gratuitously by the party of the Duke of Lancaster. So far as they concern the immediate disputes and quarrels of Richard the Second's reign, we may pass them over. The King may have been answerable for all that these articles urge against him. The times were out of joint, and law had been pushed aside by violence. Nevertheless, it is more than probable that, if Richard had lived longer, he would have seen himself plausibly and even triumphantly defended against every charge by some, at least, of the very men who now accused him. It is more • profitable to look at those articles in which Richard is accused of violating laws, customs, and statutes which, at his coronation, he had sworn to defend and observe. Henry's claim to the throne was based on the unfitness of Richard. 'This alone, in the eyes of the parliament and the nation, was deemed sufficient to wash the balm off from their anointed King. The modern doctrine of right divine was never urged. Richard himself absolved his subjects from their homage and allegiance. He had broken his coronation oath, and the contract between himself and his subjects was thereby dissolved. He might, conceivably, have pleaded ignorance ; but, by this public statement, a clear interpretation was put by parliament upon the meaning of the coronation oath for the future, and whoever next should reign, would see his duty distinctly defined by this 1 The question had been judicially examined by certain doctors, bishops, and others — Adam of Usk being among the number, (Usk, 141). Annals and records had been previously carefully searched for precedents from the time of William the Conqueror downwards, and the deposition of the King was resolved on, "in accordance with the ancient custom of the realm in such cases." — Wals., 278; see. also Otterb., 209. Creton, a Frenchman, strongly convinced of Henry's treachery, in a poem, written in France, for the express purpose of exciting sympathy for Richard and hostility to Henry, blames him for usurping the throne, " faulcement sans mander defiance," i.e. for a breach of feudal etiquette. — ArcH/Eol, xx, 379. I.] Articles of Accusation. 1 1 new confirmation of charters, and stand- doubly convicted, if he, in his turn, should trample on the recognized liberties of the nation. The following are the principles of law asserted to have been violated by King Richard : — Art^ asserts that a body-guard of Richard's troops, while passing from place to place, had killed or beaten the King's subjects, and taken their goods without payment. This was a violation of several statutes of Edward III., 'which secured an immediate money compensation, according to the decision of local jurors, on account of all articles required for the purvey ance or victualling of those in attendance upon the King. Art. Sr accuses Richard of conducting the government by the advice and assistance of a committee of parliament, consist ing of 1 8 persons (12 peers and 6 commoners) devoted to his interest, thereby 2 dispensing with the help of parliament, and lowering its dignity and authority. Art. 10 accuses Richard of applying to the Pope to excommunicate all who should subvert the statutes passed in the parliament of 1397. Such foreign interference is declared to be against the crowri and the royal dignity, and against the statutes and liberties of the realm. Art. 13 accuses the King of appointing his own relations and dependents to be Lieutenants and Sheriffs of Counties, though statutes required that these officers should be elected in the counties^ Art. 18 asserts that he had 'retained these Sheriffs for two or 1 Ling., iii, 104 : Conc, iii, 245. 2 Cf. Statutes, 4 Edw. III. (1330) ; 36 Edw. III. (1362) ; 1 Rd. II. (1377) ; That parliament shall meet at least once every year. Cf. May, 32. 3 Et hoc est notorium publicum et faniosum. It probably remained the common practice afterwards. gee lists of sheriffs in Chester and Flint for instances of six years in succession, in Dep. Keep. 21st Rep., App. 3 ; for other counties, see 31st Rep., App. 4. 