fliBttteU IftttiwMitg fibtatg BOUGHT WITH THE INCOME FROM THE SAGE ENDOWMENT FUND THE GIFT OF Aa.L2.a£. -^ -^ Cornell University Library DA 240.A19 1876 3 1924 027 926 025 *.«i BOUGHT WITH THE INCOME FROM THE SAGE ENDOWMENT FUND THE GIFT OF ha-LzaA ..Ll Cornell University Library DA 240.A19 1876 3 1924 027 926 025 ......i Cornell University Library The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924027926025 CMONICON AD^ DE USK PUBLISHED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE §l0jial ^stut^ d f il^ralwrt. CHRONICON AD Jl DE USK : ■ I J A.D. 1377—1404 ' ! ',^ EDITED WITH A TRANSLATION AND NOTES BY EDWARD MAUNDE THOMPSON BARRISTEK-AT-I.A\r AND ASSISTANT-KEEPER OF MSS. IN THE BRITISH MUSEHM LONDON JOHN MUEEAY 1876 LONDON ; PRINTED BY GILBERT AND RIVINGTON, ST. JOHN'S SQUARE AND WHITEERIARS STREET. PREFACE. By the liberality of the Royal Society of Literature I am enabled to make known an interesting chronicle of English history which has never yet seen the light. This work has a certain advantage which middle-age chronicles for the most part lack. The writer was not a monk. He was, therefore, unfettered by the bonds of con- ventual brotherhood, and was not forced to adopt the politics of his house and sink his individuality in the monastic historio- grapher. Adam of Usk lived in the world ; he was a priest and a lawyer, he pleaded in the courts, spoke in convocation, and sat on commissions ; and, happily, he had vanity enough to think that his personal actions were not unworthy to be recorded among the general history of his time. The source from which the text is here printed is the Addi- tional MS. 10,104 in the British Museum, a folio volume of 176 leaves. Adam's chronicle occupies only the last twenty-two PREFACE. leaves of the volume, being intended as a continuation of the Polychronicon of Ralph Higden, which precedes it. In fact it is a later addition, written in a hand of the middle, while Higden's work is of the early part, of the fifteenth century. The writer does not give his name in full in any part of the chronicle ; though the initial letters which appear in the writ printed on page 47, and the references made in different passages to Usk as the place of his birth, are enough to serve as a clue to the authorship. But, to leave no doubt on this point, Adam, or the scribe, has prefixed to the work some short extracts or sentences on Adam, the father of mankind (including one which refers to Adam de Orleton, bishop of Hereford), and a note from the prophecy of Merlin on the river Usk, so disposing the sentences that, in one instance, the two words adam : tjsk meet together. Besides these notes is also added a copy of an answer to a letter of Lewis de S. Melano, who became treasurer of Llandaff in 1368, concerning the misfortunes of his church ; thus connecting the volume with that diocese. That it belonged to some person or church or monastery in Wales is sufficiently proved by the insertion of Adam's chronicle, and by the character of the marginal references which have been added to the Polychronicon. At the foot of the first page of the latter work is roughly sketched by a later hand the shield of arms of Adam of Usk as emblazoned by himself (p. 55) : on a field sable, a naked man delving — ^just such a conceit as our chronicler would adopt from that couplet which was only too well known in the days when John Ball preached how " Adam delved." PREFACE. Vll Scattered through his pages are incidental particulars enough to enable us to construct an outline of the first part of Adam's life. He was born at Usk, in Monmouthshire, perhaps about 1360 to 1365, and appears to have been taken under the protection of Edmund Mortimer, who became earl of March in 1360, and who obtained for him a law studentship at Oxford. There he took the doctor's degree in laws (p. 72), and there we find him, in 1387, an " extraordinarius " of canon law. This position, however, did not prevent him joining in the serious riots which took place in the uni- versity between the men of the South and the Welsh on the one side and the Northerners on the other ; nor even from being a ringleader — a distinction to which he looks back with the indulgent complacency with which an old man is wont to regard the mad frolics of his youth. After leaving Oxford, he pleaded for seven years in the archbishop's court at Canterbury (p. 72), probably from about the year 1390 or a little later. In 1397, as he tells us, he was in daily attend- ance in Richard's last parliament at Westminster : in what capacity he does not say, but probably in some official position as a lawyer. He next appears at Bristol in company with Thomas Arundel or Fitz-Alan, archbishop of Canterbury, and following the fortunes of Henry BoUngbroke. When Henry's army advanced north, he accompanied it, and was thus able to intercede for his native place and avert the punishment which Henry threatened for its resistance. He was present at the occupation of Chester, and, after Richard's surrender, must have followed Hemy to London. Adam's connection with archbishop Arundel doubtless went far to recommend him Vlll PllEFACE. to Henry's notice ; but, at the same time, his legal knowledge must have been considerable and enough to justify his appointment to sit on the commission for the deposition of Richard. After his accession Henry did not forget him. In 1400 he appointed him to a prebend in the church of Bangor; and again made use of his legal ability in sub- mitting to him questions as to the obligation to restore to the French the dower of Richard-'s queen Isabella. Moreover, if we may believe Adam's own words, he was taken into Henry's confidence so far as to be allowed to speak boldly before the king in the same terms as are to be found in the remark- able letter which he wrote to Henry in May, 1401. For, though he does not make the admission, in so many words, there can scarcely be any hesitation in assuming that he was the writer. In this letter is clearly reflected the discontent which was rife among the people in the early years of Henry's reign^ and which made that period a continuous scene of revolt and suppression. "Wrapped in a cloud of Scriptural quotations, it speaks home-truths which could no<; but have given offence; although, if the dates be correct, Adam did not suffer immediately for his boldness. But early in the following year he departs suddenly for Rome ; not by his own will, as may be gathered from what follows. Of his journey he gives some interesting particulars. Leaving London on the 19th of February, he passed through Flanders. Thence, following the course of the Rhine to Basel, he crossed into Italy by the Mont St. Gotthard, on the dangers of which pass he is not silent, and reached Bellinzona on the 18th of March. He did not arrive in PREFACE. IX Rome till the 5th of April. Here he was well received by the pope, Boniface IX., and was appointed papal chaplain and auditor of the Rota. From this period to the time at which the chronicle breaks off Adam continued in Rome ; but that he eventually returned to England appears from the incidental mention (p. 83) of four years as. the term of his exile. Of the various ecclesiastical appointments which were con- ferred on Adam he probably actually held but few, as those for which he received the papal provision, during his sojourn in Rome, must count for dead letters. Twice he narrowly escaped a bishopric, but his enemies were strong enough to keep him out of both Hereford and St. David's. In his legal practice he was engaged in one or two im- portant matters. He drew the petition for Dymock's championship at Henry's coronation ; and was retained by lord Grey of Ruthin in his famous suit against lord Edward Hastings, and again by lord Morley in his action consequent on his challenge of the earl of Salisbury. From the latter case it appears that a part of a lawyer's fee was a certain amount of scarlet cloth. That Adam was more superstitious than other men of his day it would be hazardous to assert. But wherever he can introduce a prophecy, with good or indifferent effect, he shows no reluctance, and as a dreamer of