same was very expedient did each man singly by himself and in Common with the People unanimously Admit the said Cession and Renunciation After which Admission it was then and there publickly declared that besides such Cession and Renunciation so as aforesaid admitted It would be very expedient and profitable to the Kingdom for the removing of all Scruples and taking away sinister suspitions That very many Crimes and Defects by the said King about the ill Governance of his Kingdom very often committed reduced into writing by way of Articles by reason of which as himself affirmed in the Cession by him made he was deservedly to be deposed should be publickly read and declared to the People And so the greatest part of the said Articles were then and there read through The Tenour of all which Articles is such But yet in the Roll before the Articles there are first these words Here followeth the form of the Oath used and accustomed to be taken by the Kings of England at their Coronation which the Archbishop of Canterbury hath used to require and receive from the said Kings as in the Book of the Pontifical Archbishops and Bishops more fully is contained Which Oath Richard the Second after the Conquest of England did take at his Coronation and the same was administred by the Archbishop of Canterbury and the very same Oath the King afterwards repeated as in the Rolls of the Chancery may more fully be found of Record Thou shall keep to the Church of God and People Intire Peace and Concord in God according to thy power The King shall answer I will keep them Thou shalt in all thy Judgements cause to be done equal and right Justice and discretion in mercy and in Truth according to thy power He shall answer I will do so Thou dost grant the just Laws and Customes as shall be held and dost promise the same shall by thee be protected and for the Honour of God Corroborated quas vulgus elegerit which the People shall chuse to the utmost of thy power He shall answer I do so grant and promise To the aforesaid Questions such others are added as shall be just and all things being so pronounced the King by his own Oath on the Altar before all the Assembly Confirms and Promises that he will 〈◊〉 and observe the same Then follow THE OBJECTIONS or ARTICLES Against the King touching his Deposition IMprimis It is objected against King Richard that whereas by reason of his ill Government viz. His giving away the Goods and Possessions belonging to his Crown and that to Persons unworthy and his indiscreet squandering the same away otherwise adn to that end imposing without cause Collections and other grievous burthens on his People more than they were able to bear and also innumerable other Evils by his assent and Command perpetrated there were by the whole Parliament certain Prelates and others Temporal Lords Elected and Assigned who might with all their power and at their own Charges faithfully labour about the just Government of the Realm Yet the King causing a Conventicle to be held by him with his accomplices the said Lords as well Spiritual as Temporal so occupied about the safety and profit of the Kingdom did propose to impeach of High Treason and did violently draw the Judges of the Kingdom for fear of Death and Corporal Tortures to such his wicked purpose most vigorously striving to destroy the said Lords II. Item The said King lately at Shrâ—wsbury caused several and the greater part of the Judges to come before him and his Favourites privatly in a Chamber and by Menaces and Various Terrors as such affrightments as might fall even upon men of constant Resolutions did induce cause and compel them severally to answer certain Questions there propounded on the behalf of the King concerning the Laws of his Kingdom besides and against their will and otherwise than they would have answered had they been at Liberty and unforced By colour of which answers the said King purposed to have proceeded afterwards to the destruction of Thomas Duke of Glocester and the Earls of Arundel and VVarwick and other Lords against whose deeds and behaviour the said King was much incensed chiefly because they desired the said King to be under good Guidance But Providence withstanding it by the resistance and power of the said Lords the King was not able to bring such his design to effect III. Item When the Lords Temporal defending themselves had withstood his malice and fraud and the said King had prefix'd a day for holding his Parliament to do them and other Inhabitants of the Realm Justice in that behalf and the said Temporal Lords were quietly and peaceably gone home and at Rest in their houses in hope and confidence of the said Parliament the King secretly sent the Duke of Ireland with his Letters and Standard towards Chester and there gathered multitudes in Arms and caused them to rise against the said Lords the Nobles of the Kingdom and Servants of the State publickly erecting his Standard against the Peace which he had Sworn to keep From whence slaughters of men Captivities Dissentions and other infinite mischiefs did ensue throughout the whole Kingdom By which Act he became Guilty of Perjury IV. Item Although the said King had in full Parliament and by the assent thereof Pardoned the said Duke of Glocester and Earls of Arundel and Warwick and all their Assistants and others all offences and had for many years shown Signs of Peace and Love to the said Duke and Earls and to the rest appeared with a pleasant and benign Countenance Yet the said King always and continually bearing Gall in his Heart did at last taking an Opportunity cause the said Duke of Glocester the Uncle of him the said King and also the Son of Edward late King of England of happy memory and Constable of England then humbly going to meet the said King in solemn Procession and the said Earls of Arundel and Wâ—â—â—ick to be taken and Arrested and him the said Duke out of the Kingdom of England to the Town of Callice did cause to be led and there imprisoned and under the Custody of the Earl of Nottingham and of the Appellors of the said Duke detained and without answer or any lawful process whatsoever did inhumanely and cruelly cause to be suffocated strangled and murdered And the Earl of Arundel though he pleaded as well the General Pardon as a Pardon afterwards to him specially granted and desired justice to be done him yet in his Parliament encompassed with armed men and innumerable Archers of the People by him gathered to that purpose by Pressing did damnably cause to be Beheaded And the Earl of Warwick and Lord Cobham did commit to perpetual Imprisonment wickedly and against Justice and the Laws of his Kingdom and his express Oath confiscating their Lands and Tenements as well Fee-simple as Fee-tail from them and their Heirs and giving the same to their Appellors V.
without lessening or delaying the same And that they do not presume to require pretend or claim any other Liberties or Priviledges than what they reasonably had before the said Tumults And that all such as have any of Our said Letters of Manumission and Pardon in their Custody shall immediately bring and restore the same to Us and our Council to be Cancelled upon the Faith and Allegiance in which to Us they are bound and upon pain of forfeiting All that to Us they can forfeit for the future In testimony whereof We have caused these Our Letters to be made Patent Witness Our Self at Chelmsford the Second Day of July in the Fifth Year of Our Reign By this Revocation all Pretensions of pleading a Pardon being cut off procedings were next made against the principal Offenders several of them being convicted before the Mayor and beheaded as John Straw John Kickby Alane Tradder and John Sterling which last boasted that he was the man that slew the Archbishop Also Sir Robert Tresilian Chief Justice was impowr'd by special Commission to judge others of the Rebels before whom in sundry places above Fifteen hundred were found Guilty and put to death and amongst them the before mentioned Incendiary Ball the Priest who being taken at Coventry was brought before the King at S. Albanâ— and theâ—e drawn hang'd and quartered During these Uproars the Duke of Lancaster very happily for the preservation of his Person against whom the Commons had so great a spite was gone into the North against the Scots but having Tidings of the Insurrection thought fit to clap up a Truce for Two years which he got ratified upon Oath some days before the Scots had any notice of the Troubles in England but conceiving himself in danger for the general though false report was that the King to pacifie the Rebels had consented to abandon him to their pleasure when ever they could seize him and having receiceived some Affronts in that distress from the Earl of Northumberland he desired of the Scots a safe Conduct and to reside for a time amongst them who honourably entertain'd him till he was sent for by the King and then a new cause of grudge hapned between him and the Earl of Northumberland for in his return he was denied passage through the Town of Barwick by the Captain Sir Matthew Redman by vertue of a Command from the said Earl Lord Warden of the Marches not to suffer any from Scotland to enter the same which indeed the King had specially ordered forgetting the Dukes being then in that Kingdom However this bred such an Animosity in the Duke against the Earl that being come home he charged him with several things which the Earl as stoutly answered and great numbers of armed men followed each of them but the King taking their Differences into his own haâ—ds workt a Reconciliation About All-hallontide began a Parliament but had not accomplisht any thing of moment before they were adjourn'd till after Christmas by reason of the arrival of the new Queen Sister of Wyncelaus King of Bohemia and elected Emperor an Alliance of some honour but little profit to the Realm she being followed with a multitude of insatiate Bohemians who by the Kings facility drain'd abundance of Wealth out of the Kingdom It was observed that as soon as ever she set foot on shore at Dover an horrible Storm arose at Sea which so tossed the Ships in the Harbour that the same which her Majesty came in was immediately dasht to pieces which some then lookt upon as Ominous presaging Tempests of State to follow her 1382. The Nuptial Solemnities which were very splendid and costly being over the Parliament meets again to begin the New Year in which several wholsom Laws were ordain'd as to admit Merchant-strangers freely to sell their Merchandizes here to regulate Excesses in in the Apparel of inferiour people to settle the price of Wines and many other matters But what saith our Author Thomas Walsingham condemning such Practices signifie Acts of Parliaments when after they are made they take no effect or are nothing regarded for the King with his Privy Council took upon them to alter or wholly seâ— aside all things that by general consent had in Parliament been established Of the truth whereof there were too many unhappy Instances as amongst the rest in this very Parliament upon the request of the Lords and Commons Sir R. Scroop was by the King appointed Lord Chancellor as being a Person of known Judgment Learning and inflexible Integrity but within few Months he was turn'd out of that Office which he had laudably and prudently administred meerly because to do the King faithful Service he had displeased some of his unworthy Mâ—nors the Relation of which I shall set down in Walsinghams own Words Edmund Mortimer Earl of March and several other Lords being lately dead certain greedy and ambitious Knights and Squires and others of inferior Rank that were Servants to the King had begged of him Grants of divers Lands and Lordships lately belonging to the deceased that they might have the profits thereof for so long time as the King by the Custom of the Realm was to hold them in his Hands which the King not minding the value nor considering any reason they had to desire or merit to deserve such Revenues presently consents to ordering them to the Chancellor to have their Grants confirm'd under the great Seal but the prudent and honest Chancellor who zealously desired the prosperity of the Kingdom and just profit of the King absolutely refused to do it telling them the King was much in debt and 't was most necessary he should reserve such Contingencies to himself therewith in part to satisfy his Creditors and that since they well knew such the Kings urgent occasions they could be no good Subjects to his Majesty that consulting their own advantages more than his service and preferring private lucre before publick necessities should go about to circumvent and further impoverish him by such prejudicial Requests from which they should do well to desist and be content with his Majesties former Largesses which were sufficient for them Nettled with this repulse these Courtiers resort back to the King grievously complaining of the Chancellors Obstinacy that he contemned his Majesties Command and that it concerned his Majesty suddenly and with due severity to Chastise such an affronted disobedience for otherwise the Royal Authority would become contemptible to all his People and his Command be accounted of no value c. The young King therefore more regarding the false suggestions of these self-designing flatterers than the faithful allegations and advice of his Chancellor sends in his fury messengers to demand the Seal of him but the Chancellor would deliver it to no hands but the Kings To whom having surrendered it he was pleased to retain it for many days in his own Custody Sealing Grants therewith himself c. Till at length the keeping of it was conferr'd
invincible against the power of your Enemies and the most firm Band of Peace and hearty Love towards your Subjects as well for the increase of your owu good and advantage in respect of God and the Salvation of your Soul as for the unspeakable comfort of all the People which you govern On whose behalf we intimate these things anto you That we have it Settled Granted or Confirmed by ancient Constitution by a Custom laudable and approved and which none can gain-say or contradict That the King can Assemble the Lords Nobles and Commons of the Kingdom once a year unto his Parliament as the highest Court of the Realm in which all Equity ought to shine bright without any scrupâ—e or spot clear as the Sun when ascending to the Meridian where as well Poor as Rich may find a never failing Shelter for their Refreshment by restoring Tranquility and Peace and removing all Kind of injuries where publick Grievances or Errors are to be redress'd where with the most prudent Councill the state and Goverment of the Kingdom is to be treated of That the King and Nations Foes within and their Enemies abroad may be discovered and repulsed by such means as most conveniently and honourably it may be done and also with wholsom deliberation therein to fore see and order how the necessary Burdens of the King and Kingdom may with most ease the publick Want â—onsidered be supplied And they conceive also that since they are to support publick Charges incumbent they should have the Supervisal too how and by whom their Goods and Fortunes are expended They say moreover that this is their Priviledge by ancient Constitusion that if the King wilfully estrange himself fram his Parliament no Infirmisy or necessary Cause disabling him but obstinately by his ungovernable Will shall withdrow himself and be absent from them the time of Forty days as not regarding the vexation of his People 〈◊〉 nor their grievous Expences That then from that time it shall be or is lawfull for all and every of them without any damage from the King to go home and every one return into his own Country And Now You for a longer time have absented Your Self and for what Cause they know not have refus'd to come amonst them To this the King Now do We plainly discover that our People and the Commons intend to resist and are endeavouring to make Insurrections against us and in such case nothing seems better to us than to call in our Kinsman the King of France and from him to ask Advice and Aid nay even to submit Our Self to him rather than to Truckle to our own Subjects To which they answered thus THis Council is not sase for You but rather tends to inevitable destruction For the King of France is your Capital Enemy and the much greatest Adversary to your Kingdom and if be should once get footing on your Land would sooner endeavour to dispoil you of it to invade your Kingdom and to drive you from your Throne than in the lest to lend you his assisting hand if at any time which God forbid you should stand in need thereof Rather therefore recall to your Memory how your Grandfather King Edward the Third and in like manner your Father a Prince of the same Name and Renown with Sweat and Hazards during their whole Lives through innumerable Labors indefatigably contended for the conquest of the Kingdom of France which by hereditary Right appertained to them and after them to you by Succession Remember how many of the Nobles what innumerable Troops of the Commons of England as well as those of France lost their Lives and underwent the peril of Death in that Quarrel Remember the inestimable Treasures the People of England freely parted with for the maintanance of that War And yet what is more to be lamented they have in your time sustained so many Taxes for the support of your Wars as that now they are reduced to such incredible Poverty that they can neither pay their Rents for their Livings nor assist their King nor afford themselves even the Necessaries of Life Thus The Royal Power is impoverished and an unhappy condition brought upon all Great Men and Nobles of the Kingdom as well as the Commons weakned and undone For a King cannot be poor that has a rich People nor that King be rich whose Subjects are Poor Nor do these Ills redound alone to the King but to all the Nobility and Great Men every one in his Rank and degree And all this is brought to pass by the evil Ministers of the King who have ill-Governed both King and Kingdom to this day and unless we do quickly set our helping hands to the Work and raise the healing Prop the Kingdom of England will in less time then we think of be miserably subverted But there is yet one part more of our Message remaining on the behalf of your People to be imparted to you That we have an ancient Constitution and it was not many Ages since experimented it grieves us that we must mention it That if the King through any evil Council whatever or through a weak Obstinacy or Contempt of his People a perverse froward Will or irregular Course shall alienate himself from his People and refuse to Govern by the Laws and Statutes of the Realm by the laudable Ordinances and and faithful Advice If he shall throw himself headlong into wild Designs and stubbornly exercise his own singular Arbitrary Will That from that time it shall be lawful for his People by their full and free Assent and Consent to Depose that King from his Throne and to establish some other of the Royal Stock upon the same in his stead Which grievous and unhappy Dissention That it may never spring up amongst your People That your People by no such lamentable Divisions pleasing only to your Enemies may ever through your evil Counsellors be subvered That this Kingdom so honourable and above all the Nations in the World from your Fathers days hitherto most famious in War may not now in your time through the Distractions of ill Goverment he miserably laid waste That the Title and Inscription of these Miseries may never be placed as a scandalous Mark upon your Reign and this unhappy Age. Recal we beseech you your Royal Mind from such foolish and pernicious Councils and whatsoever they are that suggest such matters to you do not only not hearken to them but totaly remove them from you for in a time of danger it will be found that they can no ways effectual serve you c. By these and such kind of Speeches the King laying aside his Anger was reduced to a better Temper and being pacified promised That after Three days he would come to the Parliament and with Mature Advice willingly Acquiesce to their Petitions The King then came as he had promised and John de Fortham Bishop of Durham was removed from the Office of Treasurer and the Bishop of Hereford made
his People that they might engross amongst themselves only the Government of the Realm whereby they have caused our Lord the King without the Assent of the Realm or any desert in them to have given away by their Abetment many Lordships Castles Towns and Mannors as well annexed to his Crown as others As particularly the Land of Ireland and Okam with the Forest and Lands which did belong to the Lord Dandelegh and great quantities of other Lands to the said Duke of Ireland and divers others whereby they unworthily are vastly inriched but the King rendred poor and unable to sustain and defray the Charges of the Government unless by Impositions heavy Taxes and Tributes laid upon his People to the disinherison of his Crown and the destruction of the Realm 5. Item By such Encroachment of the said Archbishop c. and by the Counsel of that false Justicer Tresylian and Brember the false Knight of London they have caused our Lord the King to have given away divers Mannors Lands Tenements Offices and Bailywicks to divers other persons their Creatures and such as they could confide in and to others of whom they have taken great Gifts by way of Brokage for that purpose and to stand by them in their false Suits and ill purposes to the great prejudice of the King and Realm such as Sir Robert Mansel Clerk John Blake Thomas Vsk and divers others 6. Item The said Duke c. Encroaching to themselves the Royal Power have caused the King to give very great Gifts of Gold and Silver as well of his proper Goods and Jewels as of the Goods and Treasure of the Realm as Tenths Fifteens and other Taxes granted by divers Parliaments to be expended for the defence and safeguard of the Kingdom which yet to the value of One hundred thousand Marks have been lavisht away upon the said Duke of Ireland and others And though many good Ordinances and Laws have been made in Parliament as well for maintaining and carrying on of Wars as for the defence of the Realm yet they have been by them disturbed and defeated to the great dishonour and damage of the King and Realm 7. Item By such Encroachment and the great Gifts and Brokages taken by the said Duke of Ireland c. it came to pass that divers unfit and insufficient persons were preferred to and intrusted with the keeping and government of divers Garrisons Castles and Countries involved in War as in Guyen and elsewhere both beyond and on this side the Sea whereby the said Strong-holds have been lost the Countries wasted and the People faithful Subjects to the King destroyed and great Seigniories newly rendred into the hands and possessions of Enemies without the Assent of the Realm as the Marches of Scotland c. to the disinherison of the Kings Crown and the great loss of the Kingdom as in Harpeden and Craddock and divers others 8. By the same means the said Archbishop and his Fellow-Traytors have caused divers people to be disturbed and deprived of Right and the Common Law of England and put to intolerable delays losses and costs and the Statutes and Judgments which rightfully for necessary Causes have been made and given in Parliament have been reversed and annull'd by the procurement of the said Malefactors and Traytors and all this because of the great Gifts and Brokages by them received of Parties to the grand mischief of the King and Realm 9. Item The said Archbishop and other Traytors have caused and counselled our Lord the King to grant Charters of Pardon of horrible Felonies and Treasons as well against the State of the King as of the Person injured and prosecuting which thing is against the King and the Oath of the King 10. Item Whereas the said Seignories of the Land of Ireland are and time out of mind have been parcel of the Crown of England and the People of Ireland Liege Subjects to our Lord the King and his Royal Progenitors Kings of England who in all their Charters Writs Letters Patents and in their Seals have for the Augmentation of their Renown and Royalty been intituled Lords of Ireland yet the said Archbishop c. as false Traytors by their said Encroachment have caused and counselled our Lord the King as much as in him lies to have granted and fully assented and accorded that the said Robert de Vere Duke of Ireland should be made King of Ireland And to compleat such their ill purpose have advised and excited our said Lord the King to send his Letters to our Holy Father the Pope to grant ratifie and confirm this their trayterous Designe without the privity or assent of His Realm of England and of the said Land of Ireland to the dividing the Liegance of the King between his Realm of England and the said Land of Ireland in diminution of his Majesties honourable Stile and open disinherison of the Crown of England and full destruction of the lawful Liege Subjects of our Lord the King and of the said Land of Ireland 11. Item Whereas by the Great Charter and other good Laws and Vsages of the Realm of England No man is to be taken nor any Prisoner put to death without the due process of Law The said Nicholas Brember the false Knight of London did take by night certain Prisoners to the number of 22 out of the Gaol of Newgate some of them being Indicted and Appealed of Felony and some Approvers in cases of Felony and some on suspition of Felony and carried them out of London into Kent to a place called Foulhoke and there encroaching on the Royal Power and in Defiance of the said Laws as a Traytor to the King did without any Process of Law cause them all to be Beheaded except one who was Appealed of Felony by an Approver whom he set at large the same time 12. Item The aforesaid Archbishop and other Traytors have in small Causes taken great Gifts in the Name of the King of divers Parties to maintain and abet them in their Suits and Quarrels and sometimes have play'd the Ambo-dexters and taken Money of both sides 13. Item Whereas divers of the great Lords Loyal Subjects to the King in divers Parliaments seeing the dangers and apprehending the destruction threatning the King and Realm by means of the Mischiefs of these Malefactors have moved to have good Governance under the King to avoid the said Perils The forenamed Archbishop and other Traytors by their Encroachment and fatal Influences have so ordered Matters that the King has not onely been deaf to all such Perswasions but also has Commanded some of those that moved it to depart from his Council and to speak no more of such Matters Nor touching the good Governance of the King and Kingdom on pain of Death to the great prejudice of the King and Kingdom 14. Item Whereas in the last Parliament all the Lords and other Sages there assembled seeing the loss and destruction of the King and Realm and the