12 Introductory. [Chap. three years in office, though statutes declared it to be illegal for a Sheriff to hold office longer than a year, or to be re-elected before three years had elapsed from the time of his resignation. The intention seems to have been that an early opportunity might be given to any aggrieved person to sue the Sheriff in the civil courts, as soon as he resigned his office. Art7i9. — That by means of these Sheriffs he had secured the return to parliament of those Knights of the Shire only who were pledged to his interest, thereby preserving for himself the grant of the wool-tax for life, and other oppressive enactments. This is declared to be contrary to statute and to the custom of the realm, whereby it is claimed that 'in the calling of a parliament, the people in each county ought to be free in choosing and deputing Knights for the Shires to be present in parliament, to set forward their complaints and to press for remedies. .. Art. 20. — That, in addition to the ancient form of oath, the King had required the Sheriffs of Counties to swear to be obedient to his letters under the great or privy seal, requiring them to arrest, and detain in prison during the King's pleasure, all bailiffs, of whatever rank, who were known to have spoken, secretly or publicly, anything which might turn to the dishonour or shame of the King's person. It is remarkable that this oppressive and tyrannical power is not declared to be contrary to any statute, .and that it is complained of, not as having been' actually abused, but as one " which, probably, might lead to the destructjon of some of the King's subjects." Art. 26. — That accused persons had been imprisoned, and brought before military courts, where no defence was allowed them, except a total denial of the charge and an offer to submit to the wager of battle. This is declared to be contrary to the ' 38 H. III., (1254). See May, p. 17. I.) Articles of Accusation. 13 Great Charter of John, which provides that no man shall be taken, or put to death, except by a legal decision of his peers, or by the law of the land. The injustice of the wager of battle consisted mainly in the fact that the accused might be aged and infirm, while the appellants were young and strong — the worst form of abuse of the maxim that might is right. Art. 28. — The King is charged with granting, in his own name, "prohibitions" to interfere with the action of the spiritual courts, though the Chancellor had previously refused them. The limits of the jurisdiction of the ecclesiastical courts in England had been very ill-defined. It had become, however, the practice of the lay judges to issue orders requiring that certain cases should be tried in civil courts, and not in the courts spiritual. Such orders were termed " prohibitions," and the right to issue them seems not to have been disputed. The article charges the King with issuing them, in his own name, although the Chancellor, after due consideration, had declined to interfere. Such are the chief infractions of the law with which Richard is charged. The remaining articles refer to his perfidy, extravagance, and notorious faithlessness. In one of them he is accused of having said that he could make and alter the laws of his own accord, and dispose of his subjects' property according to his own pleasure. Several articles refer to the attempt he had made to free himself from the control of the Duke of Gloucester's commission, in the 1 ith year of his reign (1387), and the subsequent events of the 21st year (1397-8), in which the proceedings of Gloucester's commission were solemnly annulled by parliament, the Duke himself was murdered in pri son, the Earl of Arundel impeached and executed, and several of their leading accomplices exiled. Only it almost passes belief that these events should be charged against Richard now 14 Introductory. [Chap. by the very faction which had sanctioned and approved them, Henry of Bolingbroke himself being amongst the foremost of his then supporters. These articles were read in Latin and in English. The representatives of the different estates were asked, separately and jointly, whether these crimes called for the deposition of the King, and when their consent was obtained, eight commissioners were at once appointed to draw up and pronounce the sentence of deposition. These 'immediately formed themselves into a ¦tribunal, sitting in front of the empty throne, and pronounced sentence of deposition in the name of the parliament, absolving all Richard's subjects from their allegiance, and forbidding them to render obedience to him in the future. /So ended the reign of Richard. He had allowed himself to become the tool of factions and dishonourable intrigues, and now he had himself fallen into the snare. He had taught the evil lesson of misgoverning under the appearance of law, and, with the sanction of packed parliaments, and now, by a packed parliament, and with a semblance of law, his . office was to be taken away. He had been faithless to his pledged word, and now, he himself was faithlessly betrayed. He had imprisoned without trial, and put to death without mercy his own kinsmen who stood in his way; now, by his own kinsmen, he was himself illegally imprisoned and soon to be mercilessly put to death. \ The throne was thus vacant. But immediately Henry Prose up erect from his place. He was sitting in the seat. of ; his father, the Duke of Lancaster, and on either side of him sat 1 They assert that they acted " deliberatione diligenti;" but the whole process was carried through with the utmost haste, "car ils avoient tous envie de le deffaire assez briefment." — Arch^ol., xx, 383. 