dreams he could scarce be surpassed. Add to these weaknesses a certain amount of harmless self-conceit, and we can readily picture the man. Fortunately, Adam's foibles do not impair the historical value of his chronicle. On the contrary, many of the public X PREFACE. eTcnts which he records receive a vividness and reality from his love of introducing himself, and his readiness to tell what he saw with his own eyes — and this in spite of involved sen- tences and an execrable style. The early part of the chronicle is an incoherent outline of events from Richard's accession to 1394, meagre and not without anachronisms. This portion Adam himself evidently felt was not all that might be desired, and it is accordingly closed with an apology. It is not, however, till 1397 that the history is given in any detail, that year beginning with a full account of the proceedings of Richard's last parliament. As pointed out in the notes, this part of the chronicle fpUows the so-called Monk of Evesham^s narrative, the adoption of which by Adam, who was present in the parliament, may be taken as a confirmation of the accuracy of that history. That Adam copied from the monk, and not the monk from Adam, must be conceded, as it is clear from his allusions to the Lollard rising in Henry the fifth's reign and to the death of the dauphin in 1415 (p. 55) that Adam composed his history after that date. The portion of the chronicle which will attract most attention is that which extends from the date of Henry's in- vasion to Richard's death. Adam's account of the march of Henry's army and of the events at Chester is full of interest. His appointment to serve on the commission of inquiry for the deposition of Richard gives him an opportunity for letting some light into the old story of John of Gaunt' s forged chronicle ; and his record of the finding of the com- PREFACE. mission and his legal quotations are not without historical value. As a Lancastrian, he is bitter enough against Richard ; but it is significant that his political feelings do not prevent him from involving one of the Swinfords in a charge of hastening the death of that unfortunate prince. As a trait of Henry's resolute character, his remark to the champion Dymock at his coronation will not be overlooked ; compared with which, Richard's lamentations on Adam's visit to see him in the Tower are a curious contrast. In reading the latter passage, one is reminded of a similar scene of lamentation told by Creton in his story of Richard's capture. With regard to the curious state-paper which has been preserved in this chronicle and by which Henry sought to fortify himself in refusing the restoration of Isabella's dower, under pretext of balancing it against the unpaid ransom of king John of France, we can gather from other sources that its consideration by those to whom it was submitted must have satisfied Henry's wishes. For his envoys were in- structed to put forward the claim to the ransom in discussing the question with the French, and thereby succeeded in protracting still further the wearisome negociations which preceded the restitution of the young queen to her father. As a Welshman, Adam naturally takes more than ordi- nary notice of what was passing in Wales. Glendower's uprising, his defeats and victories and ever-recurring raids through the country, the English invasions and border war- CHRONICON ADM DE USK. CHRONICON Peedicto gracioso Edwardo, in vigilia Natalia Sancti Joliaii- a.d. 1377. nis Baptiste, anno regni sui quinquagesimo secundo, ab hac ■vita subtracto, ipsius nepos, Ricardus, Edwardi principis Wallie, dicti regis primogeniti, filius, undecim annorum pupillus, infer omnes mortales ac si secundus Apsalon pulche- rimus, ei successit, aput Westmonasterium in festo Sancti Kenelmi coronatus. Isti Ricardo, regni sui tempore, plura votive inclifca fere- bantur. Et quia tenere etatis existebat, alii, ipsius et regni curam habentes, lascivias, extorciones, intollerabiles injurias regno irrogare non desistebant. Unde illud accidit mon- A.D. i38i. struosum, ut plebei' regni, et potissime Gancie et Essexie, sub "^^^ S'"^^'^- misero duce Jac Straw, in regni dominos et regis officiarios, hujusmodi injurias et potissime taxacionum et coUectarum, ut asserruerunt, sufferre non valentes, in multitudine onerosa^ insurgendo, Londoniam, in vigilia Corporis Christi, anno Domini millesimo ccc° octogesimo prime, venerunt ; et magis- trum Symonem Sudbyry, Cantuariensem arcbiepiscopum, tunc regis cancellarium, et dominum Robertum Hale, ejus tbesau- Canceiiarii ranum, pluresque alios juxta turrim Londonie decapitarunt ; rarii deca- ubi adbuc, in locis decapitacionis dictorum dominorum, in ''^ '"''°' tanti prodigii memoriam, due cruces marmoree eriguntur, in perpetuum durature. In isto plebeiorum tumultu plures regni magnates quam f. 1 55 b. pluribus regni partibus fuerunt decapitati. Ducis Lancastrie palacium, regni pulcberimum, Savoy nuncupatum, prope Lon- ' pleibei. MS. ^ onoi-o.sa. MS. B 2 CHKONICON A.D. 1381. doniam super Thamisii ripam, quia plebeiis exosi, per ipsos totaliter igne extitit destructum. Ipseque dux, ipsorum metu territus, in Scosiam fugam arripuit. Quibus ad placandum/ ipsorumque ferocitatem ad sedandum/ rex concessit omnem servilem condicionem, tarn in personis quam eorum operis, de regno a cetero extirpari/ libertatem penitus concedendam, omnesque incarcerates liberari. Hocque ubique in regni co- mitatibus publice mandavit et fecit proclamari. quantus regni desolati tunc vibrabatur luctus ! Quia omnes regni nobiliores interficere,'' ex seipsis regem et dominos erigerej novas leges condere, et breviter tocius insule et ejus super- ficiem statumque renovare, ymmo verius deturpare, jacta- bant. Quisque sibi exosum decapitabat, si diciorem spoliabat. Tamen, Deo mediante, dicti eorum ducis in Smytlifelde juxta Londoniam, regique capicium non deponentis nee ipsius regis magestatem in aliquo reverentis, in suorum milvorum* medio, subtiliter per dominum Wyllebnum Walworth, militem, Lon- doniensem civem, capita amputate, et subito in gladii mucrone publice erecto et eis ostenso, ipsi plebeii penitus territi, sub- terfugia videlicet querentes, ibidem ipsorum invasivis dimissis armis, ac si bujusmodi tumultus et facinoris inmunes, misera- biliter, tanquam vulpes ad foveas, ad propria remearunt. Quos rex et domini insequentes, quosdam post equuos tra- hendo, quosdam gladiis trucidando, quosdam ad furcas sus- pendendo, quosdam membratim dividend©, ad milia truci- darunt. Piiius car- jg^Q eodem annOj venit quidam in Angliam dictus Pilius, tituli Sancte* Praxedis presbiter cardinalis, ad tractandum cum concilio Anglie, ex parte imperatoris Almanie, regis Boemie, de et super matrimonio inter regem nostrum predictum et dominam Annam, dicti imperatoris sororem, postea ex eo capite Anglie reginam benignissimam, licet sine prole defunc- tam. Ineundo cardinalis iste, false se fingens legatum a ' placendura. MS. ' oedandum. MS. 2 exturpari. MS. ^ interfeoere. MS. =• mulvorum. MS. » .sancti. MS. latere esse ac potestatem pape habere, vices papales tunc a.d. 1381. excercuit ; me inter cetera notarium tunc, licet inutiliter, in domo fratrum predicacionis Londonie, ubi tunc morabatur, creavit. Infinitam pecuniam sic coUegit, et ab Anglia cum eadem pecunia, eodem tractatu matrimonii expedite, ad sui recessit dampnacionem ; credens tamen, licet in vanum, facta a.d. 1382. sua bujusmodi per papam ratificari.' Post cujus recessum Rex emit T 1 • A 1 • " * ^^^^ UXO- dicta domma Anna, per dominum regem magno precio re- rem. dempta, quia a rege Francie in uxorem affectata, in Angliam et Anglie reginam transmittitur coronanda. Salamonis juxta proverbium, "Ye regno cujus rex puer est,'"' ejusdemRicardijuventutis tempore, plurima infortunia, propter earn causata pariter et contingencia, regnum Anglie non cessarunt perturbare, ut premittitur et inferius plenius notabitur, usque ad magnam ejusdem regni confusionem,'' ipsiusque Ricardi regis sibique nimis 'voluptuose adheren- cium finalem destruccionem. Inter cetera infortunia, ymmo omnium scelerum sceleratissima, in fide scilicet catholica errorum et beresum, per semina cujusdam