perils and mischiefs aforesaid and that the King was departed from the Council of the Realm and wholly abandon'd himself to the Counsels of the said Malefactors and Traytors By means whereof the French King had Ships and a Royal Power on the Sea ready to have arrived in England and the said Realm and the very Language of England to destroy And yet no Provision was made or good Governance taken for the safety of the King nor of the Realm Finding no other Remedy did Remonstrate to the King very fully how he was Ill-advised and Affairs most perniciously manag'd by the aforesaid Traytors and Malefactors declaring to him their wicked Conditions and most humbly beseeching him for the safety of himself and of all his Realm avoiding the said impending dangers to forsake and turn these Traytors from his Presence and Company and no longer to conduct himself after their evil Counsel but to hearken to the sage loyal and discreet persons of his Realm Whereupon the said Archbishop and other Traytors to defeat this wholsom Advice of the Parliament by their false Counsel did then cause the King to command the Mayor of London suddenly to levy a great Power of the People of that City to attaque and put to death all the said Lords and Commons except such as were of their Cabal At the Execution of which Villany the said great Malefactors and Traytors should be present and Parties to the scandal and great disservice of the King and his Realm 15. Item When the said Archbishop and other Traytors perceived that the said Mayor and good People of London had openly refused in the presence of the King to accomplish such their Treachery and lewd purposes touching the Murder of the saids Lords and Commons They then by such their trayterous Encroachment falsly Advised the King and so far prevailed that our Lord the King did absent himself from his Parliament for many days and did certifie them That he would never Approach the said Parliament nor Commune with the said Lords and Commons touching the Affairs of the Realm for any danger loss or mischief that might happen to him or his Realm unless he were first assured by the said Lords and Commons that they would not say or act any thing in that Parliament against any of the said Malefactors save only in the Process which was began against Michael de la Pole All which was to the great disservice of the King and of his Realm and contrary to the Ancient Ordinance and Liberties of Parliament 16. Item The said Lords and Commons of the Realm after they found the Kings Will by the malignant Counsel and excitement of the said Arch-Bishop and other Traytors to be such that he would not suffer any thing to be commenced prosecuted or done against the said Malefactors and Traytors were pleased to acquiesce and not proceed therein any further against his pleasure And afterwards in the said Parliament taking the Advice and Counsel of all the Lords Judges and other sage Commons of the said Parliament how the Estate of the King and his Royalty might best be preserved from the Perils and Mischiefs aforesaid could not find any apter Expedient than to ordain that Twelve of the Loyal and sage Lords of the land should be of Council to the King for one year then next ensuing And that there should be made during that time a 〈◊〉 and Commission whereby they should hav◠〈◊〉 and sufficient Power to order Matters for 〈◊〉 Government of the King and of the Realm and what appertained to the King as well on this side as beyond the Seas And to repel repair and redress what ever should have been ill done against the Estate Honour and Profit of the King and Kingdom and to do divers other things necessary for the King and Realm as in the Commission thereupon issued and remaining of Record in Chancery is contained And that no person should presume to Counsel the King or any way move him against the said Ordinance and Statute on pain of forfeiting for the first Offence all their Goods and Chattels and pain of Death for the second such Expedient and Ordinance to be made if it would so please the King and not otherwise To which Ordinance or Statute all the Judges of the Land agreed and gave their consent unto and Advice for the same as well in presence of the King as of the Lords And also our Lord the King did fully give his Assent to the same and thereupon the said Ordinance Statute and Commission were made and accorded unto by the Assent of the King and of the said Lords and Judges and other Sages and Commons Assembled in that Parliament for the Safâ—â—y of the King his Royalty and Realm And yet after the end of the said Parliament the aforesaid Trâ—yâ—â—rs and Malefactor by such their evil 〈◊〉 falsly and trayterously did inform the King That 〈…〉 Statute and Commission were made in Derogation of his Royalty and that all those who procured or advised the making thereof or counselled the King to assent thereunto were worthy of Death as Traytors to the King 17. Item That after this the said Traytors the Archbishop c. caused the King to Assemble a Council of certain of the Lord-Justices and others without the Assent or Presence of the said Lords of the great Council to whom they made many Demands and very much suspicious touching divers Matters whereby the King the Lords and the Common-people have been involved in most grievous trouble the whole Realm disquieted and the Hearts of many withdrawn from the King saving their Allegiance 18. Item To accomplish their said High-Treasons the said Traytors the Archbishop c. caused the King to go with some of them throughout the midst of his Realm and to make the Lords Knights Esquires and other good people as well in Cities and Boroughs as in other Places to come before him and there to become bound by some Obligations others by their Oaths to our said Lord the King to be with him against all people and to accomplish the purpose of the King which at that time was to accomplish the will and purposes of the said Malefactors and Traytors drawn in thereunto by their false Contrivances Flatteries and Deceits Which Securities and Oaths were made against the good Laws and Vsages of the Land and contrary to the Oath of the King to the great dishonour of the King and Kingdom By means of which Oaths so inforced the whole Realm was Embroil'd in great Murmurs and trouble by the said Traytors and in danger to have suffered divers important Mischiefs 19. Item To inforce their purposes the said Traytors caused the King to absent himself in the furthest parts of this Realm to the intent that the Lords appointed by the said Ordination Statute and Commission might not Confer and Advise with Him touching the Affairs of the Realm to the interruption and hindrance of the purport and effect of the said
the Feast of St. Hillary a Parliament was called at London wherein amongst other things it was Enacted That the King should not extend his Pardon to any persons convicted of Murder and a Penalty Awarded against any that should importune the King thereunto viz. That if it were a Duke or Archbishop he should forfeit to the King 100 l. If an Earl or Bishop 100 Marks c. There was also granted to the King 40s of every Sack of Wool of which 10s to go to the Kings present occasions and the other 30s to be reserv'd in the hands of Commissioners appointed by Parliament Not to be expended unless necessity of War required About St. Jamesâ—yde Henry Earl of Derby eldest Son to the Duke of Lancaster with a choice Company of a thousand Knights and Squires and their Servants went into Prussia where they signalized themselves by several brave and valorous Actions and return'd again with Honour in April following In the Year 1391 the French Courted King Richard very earnestly to a Treaty of Peace and in order thereunto desired that there might be an Amicable Interview of the two Kings neer Calice To which King Richard seem'd inclinable and that he might appear more splendid on such an occasion sent to most of the Abbeys to furnish him with the best Horses they had Amongst whom the Abbot of S. Albans sent him One which Walsingham tells us was worth Four and twenty Marks no small price in those days and yet not content he demanded 50 Marks besides in Money Likewise from most of the Cities and Burroughs of England he got divers considerable Sums to Equip him for this Voyage But about the same time by order of the King and Council there was a Proclamation set forth Requiring all those that had any Benefices in England and were then beyond the Seas as in the Roman Court it being a thing not infrequent in those days for the Pope to gratifie his Favourites and Followers with the best Preferments though perhaps never in England in their lives immediately to repair into England to live upon such their Benefices and not suck away the Treasure of the Realm by expending their Revenues in other Nations on pain of forfeiting all their said Benefices This together with the late Statute of Provisors and Praemunire and the Overture of a Peace like to advance with the French King who at that time joyned with the Antipape Benedict the 13th much troubled Pope Boniface the 9th For now and for neer the space of forty years together there were two Popes in being at once each Cursing the other and part of Christendom acknowledging One and part his Adversary Therefore the said Boniface whom the English own'd for their Ghostly Father forthwith sent a Nuncio to King Richard with great Complements to commend his Devotion and that of his Predecessors towards Holy Church but withal to complain of these Invasions as he was pleased to call them of the Ecclesiastical Liberties and to urge him as well to Repeal the said Laws as by no means to make Peace with the French King unless he would disown and no longer assist the Anti-Pope c. The King received the Nuncio kindly and heard his Tale but for Answer put him off to the Meeting of the Parliament which was in November and then the Business was bandied about and though the King and Duke of Lancaster seem'd willing to gratifie the Pope the Commons would by no means consent that people should go to Rome to acquire any Benefices in England only that they might not seem too much to slight his Holiness they yielded that it might be suffered but not without the Kings License and no longer than till the next Parliament But though they held their Pope to hard Meat they were not wanting in expressing their kindness to their King giving him a Half-tenth and an Half-fifteenth which they offered to make whole Ones on condition the King would next Summer make an Expedition against the Scots Anno 1392. The Duke of Lancaster is sent over into France and most magnificently entertain'd by the French King But instead of a Peace brought back only a Truce for a year to the intent saith Walsingham That during that time the collected wisdom of England might consider whether it were more expedient to conclude a final Peace or prosecute the War About this time a certain Matron in London having one onely Daughter had instructed her to Celeâ—rate the Mass and built an Altar with all its Furniture in a private Room and there for many days caused her to Accouter herself in Priestly Habit and Officiate onely when she came to the words of the Sacrament she Prostrated herself and durst not Consecrate but rising again would go on with the rest of the Mass to the end her Mother helping her and encouraging her Devotion But at last a Neighbouring Gossip whom she had call'd to this private Mass discovering her Practice the Bishop of London heard of it and being much grieved as he had reason to see his Trade usurp'd by the other Sex call'd her before him and made her shew her Crown shaven exactly like a Priest before all the people and caused both her and her Mother to do Penance The Duke of Guelderland a most active Prince and related to King Richard sent him a Letter full of great Complements but in one expression too profane stirring him up to War and Military Actions becoming his Royal Dignity and particularly dehorting him from the designed dishonourable Amity with France The Tenor whereof was as followeth MAgnificent Prince Both your Innate Generosity and the prudent Counsels of your Ministers will we conceive effectually provide that all your Hereditary Rights which by your Birth render your Royal Majesty Great and Glorious may by the foresight of your deep Wisdom be preserved Inviolable And that if any unjust Force does Invade or offer to Diminish them your Kingly Industry will valiantly defend the same with the Shield of Military Prowess And since we have the Honour to be Related to your Royal Person by Affinity God himself cannot hinder but that we will ever be ready to assist you in defending such your Rights with Two thousand Launces when and as oft-soever as you shall be disposed to engage in a War Nor ought you to decline the same to your prejudice for any Words or Promises that may be made you from the restless subtilty of the French 'T is certain most Serene Prince your Fame is spread throughout the World Nor is it doubted but for your great plenty of Wool and innumerable other Commodities without which neither the East or South can subsist all Kingdoms daily salute you with their Treasures so that God himself has conferr'd upon you Wealth an hundred fold more in comparison than on other Kings Besides the tried Valour of your people and the sharpness of their Victorious Bowes have so far advanced the Fame of your Magnanimous Nation above any of
Issue he had before Marriage begot on Katherine Swynford to be Legitimated and at the same time was granted to the King half a Tenth by the Clergy Sâ—â—n after which King Richard contrary to the Oath he had foâ—merly taken recall'd the Judges from Ireland whom by his consent the Nobles in the other Parliament had for their Demâ—â—its baâ—isht And certain idle Reports being spread That he was or was like to be chosen Emperour The King thereupon began to take upon him a greater Port and Magnificence than ever before To maintain which he fleec'd the Common people and borrowed almost of every body great Sums of Money So that there was no Prelate City or Citizen of Estate in the whole Kingdom but furnisht the King out of their Stock And now the Duke of Glocester being retired to his House at Plashey in Essex the King with the Earl of Nottingham Lord Marshal and the Earl of Huntington one day on a sudden rode thitherwards but left the Earl Marshal with a selected Troop in Ambuscade in the Forest whilst the King and his Retinue rode directly to the Dukes House who with all dutiful respect and heartily welcome receives and entertains them Which Treat being over the King desires the Duke to accompany him towards London who with a very small Company waited on him accordingly but being come into the Forest on a sudden the King clapt Spurs to his Horse and the Duke was stopt by the Earl Marshal and by violence hurried to the Thames there blindfolded and against his will shipt and carried to Calice then an English Garrison where he was kept close Prisoner till afterwards privately put to death The next day the King invites the Earl of Warwick to Dinner and shew'd him very good Countenance but upon his Return caused him â—o be Arrested and sent to prison At the same time the Ear of Arundel was apprehended and the Lord Cobham and Sir John Châ—ney sent to the Tower These strange Proceedings Alarm'd the whole Nation therefore to quiet the people a Proclamation is issued setting forth that these Noblemen were seized not for any of their old Offences but for nâ—w Crimes which should be discovered and fairly proceeded against in the next Parliament Accordingly soon after He caused them to be Indicted suborning saith Walsingham Appealers to accuse them in Parliament at Nottingham viz. The Earl of Rutland the Earl Marshal the Earl of Kent c. In the mean time the King draws out a great power of Armed-men Multos Malefactores our Author calls them from Cheshire and Wales whom he kept about him as a Guard for his Person About the Octaves of the Feast of the Virgin Maries Nativity a Parliament began at London whereof one Sir John Bushy was Speaker and Sir William Bagot and Sir Henry Green chief Sticklers Persons of whom the Historians give this Character That they were Proud Ignorant Covetous and withal Ambitious To which might be added that they were most notable Flatterers too if it be true that Bushy in all his Speeches did not attribute to the King Titles of Honour due and accustomed but such as were fitter for the Majesty of Almighty God than for any earthly Prince By the Importunity of these men and others all the Charters of Pardon formerly granted by the King were called into question the King protesting they were drawn from him against his Consent The Clergy first gave their Opinion but somewhat sparingly That they thought then they might be revocable and the Temporal Lords shewed themselves of the same opinion but the Judges and Lawyers opposed it How it was carried according to the King's Inclination and all the said Pardons vacated and annull'd Having thus remov'd all Obstacles they next fall roundly to work only the Prelates pretending a Scrupulosity that they might not be present at Judgments of Blood chose Sir Henry Peircy their Procurator and departed the House First Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury was accused for executing the Commission against Michael de Pole for which his Temporalities were seiz'd his Lands and Goods forfeited and he himself adjudged to perpetual Banishment and to depart the Realm within six Weeks In whose place the King caused to be preferred his Treasurer Roger de Walden who because saith our Author he presum'd to ascend to the Bed of his living Father that is to take the Archbishoprick whilst the said Thomas surviv'd was two years afterwards turn'd ouâ— by the Authority of the Pope Sir R. Bakâ—r tells us That when this Archbishop was first accused of Treason he offered to make his Defence but Sir John Bushy besought the King That he might not be admitted to Answer lest by his great Wit and Cunning he might lead men away to believe him If all their Proceedings were like this we may easily guess at the Justice of the rest In the next place They proceeded to Judgment against the Earl of Arundel who in vain pleaded the Benefit of his Pardon for he was notwitstanding sentenc'd to be Drawn Hang'd and Quartered which was mitigated by the King into to the favour of Beheading The Earl when called to Answer Condemn'd and at his Death betrayed not the least symptoms either of Guilt or Fear But observing the Earls of Nottingham and Kent of whom the first was his Son-in-Law the second his Nephew to be bery busie at his Execution He calmly said to them Truly it might have beseemed you at least rather to have been absent but the time will come ere-long that as many shall marvel at your Misfortune as they do now at mine This Earl was wonderfully belov'd by the Comons and Walsingam affirms That the King was afterwards haunted with an Imagination of his Ghost not being able to close his Eyes but strait he fancied Arundel stood before him And the more to disturb him a Miracle was reported That his Head of it self was grown to his Body Which was asserted with so much Confidence that the King caused his Tomb to be opened to disprove the Fiction and understanding that still the People went on Pilgrimage thither as to the Shrine of a Saint or Martyr caused the Augustin Fryars in London amongst whom he was buried to take down his Scutcheons and abscond his Grave by laying a new Pavement over it The Lord Thomas Beauchamp Earl of Warwick upon his Arraignment did not carry himself with so much Courage and Gallantry but confess'd with Tears he had been a Traytor in joyning with the Duke of Glocester and other Lords formerly acting against the Kings pleasure Therfore thogh condemned to Die the King remitted that Punishment and only ordered him to perpetual Imprisonment in the Isle of Man The Lord Cobham was also banisht though there was no new Matter against him But only that he had been appointed by Parliament to be one of the Commissioners of Inspection before mentioned in the tenth year of his Reign As for the Duke of Glocester having so great an Interest in the
just is the Divine Nemesis not only in revenging ill actions but causing the punishment to be attended with such circumstances as may make the world take notice of it The Duke of Hereford took his leave of the King at Eltham behaving himself so respectfully that his Majesty was there pleased to declare he would abate 4 Years of his Exilement yet could not that pacify the Murmurs of the people who could not be perswaded that there was any cause for his being Banisht at all Exclaiming that it was against the Law of Arms the custome of the Realm and all Justice that he should be Exil'd who had so honourably offered to mantain his Appeal according to the Law of the Field He directed his course from England to Paris where he was nobly received by the French King and found such favour in that Court That he was offered in Marriage the only Daughter of the Duke of Berry the said Kings Uncle But King Richard having notice thereof used means to stop the prosecution of that Treaty He had not been gone many Months but his Father the Duke of Lancaster pays Nature her Debt his Death perhaps being hastened by those Impressions of grief which this disgrace of his Son might occasion on his Spirits The Character given this Duke by Historians speaks him a man well advised and wary an approver of safe Councils with reason rather than Fortunate Exploits with hazzard One that was neither negligent nor ambitiously tender of Glory and therefore deported himself towards the King his Nephew in terms honourable and respective enough for a moderate Prince and yet not so plausible as an uncollected greatness and the depravity of the Court might desire whereby little happened unto him Extraordinary either in Prejudice or Preferment By his Death the Dutchy of Lancaster did lineally descend to his Eldest Son the said Duke of Hereford But as the Nature of Man is very Prone to hate those whom he hath injured the King forthwith seizes all the Lands and Goods of the deceased Duke endeavoured to perpetuate the Banishment of the Young Duke and revoked the Letters Patent he had granted and consented unto for enabling the said Dukes Attornies to sue out his Ouster Le Main and Livery of those Lands which during his Exile should descend to him his Homage being formerly concluded upon to be Respited at a reasonable Fine And all this without any Crime alleadged that we can hear of against the Father whereby he should have forfeited his Estate or new Provocation given by the Son whereby a Cloud might arise for his being deprived of it This severity could not but enrage the Duke who was already sufficiently discontented at his Banishment nor were the People sparing to Exclaim where they durst against these proceedings as unjust and thence to contract first a Pity and afterwards an high esteem for this Exil'd Noble-man who though not the Immediate Heir presumptive to the Crown for Edmund Mortimer Earl of March was therein before him the Right having by Parliament the common Arbitrator in that case in those daies been formerly declared to be in his Father as being Son of Phillipa the Daughter of Lionel the Third Son of King Edward the Third whereas the late Duke of Lancaster was but the Fourth Son of that King Yet being so near it and thus exasperated they thought he might step over that Obstacle Si jus violandum Regni causâ violandum est They knew him to be an active Prince and of great Courage and therefore generally fixt their Eyes on him as the man that must be their deliverer from those grievances and pressures under which they lay gasping And indeed their condition could not but be very uneasie for the King having got rid of two of his Uncles viz. Glocester and Lancaster one murdred the other naturally deceased and the Third which was York either in disdain for the Indignity offered to his Nephew Hereford or in distrust of his own safety being retired with his Son the Duke of Albemarle to his House at Langley look't upon himself as absolutely Hors de Page free from any Controul with which their unwelcome gravity was wont somtimes to check his irregular Appetite and therefore now took a greater Liberty than before to disoblige and harass his People For thus we find the condition of those times described That the King abandoned himself to sloth and lay plunged in the soft but destructive Charms of pleasure by whose example the Nobility too much gave themselves up to Ease and Luxury whereby Cowardice and Effeminacy crept in and Shipwrack was made both of Manhood and Reputation The chief Affairs of State had long been Bias'd by private respects which made the Nation decline as well in Riches as Honour and all things being out of due Motion the Common-weal seem'd not so much by degrees as with a main Course and at once precipating into inevitable Ruine The Northern parts by frequent losses almost consumed by the Scots who had taken several important Posts and defaced all the Countrey with Slaughter and Devastations Towards the South the Merchant Ships were daily surprized by the French who likewise frequently pillaged the Sea-coasts And of the Kings Hereditary Dominions in France many strong holds were lost by negligence or sold by ill advise and Treachery Forces sometimes were often pretended to be sent over for their defence but so scatteringly at such unseasonable times so ill accommodated or under such indiscreet conduct that they were occasions rather of loss than help Affairs were managed by such as neither Nature had design'd nor Education prepared nor Experience qualified for Politicians but corrupt or ignorant Ministers by flatteries and base Arts swai'd in the Kings affections and disposed of all things at their pleasure keeping him as it were beseiged from any better advise The profits and revenues of the Crown nay the whole Kingdome was let to farm the King making himself only ◠Landlord and challenging no greater priviledge by his Reign than a dissolute and uncontroled Life Great Sums of Money were by new-found and unwonted means every day rather extorted from than voluntarily granted by the subject whereof no advantage accrew'd to the Kingdom only private pleasures were maintain'd at an extravagant Rate and unworthy Favourites advanced To these the King was so excessively Liberal that he was forced to borrow begg and extort in many places to supply this vain lavish humour undoing many without cause to Inrich a few without desert Over and above the Tenths and Fifteenths and such usual Taxes which were many times gathered double in one Year strange Impositions were devised and put in practise sometimes exacting 12d per poll of every Subject 6s 8d of every Priest and Religious Person great Sums drawn from the People under the favourable Term of Benevolence and so much borrowed upon Privy-Seals that no Man of Ability could escape his Loan though very seldom any repayment was made And to add to