2 All were required to stand while speaking, except the King. — Mod Ten Parl., 33. I.] Henry's Claim. ig the ' Duke of York and the 3 Bishop of Carlisle. He made the sign of the cross on his forehead and on his breast, that all might see, and spoke in English, that all might understand : — 3 " In the name of God, I, Henry of Lancastre, challenge this reiaume, this the corone, with alle the membris and appurten- aunce therto, 4save the ryght blood comyng of the Kyng Henry, and thorghe that ryght that Gode of hys grace hath sent me, with the help of my kyn and of my frendes to recovere it ; the whiche roiaume was in poynt to ben undon for defaute of governaunce and undoyng of the lawes." Then the lords spiritual and temporal, with the several estates present, were asked, singly and collectively, what they thought of the claim, who answered, without difficulty or delay, that Henry should be their King. Then Henry showed the signet ring that had been given up the previous day by Richard in the Tower, and the 4outlaw Archbishop of Canterbury led the outlaw Duke of Lancaster by the right hand, and placed him on the throne ; the people shouting for excess of joy. When silence was at length procured, the Archbishop, in a short harangue, preached of the story of the choice of Saul, how Jehovah had said, through the mouth of His prophet, 5"This man shall reign over my people.'' An ominous text, and not very full of comfort, had any present cared to understand it in its original connection. The Archbishop, however, judiciously pointed, the moral other- 1 Arch^ol., xx, 192. 2 Eulog., iii, 382. 3 Verbatim from Ann., 281. i Others have "as be the right blod." He clearly means that his father and mother were both direct descendants from Henry III. Rot. Parl., iii, 423, gives "als I yt am discendit be ryght lyne of the blode comyng fro the gude lorde Kyng Henry therde." Cap. 273 : " as for descensus of the real blod of Kyng Henry." The Earl of Northumberland after wards said that on St. Matthew's Day (September 21st) Henry sent for all chronicles from the principal monasteries, and had them examined to see whether his claim from Henry III. could be substantiated, but failed. — Habdyng, 353. Cf. Pol. Verg., xxi, 439 ; Halle, 10 ; Hol., ii. 511. * The indictment against Archbishop Arundel was not formally quashed until October 29, 1399.— See Pat., 1 Henry IV., pt. i, m. 8. =1 Sam., ix, 17. 1 6 Introductory. [Chap. wise. ' He who was about to reign should be a man, not a child — thinking, speaking, and understanding as a man. Then Henry rose, and spoke from the throne these words :-=- 3 " Syres, I thank yow espirituelx and temporelx, and alle the estates of the lond, and I do yow to wyte that it ys nought my wil that no man think that by wey of conquest y wolde desherte any man of hys heritage, fraunchis, or other ryghtes that hem ought to have, ne put hym out of that he hath and hath had in the gode Iawes of this reiaume except hem that han ben ageyn the gode purpos and the commune profyte of the reiaulme." It is to be noticed that Henry had throughout the whole of his rebellion, striven to keep himself within the law. He searched records and consulted jurists. 8 His title to succeed Richard by right of birth was barred by the boy, Edmund Mortimer (now six years old), son of Roger, Earl of March, a descendant of Edward III., from an older branch than his, and he saw no other way open than to claim by right of conquest. But from this he was dissuaded by Justice Thernyng, who represented that he would thereby raise a needless alarm, and disturb the security of property. Hence was devised the singular formula quoted above, in which a curious compromise appears to be made between *two contradictory grounds of 1 Rot. Parl., iii, 423 ; Ott., 220. As reported by Creton, the sermon was about Jacob, the younger son, securing the blessing from his father. 2 Ann., 282. 3 Yet Eulog. (iii, 384) makes him claim as the next male heir — proximus masculus de sanguine suo. Hardyng pretends that there was a free election, the young Earl of March being passed over because of his youth, though the nearest heir male ; but this is probably an after thought, intended to bear out the claim of Edward IV. and the Yorkists, as descended from the Mortimers. — See Pref . to Hardyng. Pol. Verg. represents Roger as still alive ; but this is a mistake, he was killed in Ireland the previous summer. * Frois. (iv, 669) says that he claimed on three grounds, viz.: conquest, right of birth, and the resignation of Richard. — See the three reasons set out by Gower, in his doggerel Chronicle : — » Regnum conquestat que per hoc sibi jus manifestat ; Regno succedit hceres nee abinde recedit ; Insuper eligitur a plebeque sic stabilitur. — Pol. Songs, i., 449. I.] The First Parliament. 