magistri Johannis Wycleff, pestifere doctrine velud loUio eandem fidem corrum- pentis, Anglia et potissime Londonia et Bristolia extiterunt corrupte. Cujus magistri Johannis, ut Machomdus, discipuli, potentibus et divitibus placabilia, decimarum scilicet et obla- cionum retencionem, ae temporalium a clero ablacionem, juvenibusque incontinenciam, meritorias existere predicando, multas clades, insidias, rixas et contenciones et sediciones, adhuc durantes et, ut timeo, usque ad regni confusionem duraturas, nefandissime seminarunt. TJnde, in pluribus regni partibus, et precipue Londonia et Bristolia," velud Judei ad Vituius montem Oreb, propter vitulum conflatilem (Exodi xxxij"), mutuo in se revertentes, xxiij milium de suis miserabilem pacientes casum merito doluerunt. Anglici inter se de fide antiqua et nova altercantes omni die sunt in puncto* quasi 1 radificari. MS. " Eccles. X. 16. More correctly, "Vse tibi, terra, cujus rex puer est." •' confucionem. MS. ■" Bristolie. MS. * pincto. MS. b2 4 CHRONICON A.D. 1377. mutuo ruinam et sedicionem inferendi. Et timeo ita finaliter contingere, ut sic prius contingebat, quod plures Londonienses fideles contra dictum ducem Lancastrie, quia dicti magistri Johannis fautorem, ad ejus interfeccionem insurrexerant, ita quod, vix unam naviculani captatam intrans, a prandio ultra f. 156. Thamisiam affugiens vivus evasit. Hujusmodi errores et hereses in. civitate Londonie in tantum excreverunt, quia hujusmodi occasione rixe et discordia, quod, quando infamati super eisdem coram ordinariis venirent responsuri, populus ad mille, quidam ad acusandum, quidam ad defendendum eos- dem, conviciis et rixis confluere solebant, quasi mutuo irruere Loliardia. properantes. Creyit eciam eorum malicia in tantum quod, A.D. 1414. tempore secundi parlementi Henrici regis quinti' infrascripti, quod hujusmodi LoUardi ex omni parte regni Londonie congregati proposuerunt se clerum, ad tunc ibidem convoca- tum, penitus destruxisse. Sed dominus mens Cantuariensis eorum malicie precautus remedia paravit oportuna, ut inferius liquebit. A.D. 1386. Propter plurima inoportuna tempora regis Ricardi, ejus juventute causata, solempne parliamentum Westmonasterii fuit celebratum, in quo duodecim regni magnates ad guber- nandum regem et regnum, ac ad refrenandum laciviam et excessus sibi famulancium et adulancium, et breviter ad regni negocia remediandura, plena parliementi provisione, sed, pro dolor !, ad infrascripta tedia, prefecti extiterunt. A.D. 1387. Rex hujusmodi prefeccione indignans sue magestatis liber- tatem debitam per suos ligeos refrenari, ad instigacionem sibi famulancium, propter eorundem turpis lucri suspensionem ob hoc invidencium, usque ad ejusdem regis sicque instigancium pluriumque dictorumprefectorum exterminium, dictosprefectoa infestare non cessavit. Ex quo, pro dolor !, quanti dolores et tedia fuerunt insecuta, et presertim de morte illorum nobilium ducis Glowcestrie et comitis Arundelie, plenius infra liquebit. Ut quid mora, dicti instigantes, ad suffocacionem subitaneam dictorum duodecim prefectorum, unum concilium generale in ' quarti. MS. ADJE DE TJSK. 5 turri Londonie celebrari ordinarunt, in quo dictos xij per a.d. 1387. latentes armatorum insidias, ad idem concilium convocatos, simul et subito perimere proposuerunt. Sed Deus omnipotens dictos xij, de tauta malicia precautos, tarn fortiter accedere disposuit, ita ut per industriam militarem eorundem rex et ipsum instigantes perturbati regnum assurgere cum eisdem xij timuerunt ; unde pacem, licet fictam, se habere procura- runt. Hoc audito, domina principissa, regis mater, ad bujus- modi tumultum sedandum,' nocturno labori non parcens, a Walingforde versus Londoniam, cordis non modica contri- cione, iter arrepuit. Que Londonie flexis genibus filium suum regem rogavit, sub sua benediccione, se votis adulan- cium et presertim dictorum instigancium nullatenus incli- nare, alias malediccionem suam sibi induxit. Quam rex reverenter erexit, promittens se juxta dictorum xij velle gubernari consilium. Cui dixit mater : "AHas in coronacione tua, fili, gaudebam me tanti nati in regem coronati matrem promeruisse fieri ; sed jam doleo quia tui ruinam video immi- nere, per maledictos adulatores tuos tibi causatam." Tunc rex cum matre sua ad aulam Westmonasterii transsiens, et ibidem in trono regali sedens, eosdem duodecim, licet tamen ficte et dissimulatorie, per matris mediacionem reconciHavit. Postmodum, comes Oxonie cum litteris regiis ad partes Fuga co- transit Cestrie, et ipsos Cestrienses in multitudine glomerosa Se 'et aUo- et armata pro destruccione dictorum xij secum adduxit. ™'^" Cujus rei dux Glowcestrie, comes Derbeie, Arundelie, Not- ingamie, et Warwycie, precauti, in glorioso exercitu stipati, ante eorum Cestrensium excessum ad regem, dictum comitis exercitum, in vigilia iSancti Thome Appostoli, aput Ratcod- bruch in comitatu Oxonie, disperserunt ; ac dictum comitem Oxonie in fugam sine spe redeundi, quia in partibus trans- marinis interiit, propulerunt. Fugerunt eciam tunc a facie eorundem dominorum Alexander Nevile, Ebrocencis archie- piscopus, et dominus Michael de Pole, comes Southfolchie, ' cedandum. MS. CHRONICON A.D. 1387. maximi regis consiliarii ; et nunquam reversuri in exilio perierunt. f. 156 b. Tunc presencium compilator Oxonie, in jure canonico ex- traordinarius existens, dictorum quinque dominorum excer- citum a dicto conflictu versus Londoniam transire vidit per Oxoniam ; in cujus exercitus gubernacione, Warwyci et Der- beie primam aciem comites, dux Glowcestrie mediam, ac Arundelie et Notyngamie posteram comites tenebant. ciavesolvi- Major Londonie, ipsorum. adventum audiens, eis civitatis claves transmisit. Quo facto, dicti quinque domini turrem Londonie, in festo Sancti Jobannis Evangeliste, usque ad A.D. 1388. ejus dedicionem obsiderunt ; regem in ea existentem ad statim sub nova gubernacione ordinarunt ; ipsius adulatorios consiliarios, usque ad parliementunj proximo ex tunc sequens, dispersis carcerum custodiis tradiderunt. In crastinum Pu- riflcacionis Beate Marie Yirginis dictos fugientes exularunt. Omnes regis justiciaries, quia mortis eorundem imaginate, ut premittitur, conscios,' ipsiusque regis confessorem, Cices- trensem episcopum, in Hiberniam deportarunt. Alios ipsius regis^ suis excessibus inordinatos fautores, ymmo verius causatores, dominos Symonem de Beverley, ejus camerarium, Robertum Tresilian, principalem justiciarium, Nycbolaum Brembil, Londonie majorem, Jacobum Berners et Johannem Salusbiri, milites, Thomam Usk et Johannem Blake, domi- cellos, et alios quam plures decapitarunt. A.D. 1383. Hujus regis temporibus, propter scisma^papatus, episcopus Norwycensis cum cruciata in Flandriam transiit, et ibidem Flandrenses circa novem mille, quia Gallicis scismaticis ad- herentesj bellicose peremit insultu ; tamen partes deserere et ad propriam remeare regis Francie et ejus excercitus potencia, pluribus Anglicis ad tunc ventris fluxu [morientibus], com- pellebatur. fsss' ^^^^ ^^^ eciam Lancastrie, regnum Hispanie jure uxoris sue sibi vendicans, cum alia cruciata per duos annos post ad eas ' consios. MS. ' rege. MS. AD^ DE XISK. 7 partes transiit ; ubi plures regni Anglie nobiliores et quasi A.D. 1388. ipsius juventutis flores militares eodem morbo amisit; tamen cum rege Hispanie, pro uno ducatu ad ipsius vite terminum habendo ac magna auri summ.a pro expensis, ipsiusque filia dicti regis filio et heredi coUocata in uxorem, rediit in Angliam pacificatus. Hiis diebus magnum infortunium Oxonie contingebat ; nam A.D. 1388, per biennium continue maxima disoordia inter australes et Wa- lences ex una parte et boriales ex altera extitit suborta. Unde rixe, contenciones, et hominum sepe interfecciones extiterunt. Primo anno, boriales ab nniversitate totaliter fuerant- expulsi. Boriales *■ ab Oxonia Quam expulsionem presencium compilatori multum imposu- expuisi. erunt. Secundo tamen anno, in mala eorum bora, Oxoniam Ri'^a Oxo- nie inter regressi, noctanter congregati, nobis exitum ab hospiciis scoiarea. armis negantes, nos multipliciter per duos dies infestarunt, quedam nostratum hospicia frangendo expoliandoque, ac quosdam occidendo. Tercio tamen die, aule Mertonis favore nostrates fortiter constipati ipsos stratas publicas, per eos illis duobus diebus pro castris occupatas, verecunde relin- quere et ad propria hospicia affugere compulerunt. Quid mora ? Pacificari non potuimus quousque nostrum quam plures de insurrexione proditoria indictati fuimus ; inter quos presencium compilator, tanquam principalis Walencium dux et fautor, et forte non inmerito, indictatus fuerat. Sicque indictati, yIx per duodenam nos obtinuimus coram regis justi- ciario liberari. Regem de cetero, mihi prius in ipsius potencia ignotum, et ejus leges timui, maxillis meis frenum im- ponendo.