should submit to the disproportionate force of the Invader But these Triumphs cost King Richard dear in the sequel for whilst he is thus engaged and absent from his discontented Kingdom of England the Duke of Lancaster thinks it the only proper time to put in execution what he and others his Confederates had been consulting of Wherefore dispatching some of his trusty Emissaries over to acquaint his Friends and provide Arms and all necessaries for his Arrival He addresses himself to the French King with a Complement That he intended to pay a Visit to his Kinsman John Duke of Britain and therefore desired his Majesties Royal Letters of safe Conduct which being granted he there very privately levied a few Souldiers with whom hiring three Ships of the Duke of Britain he put to Sea for England accompanied with the forementioned Arundel Archbishop of Canterbury Tho. Heir to Richard late Earl of Arundel the Lord Cobham Sir Thomas Erpington and Sir Thomas Ramstone Knights John Norbury Robert Waterton and Francis Coynt Esquires having not in all above twenty Lances and his whole Retinue besides consisting not of above sixty persons so that 't is hard to judge which was the greatest wonder that he durst attempt or that he did succeed in the Conquest of a Kingdom with so inconsiderable a Company But his Confidence was not so much in the People he brought with him as in the strength he should find here relying altogether on the favour and assistance of the people of the Realm whom he knew to be generally male-contented and eager to change their present Governours for any that would but promise them a Melioration of their Condition for the future Yet being wary not to push things on beyound Possibility of a Retreat As he did not presently Land but lay cruising up and down sometimes appearing on one Coast and sometimes on another that he might the better discover how the Inclinations of the people stood and what Forces were ready either to receive or resist him till at last being satisfied therein he put on shore without any opposition about the biginning of June at Ravenspurre in Yorkshire So did he not then make any pretensions to the Crown but gave out very solemnly that he came only to regain possession of the Dutchy of Lancaster and the rest of his lawful Inheritance which all the Nation knew was wrongfully detained from him and so were the more ready to pity and favour him in a Cause notoriously just and against which there was no objection His Arrival was no sooner known but there repaired to him the Lords Willoughby Ross Darcy and Beaumout and shorly after at Doncaster the Earl of Northumberland and his Son Sir Henry Piercy with the Earl of Westmorland and great numbers of the Gentry and common people Intelligence hereof being soon conveied to the Duke of York the Kings eldest Uncle and with whom during his absence he had intrusted the Governance of the Realm He calls together the Bishop of Chichester Lord Chancellor Scroop Earl of Wiltshire Lord Treasurer Sir John Bushy Sir Henry Green Sir William Bagot and Sir John Russel chief Favourites of the Kings Privy Council to consult what was to be done in this Exigency of Affairs Amongst whom whether designedly by some or ignorantly by others I cannot say but I am sure by all perniciously for King Richards Interest It was concluded to abandon London and appoint the Rendezvous for levying Forces against the Duke at S. Albans But when the people out of sundry Counties were drawn thither to be mustered they declared They would not act any thing to the prejudice of the said Duke who they affirmed was unjustly expelled his Country and unlawfully kept from his Inheritance This Refusal of the Commons to serve being looked upon as a very ill Omen to the Kings Cause The Earl of Wiltshire Sir John Bushy Sir William Bagot and Sir Henry Green forsook the Duke of York and fled to Bristol intending to pass the Seas into Ireland to the King And time it was especially for them to take their Heels for these Four were those that were said to have taken of the King his Kingdom to Farm and on that account and other Greivances and Oppressions which they had occasioned were become so odious to the People that their very presence turned away many of the Subjects hearts from their Soveraign it being the displeasure against them rather than any disatisfaction to the Kings Person that caused this general Revolt The Duke of York seeing their flight and the Humour of the Generality favouring Lancaster and loath to run the adventure of an improbable Resistance gave over the Cause and thereupou the rest of the Counsellors either openly declared for the said Duke or secretly held Correspondence with hm resolving to swim with the general Torrent in hopes of greater safety thereby than by stemming that impetuous Tide which bore down all before it For never did Snow-ball encrease so fast by rolling as the Duke of Lancaster's Forces were augmented by his March so that they were quickly grown sixty thousand strong and he resolving to â—ollow the Channel whilst the Current was fierce hastned with his Troops to London that possessing himself thereof being the chief place within the Kingdom for Strength and Store he might best there make the Seat of War and be easiest accommodated both with Provision and Ammunition In his whole March no Opposition was seen no Hostility shewn but all along Gentlemen of the best quality out of Affection or Fear or hope of Reward resorted to his Tents and where ever he stayed rich Presents were mad him and his Army supplyed with necessaries even to superfluity and particularly at London he was received with Triumphant Pageants and Shews solemn Processions of the Clergy and loud Acclamations of the People But he was more regardful of his Affairs than to stay long there and therefore having fix'd the Citizens firm to his Interest and knowing all the danger that could threaten him must be from King Richard's return out of Ireland To obviate that and overtake the fugitive Favourites who were fled to Bristol he with speedy Marches pursued them thither where finding the Castle fortified against him he assaults it so briskly that in Four daies time he forc'd it to a surrender and taking therein the Earl of Wiltshire Lord Treasurer Sir John Bushy and Sir Henry Green he the very next day Sacrificed them to the importunate rage of the incensed People causing them all Three to be beheaded But as for Sir William Bagot he was got to Chester and from thence shifting over into Ireland alone escaped the present vengeance This Execution if it had not been just must yet be accounted Politick for partly because it was so grateful to the People and partly because it excluded all hope of the Kings Pardon It became a great ingagement to all the Dukes followers to adhere more firmly to him for the future The Duke had
there present did publickly say before them that he was ready to make the Renunciation and to renounce and recede according to the Promise by him made as aforesaid And so forthwith although as was said unto him he might have made some Deputy to have served as the Organ of his Voice for avoiding so tedious a labour as the reading of the said Cession and Renunciation reduced by others into a Schedule of Parchment Yet the said King very willingly as appeared and with a pleasant Countenance holding the said Schedule in his hand said that he himself would read it and distinctly read the same through And also did absolve all his Leige People and renounce and recede and swear and other things did say and pronounce in Reading and did Subscribe it with his own hand as is more fully contained in the said Schedule the Tenor whereof is such THE RESIGNATION OF RICHARD II. IN the Name of God Amen I Richard by the Grace of God King of England and France and Lord of Ireland do Absolve the Archbishops Bishops and other Prelates of Churches Secular or Regular of whatsoever Dignity Degree State or Condition they be The Dukes Marquesses Earls Barons Vassals and Valvasors and all and every my Leige People whatsoever Ecclesiasticks or Seculars of all the said Kingdoms and Dominions by what Name soever they are known from the Oath of Fealty and Homage and other Oaths whatsoever to be made and from all Bond or Tie of Legiance Royalty and Dominion whereby they have been or are obliged or otherwise in any manner bound unto me And I do Free Release and Acquit them and their Heirs and Successors for ever from the said Oaths and other Obligations whatsoever And I do dismiss them free unloosen quit and in full Immunity as far as relates to my Person to every effect of Law which may follow from the Prâ—mises or any of them And I do purely of my own Accord simply and absolutely in and by the best manner way and form that may be in these Writings Renounce and totally Resign all Kingly Dignity and Majesty and the Crown and Dominion and Power of the said Kingdoms and Dominions and all other my Dominions and Possessions or any way belonging or appertaining unto me by what Name soever they may be reckon'd up within the aforesaid Kingdoms or elsewhere And all Right and Colour of Right and Title Possession and Dominion which at any time I have had now have or by any means shall have in or to the same or any of them with their universal Rights and Appurtenances or any Dependences however on them or any of them And also the Rule and Government of the said Kingdoms and Dominions and their Administration and all manner of meer and Mixt Empire and Jurisdiction to me in the said Kingdoms belonging or that may be belonging and to the Name of King and the Honour Regality and Celsitude Royal purely voluntarily simply and absolutely by the best manner way and form that the same can be done in these Writings I do Renounce and them do totally Resign and in Deed and in Word dismiss and quit the same and from them do recede for ever Saving to my Successors Kings of England the Rights to them or any of them belonging or that shall any way belong in the said Kingdoms and Dominions and all other the Premises for ever And I do confess acknowledge repute and truely and out of certain knowledge do judge my self to have been and to be utterly insufficient and unuseful for the Rule and Government of the said Kingdoms and Dominions with all their Appurtenances And that for my notorious demerits I deserve to be Deposed And I do swear upon these Holy Gospels of God by me corporally touched That I will never Act contrary to the said Resignation Renunciation Dismission and Cession nor any way oppose the same in Deed or in Word by my Self or any other or others Nor will as much as in melies permit the same publickly or privately to be contraried or opposed But the said Renunciation Resignation Dismission and Cession will for ever esteem ratified and well-pleasing and firmly hold and observe the same in the whole and in every part So God me help and these Holy Gospels of God I the before named King Richard do here subscribe my self with my own Hand And presently to the said Renunciation and Cession the said King added by word of mouth That if it lay in his power the said Duke of Lancaster should succeed him in his Kingdom But Because as he said this did not depend on his pleasure he did request the said Archbishop of York and Bishop of Hereford whom he for that time had constituted his Procurators to declare and imitate such his Cession and Renunciation to the States of the Kingdom That they would be pleased to signify to the People his will and intention in that behalf And in token of such his will and intention did then and there openly pluck off the Golden Ring of his signet from his own finger and put it upon the finger of the said Duke of Lancaster desiring as he affirmed that the same might be made known to all the States of the Kingdom Which being done taking their leaves on both sides they all went out of the said Tower to return to their Lodgings But on the Morrow viz. Tuesday the Feast of S. Jereme in the great Hall at Westminster in the place honourably prepared for holding the Parliament the said Arch-bishops of Canterbury and York and the Duke of Lancaster and other Dukes and Lords as well Spiritual as Temporal whose names are under written and the Commons of the said Kingdom Assembled in a great multitude in Parliament being present and the said Duke of Lancaster being seated in a place due to his Quality and the Chair of State or Royal Throne being solemnly adorn'd with Cloth of Gold but then empty without any body presiding therein the above named Archbishop of York in the name of himself and of the said Bishop of Hereford according to the order of the said King did publickly declare the Cession and Renunciation to have been so made by him as aforesaid with the subscription of his Royal Hand and delivery of his Signet And the said Cession and Renunciation did there cause to be ready by another first in Latin and then in English Immediately after which it was demanded of the Estates and People their present to wit first of the Archbishop of Canterbury to whom by reason of the dignity and prerogative of his metropolitan Church of Canterbury it belongs in this behalf to have the first voice amongst the rest of the Prelates and Nobles of the Realm whether for their interest and the utility of the Kingdom they would be pleased to admit such Renunciation and Cession And the said States and People judging from the Causes by the said king himself in his Renunciation and Cession aforesaid signified that the
Item At the same time that the King in his Parliament caused the Duke of Glocester and Earls of Arundel and Warwick to be adjudged that he might more freely exercise his Cruelty upon them and accomplish his injurious will in other matters he gathered to himself a great multitude of Malefactors of the County of Chester of whom some passing with the King through the Kingdom as well within the Kings Pallace as without did cruelly kill the Liege Subjects of the Kingdom and some they beat and wounded and did plunder the Goods of the People and refuse to pay for their Victuals and did Ravish and Violate their Wives and other Women and though their were grievous Complaints of such their excesses brought to the hearing of the said King Yet the said King did not regard to cause Justice to be done or any Remedy thereuponâ— but did favour the said Troops in such their evil doings trusting in them and their Guard against all others of his Kingdom for which cause the faithful People of his Kingdom had great matter of Commotion and Indignation VI. Item Although the said King by his writs caused Proclamation to be made throughout the whole Kingdom that he had caused his Uncle the Duke of Glocester and the Earls of Arundel and Warwick to be taken and Arrested not for any Assemblings or Troopings by them formerly made within the Kingdom of England but for very many Extortions Oppressions and other things by them afterwards done and perpetrated against his Royalty and Kingly Majesty And that it was not his Intention that any of the Family of the said Duke and Earls or of their followers at the time of such Assembling and Trooping should for that occasion be molested or aggrieved Yet the said King at last in his Parliament did not Impeach the said Lords for Extortions Oppressions or any such matters but for the Assemblings and Troopings aforesaid did adjudge them to Death and very many of the Family of the said Lords and others who were following them at the time of such their Assembling and Trooping he did for fear of Death force to make Fine and Ransom as Traytors or Rebels to the great destruction of a great Number of his People And so he did subtily fraudulently and maliciously deceive the said Lords and their familiars and the People of his Kingdom VII Item After very many of those Persons so making Fine and Ransom had obtained of the King his Letters Patent of full Pardon in the Premises they could not reap any Commodity by such Letters of Pardon till they had made new Fine and Ransoms for saving of their Life whereby very many were Impoverished which was a great Derogation and dishonour to the Name and State of a King VIII Item In the Last Parliament held at Shrewsbury the said King purposing to oppress his People subtily procured and caused it to be granted that the power of the Parliament by the consent of the States of his Kingdom shall remain in certain Persons to determine after the dissolution of the Parliament certain Petitions in the said Parliament exhibited but then not dispatched By Colour of which grant the Persons so deputed proceeded to other things generally touching that Parliament And this with the will of the King in Derogation of the state of Parliament the great dammage of the whole Kingdom and pernitious Example And that they might seem to have some Colour and Authority for such their doings the King called the Parliament Rolls to be altered and blotted at his pleasure against the Effect of the said Grant IX Item Notwithstanding the said King in his Coronation had sworn that in all his Judgments he would cause to be done equal and right Justice and discretion in mercy and truth according to his power Yet the said King rigorously without all mercy did amongst other things Ordain under grievous penalties that none should sue for any favour or intercede with the said King for Henry Duke of Lancaster being Banished whereby the said King did act against the Bond of Charity rashly violating his Oath aforesaid X. Item Although the Crown of the Kingdom of England and the Rights of the said Crown and that Kingdom it self have in all time past been so free that our Lord the Pope nor any other without the Kingdom ought to concern himself about the same Yet the aforesaid King for the Corroboration of such his erroneous statutes did make supplication to our Lord the Pope that he would confirm the statutes ordained his last Parliament whereupon our Lord the King obtained the Apostolick Letters in which grievous Censures are denounced against any that should presume in any thing to act contrary to the said statutes all which are well known to tend against the Crown and Royal dignity and against the Statutes and Liberties of the said Kingdom XI Item Although the Lord Henry now Duke of Lancaster by the Kings Command had preferred his Bill touching the State and Honour of the King against the Duke of Norfolk and the same had duely prosecuted so that according to the Kings Order he had exhibited himself in all Points prepared for the Combate And the said King had declared that the said Duke of Lancaster had honourably performed his Devoir as much as in him lay and this by a Decree publickly Proclaimed before all the people Assembled at the said Combate Yet the said King without any Legal Reason whatsoever did cause and command the said Duke to be Banisht for ten Years against all Justice and Laws and Customs of his Kingdom and the Law of War in that behalf thereby damnably incurring Perjury XII Item After the said King had graciously granted by his Letters Patents to the Lord Henry now Duke of Lancaster that in his absence whilst he was banisht his General Attorneys might prosecute for Livery to him to be made of all manner of Inheritances or Successions belonging unto him and that his Homage should be respited paying a certain reasonable Fine he injuriously did revoke the said Letters Patent against the Laws of the Land thereby incurring the Crime of Perjury XIII Item Notwithstanding that it was Enacted that every Year the Officers of the King with his Justices and others of the Kings Council should choose Sheriffs for all the Counties of England and name them to our Lord the King according as to their Discretion and Conscience should seem expedient for the good and utility of the Kingdom the said King hath caused persons to be made Sheriffs not so nominated or elected but other according to the Capricio's of his pleasure sometimes his Favourites or Creatures and sometimes such as he knew would not oppose his humour for his own and others private advantage to the great grievance of his People and against the Laws of his Kingdom thereby notoriously incurring Perjury XIV Item At such time as the aforesaid King requested and had of very many Lords and others of his Kingdom divers Sums
of Money by way of Loan to be paid again at a certain term notwithstanding the said King faithfully promised by his several Letters Patent to the several persons of whom he borrowed the said Moneys that at the term limited as aforesaid he would repay the same yet he did not fulfill such his Promise nor are they yet satisfied the said Moneys whereby such Creditors are much agrieved and not only they but many others of the Kingdom repute the King unfaithfull XV. Item Whereas the King of England by the Revenue of his Kingdom and the Patrimony belonging to his Crown is able to live honestly without the oppression of his People as long as the Kingdom is not burthen'd with the Charge of Wars yet the said King in a manner for his whole time during the Truces between the Kingdom of England and its Adversaries hath not only given away a great yea indeed the greatest part of his said Patrimony and this to unworthy Persons But also hath further imposed on his Subjects so many Burdens of Monies granted as it were every year of his Reign that thereby he hath extreamly and too excessively oppressed his People to the Impoverishment of his Kingdom Not converting the Goods so levied to the Commodity and profit of the Kingdom of England but prodigally squandering it away for the Ostentation of his Name and in Pomp and Vain-glory Whilst great Sums of Money are owing in his Kingdom for the Victuals of his Houshould and other things bought though he hath abounded with Riches and Treasures more than any of his Progenitors XVI Item The said King not willing to keep or Protect the just Laws and Customs of his Kingdom but according to his Arbitrary Will to do whatsoever should occur to his Desires sometimes and very often when the Laws of his Kingdom have been expounded and declared to him by the Judges and others of his Council and that they have desired that he would do Justice according to those Laws hath expresly and with an angry and haughty Countenance said That his Laws were in his Mouth and sometimes That they were in his Breast And that he himself alone could make and change the Laws of his Kingdom And being seduced with that Opinion did not suffer Justice to be done to very many of his Leige People but by Threats and Terrors hath forced very many to cease from the prosecution of Common Justice XVII Item That after certain Statutes had been made in Parliament which always bind till they are specially revok'd by the Authority of another Parliament The said King desiring to enjoy such Liberty that no such Statutes should so bind him but that he might do and execute his pleasure subtily procured a Petition to be preferred in his Parliament on the behalf of the Commonalty of his Kingdom and to be granted to him in general That he might be as free as any of his Progenitors were before him By colour of which Petition and Concession the said King hath very often commanded very many things to be done against such Statutes unrepealed acting therein expresly and knowingly against his Oath taken in his Coronation as aforesaid XVIII Item Although it was Enacted and Ordained that no Sheriff should hold his Office above one year together but that three years should pass before he should be again admitted to that Office The said King Richard sometimes for his own single Commodity and sometimes at the instance of others for their advantage hath permitted and caused certain Sheriffs to stand and remain continually in their Offices sometimes two sometimes three Years against the Tenor and effect of the Statute aforesaid thereby incurring Perjury and this is notorious publick and generally ill spoken of XIX Item Although by the Statuteâ— and Custom of his Realm in the calling together of every Parliament his People in several Countries of the Kingdom ought to be free in choosing and deputing two Knights to be present in such Parliament for each respective County and to declare their Grievances and to prosecute such Remedies thereupon as to them shall seem expedient Yet the aforesaid King that in his Parliaments he might be able more freely to accomplish the effects of his head-strong will did very often direct his Command to his Sheriffs that they should cause to come to his Parliaments as Knights of the Shire certain Persons by the said King named which Knights being his Favourites he might lead as often as he has done sometimes by various Menaces and Terrors and sometimes by Gifts to consent to those things as were prejudicial to the Kingdom and exceeding burthensom to the People And especially to grant to the said King a Subsidy on Wooll for the term of his Life and another Subsidy for certain Years thereby too grievously oppressed his People XX. Item the said King that he might more freely fulfil and follow in every thing his own Arbitrary Will did unlawfully cause and command That the Sheriffs throughout his whole Realm besides their ancient accustomed Oath should swear that they would obey his commands as often as they should be directed to them under his Great and Privy Seal and also his Letters under his Signet And that in case the said Sheriffs could come to know that any within their Bailiwicks of whatsoever condition they were had publickly or secretly said or spoken any ill that might tend to the disgrace or scandal of his Royal Person they should Arrest and imprison them there safely to be kept till they should receive Command from the King to the contrary as may be found in the Record which Fact may probably tend to the destruction of many of the Liege People to the said Kingdom XXI Item The said King striving to trample under foot his People and subtily to acquire their Goods to himself that he might abound in superfluous Riches did cause the People of Seventeen Counties of the Realm to submit themselves to the King as Traitors by Letters under their Seals By colour whereof he got mighty Sums of Money to be granted him by the Clergy and People of those Counties for obtaining his Royal good Will and Favour And though to please the People the King had caused those Obligatory Letters to be restored yet the Procurators of the People having full Power granted them to oblige themselves and their Heirs to the said King he the said King caused them under their Seals to be bound to him in the Name of the said People and so deceived his people and Subtily extorted from them their Goods XXII Item Although the said King in his Corâ—nation had sworn to keep the Liberties granted to the Arglicane Church yet the said King by reason of his Voyage into Ireland did by his Letters command very many Religious Persons viz. Abbots and Priors of his Kingdom strictly requiring that some of them should send to him certain Horses and some of them not only Horses but also Waggons and Carriages for his said Voyage