17 claim. Henry has been sent, by God's grace, to recover a birthright, which no one had ever dreamed that he or his fathers had ever possessed. The wonder is that such trans parent flimsiness should have satisfied any reasoning man ; but it must have been sufficient to the mind of the Chief Justice of Common Pleas, or he would not have given his sanction to the proceedings of that day. Henry's first speech from the throne was meant to reassure those who might be yet uncertain of his intentions, now that they had placed power in his hands ; but he speaks as one who has conquered his crown, not as bound under a mutual contract with those who had bestowed it on him, and his gracious assurance contains an ominous proviso which might be interpreted consistently with absolute despotism. 1 Immediately, by Henry's order, it was publicly proclaimed that a new parliament should meet on the following Monday, (October 6th) and October 13th was fixed for the coronation day. It was explained that this 2 short notice in summoning parliament was unavoidable and should not be made into a precedent, but that it was necessary in order to avoid expense and delay. Accordingly, on Monday, October 6th (St. Faith's), the first parliament of Henry IV. met at Westminster. The King himself presided, and with him were his two elder sons, Henry and Thomas. The former, a lad of twelve years of age, occupied the chief place among the temporal peers, while the latter carried the wand of his new office as Seneschal or Steward of England. The Archbishop of Canterbury spoke in the name of the King, excusing the haste with which the parliament had been summoned and declaring that it was the King's intention 1 He at once assumed the title of King. — See Pat., 1 H. IV., iii, 24, dated September 29th, 1399, in which he grants to Thernyng one cask of wine. 2 Forty days were usually allowed. — Mod. ten. Parl., 3. 1 8 Introductory. to govern according to right and the law, that no favour should be shown to rank or degree, but that all should be governed with equal justice; that the Church should enjoy all her liberties, and that the lords spiritual and temporal, and the cities and boroughs should retain all franchises and privileges granted by his predecessors ; that the King was determined to govern not by his own will, but by the common advice and consent of the honourable and sage and discreet persons of his realm ; but that, inasmuch as it was the King's wish that nothing should be begun till after he had received the full sanction and blessing of the coronation oil, he wished them to consent to adjourn their meetings till the 14th October. In the meantime, the knights of parliament were to choose for themselves a Speaker, certain lords would be appointed to examine and decide upon petitions, or, if necessary, submit them to the parliament. The houses gave their consent. Twenty-three lords and others were appointed Triers of Petitions from home and abroad, and the parliament was adjourned till after the coronation. CHAPTER II. Dramatis Persons. Great were the expectations awakened by the return of Henry from banishment. The doggerel poets jested over the fall of Richard's councillors, and sighed for a ruler who should bring peace to the country and 'heal the divisions in the church. They derided the extravagance and licentiousness of the court ; and welcomed the invader, as the 2 eagle, the true mother of the brood, which had long been nursed by a false mother, but waited only to hear the voice of the true to flock to her. Henry is the 3"boar of commerce," returning to call back the herd to their lost pasturage. He is urged to purge the court of the d proud, penniless adventurers, with their painted sleeves; to reprove the robbers and riflers of the people, the "flatterers and false men who use no faith, and all the devilish doers ; to choose out knights who know themselves well, who have suffered and travelled and tempered themselves ; and they point specially to Thomas Fitz-Alan, son of the late Earl of Arundel, and to the Earl of Warwick, as the regenerators who had suffered most from the oppression of the last years of Richard. 1 Pol. Songs, i, 400 ; ii, 15. 2 « pullus aqnilae." — Usk, 133, i.e. the son of John (cf . the symbol of the Evangelist) . s Ott., 210. 4 " til no proude peniles with his peynte sieve." 5Arch.