^ Aliud eciam infortunium contingebat ; nam ille A.D. 1379. nobilis miles, dominus Jobannes Arundele, versus partes Francie debellandas cum florida juventute patrie directus, quassata classe in vigilia Sancti Nicholai, pro dolor I, misera- bili maris intemperie, peremptus extitit. Causa infortunii sui pecuniis clero et populo exactis non inmerito imponebatur. Semper a tempore hujusmodi exaccionis, taxe vocate, A.D. 1388. ' Ezek. xxix. 4; xxxviii. 4. f. 157. O CHROJilCON A.D. 1388. regnum memini aut intestinis cladibus atque transmarinis insidiis nonnulla infortunia sustinere. Numquid sic de comite Pembrogie, cum taxa secura ad debellandum. Franciam de- A.D. 1372. portata, cum suis juxta Rochel depredato et in Hispaniam' captivate ? Idem de rege Edwardo contigit, qui, collectatis clero et populo, cum magno excersitu Franciam invadere afFectans, adversante vento, licet juxta maritima ejus prosperi- tatem per vj menses expectans, inutiliter rediit cum excer- situ, ut superius habetur de eodem. Contra earn taxam ecce Versus. quid Bridlinton prophesia : — " Dum regnat taxa, non erit gracia laxa, Sic opus inceptum lapsum pacietur^ ineptum."' Et sic, pro dolor !, labi dinoscitur. Eciam a facie istius regis Ricardi Ule vir perfectissimus, Wyllelmus Cortenay, Cantu- ariensis archiepiscopus, quia hujusmodi taxe recistere volens, per eundem regem in Thamesia persecutus, mortem fugiens in monastico babitu, partes Devonie peciit pro tutamine ; tamen hujusmodi regis persecucionem causantes mala morte in- terierunt, de quibus supra, ut domino Symone Beverley et de aliis. Ordini annorum bucusque in gestis parcat lector, quia solum que vidi et audivi forcius ex veritate facti quam ex temporis ordine memorie comendavi. A.D. 1394. Anno Domini millesimo ccc"" nonogesimo quarto, in festo Pentecostes,moriebatur illabenignissima domina,Anna, Anglie regina, in manerio de Schene juxta Braynfort super Tha- mesiam situata. Quod manerium, licet regale et pulcberimum, occasione ipsius domine Anne mortis in eodem contingentis, rex Ricardus funditus mandavit et fecit extirpari.'' Post ejus Anne sepulture solempnitatem, in crastino ad Vincula Saneti Petri, debitis bonoribus decoratam, statim rex, lugubri veste cum suis indutus, ad domandum Hybernencium rebel- lionem, maximo excersitu constipatus, transit in Hiberniam. ' in Hispauiam, repeated. MS. ^ pasoietur. MS. 3 Dist. III. cap. ij. 1 exturpari. MS. ADiE DE USK. 9 Sed modicum ibi profecit, quia, licet Hiberniences sibi ad a.d. 1394. Totum placere tunc se fingentes, statim post ejus recessum rebellare noscuntur. Eodem anno^ in fine Maii, rex rediit in Angliam, Bristolie a.d. 1395. aplicando ; et statim nuncios in Franciam pro secundo ejus maritagio, de quo infra liquebit, direxit contrabendo. Quam filiam nondum septennem, regis Aragonie filia, ipsius berede, pulcberima et virilibus amplexibus ydonea, refusa, mirabiliter duxit uxorem. Set quare illam nondum septennem/ licet A.D. 1396. cum maximis expensis et seculi pompis Caliciis sibi nuptam, preelegit, dicitur quia regis Francie auxilio et favore, latens suum Yenenum efiundere affectando, sibi exosos destruere proposuit ; quod tamen ad suimet destruccionem suorumque complicum finaliter contingebat, ut inferius patebit. ParUementum tentum Londonie, aput "Westmonasterium, in A.D. 1397. Ultimum festo SanctiLamberti, dieLunse tunc contingentis, anno Domini pariiemen- *ii ■ . . T -,, , turn regis millesimo ccc"° nongesimo septimo. In quo parliemento omni Kicardi. die presensium compilator interfuit. In primis, facta pronunciacione parliamenti, ad modum sermonis, per Edmundum Stafibrd, episcopum Exoniensem, cancellarium, in qua semper concludebat^ ad unum, quod potestas regis esset sibi unica et solida et quod eam toUentes Tel insidiantea pena legis essent condigni. TJnde ad ilium finem fuit. per parliamentum ordinatum : prime ad inquiren- dum qui turbant potestatem regis et ejus regaliam ; secundo,' qua pena essent turbatores feriendi ; tercium, ut ordinetur ne ita in futurum turbetur. Et statim rex jussit plebeiis quod statim et ante recessum convenirent de locutore parliamenti, et in crastino ad viij de clocka eum sibi presentarent. Item, rex fecit proclamari graciam omnibus in premissis incidenti- f. 157 b. bus, 1. personis et aliis in isto parliemento impetendis dun- taxat exceptis, dum tamen citra festum Sancti Hillari literas sue perdonacionis prosequantur cum effectu. Fecit eciam proclamari quod nuUus de cetero, sub pena mortis, arma inva- ' septendem. MS. ' conolidebat, MS. secunda. MS. 10 CHRONICON A.D. 1397. siva vel deffensiva gestaret in parliamento, immediata domini nostri regis retinecia excepta. Item, die Martis, dominus Jo- hannes Buschei fuit per plebeios presentatus regi locutor parlia- menti, debita protestacione premissa ; et rex eum acceptavit. Item, ad statim ille Buschei dixit regi : "[Quia sumus^ domine mi rex, precepto vestro reverend o onerati vestre celsitudini regie intimare qui sunt]' qui contra majestatem et regaliam vestram commiserunt, dicimus quia Thomas dux. Glowcestrie, Ricardus comes Arundelie, anno regni vestri decimo, proditorie compulerunt vos, per medium nunc Can- tuariensis archiepiscopi, tunc cancellarii, graves injurias vobis inferentes, concedere unam eis commissionem ad gubernan- dum regnum vestrum ac ejus statum disponendum, in preju- dicium vestre magestatis ac regalie." Item, eodem die, ipsa commissio fuit annuUata cum omni- bus et singulis ex ea dependentibus et per earn causatis. Regia Item, generalis perdonacio coneessa post magnum parlia- revocatur. mentum, causata^ per eos, et una specialis perdonacio coneessa domino comiti Arundelie fuerant revocate. Item, fuit per plebeios petitum, Johanne Buschei verba semper proferente, quia ilia specialis perdonacio pro proditore fuit impetrata per Thomam Arundell, Cantuariensem archiepiscopum, tunc can- cellarium Anglie, ipsius impetrator,^ qui pocius ex oflScio restitisset, proditor adjudicaretur. Idemque archiepiscopus surrexit volens respondere ; et rex dixit sibi . " Cras." De cetero tamen ibi non comparuit. Rex eciam super ista peticione dixit quod vellet deliberare. Iteni, fuit statutum quod convictus"* de cetero contra re- galiam domini regis falsus proditor, pena prodicionis^ condigna sibi irroganda, adjudicaretur. Item, fuit statutum, de con- sensu prelatorum, quod criminalia de cetero, eorum irrequisito concensu, in omni parliamento essent terminanda. Et tunc, ^ Supplied from tlie Vita JRicardi II. of the Monk of Evesham, p. 132. The MS. has only the words, " Sumus honorati." ' causatur. MS. ' ipsum impetratixs. MS. '' convicteus. MS. ^ perdiciouis. MS. ADJE DE USK. U habita licencia, recesserunt. Magnus, ut solet, habebatur a.d. 1397. tumultus ; unde sagittarii regis in numero iiij"' millia circum- vallantes domum parliementi, in medio paviamenti palaoii ex hoc capita tantum factum, credentes fuisse in dicta domo aliquam rixam aut pugnam^ arcubus tensis', sagittas ad aures trahebant, ad magnu^ metum omnium ibidem exeisten- cium ; et rex eos pacificavit. Item^ die Mercurii", dictum statutum prelatorum fuit peni- tus reyocatum; et fuit eis jussum, sub pena amissionis tem- poralium, pro stabilitate agendorum in eodem parliemento, quod illo eodem die concordarent de aliquo certo procuratore ad consenciendum, nomine eorunij om.nibus in eodem parlia- mento expediendis. Item, rex babuit ista verba : " Domine Johannes Buschey, quiaplures rogant me explanare illas 1. personas in perdonacione generali exceptas, breviter nolo ; et hoc petens est