or in lieu thereof great Sums of Money in the said Letters expressed By which manner of Writing he forced many of such Religious out of fear to fulfil his Will and Command whereby they were heavily impoverisht and opprest in manifest derogation of Ecclesiastical Liberty by which Pretext the said King Richard did incur Perjury XXIII Item In most of the great Royal Councils when the Lords of the Realm the Judges and others being charg'd that they would faithfully Council the King in Matters relating to his State and that of his Kingdom The said Lords Justices and others very often in giving Counsel according to their best Discretion have been by the King suddenly and so fiercely chidden and reproved that they have not dared to speak the Truth in giving their Advice for the State of the King and Kingdom XXIV Item The Treasures Crowns Reliques and other Jewels viz. The Goods of the Kingdom which time out of mind have been Reposited in the Treasury of the Kingdom for the Honour of the King and preservation of his Kingdom against any sudden Event or Exigency the said King Going out of his Kingdom into Ireland did take away and caused the same to be carried with him without the consent of the States of the Kingdom Whereby this Kingdom had been vastly impoverisht if God by the retaking of the said Goods against the said Kings Will had not otherwise provided And furthermore the said King did cause the Rolls of Records touching the State and Government of his Kingdom uo be destroyed and rased to the great prejudice of his People and disinheriting the Crown of the said Kingdom And all this as 't is probably believed in favour and support of his evil Governance XXV Item The said King was wont as it were perpetually to be so variable and dissembling in his Words and Writings and so contrary to himself and especially in writing to the Pope and to Kings and other Lords out of the Kingdom and within it and also to others his Subjects that no man living that knew his Conditions could or would confide in him nay he was reputed so unfaithful and unconstant that it became scandalous not only to his own person but also to the whole Kingdom and especially amongst Foreigners of all the World that came to know the same XXVI Item Although The Land and Tenements the Goods and Chattels of every Freeman by the Laws of the Realm used from all time heretofore ought not to be taken from him unless they be forfeited Yet the said King purposing and longing to weaken such Laws in the pretence of very many Lords and others of the commonalty of the Kingdom hath frequently said and affirmed That the Life of every one of his Svbjects and his Lands Tenements Goods and Chattels are his the said Kings at his will and pleasure without any forfeiture Which is utterly against the Laws and Customs of the Kingdom aforesaid XXVII Item Although it was Fnacted and Ordained and is hitherto Confirmed That no Freeman shall be taken c. nor any way destroyed and that the King shall not pass nor send any to pass upon him but by the Lawful Judgment of his Peers or by the Law of the Land Yet by the Will Command and Order of the said King very many of his Liege People being maliciously accused for having publickly or secretly said something that might tend to the disyraise scandal or disgrace of the person of the said King have been taken and Imprisoned and brought before the Constable and Marshal of England in the Court Military in which Court the said Liege People being accused would not be admitted to make any other Answer than that they were no way guilty and would justifie the same and defend themselves by their Bodies and not otherwise notwithstanding their Appellors were young men stout and lusty and those so accused antient and impotent maim'd or infirm Whereby not only destruction of the Lords and grandees of the Kingdom but also of all and singular persons of the Commonalty of the same may probably ensue Since therefore the said King hath wilfully acted contrary to such a Statute of his Kingdom 't is not to be doubted but he hath thereby incurred the Crime of Perjury XXVIII Item Although the People of the Realm of England by vertue of their Leigeance are fully enough bound to their King and the said King by the Laws and Customs of his Kingdom is enabled to Correct and punish his People if in any kind they Transgress yet the said King desiring to trample on and too much oppress his People that he might the more freely execute and follow the Humour of his foolish and unlawful Will by his Letters to all the Counties of his Kingdom did Injoyn and Command That all his Subjects as well Spiritual as Tempâ—ral should make certain Oaths in general which were too grievous to them and which might probably cause the final destruction of his People and that they should confirm such their Oaths under their Letters and Seals To which Royal Command the People of his Kingdom did submit and pay Obedience that they might not incur his Indignation or Displeasure and also for fear of Death XXIX Item When Parties contending in the Ecclesiastical Court in Causes meerly Ecclesiastical and Spiritual had endeavoured to obtain from the Chancellor of England Prohibitions to hinder the lawful Process in the said Courts and the said Chancellor had justly refused to grant the same yet the said King by Letters under his Signet has frequently prohibited the Ecclesiastical judges to proceed in such Causes thereby evilly infringing the Liberties of the Câ—urch in the Grand Charter approved to the Conservation whereof he was sworn and damnably incurring Perjury and the Sentence of Excommunication against such Violators thereof by the Holy Fathers pronouâ—ced XXX Item The said King without any reasonable or lawful cause whatsoever or any other process of Law did in his Parliament encompass'd in warlike manner by armed men adjudge Thomas of Arundel Lord Archbishop of Canterbury Primate of all England his Spiritual Father absenting himself by the Treacherous Counsell of the said King to Banishment against the Laws of his Kingdom so by him sworn to as aforesaid XXXI Item By inspection of the Testament of the said King Sealed with the Great and Privy Seal and also with his Signet among other things there is contained this clause or Article Item we will that the residue of our Gold the true debts of our House-hold Chamber and Wardrobe being paid for payment whereof we bequeath Twenty Thousand Marks reserving to our Executors Five or Six Thousand Marks which wee will by them to be expended towards the more plentiful maintainance of the Lepers and Chaplains to celebrate before them by us founded at Westminster and Bâ—rmondeseye shall remain to our Successor provided alwaies that he approve ratify and confirm and hold and cause to be holden and firmly observed all and singular
the Statutes Ordinances and Judgments made given and render'd in our Parliament begun at Westminster the 17th day of the Month September in the one and Twentieth Year of our Reign and in the same Parliament continued at Shrewsbury and there holden and also all the Ordinances Judgments and Establishments the 16th day of September in the 22th Year of our Reign at Coventry and afterwards at Westminster the 18th day of March in the Year aforesaid by the Authority of the said Parliament And likewise all other Ordinances and Judgments which shall hereafter happen to be made by Authority of the said Parliament But otherwise if our said Successor shall refuse to do the Premises which we do not believe Then we will that Thomas Duke of Surry Edward Duke d' Auamale John Duke of Exeter and William le Scrope Earl of Wiltshire paying first the Debts of our Houshould our Chamber and our Wardâ—obe and reserving Five or Six Thousand Marks as abovesaid shall have and hold all the said Residue above mentioned for to support and defend the said Statutes Establishments Ordinances and Judgments to their utmost power even unto Death if it be necessary Upon all which and every part we do hereby charge and burden their Consciences as they will answer in the day of Judgment By which Article it may evidently enough appear That the said King did obstinately strive to maintain and desend those Statutes and Ordinances which are erroneous and unjust and repugnant to all Law and Reason And this not only during his Life but after his Death too neither regarding the Peril of his own Soul nor yet the utter destruction of his said Kingdom or Leige People XXXII Item in the 11th Year of the said King Richard he the said King in the Chappel of his Mannor of Langley in the presence of the Dukes of Lancaster and York and very many other Lords desiring as it hath appeared that is Uncle the Duke of Glocester then there present should fully confide in the Good will of him the said King did voluntarily and of his own accord swear before the venerable Sacrament of the Lords Body there placed upon the Altar that thenceforwards he would never endammage trouble or grieve him the said Duke of Glocester for any of his deeds which are said to have been committed against the Person of him the said King But did cheerfully and totally forgive him all his offence if any were Yet afterwards notwithstanding such Oath the said King did horribly and cruelly cause the said Duke to be murdered for such the before pretended offences thereby incurring the Guilt of damnable Perjury XXXIII Item After one of the Knigots of the Shires of the said Kingdom having a voice in Parliament had Impeached the said Lord Thomas Arch-bishop of Canterbury upon certain defaults committed against the Kings Majesty as was untruely suggested And the said Archbishop presently then and there offered himself ready to answer the matters charged upon him and desired that he might be thereunto admitted by the King not doubting as he said but he shall be able sufficiently to shew his Innocence Yet the said King contriving by all the ways and means he could to oppress the said Bishop of Canterbury and ruin his Estate as the Event of the matter has declared speaking graciously and with a cheerfull countenance of the said Archbishop from his Royal Seat did advise and very earnestly request him that at that time he would hold his Peace and expect a better and more fit time to make his defence which day being passed the said King from day to day for Five days or more did fraudulently and treacherously deceive the said Archbishop counselling him and perswading him that he would not come to the Parliament but wait at home without any fear because as the said King faithfully did promise him there should not in his absence any loss or prejudice be done or happen to him Notwithstanding all which the said King in his Parliament aforesaid did in the mean time adjudge the said Archbishop to be banished during the Kings pleasure though absent and never any way called to answer and without any resaonable cause whatsoever and also voluntarily against the Laws of the Kingdom and all Justice Confiscated all his Goods whereby he likewise became Guilty of Perjury But furthermore the said King being willing to Palliate his Malice and Subtilty by flattering discourses which he oft-times had with the said Arch-bishop did endeavour to clear himself of such injury done and make as if it were the doings of others insomuch that the Arch-bishop discoursing with the King and with the Duke of Nâ—rfolk and other Lords and great men of the Kingdom And happening to say by way of Lamenting his own Condition That he was not the first that had suffered Banishment nor should he be the last For he thought in a short time the Duke of Norfolk and other Lords would follow him and confidently aâ—erred to the King That all the Rigour of these Proceedings would finally be returned back on his own Head To which the said King as astonished incontinently replied that he verily thought it might so happen and that he himself might and indeed ought to be expell'd his Kingdom by his Leige People And further the King said that if the same should happen He would convey himself to the same place where the said Archbishop should be And that the Archbishop might the rather Credit his words He shewed him a certain great Jewel Mâ—nile a Brooch or Tablet Curiously formed underneath the skirt of his outward â—estment Intimating for certain to the said Archbishop that when ever he should send that Jewel for a Token he would not delay to come thither where the said Arch-bishop should be resident And that the said Arch-bishop might more confide in him the said King sent to him advising him that he should Privately send all his Jewels and other things of value belonging to his Chappel unto him the said King For the safe keeping thereof lest by colour of the before mentioned Judgment any one should wrongfully seize the same Which under the greatest confidence in the World being done the said King caused him to reposite the said Goods in certain Coffers and the said Coffers to be locked up and sealed by one of the Archbishops Clerks and keeping the said Coffers by him returned the Keys thereof by the said Clerk to the Archbishop Yet afterwards unknown to the said Archbishop caused the said Coffers to be broken open and disposed of the goods therein at his will and pleasure Furthermore the said King faithfully promised the said Archbishop that if he would but repair to the Port of Hampton in order to go out of the Realm he would at least by the Intercession of the Queen get him Recalled And if it should happen that he the said Archbishop should go out of the Realm he should without fail return into England before Easter next following nor should
in any kind lose his Archbishoprick And this he faithfully promised swearing upon the Cross of the late Martyr S. Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury by him the said King corporally touched all which promises notwithstanding the said King forced the said Archbishop to depart the Realm And forthwith transmitted special Letters to the Apostolical See to have him Translated And so and by other Frauds and deceitful Tricks of the said King the said Archbishop being a well-meaning believing man was subtily circumvented AND because it seemed to all the Estates of the Realm being asked their Judgments thereupon as well severally as jointly That these causes of Crimes and Defaults were sufficient and notorious to depose the said King Considering also his own Confession of his insufficiency and other things contained in his said Renunciation and Cession openly delivered all the said States did unanimously consent that ex abundanti that they should proceed unto a Deposition of the said King for the great security and tranquillity of the People and benefit of the Kingdom Whereupon the said States and Commons unanimously constituted and publickly deputed certain Commissioners viz. The Bishop of S Asaph the Abbot of Glassenbury the Earl of Glocester the Lord Berkley Sir Thomas Erpyngham and Sir Shomas Grey Knights and William Thirnyng one of the Justices to pass such sentence of Deposition And to depose the said King Richard from all Kingly dignity Majesty and Honour on the behalf and in the name and by the Authority of all the said States as in like Cases from the Antient Custom of the said Kingdom had been observed And forthwith the said Commissioners taking upon themselves the burthen of the said Commission and sitting on a Tribunal before the said Royal Chair of State having first had some debate of the matter did on the behalf and in the name and by the authority aforesaid pass the said Sentence of Deposition being reduced into writing and caused such their Sentence to be read and recited by the said Bishop ef S. Asaph their Collegue by the Will and Command of the rest of the said Commissioners In these words IN the Name of God Amen We John Bishop of Asaph John Abbot of Glassenbury Thomas Earl of Glocester Thomas Lord Berkley Thomas de Erpingham and Thomas Gray Knights and William Thirnyng Justice Commissioners specially deputed to the matters under written by the Peers and Lords Spiritual and Temporal of the Kingdom of England and the Commons of the said Kingdom Representing all Estates or Conditions of the said Realm sitting in Tribunal and having considered the multiplyed Perjuries Cruelty and very many other Crimes of the said Richard touching his government conmitted and perpetrated in his Kingdomes and Dominions aforesaid during the time of his Governance and before the said States openly and publickly propounded exhibited and recited Which have been and are so publick notorious manifest and scandalous that they could not nor can be concealed with denial or excuse And considering likewise the confession of the said Richard acknowledging and reputing and truly and of his own certain knowledge judging himself to have been and to be utterly insufficient and unmeet for the rule and Government of the said Kingdoms and Dominions and their Appurtenances and for such his notorious demerits worthy to be deposed as by him the said Richard was before declared and by his Will and Command published before the said States and made known and exposed to them in the vulgar Tongue having already had diligent deliberation upon these things and all others transacted in this Affair before the said States and us We do on the behalf and in the name and by the Authority to us in this matter committed ex abundanti and for Caution Pronounce decree and declare him the said Richard to have been and to be unfit unable and utterly in sufficient for and unworthy of the Rule and Government of the said Kingdoms and the Dominion and Rights and Appurtenances of the same and for any by reason of the Premisses to be deservedly deposed of and from all Royal Dignity and Honour if any thing of such Dignity and Honour were yet remaining in him And with the same Caution we do Depose him by this our deffinitive sentence in writing Expresly forbiding all and singular the Lords Archbishops Bishops and Prelates Dukes Marquesses Earls Barons Knights Vassals and Valvassors and other Subjects and Leige people of tbe said Kingdoms and Dominion and other places to the said Kingdoms and Dominion belonging that henceforth none of them shall any way obey or Regard the said Richard as King or Lord of the said Kingdom and Dominion Furthermore the said States willing that nothing should be wanting which might be of value or ought to be required touching the Premisses being severally interrogated thereupon did constitute the same Persons that were before nominated Commissioners to be their Procurators joyntly and severally to resign and give back to the said King Richard the Homage and Fealty to him before made and to intimate to him if it should be requisite all the Premises touching such his Deposition and Renunciation And then presently as soon as it appeared by the Premises and the occasion of them That the Crown of England with its Appurtenances was vacant the aforesaid Henry Duke of Lancaster rising up from his place and standing so erected as he might conveniently be seen by the People and humbly fortifying himself with the Sign of the Cross on his Forehead and on his Breast having also first called upon the name of Christ did claim the said Kingdom so vacant as aforesaid with its Crown and all its Members and Appurtenances In this form of words in his Mother Tongue IN the name of Fader Son and Holy Gost I Henry of Lancaster chalenge this Rewine of Yndlonde and the Croun with all the Members and the Appurtenances al 's I that am descendit be Right Line of the Blode comyng fro the Gude Lord King Henry Therde and thorghe that right that God of eis Grace hath sent mee with helpe of my Kyn and of my Frendes to recover it The which Rewme was in poynt to be ondone for defaut of Governance and undoyng of the Gude Lawes After which Claim and Challenge as well the Lords Spiritual as Temporal and all the States 〈◊〉 present being severally and joyntly interrogated what they thought of that Claim The said 〈◊〉 with the whole People without any difficulty or delay did unanimoâ—sly consent that the said Duke should Reign over them And forthwith as the said King shewed to the States of the Kingdom the Signet of King Richard delivered to him as a token of his will that he should succeed him as aforesaid the said Archbishop taking the said King Henry by the Right Hand led him to the Royal Chair of State And after the said King kneeling down before it had prayed a little while the said Archbishop of Canterbury assisted by the Archbishop of York did
Captive he shew'd them his man that waited on him for the brave Spaniard had that regard to his Word which he had passed that he scorn'd to discover himself without his leave but on the contrary had all along both in the Sanctuary and in the Tower faithfully and submissively serv'd him in disguise neglecting both his Quality and Interest when they stood in competition with his Honour a piece of Gallantry and generous Honesty scarce to be parallel'd in Story About the Feast of S. Luke a Parliament was held at Glocester with an intent as was thought to have alipp'd the Wings of the Towering Church-men but finding their Interest too strong nothing of that kind was offered but for the Kings further supply it was granted that he should have of the Merchants for every Sack of Wool Exported a Mark and for every Twenty shillings of Wares or Merchandizes whatsoever Imported from beyound the Seas Six pence to be paid by the Buyer 1379. The next year another Parliament was called at London where the Priviledges of the Sanctuary at Westminster were regulated for whereas before great numbers of Persons when they were got in Debt would shelter themselves and waste in Revelling and Debauchery their Revenues which could not be touched for their just Debts to the grievous prejudice of their Creditors it was now Ordained That if upon Proclamation made they should not surrender themselves them their Goods should be sold and their Lands extended where-ever found till their Debts satisfied There was also a new Tax granted but because the Commons were already much impoverisht it was laid only on the Nobility Gentry and Clergy by way of Poll Viz. Dukes and Archbishops Ten Marks apiece every Earl Bishop and Mitred Abbot Six Marks besides each Abbot to pay Forty Pence per Head for all his Monks and so Justices Sheriffs Knights Esquires Rectors Vicars and even down to simple Chaplains every one his Allotment This Summer there was a most dreadful Pestilence in England especially in the Northern parts insomuch that whole Families were swept away Nay Towns and Villages left without Inhabitants During the Heat of which Calamity the Scots took their Advantage to enter the Land and committed great Spoils in small Parties but durst not stay for fear of the Infection and yet as our Author relates they had got a wonderful Preservative against it for asking some English the reason of so great a Mortality amongst them and being told it came by the Grace of God they therefore every Morning with great solemnity used this Charm or if any body will call it so Prayer God and Saint Mango Saint Roman and Saint Andrew shield us this day from God's Grace and the foul Death that English men die upon 1380. The next Year in Jan. the Parliament was again Assembled at London and continued till March wherein to avoid unnecessary Charge it was agreed that the Tutelage of the King should be committed but to one and by unanimous consent Thomas Beuchamp Earl of Warwick was pitch'd upon for the Man an Honourable allowance being assign'd to him out of the Royal Exchequer for his pains and care therein to be taken but the Young King though a Minor as to the Publick Affairs thought himself of Age sufficient at least to conduct himself in his private and personal concerns for though for want of ripening experience his Wisdom had not time to Bud yet his Will was grown to full Strength being already Plunged in the Gulf of pleasure and Vanities of Youth he set himself to Promote such as most pleased him with Flatteries rather than such as were truly qualified to serve him with solid Council and able conduct whence arose Three fatal mischiefs for First his Affairs were indiscreetly managed and without success by reason unfit Ministers were imploy'd about them Secondly debauchery was increased First in the Court and next throughout the Kingdom for many of the Young Nobility observing the secret favours and distastes of the King studying in all things to gratifie his pleasure gave up themselves to dissolute and dishonourable courses which ill precedents descended like an Infection amongst the Gentry and Commonalty for Vice always finds too many followers even when it hath no incouragers but much more doth it increase when flusht with Great Examples and made the Scale or perferment And lastly the King by thus misplaceing his favours impaired the Veneration due to Majesty became Cheap in the Eyes of his Subjects and less respected for it is almost as dangerous to a Prince to have evil and despised Favourites and Adherents as to be evil or despicable himself In this Parliament was granted a Tenth from the Clergy and a Fifteenth from the Laiety but on condition that from thence which was March 1380. to Michaelmas 1381. there should be no more Parliaments that is no more Money rais'd This Summer the King and Council sent a strong Army to assist the Duke of Bretaigne under the Command of his Unckle Thomas of Woodstock Sir Thomas Peircy c. who landing at Calice forced their passage through the Body of France leading their Troops to and fro and laying the Countrey waste at their pleasure without any resistance till they came to the Borders of Bretaign where they were joyfully received but the very Terror of their March had disposed the French to an accomodation so that they made peace with the Duke of Bretaign whereupon our Army without any other advantages but those of Renown and Glory returned home Notwithstanding it was agreed in the last Parliament to the contrary yet by the too great prevalency of some Counsellors a Parliament against the will and consent of almost all the Great Men of the Land was this same Year about the Feast of S. Martin which is Novemb. 10th Conven'd at Northampton a place most unfit for such an Assembly as well for that it was Winter and scarce any Fewel for Firing there to be procured as also because it afforded not Lodgings enow to entertain those that should have resorted thither but perhaps so much the more fit for the design of the small Politicians for here they got past a very severe Tax or Poll bill Whereby every Priest Secular or Religious was to pay a Noble and every Nun as much and every Man and Woman Married or unmarried being of the age of Sixteen years Twelve Pence Beggars onely excepted the paying whereof was esteem'd very grievous by the People especially of the poorer sort And that which aggravated their misery was that when it came into the Exchequer it was so handled by those imploied about it that it amounted not to so much as some former Taxes which were given in less proportion whereupon some of the Kings Ministers complained that it had not been duly Collected and one John Legg and three of his Associates obtained a Commission to inspect and review the Levy bargaining to give the King a great Sum of Money for the same But indeed on