morte con- dignus. Primo quia fugerent; secundo, eciam quia excepi impetendos in isto parliamento ; tertio, quia per expressionem illorum alii eorum socii timerent, ubi non esset timendum." Item, die Jovis, dominus Cantuariensis venit ad palacium versus parliamentum ; et rex misit sibi per episcopum Karlio- nensem quod rediret ad hospicium suum ; et factum est ita, et de cetero non comparuit. Item., prelati fecerunt dominum Thomam Percy, senescallum Preiati ia ^ _ • cnniinah- regis, procuratorem suum, cum. clausulis de ratis, ad consen- busperpro- . curatorem ciendum. ommbus in parliam.ento agendis. etc. Item, dominus Johannes Buchey habuit ista verba : "Domine rex, quia secundus articulus parliementi est de pena impo- nenda violantibus regaliam vestram, suplico quod me per viam appellacionis, accusacionis, sive impeticionis, cum licencia variandi de uno ad reliquum, quociens et quando mihi et f. 158. sociis meis videbitur expedire, auctorizare dignemini." Et factum est ita. Tunc ille Buschei habuit ista verba : " Ego accuso Thomam Arundell^ archiepiscopum Cantuariensem, de ' decensis. MS. ' Mercure. MS. 12 CHllONICON A.D. 1397. triplici prodicione. Primo, de commissione regiminis regni vestri sibi, Thome duci Glowoestrie, Ricardo comiti Arundellie, ad instanciam suam et per ipsum, qui pocius ex officio, quia cancellarius Tester ad tunc, restitisset, proditorie concessa.' Secundoj quia pretextu illius proditoris conunissionis, vestre regalie jurisdiccionem prodiciose usurpando, ipsi solempne parliamentum in prejudicium regalie vestre proditorie cele- brarunt. Tertio, quia per dictam prodicionis usurpacionem domini Symon de Beverlei et Jacobus Bernyers, milites, et fideles ligii vestri, proditorie fuerunt interfecti. De quibus nos plebeii vestri petimus judicium, tantis prodicionibus condignum, in ipsum per vos fulminari. Et quia ipse archiepiscopus magnarum consanguinitatis, affinitatis, divi- ciarum, ingeniique cautelissimi et crudelissimi vir excistit, in salvacionem status vestri tociusque regni vestri et ex- pedicionem presentis parliamenti^ peto quod in salva ponetur custodia usque ad finalem sui judicii execucionem." Rex quo [que] ad boo respondit quod propter tante^ persone excellenciam deliberaret in crastinum ; ac omnes alios in dicta commissione insertos' pronunciavit fideles, legales, et eciam prodicione umnunes, et specialiter Alexandrum Nevyll, nuper arcbiepiscopum. Eboracensem. Et tunc domi- nus Edmundus Langley, dux Eboracensis, avunculus regis, et dominus Wyllelmus Wykbam, episcopus Wyntoniensis, in dicta commissione inserti,' lacrimantes, proni in terram cediderunt, regi de tanto beneficio regraciando. Item, die Veneris, scilicet in festo Sancti Matbei contin- gente, de. Eotlond, de Kent, de Huntington, de Notyngbam, de Somerset, de Sarum, comites, dominus de Spenser et dominus Wyllelmus Scroppe, in una secta rubiarum togarum de cerico, rotulatarum et albo cerico. Uteris aureis immix- tarum, appellacionem per eos regi prius aput Notingbam edditam proposuerunt ; in qua accusabant Tbomam ducem Glouoestrie, Ricardum comitem Arundellie, Tbomam comitem ' concessit. MS. ^ tande. MS. ' iucertos. MS. ■■ incerti. MS. aDjE be usk. 13 Warwyci, et Thomam Mortimer, militem, de premissis pro- a.d. 1397. dicionibus et eoiam de insurrexione armata aput Haryncay Parke contra regem prodittorie facta. Prestitaque caucione de prosequendo appellacionem suam, Ricardus comes Arundellie, scistebatur in judicio in rubra toga et capicio de scarleto. Et statim dux Lancastrie dixit domino de Nevyll : " Tollas sibi zonam et capicium ; " et factum est ita. Expositisque eidem comiti articulis, forti animo negando se proditoremj peciit sue perdonacionis beneficium alias concessum, protestando quod nunquam a regis' sui gracia vellet recedere. Dux Lancastrie sibi dixit: " Proditor, ilia perdonacio est revocata." Comes res- pondit: " Vere mentiris ! Nunquam fui prOditor !" Item dux Lancastrie dixit: " Quare tunc impetrasti perdonacionem ? " Comes respondit: "Ad obturandum linguas emulorum meorum, quorum tu es unus ; et pro certo, quantum ad prodiciones, tu magis indiges perdonacione quam ego." Rex dixit sibi : " Res- pondeas appellacioni tue." Comes respondit : " Bene video quod ille persone accusant me de prodicione, ostendendo appella- ciones. Vere mentiuntur omnes ! Nunquam fui proditor ! Ego semper peto beneficium perdonacionis mee, quam mihi infra vj annos ultimo elapses, in plena etate et libera voluntate vestris, ex proprio motu concessistis." Tunc dixit rex : " Ita concessi, si non esset contra me." Tunc dixit dux Lancastrie : "Tunc non valet concessio." Comes respondit: "Vere de ilia prodicione^ plus nescivi tunc quam tu qui in partibus transmarinis fueras." Tunc dixit dominus Johannes Buscbey : " Ilia perdonacio revocata est per regem, dominos, et nos f. iss b. fideles plebeios." Comes respondit: "Ubi illi fideles plebei ? Bene novi te et comitivam tuam ibi, qualiter congregati estis, non ad fidelitatem faciendam, quia plebei fideles regni non sunt hie. Sed scio quod ipsi multum dolent me ; et bene scio quod tu semper fuisti falsus." Et tunc Buschei et socii sui clamaverunt : " Ecce, domine rex, qualiter iste proditor nititur suscitare sedicionem inter nos et regni plebeios domi ' rege. MS. ^ perdonacione. MS.. 14 CH RON I CON A.D. 1397. existentes." Comes respondit : " Vos omnes mentimini ! Non sum proditor ! " Tunc surrexit comes de Derby et dixit sibi : Derbeij " Nonne tu dixisti mihi apud Huntingtoniam^ ubi primo ad contra , . ,. comitem insurgendum eramus congregati, quod melius esset ante omnia capere regem ? " Comes respondit : " Tu, comes Der- beij, tu mentiris in caput tuum ! Nunquam de domino nostro rege cogitayi, nisi quod sibi boni esset et honoris/' Tunc dixit sibi rex met: " Nonne tu dixisti mihi, tempore par- liementi tui, in balneo depost albam aulam, quod dominus Symon de Bevyrley, miles mens, propter plures causas erat mortis reus ? Et ego respond] tibi quod nullas mortis causas in eo scivi ; et tunc tu et socii tui ipsum proditorie inter- fecistis." Et tunc dux Lancastrie mortis sentenciam sub biis verbis tulit in eundem : " Riearde, ego senescallus Anglie te proditorem esse judico, et te trahendum, suspendendum, decollandum, et quatriperciendum, ac terras tuas taliatas et non taliatas confiscandas sentencialiter et diffinitive con- dempno.'' Sentencia Tunc rex, ob reverenciam sanguinis sui, jussit eum tantum comitem decollari. Et duxerunt eum emuli sui^ comes Cancie, ipsius nepos, et alii terras suas sicientes,' mala mortis peste, ut inferius liquebit, perempti, ad montem turris, et ibi ipsum decollarunt. Cum cujus anima utinam me participem fieri mererer ! quia pro certo ipsum sanctorum colegio non dubito aggregari. Corpus tamen suum, licet tunc irreverenter aput Augustinenses^ Londonie tumulatmn, modo cum summa reverencia et populi frequenti oblacione quam gloriose vene- ratum excistit. Item, die Sabbati, dominus Thomas Mortimer fuit preconi- zatus, sub pena proditoris exilii, infra sex menses se judicio scisturum. Et rex dixit : " Forte comes Marchie eum capere non poterit ; ideo tamdiu ejus certificatorium expectabo." Qui quidem dominus Thomas sic exnlatus tempore exilii morabatur in Scocia. ' eisientes. MS. ' 2 Agustinentes. MS. AT)M T)E USK. 15 Item, fuit declaratmn quod omnia beneficia per dampnatoa a.d. 1397. et dam.pnandos in isto parliem.ento, et alia quecumque ab anno regis decimo concessa et alien ata, essent revocata. Item, die Liine proxime sequenti, lecto certificatorio comi- '^°''^ ewalie, filii Oweyn, filii Gruffith, filii Conaan, filii ^ago, filii Ydwall, filii Mauric, filii Ydwall Voyll, filii Anaraud, filii Rodry Vawr ex Essill filia Kynan, filii Rodry Maylwynnog, filii Ydwali ^eorth, filii Cadualadre benedicti Hie primo ultimi regis Brytonum, filii Cadwalonis, filii Caduani, filii iiago, filii Beli, filii Rune, filii Mailgan Goynet, filii Cad- uallan Lawyr, filii Yvor Hyrth, filii Cunetha "Wledik, fiKi Edeme, filii Padarne Pays Ruthe, filii Tegyt, filii Jago, filii Kuneddane, fiKi Caynan, filii Borgayn, filii Doly, filii Gortholy, filii Cwyne, filii Gorthewyn, filii Amleweth, filii Anweyrid, filii Ouweth, filii Donker, filii Brychwane, filii Ymwane, filii Analathas, filii Affleth, filii Beli Vawr, filii Mynagan, filii Enayd, filii Gerwyt, filii Creden, filii Dyffnach, filii Pryden, filii Aedmawr, filii Antony, filii Sirioll, filii Garowest, filii Ruallon, filii Cunetha ex Ragaw filia Leyr Hucuaque qui fecit Licestriam, filii Bladudd qui fecit balnea apud bus, Bathoniam, filii Rune, filii Llann, filii Bruti viridis scuti, filii Eboracy qui fecit civitatem Eboraci, filii Membryc, filii . ^,.. -r^ ,. • • ■ T» -J />!•• Hie primo Madag, filii Locriny, filii Bruti primi regis Britonum, bin de tirannis, ' dominos, MS. C 2 20 CHEONICON A.D. 1398. Hie primo de Ebreys. Hie ad con- questorem. Hie ad du- ees Nor- maBnie,. Edwardi tercii. Regis Francie. Regis Hispanie. Edwardi primi. Silvy, filii Escannyi, filii Enee Scothewyn, filii Enctiges, filii Capus, filii Asseraci, filii Troysse, filii Elicony, filii Mercuri, filii Dardani, filii Jovis, filii Saturni, filii Seluis, filii Creti, filii Seprii, filii Jevan, filii Jaseph, filii Noee, filii Lamech, filii Matliusalein, filii EnnoCj filii Jaffeth/ filii Malaleel, filii Caynan, filii Ennoc, filii Seth, filii Ade protho- plausti. Jam redeamus ad dictam Cladus Thui^ filiam Johanne, filie Johannis regis, filii Henrici fyz Emperys, filie Henrici primi, filii Wyllelmi conquestoris, filii [Roberti, filii]^ Eicardi, filii Ricardi sine timore, filii Wyllelmi Longspe, filii Rolonis primi conquestoris Normanie. Ultra dictorum Brytanie, Ytalie, Troge, Anglie, Francie, et Hispanie nobilium regum nobilissimum exortum, ut quid mora, ecce quanta comitum Marcbie florens regalis prosapia ! Idem Rogerus comes predictus filius fuit Pbilippe comitisse Marchie, filie Leonelli ducis Clarencie, secundo-geniti Edwardi tercii, regis Anglie et Francie gloriosi, filii Isabelle, filie Philippi regis Francie ejusque beredis unice ; et boc in utraque linea directa. Item, ex alio latere filius fuit dicte Philippe ex Elizabetba' Clarencie ducissa, filia Wyllelmy Borcb, comitis Ultonie, [filii Johannis de Borcb]'' ex Eleza- betba, filia Jobanne de Acris, filie Edwardi primi, regis Anglie et conquestoris Walie, ex Alianora filia regis His- panie, prima ejus uxore. Item, ex alio latere filius fuit ejusdem Pbilippe comitisse, filie ducisse Clarencie predicte, filie dicti comitis Ultonie ex Matilda,* filia Henrici* comitis Lancastrie, filii Edmundi/ filii tercii Henrici regis Anglie ex Alianora,^ filia comitis Provincie, Westmonasterii inter reges 1 i.e. Jared. ^ Omitted in MS. 3 Philippa, MS. * Omitted in MS. » N., MS. « Thome, MS. " The following note is written in the margin : — "Nota quod iste historiographus dicit libro septimo quod Edwardus Wallie conquestor fuit primogenitus Henrici 3", quanquam alii dixerint contrarium, scilicet quod Edmundiis, de quo fit [mencio] supra. Quod non credo. Hec habentur libro 7, capitulo 35." The reference is to the Polychronicon, which precedes the present chronicle in the MS. » N., MS. adjE de usk. 21 honorifice tumulata. Ultra, nota de Edmundo jam comite A.D. 1398. Marchie, dicti Rogeri filio inpubere et in custodia regis excistente, ex Alianora regis Ricardi secundi nepte, filia comitis Cancie, filii Johanne' comitisse Cancie, filie Ed- f- i^o b. mundi/ filii dicti Edwardi primi ex Margareta, fiHa regis p/^c;e FranciGj ejus secunda uxore, ante smnmum altars in ecclesia fratrum minorum Londonie tumulata. Jam redeamus ad dictam imperatrioem, [filiam. Matildis]^ filie Margarete regine Scocie, filie Edwardi exidis, filii Edmundi Irynsid, filii Athelredi, filii Edgarii, filii Edmundi, de regibus filii Edwardi, filii Aluredi, filii Atheluulphy, filii Athelbrytt, ^^°""'"' filii Aelmundi, qui fuit unus de v regulis Anglie ; qui quidem Athelbryit fugit a facie Bry4tlirj4t, sibi invidentis, in Fran- cianij tempore Kareli Mayny; dicto vero Bryitbryit mortuo, idem Atbelbry^t reversus in Angliam, ceteris regulis Anglie per eum Tiriliter divictis, Angliam ad unam^ monarcbam. redegit, in ea pacifice regnando, et jacet Wyntonie. Jam redeamus ad dictum Eadulpbum, maritum dicte Wladus Thui, Hie origo fiKum Rogeri,^ filii Hugonis fundatoris abbatbie de Wygmore, mer. filii Radulpbi Mortumer qui prime venit cum Wyllielmo abbacie de conquestore in Angliam. Iste Radulpbus, dicto filio sue ysmore. Hugone in dominie de Wygmore relicto, in Normaniam reversus ibi mortuus est, ut in cbronicis' dicte abbathie babetur. Jam de Edmundo, patre dicti Rogeri, aliquid proferre non omitto. Iste Edmundus, qui infra byennium, suarum virtu- tum prosapia et industria pariter militari [et] strenuitate, quibus diebus suis ceteris mortalibus prepoUebat, totam Hyberniam, in ipsius locum-tenencie ibidem adventu rebel- lantem, ad unitatem et pacem Anglieque subjeccionem mirifice reduxit, presencium compilatorem ad utriusque juris studium Oxonie exbibuit boneste sustentatum. Domi,° aput Cork in Hibernia, in festo Sancti Johannis Evangeliste, pro ' Philippe, MS. "' filii Johannis added in MS. 3 Omitted in MS. " filium Hugonis filii Rogeri, MS. ^ ut hatetur in coronisis, MS. ^ domum, MS. 82 CHRONICON A.D. 1398. dolor! casu quodam quo omnia tendunt ia occasum, longe ante miclii optatum terminum, tanta sui nobilitate mundum reliquit' orbatum. Et jacent ejus ossa in abbafchia de Wygmore, una cum dicta Philippa uxore sua, ante summum altare ejusdem abbathie tumulata. De quibus ecce versus : — Versus. " Vir constans, gratus, sapiens, bene nuper amatus, Nunc nece prostratus, sub marmore pudret hum.atus. Hie jacet Edmundus, morions Cork, corpore mundus ; Sisque pius, Christe, sibi quern lapis opprimit iste." Item, de dicta Philippa : — Versus. " Nobilis bic tumilata jacet comitissa Philippa. Actibus hec nituit ; larga, benigna fuit. Regum sanguis erat, morum probitate vigebat, Conpaciens inopi ; vivat in arce celi." Per istam Philippam, LeoneUi secundogeniti Anglie [filiam],^ ut^ premittitur, comitatus Marchie, una cum regali progenie ad summos honoris apices attingere virsimiliter valenti, per dominia de Clare, Walsingham, Sodbiry, Waddon, Cramborn, et Berdfeld, in Anglia ; de Usk, Kaerlion, et Tryllek, in Walia ; de comitatu Ultonie, et dominie de Connach, in Hibernia, cum eoriim nonnuUis et quam plurimis magnorum dominiorum pertinenciis, gaudet quam honorifice augmentatus. Jam ad parliamentum predictum Salopie redeamus. Cujus Saiopie. tempore dux Northfolcie, postea mortuus in exilio aput Veneciam, duci Lancastrie mortis insidias illuc venienti posuit ; quod magnos doloris turbines causa vit. Ipse tamen de hoc precautus aliunde hujusmodi insidias evasit. Rex continue usque ad ejus ruinam, inter cetera gravamina regno suo per ipsum accunaulata, habuit secum in familia sua cccc*"' excessivos viros de comitatu Cestrie, utique malig- nissimos, et subditos ubique impune affligentes, pulsantes, et depredantes. Qui, ubicumque rex devertebat, secum armati diei et noctis vigilias circa eum ad modum guerrancium cus- > reliquid, MS. ^ Omitted in MS. 3 et, MS. Parlia- mentum AD^ DE USK. 23 todiebant ; adulteriaque, homicidia, et alia infinita mala A.D. 1398. ubique committendo. Quos rex in tantum fovebat ita ut nulliun contra eos querelantem audire dignaretur, ymmo ilium tamquam exosum pocius dedignaretur. Quod' fuit causa ipsi ruine maxima. In dicto parliamento, dux Herfordie, iilius dicti ducis Appellacio ducis Lancastrie, de prodicione dictum ducem Norfolkie appellavit. Herffordie. IJnde rex assignavit eis crastinum. Exaltacionis Sancte Crucis tunc proxime sequens ad duellandum in- ea parte. Dux f. 16I. Herfordie interim sub fidejussoria caucione quo volebat se divertit. Duce tamen Northfolchie aput Wyndesor carcerali mancipato custodie, ejusdem. officia aliis coappellatoribus suis fuerunt collata^ officium scilicet marescallie Anglie duel Surreye, et officium capitanie Callicie duci Exonie ; propter quas concession cs inter ipsum et eos, justo Dei judicio, misit Deus magnum scismatis chaos, juxta illud prophecie, unde versus : — " Judice celorum rumpetur turba malorum."