Simon of Sudbury Archbishop of Canterbury and Chancellor of England Robert Hales Prior of the Hospital and Treasurer of England he the before-mentioned John Legg and and John a Minorite being a Crony of Lancaster's and 3 others all which 7 last they forthwith Beheaded carrying their Heads on Poles as in Triumph And now being heated with both Wine and Blood they march to the Savoy and burn the Duke of Lancaster's stately Palace the best House in England with all its rich Furniture to Ashes breaking in pieces all his Plate and Jewels of inestimable value and flinging them into the Thames and when one of their Fellows was spy'd to thrust a piece of Plate into his Bosom they presently flung it and him into the fire to be destroy'd together saying They came not like Thieves to enrich themselves But of Liquors they were not so scrupulous for two and thirty of them being got ito the Dukes Wine-Cellar Tippled so long till the Rafters of the House on fire fell down and stopt the passage that they could not get out but were heard to cry seven days after and so perished From the Savoy they came back to the Temple and burnt the Lawyers Lodgings Books Papers and all Records they could meet with The house of S. John's by Smithfield they set fire to so that it burnt seven days Nor had they any regard to Churches but forc'd out such as fled thither for Sanctuary and Beheaded them for they used no other manner of Execution to high or low That Night wearied with spoil and generally Drunk they lay sleeping like Swine in the open Streets and under the Walls and the next day being routed together again the King with a small Guard coming to Smithfield offered a Pardon to all such as yet after all these Outrages would cease from the like for the future and go quickly home Whereupon Wat Tyler declared That he was for Peace very willingly provided it were on such Terms as he should approve of Therefore to understand what he would have one Sir John Newton is sent to Invite and desire for so they were glad in that Juncture of Affairs to compliment his Sawciness Wat to come and Treat thereof with the King and when the Knight urged him to make haste he answered with some Indignation If thou art in such haste go back to thy Master the King I 'le come when I see mine own time However he soon followed him on Horse back but slowly for the greater State and being come near the King the same Knight was commanded to go to him and receive and bring back his Proposals Tyler offended because this Messenger came to him mounted told him it became him to alight from his Horse in his Presence and therewith drew out his Dagger to strike him But the King to pacifie him made him alight The Demands which Tyler made besides a general Enfranchisement of the Bond men which the King had already granted were That all Warrens Parks and Chases should be made common and free to all so that as well the Poor as the Rich should have liberty to Fish Fowl and Hunt in all places throughout the Kingdom with several other the like extravagant Demands In which Tyler behaved himself so insolently that the Kings Attendants could not but represent to his Majesty that it was insufferable and the before celebrated John Philpot according to his usual Courage told the King That if his Majesty would but command his Lieutenant viz. The Mayor to Arrest the Traytor he would lose his Life if it were not happily accomplisht Whereupon the King was prevailed with to give such a Command or rather leave to William Walworth then Mayor of London who waiting an Opportunity and observing Tyler to play with his Dagger tossing it from hand to hand as if he meant some mischief and that at last to what intent is not known whether out of rudeness or design he laid one of his hands upon the Kings Bridle fearing the Ruffian might attempt his Royal Person instantly executed his Arrest by giving him a Blow on his Head with a Dagger which was seconded with Philpot's Sword and anothers in his Body so that immediately he fell down dead on the ground When the Rabble saw this they began furiously to cry out O our Captain is slain our Captain is murdered Let 's revenge the Death of our Captain c. But the King with a Courage and Ingenuity beyond any thing could be expected from his Years for he was not yet above Fifteen Clapt Spurs to his Horse and rod to the Head of them crying aloud What mean you my Men Or what do you do Will you shoot your King You shall have no cause to grieve for the Death of that Traytor and Ribauld I that am the King will be your Captain and your Leader Follow me into the Field and you shall have whatever you will Upon which words amaz'd and not certainly resolv'd either of one anothers minds nor indeed each man of his own they followed awhile till Sir Richard Knolls with a Thousand armed men raised in the mean time by the Mayor came upon them out of the City at whose approach being now headless and all in confusion they were so terrifi'd that they forthwith flung down what Arms they had and begg'd for Mercy which the King granted and withal gave them a Charter of Freedom in form as before recited but proclaim'd that no Citizen should have any Correspondence with any of them nor suffer them to come within the Liberties And so this dreadful rout from the height of Insolence was in a moment scattered and reduced to the depth of misery and fear sneaking back by stealth into the Country many in their passage slain or perishing for want and multitudes of them soon after Executed For this good Service the King upon the place conferr'd the Honour of Knighthood upon the said John Walworth Mayor and John Philpot as likewise on Nichol. Brembre John Land and Nicholas Twyford Citizens of London And in memory of so Honourable an Exploit perform'd by the Mayor the Dagger hath 't is said ever since that time been added in the City-Arms which before bore only the Cross. But though things were thus appeas'd at London there was still no less Hurley-burley in several Counties At St. Albans they committed many Out-rages and Cancell'd the Ancient Charter of the Abbot and Monks In Suffolk there were swarm'd together Fifty thousand Villains under the Conduct of one John Straw a lewd Priest who beheaded Sir John Cavendish Lord Chief Justice of England and â—et his Head on the Pillory in S. Edmundsbury The like Commotions also there were at the same time in Norfolk Cambridge-shire and the Isle of Ely at the Instigation of one Littester a Dyer who called himself King of the Commons and forc'd several Lords and Persons of Quality to be sworn to them and ride along with them to countenance their Proceedings but these were for
the most part subdu'd and dispers'd by the active valour of Hugh Spenser Bishop of Norwich who gathering an Army together set upon the Rebels with incredible fury pursuing them from place to place and giving no Quarter to any of them It is to be noted That these Rebels in several Shires held correspondence and their Leaders sent abroad their Epistles of Advice and encouragement some of which as they were afterwards taken and own'd I shall insert for the Readers diversion that he may admire the style of these popular Orators and observe what strength of perswasion there was in Non-sense A LETTER of John Ball to the COMNONS in Essex IOhn Sheep sometime S. Mary Priest of York and now of Colchester Greeteth well John Nameless and John the Miller and John Charter and biddeth them beware of Guil in Borough and stand together in Gods Name and biddeth Piers Plowman go to his werk and Chastise well Hob the Robber and take with you John Trewman and all his Fellows and no mo John the Miller hath yground small small small The Kings Son of heven shall pay for all Beware or ye be wo know your Frende fro your Foe have ynough and say No and do well and better and flee sinne and seek peace and hold you therein And so biddeth John Trewman and all his Fellows Another IOhn Ball gretyth you wele All and doth you to understand he hath rungen the Bell Now ryght andâ—myght wyll and skyll God spede every yee dele Now is time Lady help to Ihesu the Sone and thid Sone to his Fadur to make a gode end in the name of the Trinity of that is begun Amen Amen pur Charite Amen Another IOhn Bell S. Mary Prist gretes wele all manner men and byddes them in the Name of the Trinity Fadur and Son and Holy Ghost stond manlyche togedyr in trewthe and helps trewthe and trewthe shall helpe yowe Now regneth Pride in prise and Covetous is hold wise and Lechery without en shame and Glotony without en blame Envie regneth with treason and slouthe is take in grete sesone God do bote for now is the time Amen in Esex Southfolc aud Northfolc Jack the Millers Epistle JAKK Mylner asket help to turn his Mylne aright He hath Grounden small small The Kings Son of Heven he shall pay for all Look thy Mylne do a right with the four Sailes and the Post stand in stedfastnesse With right and with might with skill and with will lat might help right and skill go before will and right before might than goeth our Mylne aright And if might go before right and will before skill than is our Mylne mysadyght Jack the Carter's JAKK Carter pryes yow all that yee make a gode end of that yee have begunnen and doth wele and ay bettur and bettur for at the even men heryth the day for if the end be wele than is all we le Lat Peres the Plowman my Brother duele at home and dyght us Corn and I will so with yow and help that yee may so dyght your mete and your drynk that yee none fayle Lokke that Hobb Robbyoure be wele chastised for lesing of your Grace for yee have grete nede to take God with yow in all yowr dedes for now is time to beware Jack Trewman's Scroll JAkk Trewman doth yow to understand that falseness and gile havith regned to long and trewth hath been sett under a Lokke and falsneth and gile regneth in everylk Flokke No man may come trewth to both syng Si dedero Speke spend and speed quoth John of Bathon and therefore sinn fareth as wilde flode trew love is a way that was so gode and Clerks for welth worth hem wo. God do bote for nowze is time The Storm being thus happily over-blown the Rebels suddenly master'd and a competent Force raised to secure the Peace of the Kingdom it was quickly thought fit to revenge such an Affront and bring the Delinquents to justice In order to which the King as soon as he could do it with safety to Himself and the Publick revokes his former Charters of Manumission and Pardon by a Proclamation under His Great Seal in these Terms RICHARD by the Grace of God King of England and France and Lord of Ireland To all to whom these Presents shall come Greeting Although in the late detestable Disturbance horribly made by divers of Our Liege People and Subjects rising up against Our Peace certain Letters Patent of Ours were made at the importunate Instance of the Rebels containing That We have freed all Our Leige People Common Subjects and others of the several Counties of Our Realm of England and them and every of them discharged and acquitted from all Bondage and Service And also That we have pardoned them all manner of Insurrections by them against Us made and all manner of Treasons Felonies Transgressions and Extortions by them or any of them committed As also all Outlawries Publisht against them or any of them on those Occasions Or that we have granted to them and every of them Our firm Peace And that Our Will was That Our said Liege People and Subjects should be free to buy and Sell in all Cities Burroughs Towns Markets and other Places within the Kingdom of England and that no Acre of Land which holds in Bondage or Villenage should be accounted higher than at Four Pence And if any were before held for less that it should not be raised for the future Yet for that such Our Letters did Issue without Mature Deliberation and unduly We well weighing that the Grant of the said Letters doth manifestly tend to the very great prejudice of Us and Our Crown and to the Disinherison as well of us and the Prelates and Nobility of Our said Realms as of the Holy Anglicane Church and also the the Damage and Incommodity of the Commonwealth Therefore by the Advice of Our Council We have Revoked made void and do utterly annul the said Letters and whatever hath been done or follow'd thereupon willing that none of what state or condition soever he be shall any way have or reap or enjoy any liberty or benefit whatsoever of or by the said Letters For We will and 't is our intention by the Advice of Our sound Council for the future to impart such Grace and Favour to all and singular although they have grievously forfeited their Allegiance as shall be well-pleasing and profitable to Our Realm and with which Our faithful Subjects may reasonably hold themselves contented And this we do notifie to all persons concern'd by these Presents Commanding the same to be Proclaimed in all Cities and Towns Villages c. And further We strictly require and command That all and singular as well Free as Bond-men shall without any contradiction murmuring resistance or difficulty do and perform the Works Customs and Services which to us or any other their Lords they ought to do and which before the said Disturbance were used to be done
with several other Letters and Bulls to the same effect So that at last Wickliff was again Conven'd before them but on the Day assign'd for his Examination Sir Lewis Clifford came into their Court and in the Name of the Princess Joan the Kings Mother peremptorily Commanded them to proceed no further in that Affair with which being terrified they desisted their prosecution and once more he got out of their Clutches But now by reason of the before-mentioned Articles offered to the King and Parliament the Bishops soon after summoned him again before them but whether he appeared or not is uncertain However they proceeded against the Opinions and Conclusions following as His which as they are related by the Historians of those Times I shall recite some of them being Branded as Heresies others only as Errors Viz. Heresie I. That the Substance of Bread or Wine remains after Consecration in the Sacrament of the Altar Heresie II. That Accidents do not remain without a Subject after Consecration in the same Sacrament Heresie III. That Christ is not in the Sacrament of the Altar Identically truly and really in his proper Corporal Person Heresie IV. That if a Bishop or Priest whilest he is in mortal sin should Ordain Consecrate or Baptise it would be nothing available Note this is falsly charged Wickliffe's words whence this is wrested are in his book De Veritate Scriptuâ—arum p. 138. Nisi â—hristianu c. Unâ—ess the Christian Priest be united unto Christ by Grace Christ cannot be his Saviour neither can he speak the Sacramental words without lying Licet proâ—â—â—t câ—pacibu though yet they are profitable to fit Receivers Which last Clause they spightfully omit Heresie V. That if a Man be duly Contrite all outward Confession is superfluous and to him unprofitable Heresie VI. That he hath Obstinately asserted that it is not founded in the Gospel that Christ ordained the Mass. Heresie VII That God ought to obey the Devil This Position the Devil himself would scarce dare to utter much less this godly man who on the quite contrary in his Comment on the Psalms p. 112 saith the Devil is clepid God's Angel for he may do nothing but at Gods suffering and serveth God in tormenting sinful men 't is true in his Book against the Fryars Cap. 28 he complains of their Blasphemy in accusing the Holy Scriptures of Falshood which says he is to put falsness upon God himself who is the Author thereof and yet they would have in believe what they themselves say is true Alas saith he who may suffer this Blasphemy that Christ in whom is all Treasure of Wit Wisdom and Truth could not or would not say true words and sentence but yet sinful fools have true manner of speaking contrary to the speech of our Lord Jesu Christ for if this be sinful fools yea Divels of Hell been wiser tâ—uer than Jesu Christ. From these words or some such Argument ab Abâ—urdo against them that which he proves to be their wicked consequence they make his Dâ—ctrin just as if one should charge David with asserting there is no God leaving out The Fool hath said in his Heart Heresie VIII That if the Pope be a wicked Man and consequently a member of the Devil then he has no power given him over faithful Christians by any unless perhaps by Caesar. Heresie IX That after Vrban the Sixth Pope at that time none ought to be chosen Pope but we ought to live after the manner of the Greeks under our own Laws Errors 1. That no Prelate ought to Excommunicate any unless first he know such person to be Excommunicated of God 2. That if any shall otherwise Excommunicate he thereby becomes an Heretick or Excommunicated person himself 3. That a Prelate Excommunicating a Clerk that has appeal'd to the King and Council of the Kingdom is thereby a Traytor to God the King and Kingdom 4. That those who forbear to Preach or hear the Word of God or the Gospel for the Excommunication of men are Excommunicated and at the day of Judgment shall be accounted Traytors to God 5. That 't is contrary to the Scriptures that persons Ecclesiastical should have Temporal possessions 6. That 't is lawful to any Deacon or Presbyter to Preach the Word of God without Authority from the Pope or any Catholick Bishop 7. That none whilst in mortal sin is to be accounted a Bishop or Prelate 8. That Temporal Lords may at their pleasure take away Temporal Goods from the Church habitually offending 9. That Tythes are pure Alms and Parishioners may for the sins of their Curates detain the same and confer them at their pleasure upon others 10. That special prayers applyed by Prelates or Religious persons to one particular person do not more profit him than general prayers all things else being equal 11. That any one entring into any Private Religion is thereby rendred more unapt and incapable of observing the Commandments of God 12. That Holy Men that instituted Private Orders of Religion whether of Mendicants or such as are indowed with possessions did sin in so doing 13. That those called Religious living in private Orders of Religion are not of the Christian Religion 14. That Fryars Mendicant are bound to live by the Labor of their Hands and not to get their living by Begging 15. That Fryars Begging after their Sermons do thereby incurr the Crime of Simony and all that bestow Alms on them are Excommunicate as well the giver as receiver About these Positions the Bishops first met at Oxford where they had taken such impression that Riggs the Vice-Chancellor and many others had imbraced them and after that at the Gray-Fryars London on the Seventeenth of May 1382. on which day after Dinner about Two a Clock just as they were going to proceed in this Business happened a Wonderful and Terrible Earthquake throughout all England whereupon divers of the Suffragans being affrighted would have desisted but the Arch-bishop otherwise interpreting the Omen they went on and at last solemnly Condemned all the said Propositions there being present Eight Bishops Nineteen Monks and Fryars Fourteen Doctors of Law and Six Batchellors of Divinity However Mr. Wickliff himself whether because they could not find him or that they were afraid to meddle with him or rather because they were much distracted by reason of the Feuds between two Popes then in being at once escaped their malice and in the Year 1385. dyed peaceably in his Bed having been Doctor of Divinity above Thirty Years and of such industry and learning that he Translated the whole Bible into Engglish one Copy whereof written with his own Hand lately was and I suppose still is extant in Saint John's Colledge in Oxford He lived in a time when the Fryars Orders by their manifold disorders were become exceeding odious and the Popes jurisdiction by provisions Reservations and Collations very intollerable which made way for those excellent statute Laws about this time enacted
this Vâ—rage 6. That all Curates on pain of Excommunication shall encourage and by all means they can especially in Confession press and engage their â—arishioners as well poor as rich to come into and contribute to this pious Expedition so much for the good of the Church and advantage of their own Souls 7. That every one that will go in person for the Absolution shall before such Absolution be given him swear to come to the said Bishop or his Deputy and make his Indentures touching the time that he purposes to serve in the Croisado 8. That if any will find a man that is hire another to go in his name and upon his costs and charges that he must either provide and able sufficient Souldier that shall nor refuse the Service or else allow so much for his Pay to the Bishop and let him provide one himself 9. That every one that sends such a Souldier in his own stead shall enroll in the Bishops Registry both his own and his Souldiers name before he takes Absolution otherwise to lose all benefit of the Pardon The form of the Absolution to be given to all that should serve in or contribute to this Croisado BY Apostolical Authority to me in this behalf committed We do Absolve thee from all thy sins confessed with thy mouth and for which thou art contrite in heart and of which thou wouldst be confessed it they did occur to thy memory and do grant unto thee full forgiveness of all thy sins and the Retribution of the Just and we do promise thee an increase of Eternal Life And we do also grant to thee as many Privileges as are granted to those that go to the Aid of the Holy Land And furthermore we do impart to thee the Suffrages and Advantages of the Prayers and Good works of the whole Catholick Church The business being thus published with all the zeal and art of the Clergy the Bishop thereupon collected an innumerable and incredible Summe of Money besides abundance of Plate both Gold and Silver Jewels Rings Dishes Spoons Bracelets they are all our Authors own words who lived at that time Necklaces and other ornaments especially of Ladies and others of the Female Sex for 't was said one Lady gave an hundred pounds and so others some more some less and many even beyond their ability as was believed so fond were they to obtain the imaginary benefit of Absolution for themselves or their Friends for by this they might not onely save their own Souls but free whom they pleas'd that were dead from pains of Purgatory or ensure the Salvation of any Child or Relation living And so all the secret Treasure of the Kingdom that was in the custody of these foolish weaker Vessels was endanger'd for otherwise they were not to be absolved if they did not contribute to their power and ability Many men went in person at their own charge others that were old or weak or timorous sent Souldiers and bore their expences For the Bishop had got most admirable Indulgences both for the quick and dead and could absolve à poena à culpa as well from the guilt or offence as from all punishment due for sin And 't was said that some of his Commissioners did assert That at their commands Angels would descend from Heaven and snatch Souls from out of the pains of Purgatory and without delay carry them to rights into heaven Whilest the warlike Bishop was making these Preparations comes a Parliament where it was Debated whether it where safe to hazard so considerable a strength of the Kingdom in such an impertinent Quarrel and under the Conduct of a rash unexperienced Priest Those that were for it besides the Interest of Religion urg'd Reason of State That now was the time for the King to recover his Right in France and weaken the French King when he lay under Pope Urban's Curse for siding with Pope Clement during which he could expect no Success on his Armes Thus for some time very doubtfull it was which way the Parliament would incline but at last upon hearing that Antiphone sung Ecce Crucem Domini fugite partes adversae Behold the Cross of our Lord fly ye Adversaries they where as with a Charm brought over to Decree in favour of the Expedition assigning the Fifteenth given in the last Parliament to be imployed herein And now the Project went on more vigorously then ever insomuch saith Walsingham That in all this spacious Kingdom there was scarce one person to be found that did not either â—ffer his person or bestow part of his goods for promoting the same About the middle oâ— May the Bishop was ready to put to Sea with his Army lying in Kent waiting for a Wind the King whether designing quite to forbid the Voyage or thinking the Bishop had got too much Money and willing to thare with him or what other reason I know not sent him a Writ to come back and speak with his Majesty and know his pleasure but the proud Prelate mistrusting the worse was so intent upon the Affair of his Lord and Master the Pope that he had no leisure to obey his King and therefore to avoid any stops presently hastned over to Calice leaving his Army to follow him which being arriv'd he set up the Standard of the Cross and besiges Graveling and takes it and several other places using great Cruelties and destroying all they could Master For as the Episcopal Generall was a person rash and daring and inflam'd with mad Zeal so his Soulders confiding in their Absolutions adventur'd upon the greatest dangers without fear esteeming says Walsingham it Glory to overcome but Gain to die in this Cause where they thought themselves sure to go directly to Heaven and to enjoy so much the greater Bliss the more they butcher'd of the Schismaticks But these first Fervours were quckly cool'd by hard Service and having in vain laid Siege to Ypres they are at last forc'd to quit it being all in Confusion amongst themselves and in great want of Provisions whence they come back to Graveling and therein are besieg'd by the French King with a powerfull Army In which Distress our Bishop wrote to King Richard That if ever he intended to try his Fortune against the French King now was the time or at least that he should send some Forces to give him Battle and force him to abandon the Siege King Richard was then at Daintry in Northamptonsheire and on the receipt of this News being at Supper instantly arose from Table and in mighty rage and fury took Horse riding Post with such speed that he came to Sant Albans at Midnight where having borrowed the Abbots Guelding which Walsingham a Monk of that Abbey complains he never restor'd he hastned to Westminster making shew as if he would never rest till he had Routed the French King and all his Host but being somewhat weary with Riding at Westminster he went to Bed and having taken council
of his Pillow was nothing so fierce next Morning but resolv'd to lay aside the thoughts of going himself and to send some body else To which purpose the Duke of Lancaster was nominated but so tedious in making Preparations that the Bishop in the mean time was glad to leave Graveling having first dismantled and destroyed it and so return'd home to England after a vast Treasure dissipated and many thousand Lives lost and more Souls cheated with as little Glory as he set forth with mighty Expectation the Success of his Armes being suitable to the ridiculous occasion of them And what was yet worse for the haughty Prelate soon after his coming home in a Parliament held at London about Alhallontide all his Temporalities were seized into the Kings hands for his Contempt in disobeying the Kings Writ when His Majesty sent to him to come back just as he was putting to Sea on this piece of Ecclesiastical Knight-Errantry and he refused to come as aforesaid In this Parliament also was granted to the King half a Fifteenth by the Laity and half a Tenth by the Clergy In the Year 1384 a Truce was made with France and the Duke of Lancaster and his Brother Thomas of Woodstock entred Scotland with a mighty Army but the Scots wholly declining to fight and many of the English being destroyed with Want and cold Weather they return'd making very small Advantages by that expensive Expedition Soon after which an Irish Carmelite Fryer made a discovery in Writing to the King of a Design the Duke of Lancaster had to destroy His Majesty and usurp the Crown but the King advising about the same only with certain young Favourites the Duke obtained notice of the Charge and cleared or seemed to clear himself so much to the Kings satisfaction that the poor Fryer was committed to Custody and 't is said on the Evening before the Hearing should have been was most cruely murdered Whose Information if real shews what aâ— Opportunity the King slipt of preventing his after misfortune and that some times it proves even more dangerous to discover Treasons than to act them which yet should discourage no good Subject from the discharge of his Duty But possibly this whole Accusation or the Relation of such a thing might be a Contrivance of the Duke's Enemies to render him suspected to the King and odious to the People for it 't is certain they entred not many Months after into a formal-Design against his Life the occasion whereof I do not find mentioned by Authors but only that the King by the Instigation of his young Cabal-Council had conceiv'd displeasure against him and that they had conspired to take away the said Duke's Life In order whereunto certain Crimes were suggested Appellors prepared and t was agreed that he should be suddenly Arrested and brought before the Lord Chief Justice Trysilian who had boldly untertaken to pronounce Sentence upon him according to the quality of the matters to be objected though by Law he could not be tryed but by his Peers and so Execution should immediately have followed But the Duke being fore warn'd of these Contrivances hastned to his Castle of Pomfret and there stood upon his Guard And the King's Mother considering the Dangers that would ensue such a Rupture took great pains by riding notwithstanding her Age and corpulency to and fro between the King and him to pacifie each side and at last brought them to such a Reconcilement that all appearance of Displeasure on the one part and Distrust on the other was for that time removed About the Feast of S. Martin was held a Parliament at London wherein the Earl of Nothumberland was Condemn'd for the loss of the Castle of Barwick Surprised by the Scots through the Treachery of one that he had put in there as his Deputy But the King after Judgment was pleased to Pardon him who went forthwith down and retook the said Castle In the Year 1385 the French made great Preparations for the Invading of England and to facilitate the Attempt by a Diversion â—end the Admiral of France with a considerable Force into Scotland the Common Back-door at which they were wont to Infest us Of which King Richard having notice raises a mighty Army and by speedy Marches pierces into the Heart of Scotland and reduc'd their chief City Edenburgh into Ashes as a Bonfire to give the whole Kingdom notice of his Arrival and Challenge them to Battel But they declined it and Victuals growing very scarce the King thought fit to return homewards the rather for that the Scots in the mean time had entred Nothumberland and besieg'd Carlile but hearing of the Kings approach fled back into Scotland During this Expedition the Lord John Holland the Kings Brother by the Mother side near York Killed the eldest Son of the Earl of Stafford for which he fled and the King was so highly incensed that he caused all his goods to be Confiscated the King's Mother interceded for him but could not be heard and resented the denial so heavily that soon after she died At a Parliament the latter end of this Year the Laity granted the King one Fifteenth and an half upon condition that the Clergy would give a Tenth and an half who took this Articulating of the Commons in grievous dudgeon protesting that the Laity should not Charge them and the Archbishop of Canterbury was so hot as to declare he would rather venture his Head in this Cause than that the Holy Church of England should thus Truckle whereupon the Commons and many of the Temporal Lords began to bid Battel to the Clergies Temporalities saying they were grown to that excess of Pride that it would be a Work of Piety and Charity to clip their Wings and reduce them to an Humility suitable to their Profession The Clergy at this were not a little Alarm'd and to prevent the worst make a voluntary offer of a Tenth to the King and so the Dispute is rock'd to sleep Also during this Parliament the King Conferred several Honours Creating his Uncle Thomas of Woodstock who before was Earl of Buckingham Duke of Gloucester and his other Uncle Edmund of Langley before the Earl of Cambridge Duke of York With whom too he prefer'd his pernicious Favorites as Robert de Vere Earl of Oxford to be Marquess of Dublin in Ireland the first man within the Realm that was Enobled with that Title and Sir Michael de la Pole the Son of a Merchant in London was made Earl of Suffolk and Lord Chancelor of England But these last grew in Hatred faster then they did in Honour the Ancient Nobility disdainfully resenting their undeserved as they deemed Advancement Nor were the People better satisfied but grumbled heavily for they durst not speak out against these Court Ear-wigs as Seducers of the King and occasion of all misadministrations of Affairs In this Parliament likewise the Duke of Lancaster desired Leave of the King Lords and Commons to go into Spain