^ Quo duelli die ambo in magno apparatu ad ipsum locum' fossa aquatica munitum venerunt. Set dux Herefordie mul- tum gloriosius cum septem equorum diversitatis apparatu insignitus comparuit. Et quia rex a sortilegio babuerat quod dux Nortbfolcbie tunc prevaleret, ducis Herfordie destruc- cionem affectando multum gaudebat. Set in congressu eorundem sibi videbatur quod dux Herffordie prevaleret. E.ex Ducis duellum mandavit dissolvi, dicto duci Nortbfolcbie perpetuum foichie exilium inducendo, affectans tamen eundem, captata opor- tunitate, reconsiliare. Ducem vero Herfordie pro decem 3"^^,^;^ annis bannivit a regno. Primus Veniciis in exilio expiravit ; ^anmcio. secundus infra annum ad regnum gloriose rediit, ac, banniente deposito, in eodem potenter regnavit. Isto anno, in crastino Sancti Blassii, moritur dictus dux A.D. 1399. Lancastrie, et in ecclesia Sancti Pauli Londonie, prope sum- mum altare, multum bonoratus tumulatur. 1 que, MS. ^ Bridlington, dist. 11. cap. vj. ' ipsius loci, MS. 24 CHEOKICON A.D. 139S. In quo parliemento, totalem ipsius regnl potestatem rex sibi et sex aliis, per ipsum designandis, ad vita sue terminum, Tibi et quando sibi placeret, optinuit comitti. Per quam A.D. 1399. commission em postea dictum ducem Herfordie, omnibus ejus bonis confiscatis, perpetuo exilio condempnavit. Pluriumque memoriam post mortem dampnavit. Et demum ad partes Hybernie debellandas in mala sibi hora se direxit, quia, ut inferius apparebit, inutilis fuit sibi ad sua regressus. Ad- ventus sui exilii dicti Herffordie, et per mortem sui patris jam Lancastrie, ducis, sic duplici ducatu functi, juxta illud pro- phecie Brydlintoun, ubi versus : — " Bis dux vix veniet cum trecentis sociatis. Phi. falsus fugiat, non succurret nece stratis."' Iste dux Henricus, secundum propheciam Merlini juxta propheciam, puUus aquile, quia filius Johannis. Set secundum Bredlintoun merito canis, propter liberatam coUariorum leporariis convenienciura ; et quia diebus canicularibus venit ; et quia infidos cervos, liberatam scilicet regis Ricardi in cervis excistentem, penitus regno afFugavit. Iste dux Henricus ab exilio suo, una cum Thoma, Can- tuariensi archiepiscopo, et Thoma, comite Arundelie, filio, mortis sui metu a custodia ducis Exonie, fratris regis Ricardi, ad ipsum in Francia fugiente, Ticesimo octavo die Junii, in loco applicari insolito, vix cum ccc, ut premittitur, terre in partibus borialibus applicuit. Cui primo in sui succursum ipsius foreste de Knarisborow archiforestarius, Robertus Watourtoun, advenit cum ducentis forestariis, ac demum de Westhomerlond et Northomerlond comites, domini de Wylby et de Graystok, ut, quid mora, infra paucos dies centum mille bellicosis gaudenter extitit stipatus. Brystoliam cum excer- citu ante-penultimo die Julii applicavit, et ibidem dominum Wyllelmum Scroppe, regis thesaurarium, dominos Johannem Buschei et Henricura Grene, milites, regis pessimos con- ciliarios et ejus malicie principales fautores, decapitavit. Ubi ^ Dist. II., cap. ij. ADiE DE USK. 25 presencium compilator cum dicto domino Cantuariensi reverse A.D. 1399. interfuit; eundemque ducem oum domiiiio de Usk, originis sui loco, quem depredandmn proposuerat propter recistenciam ejusdem loci domine, regine nepti, ibidem ordinatam, graciose pacificavit, et dominum Edwardum. Charlton, ejus- dem domine tunc maritum, predicto duci retineri optinuit; ac totam patriam TJsce, pro dicta recistencia Monstarri con- gre[ga]tam, cum maximo eorum gaudio ad propria fecit remeare. Demum idem, dux cum exercitu suo aput HerfiEbrdiam, secimdo die Augustii, in palacio episcopi se hospitavit ; et in crastino se versus Cestream movit, et in prioratu de Lenipster f. 161 b. pernoetavit. Et postea nocte proxima aput Lodelaw in castro regis, vino ibidem inhorriato non parcens, pernoetavit. Ubi presencium compilator ab eo et a domino Cantuariensi fratrem Thomam Prestburi magistrum in theologia, ipsius contem- porarium Oxonie, monachum de Salopia, tunc carceribus per regem Ricardum detentimi, eo quod contra excessus suos quedam merito predicasset, ab hujusmodi carceribus liberari, et in abbatem monasterii sui erigi, optinuit. Demum per Salopiam transitus ibi per duos dies mansit ; ubi fecit pro- clamari-quod excercitus suus se ad Cestriam dirigeret, tamen populo et patrie parceret, eo quod per internuncios se sibi submiserant. Qua de causa plures, patriam illam in predam sibi captantes, ad propria recesserunt. Set modicum patrie valuit proclamacio, ut infra apparebit. Cause quare dux decrevit Olam patriam invadendam : quia assistens regi, ut premittitur, regnum per biennium continuum homicidiis, adulteriis, furtis, rapinis, et aliis intoUerabilibus injuriis infestare non cessavit ; et quia contra dictum ducem et ejus adventum surrexerant, ipsum destruere minantes. Alia causa, propter privilegium exempcionis patrie, in qua ipsimet quantumcumque aliunde facinoroci, sive alii sic debitis et criminibus irretiti, ad illam patriam tamquam nidum faci- norum pro tutamine receptari solebant ; unde totum regnum in eos vindicari acclamavit. 26 CHEONICON. A.D. 1399. Nono die Augustii dux cum excercitu in patriam Cestrie intravit, et ibidem in parochia de Codintoun et in aliis parochiis eircumvisinis castra metanda et tentoria figenda, pratisque et segetibus non parcendo, patriamque undique de- predando, vigiliasque maximas nocturnas contra insidias Ces- trencium habendo, pernoctavit. TJbi presencium compilator in tentorio domini de Powys noctem illam perduxit illugubrem. Venenum. ubi plures in locis vicinis poculis veneno per Cestrences in- fectis perierunt toxicati. Ubi eciam ex diver sis aquaticis cisternis, lanceis scrutatis, et ex aliis locis abditis vasa et alia bona quam plura ibidem inventa in predam vertebantur, in- ventoribus interessente presencium compilatore. In crastino, vigilia scilicet Sancti Laurencii, ad ecclesiam de Codintoun predicta, Tolens ibi celebrare, mane accessi ; et nihil ibi, nisi omnibus asportatis hostiisque et cistis fractis, reperii. Eodem die, dux Lancastrie cum suo excersitu Cestriam accessit. Prius tamen in quodam magno campo pulcberimo, segete pleno, bene per tria miliaria a villa, in parte orientali ejusdem, sui excercitus monstracionem, acies dirigendo ad numerum centum millia pugnatorum^ posuit ; et quorum clepeis veraciter notari poterat resplendere monies. Et sic castrum Cestrie ingressus, ibi et undique sibi cum suis per duodecim dies, vino regis Ricardi sufEcienter reperto et per eum ducem usitato, agros depopulando, domos depredando, et breviter omnia sibi ad usum victumque et aliunde utilia seu necessaria ocupando ut propria, remansit. De [de]ca- Tercio die adventus sui ibidem magni malefactoris reputati, pLriTyn^de Perkyn de Lye, caput amputari et in palo ultra portam •''*■ orientalem affigi fecit. Iste Perkyn [qui] in forestia regia de la Mare principalis custos et ejus officii maj estate plures op- resSiones et extorciones pagensibus fecerat, monacalia indutus, quia sub talibus vestium transfuguracionibus plura dampnosa, ut dicebatur, perpetraverat, merito in eadem captus trans- migrare extitit. Unum bene scio, quod de ejus morte nem- inem ad tunc dolere perpendi. ADJ5 DE USK. 27 Rex Ricardus in Hibernia de liujusmodi ducis adventu A.D. 1399. audiens, maxima hominum et diviciarum gloria stipatus, in magno excercitu partes Wallie aput Penbroc peciit, in festo Sancte Marie Magdalene terra applicando, dominum de Spenser ad sussitandum sues de Glanmorgane, licet sibi ne- quaquam parentes, in sui destinans succursum. Quo audito undeque stupefactus, quorum concilio tamen reputo non sibi fidelium, ad castrum de Conwey in NorJ^ewallia, Northewal- lencium et Cestrensium succursu relevari sperans, ad Car- merthyn circa mediam noctem cum paucissimis yecorditer aifugit. TJnde duces, comites, barones, et omnes in magno excercitu secum excistentes juxta iUud, percusso pastore etc./ segregatim et per deyia versus Angliam transeuntes a pagencibus totaliter spoliati fuerunt. Quorum plures mag- nates sic ad dictum ducem vidi venire spoliates ; et quorum plures, non bene sibi credulos, custodiis tradidit diversis. Dominus meus, Cantuariensis archiepiscopus, et comes Nortbomerye, ex parte ducis, ad regem, in castro de Counuey gapcio existentem, tractaturi transierunt, in wygilia Assumpcionis regis aput Beate Yirginis; et rex, sub condicione