to recover that Kingdom belonging to him in the Right of his Wife which was granted and Forty thousand Marks promised him for his aid therein and accordingly on Easter-Day he came to take his Leave of their Majesties The King commanding that he should be styled King of Spain presented him with a Crown of Gold as the Quen did anoâ—her to her Sister A great number of the Youthfull Nobility and Gentry attended the Duke in this Voyage who having Matcht one of his Daughters to the King of Portugal with joynt Forces Invaded Castile and took many strong Towns but at last on a Treaty it was agreed that the King of Spains Eldest Son should marry Katherine another of the Dukes Daughters and the Duke receive Two hundâ—red thousand Nobles in hand and the Sâ—m of Ten thousand Marks yearly during the Lives of him and his Dutchess and in consideration thereof all Claims should cease Walsingham tells us the Duke had such Favour from the Pope as to be Arm'd for the Recovery of this Kingdom with a Grant of Remission of Sins to all that should adventure with him or aid him with money towards the Voyage and had got as as large Indulgences as the Bishop of Norwich lately had as aforesaid but he well observes That the frequency of granting such Pardons and Relaxations had now rendered them vile and contemptible to the People so that there was scarce any body regarded them or would give Two pence to this last Croisadâ— though they were so extravagantly fond of the former whence is taught this Lesson That a Cheat though never so religious is not to be plaid over twice in one Age. The Year 1386 â—illed England with great Consternations and frequent Aâ—arms by means of an Invasion threatned by the French who had prepared above Twelve hundred Sail of Ships and a mighty Army on that Design which lay â—overing on the Coasts daily waiting an opportunity to pass the Channel and the better to secure their men at their first Landing in England they had framed a wonderful Wall of Wood three Miles in length of great thickness and twenty Foot high with which they would have inclosed their Camp But it happned that the Lord Beauchamp Captain of Calice took three of their Ships laden with part of the said Inclosure which King Richard caused to be set up about Whinchelsea for securing that Town and also he took another Ship full of Guns Gunpowder and other Instruments of War With which Losses and especialy by the adversness of the Winds which from the beginning of August to Alhallontide stood full in their Teeth so that their Ships could not come out and their Victuals and provisions by lying all that time being spent they were discouraged from prosecuting the Enterprize and nothing was effected And now King Richard every day more and more entring upon the Confines of his Destiny as if he had not done enough in making his Minion Marquess of Dublin Creates him Duke of Ireland and would says Walsingham had Fortune favor'd his Wishes have gone on to make him a King so strangely was he bewitch'd to him and so excessively he doted on him Non sina nota utfertur fami iaritatis obscoenae which I forbear to english out of Respect to Royal Majesty as being willing to think it a fulsom Imagination of that Monk that writes it rather than charge an English Prince with such a detestable suspicion But this undeserved Honour together with the Exorbitancies of Michael ae Pole and other Publick Miscarriages had made no small Impressions on the Minds of many of the Peers of the Land as well as the Commons On Monday the morrow after the Feast of S Jerom the King held a Parliament at Westminister which ended on the Feast of S. Andrew the Proceedings whereof Henry Knyghton who lived at that very time Relates as follows P. 2680. The King saith he for the most part staid lingering at Eltham whilest the Parliament sate the nobles therefore of the Realm and the Commons with joynt Assent sent this Message to the King That the Chancelor and Treasurer ought to be removed from their Offices because they were not for the good of the King and Kingdom and because also they had such matters to treat of with Michael de Pole as could not be treated of whilest he remain'd in the Office of Chancellor The King hereat incensed return'd his Command That they should mention no more those things but that they should proceed to the Business of Parliament aud hasten to a conclusion adding That he would not for them or at their instance remove the meanest Scullion boy in his Kitchin out of his place For the Chancelor in the Name of the King had desired of the Commons Four Fifteenths to be paid in one year and as many Tenths from the Clergy alledging that the King was so much in debt that he could not otherwise be freed from his Debts and other Burdens lying upon him as well upon the account of war as of his Houshold and other Charges But they by joynt Assent of Lords and Commons returned this Answer to the King That they neiher could nor by any means would proceed in any Business of Parliament nor dispatch somuch as the least Article till the King should come and shew himself in his own Person amongst them and remove the said Michael de Pole from his office Upon which the King sent back this Command to them That they should order Forty Knights of the most substantial and wisest of the Commons to come unto him and declare the Votes of all the rest But then were they more afraid every man for his own safety For a secret Rumor had privately come to their Ears That the death of these Forty was design'd by Treachery For it was said as appeared afterwards unto them That as these should be going to speak with the King a multitude of Armed Men should set upon and murther them Or that being invited to a Feast by the King some Armed Ruffians should rush in upon them and kill them or that they should be murther'd in an instant in their Lodgings in London But Nieolas de Exon Mayor of that City refusing and by no meanes consenting to so great a wickedness the Villany was deferr'd and the cursed Contrivance by degrees brought to light Making use therefore of wholsom Advice they by common consent of the whole Parliament sent the Lord Thomas of Woodstock Duke of Glocester and Thomas de Arundel Bishop of Ely to the King at Eltham That they should on the behalf of the Lords and Commons of his Parliament Salute him and deliver their Votes or desires to him under such a Form or Sense of words Sir King The Prelates Lords and whole People of the Commons in Parliament with most humble submission recommend themselves to the most Excellent the word is wanting in our Author of your Royal Dignity wishing you a successful Course of Honour and
Commons desire his Absence that they would rather want so much Treasure than have him here to Seduce and Infatuate the King As for Michael Pole he was committed to Windsor-castle Furthermore the Parliament observing that by the Covetousness of the King's Ministers the publick Revenue was vainly consumed the King insufferably defrauded and abused the Common People of the Realm by continual and grievous Burdens miserably impoverished the Rents and Profits of the Nobles and Great Men much impaired and their poor Tenants in many places forc'd to abandon their Husbandry and leave their Farms empty and desolate And yet still by all these things the Kings Officers only becoming unmeasurably Rich They therefore chose Fourteen Lords of the Realm and gave them leave and power to Inquire into Treat of and Determine all Affairs Causes and Complaints arising from the Death of King Edward the Third to that present time As also of the King's Expences and his Ministers and all other matters whatsoever happening within the time to them Assigned and caused the said Lords so chosen to be sworn on the Holy Evangelists well and truly to regulate all Burdens and other Affairs incumbent on the King and Kingdom and to do Justice to every one requiring the same according to the Grace and Understanding given them by God And also the King took an Oath to stand to their Ordination and to encourage them in their Actings and not to revoke any Article of their Power but to confirm and hold good and stable whatsoever the said Counsellors should do or order during such time of whom Six with the Three Officers of the King appointed by consent of Parliament viz. The Chancellor the Treasurer and the Lord Privy Seal should at any time make a Quorum And it was also Ordained by Act of Parliament That if any one should Advise the King to make any Revocation of their Power though the King should not Revoke it yet the Person probably Convicted only of such ill Counsel should for the same forfeit all his Lands and Goods and if he attempt it a second time be drawn and hang'd as a Traytor Whereupon the King issued forth his Commission under the Great Seal of England Confirming the said Lords in such power in the words following Translated from the Original French RIchard King c. To all those to whom these Letters shall come to be seen or heard Greeting We being duly Conscious of the grievous Complaints of the Lords and Commons of our Realm in this present Parliament Assembled That our Profits and Rents and the Revenues of our Realm by private and insufficient Council and the Ill-governance as well of certain our late Great Officers as of divers other persons being near Our Person are so much consumed wasted embeziled given away granted and aliened destroyed and evilly disposed of and expended That We are so much impoverished and stript of Treasure and Means and the Substance of Our Crown so diminished and destroyed that We are neither able to Sustain Honourably as We ought the State of Our Houshold nor maintain and manage those Wars wherewith Our Realm is Environ'd without great and outragious Oppressions and Charges on Our People greater than they can bear And also that the good Laws Statutes and Customs of Our said Realm to which we are bound by Oath and obliged to maintain are not nor have been duly observed nor executed nor full Justice or Right done to Our said People but many Disinherisons and other most great Mischiefs and and Damages have happened as well to Vs as to our People and whole Realm Now We for the Honour of God and for the good of Vs and our Realm and for the quiet and relief of Our People willing against the said Mischiefs to establish a good and meet Remedy as We have already of Our free Will at the Request of the Lords and Commons Ordained and Assigned such Persons for Our great Officers that is to say Our Chancellor Treasurer and Keeper of Our Privy Seal as We esteem good faithful and sufficient for the Honour and Profit of Vs and Our said Realm so also of Our real Authority certain knowledge good pleasure and free will and by the Advice and Assent of the Prelates Lords and Commons in full Parliament in Aid of the good Governance of Our Realm and the well and due execution of Our Laws for the Relief in time of that miserable Condition under which both We and Our Subjects have long labour'd having full confidence in the good Advice Sense and Discretion of the most Honourable Fathers in God William Archbishop of Canterbury Alexander Archibishop of York Our most dear Vncles Edmund Duke of York and Thomas Duke of Gloucester the Honourable Fathers in God William Bishop of Winchester Thomas Bishop of Exeter and Nicholas Abbot of Waltham Our beloved and faithful Richard Earl of Arundel John Lord Cobham Richard le Scroop and John Devereux Have Ordained Assigned and Deputed and do Ordain Assigne and Depute them to be of Our Great and Continual Council for One whole Year next after the Date hereof to Survey and Examine together with our said Great Officers as well the Estate Condition and Government of Our whole Realm and of all Our Officers and Ministers of whatever Estate Degree or Condition they be within Our Houshold or without and to Inquire and take Information by all such ways as they shall think meet of all Rents Revenues and Profits belonging to us or which are duâ— and ought to appertain to us either within the Realm or without And of all Gifts Grants Alienations and Confirmations by Vs made of any Lands Tenements Rents Annuities Profits Revenues Wards Marriages Escheats Forfeitures Franchises Liberties Voidances of Archbishopricks Bishopricks Abbeys Priories Farms of Houses Possessions of Aliens c. And also of all Revenues and Profits as well of Our said Realm as of Our Lands Lordships Cities Villages and other Possessions beyond the Sea and of the Benefices and Possessions and other Revenues of all that are in Rebellion against the Pope And of the carrying Moneys out of the Realm by the Collectors of the Pope or the Procurators of Cardinals Lumbards or other persons And likewise of the Profits of Our Customs and all Subsidies granted to Vs by the Clergy and Laity since the day of Our Coronation to that time And of all Fees Wages and Rewards of Our Officers and Ministers great and small and of Annuities and other Rewards granted and Gifts made to any persons in Fee or term of Life or in any other manner And of Lands Tenements Rents Revenues and Forfeitures bargained or sold to the prejudice and damage of Our Crown And also touching the Jewels and Goods which were Our Grandfathers at the time of his Death and of Charters and General Pardon and how General Payments have been levied and expended how Garrisons and Forts have been maintained And of all Defaults and Misprisions as well in Our Houshold
pretence of seeing him take Shipping but in truth that being there remote they might more securely consult how to circumvent and destroy the Duke of Gloucester the Earls of Arundel Warwick Derby Nottingham and other faithful Subjects of the Kingdom For there were with the King Michael de la Pole Tresylian the Chief Justice and many others that were conscious of their own Deserts and feared to be brought to Justice as well as the said Duke of Ireland and therefore readily conspired with him against the Lords Having thus laid their Plot and agreed the manner of putting it in execution back comes the King to Nottingham and as if Ireland's Voyage had been quite forgot brings him and the rest of the Cabal with him Thither they summon divers Citizens of London the Sheriffs of the several Counties and all the Judges of England The Londoners because several of them having lately confessed themselves guilty of Treason had been pardoned by the King were call'd that in return of that Favour they might accuse the Lords of such Crimes as the King with his Counsellors in Wales and contrived against them The Sheriffs were advised with what Forces they could raise for the Kings Service against the Barons and also commanded that they should not permit any to be returned as Knights of the Shire or Burgesses for the next Parliament but such as the King and his Council should direct or nominate To which the Sheriffs reply'd That the Commons generally favoured the said Lords so that it was not in their power to raise an Army in this Case and as for Parliament-men the People would hold their ancient Customs which require that they be freely chosen by the Commons Nor could the same be hindered These Answers were not very agreeable to the Court-designes But the Judges were more compliant for not onely Tresylian the Chief Justice had about the same time indicted two thousand persons at Coventry and he and John Blake an Apprentice of the Law perused and approved under their Seals the Indictment against the Lords but also the better to colour Proceedings with a Form of Law several Questions were propounded to them touching the late Act of Parliament giving the fourteen Lords power to inspect and punish miscarriages of the Kings Ministers as aforesaid To the end as modern Author observes That what the Duke of Ireland and the rest thought fit might pass for Law out of the Judges mouths the Questions being so fram'd and propos'd as it was easier to understand what the King would have to be Law than what in truth was so For it seems they proceeded against their Consciences in that several of them and particularly Belknapp Chief Justice of the Common Pleas did as Knyghton Col. 2694. assures us very earnestly refuse to signe the Resolutions till Ireland and de Pole forced him to it by threatning him to kill him if he refused Whereupon having put to his Seal he burst forth into these words before them Now want I nothing but a Ship or a nimble Horse or an Halter to bring me to that death I deserve If I had not done this I should have been kill'd by your hands and now I have gratified the Kings pleasure and yours in doing it I have well deserv'd to die for Treason against the Nobles of the Land Which last words were like to have prov'd fatally Prophetick for not long after in the next Parliament he was indeed condemned to die though not executed for the same Some Authors say That all the Judges of England except William Skipwith absent by reason of sickness joyn'd in answering these Questions which seems probable because they were afterwards all question'd and punish'd for the same yet in the Record there are but five named possibly the others might consent though only these set their Seals to it The Questions so proposed to the Judges and their Answers were as follow BE it remembered That on the 25th day of August in the 11th year of the Reign of King Richard the Second at the Castle of Nottingham before our said Lord the King Robert Tresylian Chief Justice of England and Robert Belknappe Chief Justice of the Common Bench of our said Lord the King John Holt Roger Fulthorp and William de Burgh Knights Justices and Associates of the said Rob. Belknappe and John de Lokton the Kings Serjeant at Law in the presence of the Lords and other Witnesses under written were personally required by our said Lord the King on the Faith and Allegiance wherein to him the said King they are bound to answer faithfully unto certain Questions here-under specified and to them then and there truly recited and upon the same to declare the Law according to their discretion Viz. 1. Imprimis It was demanded of them Whether that new Statute and Ordination and Commission made and published in the last Parliament held at Westminster be not derogatory to the Royalty and Prerogative of our said Lord the King To which they unanimously answered That the same are derogatory thereunto especially because they were against his will 2. Quaery of them How those are to be punished who procured that Statute and Commission To which they unanimously answered That they were to be punished with Death except the King would pardon them 3. Quaery of them How those are to be punished who moved the King to consent to the making of the said Statute Whereunto they answered with one accord That they ought to lose their Lives unless his Majesty would pardon them 4. It was askt them What punishment they deserved who compell'd streightned or necessitated the King to consent to the making of the said Statute and Commission To which they all answered That they ought to suffer as Traytors 5. Quaery of them How those are to be punished who hindered the King from exercising those things which appertain to his Royalty and Prerogative To which Question they unanimously answered That they are to be punished as Traytors 6. Quaery of them Whether after in a Parliament assembled the Affairs of the Kingdom and the cause of calling that Parliament are by the Kings Command declared and certain Articles limited by the King upon which the Lords and Commons in that Parliament ought to proceed if yet the said Lords and Commons will proceed altogether upon other Articles and Affairs and not at all upon those limited and proposed to them by the King until the King shall have first answered them upon the Articles and Matters so by them started and express'd although the Kings Command be to the contrary whether in such case the King ought not to have the Governance of the Parliament and effectually over-rule them so as that they ought to proceed first on the Matters proposed by the King or whether on the contrary the Lords and Commons ought first to have the Kings Answer upon their Proposals before they proceeded further To which Question they answered unanimously that the King in that behalf his
the Governance and may appoint what shall be first handled and so gradually what next in all Matters to be treated of in Parliament even to the end of the Parliament And if any act contrary to the Kings pleasure made known therein they are to be punisht as Traytors 7. Quaery of them whether the King when ever he pleases can Dissolve the Parliament and command the Lords and Commons to depart from thence or not To which they unanimously answered That he can and if any one shall then proceed in Parliament against the Kings will he is to be punisht as a Traytor 8. Quaery of them Since the King can when ever he pleases remove any of his Judges and Officers and justifie or punish them for their Offences Whether the Lords and Cemmons can without the will of the King Impeach in Parliament any of the said Judges or Officers for any of their Offences To which they unanimously answered That they cannot and if any one should do so he is to be punisht as a Traytor 9. Quaery of them How he is to be punisht who moved in Parliament that the Statute should be sent for whereby Edward the Second the Kings great Grandfather was proceeded against and deposed in Parliament by means of sending for and imposing which Statute the said late Statute Ordination and Commission were devised and brought forth in Parliament To which they answered That as well he that so moved as he who by pretence of that Motion carried the said Statute to the Parliament are Traytors and Criminals to be punished with Death 10. It was demanded of them Whether the Judgment given in the last Parliament held at Westminster against Michael de Pole Earl of Suffolk was Erroneous and Revocable or not To which Question they unanimously answered That if that Judgment were now to be given they would not give it because it seems to them that the said Judgment is Revocable as being Erroneous in every part of it In Testimony of all which the Judges and Serjeant aforesaid to these Presents have put their Scals in the presence of the Reverend Lords Alexander Archbishop of York Robert Archbishop of Dublin John Bishop of Durham Thomas Bishop of Chichester and John Bishop of Bangor Robert Duke of Ireland Michael Earl of Suffolk John Rypon Clerk and John Blake Esquire Given the Place Day Month and Year aforesaid But though they had thus resolv'd the Law to their Minds there was a greater Difficulty how to arm themselves with Power enough for Execution In order to which they privately sent abroad to Levy Men but found them come in very slowly because the Lords were generally beloved and these Favourites of the King equally hated Nor could they manage their Designs with such secrecy but the Lords had notice whereupon to take off all ill Impressions made against them in the Kings Mind his Uncle the Duke of Gloucester chief of the Lords against whom the Courtiers had combin'd voluntarily before the Bishop of London and many Nobles of the Realm did make Oath That he had never imagined any thing to the prejudice of the King but had studied and performed to his power what tended to the Kings Honour and Advantage and what also was well pleasing to him except only that he could not kindly regard the Duke of Ireland whom the King immoderately lov'd and who had dishonoured one that was not only a near Relation of him the said Duke of Gloucester but also of the King 's which it was fit should be reveng'd c. With the Contents of which Oath the Bishop acquainted the King who seem'd inclinable to credit the same till Michael de Pole began to exasperate him against the Duke To whom the Bishop smartly reply'd Be silent Sir it becomes not you to talk who stand condemned in Parliament and are now alive only by the Kings Grace and Favour Which so offended the King that he commanded the Bishop out of his presence bidding him be gon home to his Church who at his return inform'd the Duke what had pass'd and how much the King was sway'd by those wicked Councellors So that it was high time for him to provide for his own safety and obviate that destruction which was prepared for him Hereupon the Duke of Gloucester with the Earls of Arundel Warwick and Derby who were all designed to the same Condemnation if not prevented advising together resolve to stand upon their Guard and Treat with the King concerning the premisses and that favour which he afforded to them who were Traytors both to him and the publick and the imminent hazard of the Kingdom thence arising The King endeavoured to have surprized them singly before they had united their Retinues but failed therein so that with a very considerable force they assembled together at Haryngey-Park The King was just then preparing as it was said for a Journey to Canterbury to pay as was pretended his Devotions at the Shrine of S. Thomas Becket but indeed from thence to have pass'd into France and delivered up to the French King Calice and several other important Places which by the fatal Counsel of his pernicious Flatterers he had sold unto that King But this News of the Lords being in Arms diverted that Voyage and put King Richard into great Confusion not knowing what measures to take Some of those about him were for reconciling the Lords with fair promises others were for raising the Londoners and what other Forces could be procured and fighting them of which opinion especially was the Bishop of York But this the more prudent disapproved alledging the Dishonour and Damage would accrue to the King if worsted Whilst these wise men could not agree what course to take there was a Fool stumbled on an Expression which if duly considered might have done the King more Service than all their Debates This was a certain Knight called Hugh de Lynne who had been bred in the Wars but by an accident lost his Understanding and now as a Natural was maintained by the Charity of several of the Nobles and Retainers to the Court The King meeting him during these Consultations and being willing to divert himself by hearing his foolish discourse askt him jocularly What he should do with the Lords that were Assembled together in the before-mentioned Park To which the said Hugh very melancholy answered March forth Sir and let us fall upon them and kill every Mothers Son of them which being done by God's Eye you will gallantly have destroyed all the faithful Subjects you have in your Kingdom In the mean time Mediators for Peace posting to and fro between the King and the Lords it was at last by their Intercession concluded that the Lords should come before the King at Westminster and receive the Kings Answer to their Grievances The Bishop of Ely and divers other persons of Honour and Credit giving their Oaths on the Kings behalf That no Treachery or ill practice should be used but that they
might come and go with safety and if any were designed that they would admonish them of it A Caution that in the Event proved not unnecessary For on the day they should appear they had Intelligence that there was an Ambuscade laid for them about the Mews whereupon they delayed their coming and the King who had waited an hour or two for them beyond the time appointed enquiring the reason was told by the said Bishop of Ely that it was because he did not keep his word for there was secretly planted above a thousand Armed Men to cut them off in their passage The King seemed much offended at this Treachery and swore that he was not privy to it and therefore commanded the Sheriffs of London to search the Mews and if they found any persons assembled there for such a purpose to kill them But in truth the Contrivance was not there but in a place at Westminster where Sir Thomas Trivet and Sir Nicholas Bramber had to this intent got together great numbers of their Faction in Arms whom upon this discovery they dismist and retired into London And now the King promising again safe Conduct to the Lords they soon after arrived in his Royal presence whom they found in Westminster-Hall in his Robes of State and with his Crown on his Head and Scepter in his hand To whom they presented themselves on their Knees and the Bishop of Ely Lord Chancellor on the Kings behalf made a Speech blaming them for their raising Forces and demanding the Cause withal recommending the Kings Goodness who chose thus graciously to Treat with them rather than to Chastise them by Arms which he told them his Majesty wanted not power easily to have done To this the Lords answered That they had Assembled together for the good of the King and Kingdom and to remove Traytors from the King Naming particularly Robert de Vere Duke of Ireland Alexander Nevil Archbishop of York Michael de Pole Earl of Suffolk Robert Tresylian the false Chief Justice and Nicholas Bramber the false Knight of London whom they averr'd to be Traitors and flinging down their Gloves that they were ready to prove them to be such by Battle a manner of Tryal not unusual in those times To which the King himself answered That it shall not be determined in that manner but in the next Parliament which We appoint to be the Morrow after the Purification of the blessed Virgin next where both Parties coming should have Justice done according to Law And in the mean time all of them to be in the Kings protection without injuring one another And so after some friendly Discourse and Drinking with the King they departed thence And two days after the King the more to appease the Lords and satisfie the people caused Proclamation to be made in London seeming in Excuse of the Duke of Gloucester and his Associates but indeed to amuse them and preserve his dear Favourites from threatned Violence the Tenour whereof was to this effect RIchard KING c. We hereby make known to all our Liege and faithful Subjects throughout our whole Kingdom of England That whereas Tho. Duke of Gloucester Rich. Earl of Arundel Tho. Earl of Warwick have been by certain persons who little understood the truth of Affairs Defamed as Traytors to Vs and Our Kingdom We therefore having as becomes us with the highest Deliberation and greatest Diligence weigh'd the cause of such Scandal and most diligently to our utmost Power searching to the bottom for the Truth with the assistance of our Council do not finde any thing done or acted by them worthy of the blot of Suspicion much less any scruple of Evidence of their being guilty Whereupon we have Decreed to declare the said Defamation to be false unjust wicked and wholy void of all Truth And we do testifie the said Duke and Earls to be worthy of good Fame and Innocent and not so much as suspected of any Crime and as much as in us lies and as we are able we will approve and maintain them so to be and do take them hence-forwards into our Special Protection Farthermore We are willing to make known to all Persons by these Presents who are their Defamers Viz. Alexander Archbishop of York Robert Duke of Ireland Michael Earl of Suffolk Robert Tresylyen Our Chief Justice and Nicholas Brembre of London Kt. whom also We take into Our Protection that they may Answer whatever shall be objected against them in Our next Parliament Commanding that none on any pretence whatsoever shall either to Them or the forenamed Lords openly or secretly offer any kind of disturbance grievance or obedience till such prefixt time of Our Parliament But for all these fair words the Popular Lords knowing the Kings Mutability and as well the Influence those his ill Counsellors had over him as their malice and perfidiousness thought it the safest course not to separate themselves but with a vigilant Eye to observe the Motions of Affairs The Duke of Ireland and the rest accused did not appear with the King at this Meeting and 't was their wisest course to be absent for 't is believ'd the Kings Presence would scarce have been able to protect them Nor had they any mind to hazard themselves on the Justice of the next Parliament but rather resolv'd if they could to secure themselves by Arms. To which purpose the Duke of Ireland was all this while raising of Men in Cheshire and Wales either by the Kings Commission or Connivance and that it was more than the latter may justly be suspected because when he had made considerable Levies the King commanded Thomas Molineux a man of great Courage and Conduct Constable of the Castle of Chester to accompany and safe conduct the said Duke with all the Forces he could make to his Majesties Presence The Adverse Lords being Advertis'd of these Preparations and that they were upon their March beset the Ways by which the Duke should pass to London resolving to encounter him before he should have encreas'd his Power and countenanc'd his Actions with the Name and Presence of the King Accordingly Henry Earl of Derby Son of the Duke of Laneaster met them at a place called Babbelakâ— near Burfâ—rd in Oxfordshire whom the Duke no sooner saw but contrary to the Resolution of most of those that were with him he prepared for flight however Molineux prevailed with him to joyn Battel but scarce ten Ounces of Blood was lost on both sides before the Duke who had been so good at raising Quarrels shew'd himself as bad at stinting them and set Spurs to his Hâ—rse and forsook the Field whereby all his Men being disheartened and Sir Thomas Molineux slain the Earl of Derby obtain'd a cheap but intire Victory allay'd with nothing but the escape of Ireland who having mounted a fleet Nag and being to pass a River cast away both Gauntlet and Sword to be the lighter and so swam over and got first into Holland
by the Mediation of the Queen the Archbishop of Canterbury and other Bishops the King by the consent of the Lords against whom they had offended pardon'd the Sentence of Death But they were Out-law'd and Banisht for ever into Ireland Two and two to be kept in a place limited within certain Bounds which if they should presume to go out of they were immediately to be Executed on their former Judgment And for their Maintenance were allowed out of the Kings Exchequer as follows viz. To Fulthorp 40 l. per annum to Burgh 40 Marks to Belknappe 30 l. to Holt 40 Marks and to Care and Locton 20 l. per annum apiece This being done a General Pardon is pass'd for all Treasons and Seditions whatsoever and an Oath saith Walsingham exacted not only of all the Inhabitants of the Land but of the King too to stand to the Regulation of the Lords meaning as I conceive those so Commissioned and Authorized for one years space by King and Parliament as aforesaid And then the Parliament broke up in the Month of July After Whitsontide the Earl of Arundel again puts to Sea and burns-sinks and takes Fourscore French Ships And likewise Seizes the Isles of Ree and Oleroon the latter famous for the Laws Marine there said to be Compos'd and agreed upon with the City of Rochel and divers other places About the same time the Scots entred England as far as Newcastle in which young Peircy Son of the Earl of Northumberland and for his Valour and Fury in Arms Surnamed Hot-spur being them Ingarrison'd he with a small Party fought with them and with his own hand slew W. Douglass their Commander in Chief but being at last over-powr'd by the coming in of the Earl of Dunbar was himself taken Prisoner though at the same time he set free his Countrey For he had first so weakned them by the destruction of their Men that they durst not stay longer but in hast and disorder retreated into Scotland After Harvest a Parliament was again held at Cambridge in which many wholsome Laws pass'd As against Beggars Riding Arm'd giving Liveries to excessive Retinues Touching Labourers and Apparel suitable to peoples Ranks And especially That none should go out of the Realm to the Pope to procure the Grant of any Benefices in England without the Kings leave on penalty of being put out of the Kings protection Also a Tax was granted to the King being a Tenth of the Clergy and a Fifteenth of the Laity In the Year 1389 a grievous Discord happen'd at Oxford between the Welsh and the Northern Scholars wherein several were slain and further mischief threatned but by the Mediation of the Duke of Glocester the Broil was composed and divers of the Welshmen dismiss'd the Vniversity In May the King held a Great Council at Westminster and on Holy-Road-day being led by the Advice of certain Whisperers entred suddenly into the Council-Chamber and taking his Seat Demanded How old they took him to be Being answered Somewhat upwards of One and twenty years Then replyed He I am of full Age and capable to manage my Inheritance my self for sure 't is unjust that I should be in a worse condition than any other in my Kingdom for every Heir after the death of his Ancestor comes to his Estate and takes it into his own hand at one and twenty years of age This the Lords perhaps might be unwilling to Grant but more unable and afraid to deny And therefore the King went on with his Speech 'T is well known that for many years I have lived under your Tutelage and Governance and for the pains therein We thank you but now having attained to Our Legal Age We are resolved to be no longer in Ward but to take into Our hands the Government of Our Realm and to appoint such Officers and Ministers as We think fit and remove others at Our pleasure Accordingly he forthwith commanded the Bishop of York then Lord Chancellour to Resign the Seal which being done the King put it up in his Bosom and went away but soon after returned and gave it to William of Wickham Bishop of Winchester making him Lord Chancellor He likewise turn'd out the Bishop of Hereford from the Office of Treasurer and put in another in his room and chang'd several other chief Ministers of State partly to shew his Authority partly to satisfie his Displeasure As particularly he suspended his Vncle the Duke of Glocester and the Earl of Warwick and others from his Privy Council and admitted others in their stead that Humour'd him more but Honour'd him less The Earl of Arundel likewise was removed from the Admiralty of the Sea wherewith he had been entrusted by the Parliament and the same given to the Earl of Huntington Soon after this certain Detractors circumventing the King had so far prevail'd as to make him believe That the Duke of Glocester was contriving some Designs against him But upon the Dukes Examination the falshood and Malice of those Reports did appear And the King blusht to consider his own Credulity against so near and eminent a Relation yet though some of the Spreaders thereof were there present when the Duke would have questioned them for the same the King charged him as he lov'd him not to stir farther in the matter This Summer the King being at his Mannor of Sheen in July on a sudden there appeared such innumerable Swarms of Gnats that all the Air was darkned with them who skirmisht and fought one with another till the Slain fell down in heaps and being swept together with Brooms amounted to the quantity of many Bushels-full and the rest who seem'd to come off and were reckoned about a third part of the whole flew away which was by many esteem'd as an ill-boding Prodigy About the same time the Disciples of Wickliff in those days called Lollards being very numerous their Presbyters took upon them after the manner of Bishops to confer Holy Orders Asserting that every Priest had as much power of Binding and Loosing and Administring other Ecclesiastical Functims as the Pope himself either had or could bestow And though the Prelates had notice hereof yet out of negligence or rather fear they did not much concern themselves to suppress them save only the stout Bishop of Norwich who swore That if any of that Sect should presume to Preach in his Diocess he would either Burn or Behead them In November the Duke of Lanâ—aster after three years absence return'd into England from Spain having matcht his Daughter to the King of Castile's Son And the King of England having summon'd a Council at Reading the said Duke understanding that his Majesty had conceived Displeasure against divers great Lords to prevent the Mischiefs that might thereby arise immediately after his Arrival posted thither by whose good Offices the King's Resentments were diverted and Matters for the present pacified In the Year 1390 being the 13 year of King Richard's Reign on Munday after
themselves appear more like those Savages which they were to represent had got on strait Garments close to their Bodies cover'd over with Tâ—we which was fixt on with Rosin and Pitch to make it stick the faster Now when they were busie in the midst of their Dance by Torch-light a Villain suborn'd by the Duke clapt a Flambeau amongst them as if done by Accident whereby in an instant the Tow and other Combustibles took fire but a Lady seeing the danger snatcht away the King before the flames seiz'd him whilst Four of the other Maskers notwithstanding all the help imaginable was used were immediately burnt to Death In England the Lord Tho. Pierey is made the King's Steward and Sir William Scroop Chamberlain a Person saith our Author than whom in all Mankind there could not be found one more wicked or cruel The year following 1394 was chiefly remarkable for Funerals First the Dutchess of Lancaster Daughter to the King of Castile was snatcht away then the Countess of Derby her Daughter-in-Law next Queen Anne her self whose Obsequies were magnificently and at vast Expences Celebrated by the King and soon after died Isabella Dutchess of York Nor was Death onely content to Triumph over the Ladies but also mowed down the Noble Sir John Hawkwood a Knight whose Valour had rendred him Famous in many foreign Nations and no less dear to his own About August issâ—ed a Proclamation throughout England That all the Irish should forthwith return home and wait the Kings coming thither at Lady-day next following on pain of death And indeed it was but time to send them packing for such multitudes were come over in hopes of gain that they had left the English Pale in Ireland almost quite desolate So that the natural wilde Irish not yet Conquer'd taking thereby an advantage destroy'd or pillaged the few Subjects the King of England had remaining there at their pleasure And whereas King Edward the Third when he settled his Courts of Justice c. in that Country received from thence to his Exchequer Thirty thousand pounds per annum the same by reason of the want of Inhabitants was not only lost but on the contrary the King forc'd to be out of Pocket Thirty thousand Marks every year in the necessary defence of his Territories there Effectually to redress which the King in Person about Michaelmas sail'd into Ireland attended with the Duke of Glocester the Earls of March Nottingham Rutland c. The Irish unable to Cope with so great a Force endeavoured onely to weary him with Alarms Ambuscades and Skirmishes but at last divers of their petty Princes were glad to submit to King Richard of whom some he kept as Hostages for security others he dismist upon Parole And for the better settlement of Affairs Assembled a Parliament for Ireland at Dublin and continued in that Kingdom till after Easter In the mean time Anno 1395 the Duke of York Guardian of England during the Kings absence called a Parliament at London eight days after Twelfth-tide unto which was sent from Ireland the Duke of Gloucester who so zealously represented the Kings Necessities by reason of the vast Expence he had been at in this necessary and no less advantageous than honourable Expedition into Ireland that the Clergy were content to present his Majesty with a Tenth and the Commonalty with a Fifteenth But not without a Protestation first made That they were not bound to grant the same De stricto jure but did it purely out of their Affection to their King The Lollards so call'd as Tritemius says from Walter Lollard a German who flourisht about the year 1315. Or as others think from Lolium signifying Darnel or Tares for being Followers and Disciples of Wickeliff the Clergy and especially the Monks and Fryars were not wanting to brand them with ill Names and reputed them as the Tares sown by the evil One in the Field of Gods Church did about this time publickly affix on the Doors of S. Paul's Church Accusations of the Clergy charging them with sundry Abominations and also divers Conclusions touching Ecclesiastical Persons and the Sacraments of the Church At which the Bishops were much disturb'd and according to their usual Method instead of clearing themselves and confuting their Adversaries by Scripture or Reason endeavoured to silence them by Club-law dispatching away the Archbishop of York and Bishop of London into Ireland to the King intreating him to hasten his return to succour Faith and Holy Church that were both like to be undone by the Hereticks who were contriving how to take away the Possessions of the whole Church and overthrow all the Canonical Sanctions Upon this News back comes the King from Ireland and takes several of the Chief Favourites of the Lollards to task threatning most terribly if they shew'd them any Countenance for the future But the Hereticks were not the onely Afflicters of the Clergy at this time but Birds of their own Nests began to pluck their feathers too for William Archbishop of Canterbury got a Bull from the Pope Impowering him to levy throughout all the Diocesses of his Province Four pence in the pound of all Ecclesiastical Goods and Revenues as well of those Exempt as not Exempt and this without so much as pretending any true or lawful Cause for the same However the Execution of this Bull being committed unto the Archbishop of York and the Bishop of London though many of the inferiour Clergy grumbled not a little and complained thereof as unreasonable yet they were generally forced to submit unto it Anno Domini 1396 the Duke of Lancaster to whom the King had given the Dutchy of Aquitain and who had been at inestimable Charges in those Parts to Conciliate to himself the Affections of the Inhabitants no sooner had obtained the same but he was suddenly recall'd from thence by the Kings Command To which though it seemed no less hard than unexpected the Duke paid a punctual Obedience and was received if not with love yet at least with a shew of honour by the King from whom having obtain'd License to depart the Court he hastened to Lincoln and there to the admiration of all the World by reason of the disparity of their Qualities was married to Katherine Swinford who for divers years before had been his Mistress This year also the Pope wrote to the King intreating him to assist the Prelates of the Church in the Cause of God and of him the said King and his Kingdom against the Lollards whom he declared to be Traytors not onely to the Church but likewise to the King and therefore did most earnestly press him That whomsoever the Bishops should declare to be Hereticks he would forthwith Condemn by his Royal Authority But it seems the King was too busie otherwise to attend his Holiness's Commands and to do his Prelates drudgery in butchering of Hereticks for he was making mighty Preparations for a Voyage not of War but of Galiantry into France where
by agreement the two Kings were to have a Personal Conference In order to which King Richard passes over to Calice and the French King came down to Arde between which two Towns was the place appointed for their Interview and Mâ—gnificent Tents erected for their Entertainment But first they interchangeably took an Oath truly and religiously to observe the Sacred Laws of Amity at this Congress and that neither by themselves or any of their Subjects Friends Allies or any other to their privity or with their Allowance there should be contrived or practised any Hostility Surprize Damage or Disturbance by the one Party to the other And for further security the Space between the two Royal Tents was Guarded on either side with Knights Armed and drawn Swords in their hands Four hundred English on the one hand and Four hundred French on the other The Twenty seventh of October the two Kings met Four French Dukes waiting on the King of England and Five English Noblemen viz. the Dukes of Lancaster and Gloucester and the Earls of Derby Rutland and Northumberland attending the French King After an Enterchange of Complements between their Majesties it was first by mutual consent order'd That a Chappel at both their equal Charge should in the place of their Interview be Erected which should be called The Chappel of our Lady of Peace And on Saturday the Feast of S. Simon and Jude on further Treaty it was accorded That there should be a Cessation of Arms between the Two Crowns for the term of Thirty years and that King Richard should Espouse Isabel the French Kings Daughter then not above Eight years old On Sunday the two Kings dined together in King Richard's Tent and on the Munday the French King brought thither the young Lady who was entrusted to the Tuition of the Dutchesses of Lancaster and Gloucester and other English Ladies who conveyed her with a Glorious Retinue to Calice And soon after the two Kings in a most amicable manner took their Leaves of each other Walsingham tells us That besides the Presents made by King Richard to the French King and his Nobles amounting to the value of Ten thousand Marks and upwards he spent in this Amorous Voyage above Three hundred thousand Marks And Trussel relates That the Duke of Gloucester was not a little offended both with the Match and the Truce alledging That it was more meet to be in Arms than Amity with the French who being inferiour to the English in Courage did ever over-reach them in Craft and being too weak for War did oft-times prevail and get Advantages by Treaties of Peace That the French Lady being but a Child was a very unfit Match for King Richard as well by reason of the Disparity of their Years as for that he had no Issue by his first Wife and was not like to have any by this unless perhaps in his old Age. But these Arguments not prevailing the Londoners however took the Confidence to petition the King That seeing there was Peace with France he would Release them of the Subsidy granted in the last Parliament towards maintaining the Wars against that Crown This Suit being by them so importunately followed as much perplexed the King untill at length the Duke of Lancaster assured them That the procuring this Peace had spent and lost the King Three hundred thousand pounds wherewith they were pacified though 't is probable not very well pleased The King being returned safe into England with his Baby-Bride though not without the loss of his Tents and a great part of his riâ—h Furniture cast away by a Tempest in crossing the Channel The Earl of S. Paul was soon after sent by the French King to Complement the young Queen who having understood how earnestly Glocester had inveigh'd against this French Alliance was 't is said an eminent Instrument in contriving and occasioning the destruction of that Duke advising the King that he was too dangerous a Subject to be suffered and that it concern'd His Majesty both in Honour to revenge the Disgrâ—ces which he had by him formerly received and in Policy to prevent the Dangers which he had cause to fear Hereupon the King grows jealous of the Duke and as that passion is restless and apt to be fed with the slightest Imaginations so he began to pry more narrowly into his Deportment watch his Words and interpret both Them and his Actions to the worst framing to himself many vain Apprehensions and needless Disquiets To which another Accident not a little contributed viz. the King having been paid the Money lent the Duke of Britain upon Brest Redelivered the Town and thereupon the English Souldiers that were there in Garrison were sent home who at a Feast which the King kept at Westminster coming in great numbers into the Hall As soon as the King had Dined the Duke of Glocester askt him If he observed those men that stood in such Troops in the Hall Yes marry said the King Who were they They were said the Duke those Souldiers who by your Surrendring up of Brest are sent home and must now either steal or starve And so went on to tax the King of an unadvised Deed with words much mere unadvised Insomuch that the King in great anger replyed Why Vncle Do you think me either a Merchant or a Foâ—l to sell my Lands By S. John Baptist No but could I refuse to render the Town when I was tendred the Money lent upon it And certainly it shews either great weakness in the Duke if Brest were but a Mortgage and he did not know it or much Injustice if knowing it he would yet have had the King to detain it against manifest Equity Upon thâ—s and the before-mentioned Provocations there was â—â—dled in the King such a Displeasure against the 〈◊〉 as could never afterwards be quench'd but by â—his Blood And first he would often complain to the Dukes of Lancaster and York of the Duke of Glocesters perverseness in Actions and crosness in Speech who endeavoured to excuse him and pacifie His Majesty alledging That their Brother indeed was more vehement than they could commend but they durst assure His Majesty That his Heart was dutiful and faithful and that such his vehemency proceeded from a zealous regard lest His Majesty and his Kingdom should suffer either in Honour or Revenue and therefore His Majesty had no cause either to fear or be offended with him The King herewith seem'd to be satisfied but however the said two Dukes not knowing how far they might be involv'd in that Displeasure which they still perceived he retain'd against their Brother thought fit for avoiding the worst to retire from Court thereby giving the Duke of Glocester's Enemies the greater opportunities to incense the King against him Nor was it long before this black swelling Cloud of Royal Indignaâ—â— bâ—rst forth into actual Thunder But first In the Year 1397 a Parliament being summon'd at London the Duke of Lancaster caused the
all former burdens this present Year 1399. He charged 17 whole Counties with taking part against him heretofore with the Duke of Glocester and the rest of the Lords and threatned with Armed force to spoil and destroy them as publick Enemies And having thus affrighted them sent certain Commissioners Bishops and Lords Temporal to all the said several Shires to let them know his heavy displeasue And that without due acknowledgment of the Offence and Submission to his mercy he could not receive them into his Grace and Favour whereby they were prevailed upon to own themselves Traytors under their Hands and Seals Which was no sooner obtained but they were compell'd to pay insupportable Sums of Money for the Redemption of their Lives and Estates and procuring their Peace whereby they were all so impoverisht that few were able to subsist none at present to resist And yet further to make Conscience it self accessary to slavery New Oaths were imposed not warranted by any Law and the People constrained to Seal Blank Charters and Obligations and deliver them to the Kings use wherein whatsoever he pleased might afterwads be inserted The King bearing so heavy an hand over his People 't is no wonder if they bear an hard Heart towards him who being shallow in Judgment and not able to cover his Vices but with a Cloak of seeming terrible and powerful became first hated and afterwards contemptible and drove many of his Subjects to an Inclination to Revolt as resolved rather to run the hazzard of a speedy ruine by Rebellion than to perish by such a lingring Death of slavery In order hereunto there had been some overtures very privately made by Letters to the Duke of Hereford importuning his speedy return into England remonstrating that as well for the publick good of the Realm as for their own particular safeties they should be forced to use force for their deliverance from these intollerable oppressions and therefore solliciting him to be pleased but to make the Head and they would furnish the Body with an able Army and not only help him in bare wishes and advice but would joyn Hearts and Hands to adventure their Lives and Fortunes in his Quarrel which was also their own so that the danger should be common to all the Glory only his The Duke entertained these Adresses with great wariness and such moderation that he seem'd rather worthy of a Kingdom than desirous of it But to Whet him to an Edge and settle his Resolutions for the Enterprize there wanted not an apt and politick Instrument This was Thomas Arundel late Archbishop of Canterbury who being with the other Bishops in the Parliament when his Brother the Earl of Arundel together with the Earl of Warwick c. were called into question because Clergy-men by the Canons are commanded not to be present at any Judgment of Blood He and the rest of that Order departed the House Upon which occasion being absent not only his Brother was condemned for high Treason and Executed as you have heard but he himself Banish't the Realm his goods seized as forfeit and his Archbishoprick conferr'd on another This Prelate after this Disaster did with divers of his Confederates by several ways and in strange disguises come to Paris and in the House of one Clomigey where the Duke had taken Lodgings had frequent Conferences with his Grace touching the Affairs of England Their debates you may Imagine were managed with the strictest secrecy And I have alwaies been of Opinion that it better becomes a Romance than a serious History for the Author to forge set Speeches on such occasions wherin though he may please he does but deceive the Reader for how suitable soever he may contrive them yet 't is forty to one but the parties themselves might make use of very different Topicks Without guessing therefore at their word let it suffice to say their Consultations terminated in a Result that the Duke should adventure himself over into England and try his Fortune upon the first convenient opportunity Which soon presented it self the most invitingly that could be imagined The Earl of March appointed by the King to be his Lieutenant in Ireland exposing his person too adventurously was slain by the Wild Irish which so exasperated King Richard that he resolved in person to revenge his Death In order to which he raised a great Army but not without grievous Charge to his Subjects and about Whitsontide set forwards accompanied with the Dukes of Albemarle and Exeter divers of the Nobles and many Mitred Prelates amongst whom was the Abbot of Westminster a chief Favourite and taking with him not only the Sons of the Duke of Glocester and Hereford whom he pretended to instruct by that expedition in the Rudiments of War but indeed secured them as Hostages to prevent any attempts that might be made in his Absence by their Relations of whom he was most apprehensive But also all his Treasure Jewels Plate and Royal Robes as if he had design'd as in the event it effectually prov'd to have taken a final leave of his Kingdom and Dignity here in Enland Besides these general discontents of the People occasioned by the former ill-conduct and oppressions of Corrupt Ministers of state he just upon his departure stumbled upon another Error in Politicks for being at Bristol it was suggested to him That Henry Piercy Earl of Northumberland with others his Partisans intended some disloyal attempt and therefore did not tender their service in this Expedition whereupon by a pursevant he commanded the said Earl with all the Forces he could raise forthwith to repair to him whereunto the Earl by a Letter returned an excuse instead of Compliance intreating his Majesty to consider how little necessary it would be for the Irish Service and indeed dangerous to the whole Realm to draw men from such remote places in regard those Rebels were neither so many nor so mighty but that the King had already sufficient Forces to reduce them to Obedience and to disfurnish the Northern parts of their strength would but give an opportunity to the Scots to Invade us And therefore begg'd his Majesty that he would be pleased in such a juncture to Excuse him from attending This Answer the King interprets as an Affront to his Authority and in an unadvised Heat proclaims the Earl and all that should take his part Traytors and orders all their Lands and Goods to be seiz'd to his Use. The Earl resenting this disgrace and forced as it were by necessity does then in earnest make good the Original Information by standing upon his Guard or rather in a posture of open Hostility In the mean time the King pursues his voyage for Ireland whose Arrival Fortune courted with some treacherous smiles for the petty Irish Kings terrified with the Fame of his Power and not daring to trust each other in a joynt Defence endeavoured rather singly to make each one the best Bargain for himself by being the first that
and had some private discourse with the Archbishop After a small space the Duke of Lancaster himself all Arm'd approached the Castle and being within the first Gate he there reposed himself till the King attended with the Bishop of Carlile the Earl of Salisbury and Sir Stephen Scroop who bore the Sword before him came forth and sate down in a place prepared for him As soon as the Duke saw his Majesty he came toward him bowing his Knee and advancing forward did so a second and a third time and then the King took him by the hand and lift him up saying Dear Cousin thou art welcome the Duke humbly thanking him answered My Soveraign Lord and King the Cause of my coming at this present is your Honour saved to have Restitution of my Person my Land and Inheritance To which the King replyed Dear Cousin I am ready to accomplish your will so that you may enjoy all that is yours without exception After this coming forth of the Castle the King called for Wine and having drank they mounted and rod to Chester and so by several Stages he was carried directly and with great Expedition to London and lodged on pretence of State but in truth for better security in the Tower having not in all that Journey changed his Apparel but wore only one Sute and that but an ordinary one whereas he was wont to be extraordinary profuse in his Cloaths having one Coat valued at Thirty thousand Marks The King yielded himself the Thirtieth day of August being but the Seven and fortieth day after the Dukes Arrival in England so that he might well assume Caesars Motto Veni Vidi Vici For considering his Marches from Holderness in the North up to London and from thence to Bristol and so into Wales and back again to Chester a man can scarce travel over so much ground in the space that he Conquered it Nay so indulgent was Fortune to him that all the Kings Jewels and Treasure amounting as a late Author asserts to Seven hundred thousand pounds with his Horses and Baggage fell into his hands The King being thus safely lodg'd in the Tower the Duke of Lancaster but in King Richards Name caused Writs to be issued forth for summoning and choosing a Parliament to be held at Westminster on the last day of September following And in the mean time consults with his nearest Kindred and Friends how to steer his Proceedings so as to bring his Affairs by prudence to a lucky end which had hitherto even beyond his hopes been favoured by Fortune In order to which the Duke of York who but a little before had been Governour of the Realm for the King but now his the said Lancasters great Director must be his best Oracle who after divers Debates proposed it as very expedient that King Richard should both voluntarily Resign and also be solemnly Deposed by the Estates of the Realm For otherwise Resignation would be imputed only to his Fear and Deprivation only to their Force whereof the one is always apt to move Pity and the other stir up Envy But if both concur and his desire be combined with his deserts being willing to forsake that which he is adjudged worthy to forfeit then it will appear that he is neither expelled his Kingdom by meer Constraint nor leave it without just Cause This Advice was generally approved and accordingly pursued a Solemn Renunciation being tendred unto the King and by him Signed on Michaelmas Day then next following being the day before the Parliament was to meet The Words Order and Ceremony whereof and of the Articles exhibited against Him and his Deposition thereupon following in Parliament appear in the Records thereof remaining in the Tower Authentick and Attested Copies wherefore are Printed in the Book Intituled Historiae Anglicanae scriptores decem beginning Col. 2743. From whence the same are word for word Translated as follow The Roll of Parliament Summoned and Holden at Westminster in the Feast of S. Fide the Virgin in the first year of the Reign of King Henry the Fourth after the Conquest Membrane the 20th The Record and Process of the Renunciation of King Richard the Second after the Conquest and likewise the Acceptance of the same Renunciation with the Deposition of the same King Richard afterwards ensuing BE it remembred that on Munday the Feast of S. Michael the Archangel in the Three and twentieth year of the Reign of King Richard the Second the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and other Persons of note that is to say the Lord Richard le Scroop Archbishop of York John bishop of Hereford Henry Earl of Northumberland and Ralph Earl of Westmor land the Lord Hugh le Burnel Thomas Lord de Berkley Prior of Canterbury and Abbot of Westminster William Thyrning Knight and John Markham Justices Thomas Stow and John Burbache Doctors of Laws Thomas de Erpingham and Thomas Gray Knights William de Feryby and Dionisius Lapham Publick Notaries first deputed to the Act under written by the Assent and Advice of several of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and of the Judges and others skilful as well in the Civil and Canon Law as in the Law of the Realm Assembled at Westminster in the usual place of Council did about Nine of the Clock come to the Presence of the said King being within the Tower of London And it being Recited before the said King by the said Earl of Northumberland in the behalf of all the rest before named so as aforesaid joyned with him How the said King heretofore at Coneway in North-VVales being at Liberty did promise unto the Lord Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury and the Earl of Northumberland that he would yield up and renounce the Crown of England and France and his Regal Majesty for Causes of his Inability and Insufficiency there by the said King himself confessed and that in the best manner and form as the same could be done as Councel learned should best order The said King before the said Lords and others above named hereunto benignly answering That he would with Effect accomplish what before in that behalf he had promised But desired to have some discourse with his Cousins Henry Duke of Lancaster and the said Lord Arch-bishop of Canterbury before he fulfilled such his promise Afterwards the same day after Dinner the said King much affecting the coming of the said Duke of Lancaster and having long waited for him at last the said Duke of Lancaster the Lords and others above named and also the said Archbishop of Canterbury did come to the Presence of The said King in the Tower aforesaid The Lords de Roos de Willougby and de Abergeny and very many others being then there present and after the said King had had discourse with the said Duke of Lancaster and Archbishop exhibiting a merry Countenance here and there amongst them to part thereof as appeared to those that stood round about at last the said King calling to him all that were
place the said King and cause him to sit in the said Royal Seat All the people wonderfully shouting for joy and by and by the said Archbishop of Canterbury having with much ado procured silence from the over joy'd multitude made a short discourse or Oration in these words Vir Dominabitur populo A man shall Reign over my people 1 Sam. 9. 17. These are the words of the King of Kings speaking to Samuel and teaching him how a person should be qualified to Rule since the people desired to have a King given And not unfitly may they be said of our Lord the King whom we behold this day and if we but intimately consider these words they afford us matter of great Consolation for God does not threaten us as he did formerly his people by Isaiah saying Isa. 3. I will make Children to rule over them But according to his Compassion who in his wrath remembreth mercy he hath visited his people and now no more Children as heretofore shall Lord it over them For the Lord saith to them A man shall Rule Of the late Rulers of this Kingdom or any of them one might have fitly said that of the Apostle Cor. 13. I spake as a Child I understood as a Child I thought as a Child The Apostle repeats it thrice As a Child I spake I understood and thought As to speech 't is certain that a Child is unconstant in speaking he easily speaks true and as easily false is 〈◊〉 inwards to promise but what he promiâ—â—â— presâ—ntly forgets Now these are things very 〈◊〉 and dangerous in a King nor is it possible that any Realm shall stand long in happiness where these Conditions bear sway But from such mischiefs a Kingdom is freed whese Scepter is sway'dly a Man for it belongs to a Man to sâ—t a watch before his Tongue and such is our present happiness over whom not a Child but a Man is set and such an one as I hope we may say of him That in Eccles 9 Blessed is the man that hath not erred with his Tongue Thâ—n saith the Apostle I understood as a Child Now a Child 〈◊〉 nothing but flatteries and pleasing things and understands only Bawbles and 〈◊〉 and loves not 〈◊〉 that argues according 〈…〉 hates him beyond all 〈…〉 amongst us Truth 〈…〉 under foot so that none durst 〈◊〉 and therefore 't is plain and apparâ—â—â— enough that He that thâ—n Reign'd understood as a Child For a Man is not addiâ—â—â— to such things but understands wisdom so that by the Grace of God it may be said of him 〈◊〉 is written Eccles. 9. Blessed is the man that abideth in wisdom For as a Child is delighted in Vanity so a man has regard to Truth and Wisdâ—m Truth therefore shall enter and Vanity depart which has done so much mischiâ—f in our Nation for now a Man shall Rule who seeks after Truth and not Vanity or Flattery Thirdly It is said I thought as a Child for a Child thinks and studies only how to have his humour and do things according to his own will and not according to Reason Thereforâ— when a Child Reigns there only Self-will Reigns and Reason is banisht and Constancy is put to flight and great danger ensues from which danger wâ— are dâ—lâ—verâ—d for a Man shall rule over us to wit One that speaks not like a Child but thus as one that has the perfection of Reason I come not to do my own will but the will of him that sent me to wit of God And thâ—râ—fore of such a man we will say not only that he will abide in wisdom but also that as a Man not a Child he will meditate on the Circumspection of God that is he will every way dâ—lâ—gently observe that Gods will not his own be done and so in the stead of a Child wantoning in foâ—lish stubborn humors a Man shall Râ—ign and such a Man that it shall be said of him A King shall Reign in wisdom and he shâ—ll eâ—â—ente Judgment and do Justice in the Earth Which Harrangue being ended the said Lord King Henry to appease the minds of his Subjects did then and there utter these words Sirs I thank God and Èowe Spiritual and Temporel and all the Astates of the Lond and do Èowe to wyte it es noght my will that no man thynke that be way of Conquest I wold disherit any man of his Heritage Franches or other Ryghts that hym aght to have no put hym out of that that he has and has had by the gude Laws and Customs of the Rewme Except those persons that has ben agan the gude purpose and the commune profit of the Rewme And forthwith considering that by the former vacancy of the Royal Throne by the Cession and Deposâ—â—ion aforesaid all power of Justices Sheriffs and other Officers throughout the Kingdom was ceased therefore to the end that there might be â—â—â—failure nor delay in the administration of Justice to the grievance of the People he caused principal Officers and Justices to be made and sworn to him with the usual Oaths And it was immediately proclaimed by the Kings Command that on Monday next after the said Feast of S. Michael a Parliament should be held and celebrated And that on the Monday following that that is to say on the Feast of S. Edward should be the Coronation of the said King at Westminster and that all those that could claim any service in the said Coronation should come to the White hall of the Palace before the Steward Constable and Marshall of England on Saturday next before the day of the said Parliament to make their just demands in that behalf and receive right therein But as for the shortning the day assigned to the Parliament there was a Protestation made by the King That it was not his intent that thereby any prejudice should be brought upon the States of his Kingdom nor that the same for the future should be drawn into Example but that such Abbreviation of Time was only made for the benefit and profit of the Kingdom and especially to save the Labour and Expences of several of his people and that the Grievances of the people might be the sooner remedied After which the King arising from his Royal Throne and beholding the people with a cheerful and benign Countenance retired himself from thence all the people rejoycing And the same day in the White-hall aforesaid made a solemn Feast to the Nobles and Gentry there in a vast multitude assembled And afterwards viz. On Wednesday next following the before named Procurators so deputed as aforesaid did according as they were commanded repair into the Presence of the said laâ—e King Richard being within the Tower aforesaid and the said Sir William Thirnyng the Justice for himself and his Companions and Fellow-Proâ—urators in the Name of all the States and People aforesaid did notifie and fully declare unto the said Richard their admission of his said Renunciation and the Manner Cause and
Treasurer The Lord Michael de Pole Earl of Suffolk was with much disgrace turn'd out of the Office of Chancelor and Thomas de Arundel Bishop of Ely by Consent of Parliament put in his stead And sometime afterward the said Michael de Pole was Impeached of several High Crimes and Misdemeâ—â—ors by the Commons as follows The Impeachment or Articles made by the Commons in full Parliament against Michael de Pole Earl of Suffolk late Chancellor of England in the Term of S. Michael in the Tenth Year of the King and the Judgment upon them following from Point to Point IMprimis That the said Earl being Chancellor and Sworn to Act for the just Profit of the King hath Purchased of Our Lord the King Lands Tenements and Rents to a great Value as appears by the Record-Rolls of the Chancery And against his Oath not regarding the great Necessity of the King and Realm being Chancellor at the time of such Purchase made did cause the said Lands and Tenements to be Extended at a much smaller value than really they were worth by the year and thereby deceiv'd the King And for that he purchased the said Lands when he was Chancellor against his Oath the King shall have the said Lands again intirely and the said Earl shall make Fine and Ransom to the King with all Profits received since the Purchase 2. Item Whereas Nine Lords were Assigned by the last Parliament to View and Examine the Estate of the King and Realm and to deliver their Advice how the same might be Improved Amended and put into better Order Governance and thereupon such Examination to be delivered to the King as well by Word of Mouth as in Writing The said late Chancellor did say in full Parliament That the said Advice and Ordinance should be put in due Execution which yet was not done and that by the default of him who was the principal Officer To this Article and the Third and the Seventh the said Earl shall answer if he have any thing to say against the same in special 3. Item Whereas a Tax was granted by the Commons in the last Parliament to be laid out in a certain Form demanded by the Commons and assented to by the King and Lords and not otherwise yet the Moneys thence arising were expended in another manner so that the Sea was not Guarded as it was ordered to have been whence many Mischiefs already have happen'd and more are like to ensue to the Realm and all this by the default of the said late Chancellor 4. Item Whereas the Tydeman of Limbergh having to him and his Heirs of the Gift of the King's Grandfather Fifty pounds per annum out of the Customs of Kingstone upon Hull which the said Tydeman forfeited to the King and also the payment of the said Fifty pounds per annum was discontinued for Five and thirty years and upwards The said Chancellor knowing the Premisses purchased to him and his Heirs of the said Tydeman the said Fifty pounds per annum and prevailed with the King to confirm the said Purchase whereas the King ought to have had the whole Profit For this Purchase the said Earl was adjudged to Fine and Ranson and the said Fifty pounds to go to the King and his Heirs with the Mannor of Flaxâ—â—ete and Ten Marks of Rent which were exchang'd c. with the Issues c. 5. Whereas the high Master of S. Antony is a Schismatick and for that Cause the King ought to have the Profits which appertain to him in England the said late Chancellor who ought to advance and procure the Profit of the King took to Farm the said Profits of the King at Twenty Marks per annum and so got to his own use above a Thousand Marks And afterwards when the said Master in England which now is ought to have had the Possession and Livery of the said Profits he could not obtain the same till he and two persons with him became bound by Recognizance in Chancery of Three thousand pounds to pay yearly to the said Chancellor and his Son John One hundred pounds for the term of their two Lives For which it is adjudged That the King shall have all the Profits belonging to the said S. Anthony's at the time of the Purchase and that for the Recognizance so made the said Earl shall be Awarded to Prison and Fined and Ransom'd at the pleasure of the King 6. Item That in the time of the latâ— Chancellor there were granted and madâ— divers Charters and Patents of Pardoâ— for Murders Treasons Felonies c. against the Laws and before the Commencement of this present Parliament there was made and sealed a Charter of certain Franchises granted to the Castle of Dover in Disinherison of the Crown and to the subversion of the Pleas and Courts of the King and of his Laws The King Awards that those Charters be Repealed 7. Whereas by an Ordinance made in the last Parliament that Ten thousand Marks should be raised for the Relief of the City of Gaunt by the default of the said late Chancellor the said City of Gaunt was lost and also a Thousand Marks of the said Money Vpon all which Articles the Commons demand the Judgment of Parliament WAlsingham tells us That all these Articles were so fully proved that de Pole could not deny them insomuch that when he stood upon his Answer and had nothing to say for himself the King Blushing for him shook his Head and said Alas alas Michael see what thou hast done And when the King desired a Supply the Commons answered That he did not need the Tallage of his Subjects who might so easily furnish himself of so great a sum of Money from him who was his just Debtor But at last upon his Majesties yielding to have him turn'd out of the Chancellorship and admitting the Articles which he was very unwilling to suffer they freely gave him half a Tenth and half a Fifteenth only providing that it might be necessarily Expended To which purpose it was to be deposited in the hands of the Earl of Arundel who was then going to Sea with a Fleet to secure the Coasts They likewise gave the King on every Pipe of Wine Imported or Exported Three shillings and on every Twenty shillings worth of all sorts of Merchandize Foreign or Domestick brought in or carried out one shilling Wool Hides and Pelts onely excepted And also at the King's Instance granted that the Heirs of Charles de Bloys should for Thirty thousand Marks be permitted to sell Bretaigne in France to the French and that Robert de Vere the new Duke of Ireland the Kings most dangerous Favourite should have the said Thirty thousand Marks a prodigious sum of Money in those days wholly to his own use provided he would be gone before next Easter into Ireland and there make use of it to recover the Dominions that the King hath given him in that Kingdom so passionately did both Lords and