status sui salvandi, se aput castrum de Flente duci dicto se promisit redditurum. Et sic, traditis eis duabus coronis suis valoris cm marca- rum cum aliis thesauris infinitis, se versus castrum de Flent statim transtulit prodiens. Ubi dominus dux, cum xx millibus electis ad eum veniens, aliis pro tutamine sui suorum- que^ bospiciorum patrieque castri et villa Cestrie a retro dimissis, ipsum regem in eodem castro da Flente,' quia sibi exire nolautem, adiit, et secum captivatum ad castrum Cestrie perduxit, ipsum ibidem secure custodie tradendo. Sicque di- versos dominos secum captos, usque ad parliamentum in crastino Sancti Micbaelis extunc incipiendum, tradidit cus- todiendos. ' Zach. xiii. 7. ^ suique suorum, MS. 3 The following passage is added by another hand in the margin, for in- sertion at this place : — " Cum armatis ex una, et cum sagittariis ex altera, partibus circumvallando ; illam propheciam implendo : ' Kex albus et nobilis ad modum scuti,' etc." 28 CHRONICON A.D. 1399. Dum dux tunc Cestrie erat, iij de xxiiij senioribus Londonie, ex parte ejusdem civitatis, cum aliis 1. civibus ejusdem, ad ducem veniebant, sub sigillo communi ipsius Nota for- civitatem sibi recomendando et regi Ricardo diffidenciara tunam et ^ ... ejus rotam. mittendo ; referentes eoiam qualiter Londonienses ad abba- thiam de Westmonasterio regem Ricardum querentes, audito quod illuc clam fugerat, armati conflu[x]eraiit ; quo non iu- vento, dominos Eogerum Walden, Nycholaum Slak, et Radulphum. Selbi, regis speciales conciliarios, ibidem re- pertos, usque ad parliamentum ordinarunt custodiendos. Et sic dux, rege et regno per eum infra 1. dies gloriose conquesto, Londoniam transiit ; in cujus turri regem captivatmn sub custodibus sufficientibus posuit. Interim, dux misit ad Hiberniam pro filio suo seniori, Henrico, et Unfredo, filio ducis Glowcestrie, in castro de Tryme per regem Ricardum inclusis. Quibus sibi cum magno tbesauro ejusdem regis transmissis, dictus TJnfredus, veneno Mors tin- pcr dominum de Spenser, ut dicebatur, in Hibernia toxci- Giowces"^ catus, aput Anglesei insulam in Wallia, ad magnum regni trie fihi. luctum, sio veniendo moriebatur ; tamen predictus ducis Lan- castrie filius ad patrem venit incolumis, domino Wyllelmo Bagot, infimi generis milite per regem ad alta promoto, secum invinculato ducto. Nobiiesde- Dicti regis Ricardi condicio talis fait, nobiles deprimere ac ignobiles exaltare, ut de ipso domino "Wyllelmo et de aliis infimis in magnates, et de ydeotis in pontifices quam pluribus per eum exaltatia, postea ruina, propter eorum inordinatum sal turn, depressis.' Unde, de eodem rege Ricardo, ut de Arch- allo quondam Britonum rege, merito notari poterit ; de quo sic : Archallus nobiles depressit, ignobiles exaltavit, cuique sua diviti auferebat, et infinites tbesauros coligebat ; unde heroes^ Deponitur regni tantas injurias diucius sustinere non valentes. in Id- rex. . ' r sum msurgentes, eum deposuerunt, ac fratrem suum in regem erexerunt. Sic per omnia de isto Ricardo contingebat ; [de] ' depressi, MS. 2 erohes, MS. AB^ DE USK. 29 cujus produccione natalium, quasi non ex patre regalis A.D. 1399. prosapie, set ex matre lubrice vite dedita, multum sinistri predicabatur in vulgo, ut de multis auditis taceam. Item, per certos ' doctores, episcopos, et alios, quonim pre- sencium notator unus extiterat, deponendi regem Eieardum c^^gg ^g. et Henricum, Lancastrie ducem, subrogandi in regem materia, po°endi et qualiter et ex quibus causis, juridice committebatur dis- putanda. Per quos determinatum fuit quod perjuria, sacrilegia, sodomidica, subditorum exiniianicio, populi in servitutem re- duccio, vecordia, et ad regendum imbecilitas,^ quibus rex Eicardus notorie fuit infectus, per capitulum> " Ad apos- tolice," (extractus, " De re judicata," in Sexto,) cum ibi notatis,' deponendi Ricardum cause fiierant sufficientes ; et, f- 162 b. licet cedere paratus fuerat, tamen ob causas premissas ipsum fore deponendum cleri et populi autoritate, ob quam causam tunc vocabantur, pro majori securritate fuit determinatum. Sancti Mathei festo, ad byennium decapitacionis comitis Arundelle, in dicta turri, ubi rex Ricardus in custodia fuerat, ipsius cene presencium notator interfuit, ipsius mo- dum et gesturam explorando, per dominum Wyllelmum Beuchamp ad hoc specialiter inductus. Ubi et quando idem rex in cena dolenter retulit confabulando sic dicens : "0 Deus ! hec est mirabiHs terra et inconstans, quia tot reges, tot presules, totque magnates exulavit, interfecit, destruxit, et depredavit, sepjper discencionibus et discordiis mutuisque invidiis continue infecta et laborans." Et recitayit historias et nomina vexatorum a primeva regni inhabitacione. Videns animi sui turbacionem, et qualiter nullum sibi specialem aut famulari solitum, sed alios extranios sibi totaliter insidiantes, ipsius obsequio deputatos, de antiqua et solita ejus gloria et de mundi faUaci fortuna intra me cogitando, multum • animo meo recessi turbatus. Quodam die, in concilio per dictos doctores habito, per quosdam fuit tactum* jure sanguinis, ex persona Edmundi 1 sertos MS. ' invicilitas, MS. ' Decret. Sext. ii. tit. xiv. § ij. ■* tactum quod MS. 30 CHRONICON A.D. 1399. comitis Lancastrie/ asserentes ipsum Edmundum regis Henrici tercii primogenitum esse, sed ipsius geniture ordine, propter ipsius fatuitatem, excluso, Edwardo suo fratre, se juniore, in hujus locum translate, sibi regni successionem directa linea debere compediri.^ Quantum ad istud, ecce quid historie P. de.Grw, per totam Angliam, quod Edwardus primogenitus regis Henrici erat, et quod post ipsum, ante Edmundum, Margareta, postea regina Scocie, regi predicto nata fuerat. In cronicis fratrum* predicatorum Londonensium ita legi : " Natus est Edwardus, primogenitus regis Henrici, aput Westmonasterium ; quern Oto legatus baptizavit :" libro vij°., capitulo xxv°., anno Domini millesimo ducentesimo tricesimo nono. Item, "Hex Henricus Edwardo primogenito suo dedit Vasconiam, Hiberniam, Waliam, Cestriam, et Surreiam :" libro vij., cap. xxxrij"., anno Domini mille- simo cc°liij. Item, "Idibus Maii, in bello de Lewys, barones ceperunt regem Henricum et primogenitum suum Edwardum:" libro vij., cap. xxxvij"., anno Domini m°cc°lxiiij°. Item, " Edwardus, primogenitus regis Henrici, cum uxore sua, adiit terram sanctam :" libro vij°., cap. xxxvij"., anno Domini m°cc°lxxj°. PoUicronica. Item, Seisitura " Rex Henricus tenuit festum Natale Wyntonie. Eodem ■ anno Domini m°cc''xxxix°., regi H[enrico] et A[lianore] regine natus filius primogenitus Edwardus, xv°. kalendas An Ed- Julii." Item, " Rex vocavit reginam et primogenitum suum, wardua vel . _, . j. o Edmundus Edwardum, m Franciam, pro tractatu matrimonii inter ipsum et filiam regis Hi[s]panie, anno Domini m'cc'liiij". et regis Henrici xxxviij."." Item, "Eodem anno missus est Edwardus primogenitus in magno apparatu in His- paniam ad Alfonsum, regem Hispanic, pro dicto matri- monio." Trevet. Item, "Alienora regina peperit iilium suum, Edwardum, apud Westmonasterium, anno Domini m^cc'xxxix". Alienora regina peperit filiam suam Mar- garetam anno Domini m°cc°xlj°. Alienora regina peperit ' LyncoUnie, MS. s compedere, MS. ADiB DTL USK. 31 filium suum Edmundum, anno Domini m°cc°xlv°." Cronica a.d. 1399. Glowcestrie. In festo Sancti Michaelis, missi erant regi in turri, pro parte cleri, archiepiscopus Eboracensis et episcopus Herford- ensis ; pro parte dominorum temporalium superiorum, de Northomerland et de Westhomerlland comites ; pro in- ferioribus prelatis, abbas Westmonasterii et prior Cantuarie ;. pro baronibus, de Berkeley et de Burnel domini ; pro plebeis cleri, magister Thomas Stow et Johannes Borbach ; pro communitate regni, Thomas Grey et Thomas Erpingham milites, ad recipiendum cessionem regis Ricardi. Quo facto, et in crastino iidem domini, ex parte tocius parliamenti clerique et regni populi, sibi legiancie, fidelitatis, subjecoionis, atten- dencie, et cujuscunque obediencie juramentum et fidelitatem totaliter reddiderunt, ipsum dissidendo, nee pro rege set pro private domino Ricardo de Bordux, simpHci milite, de cetero ,.,.... , ... , ... Nota rote eundem nabituri ; ipsius arnilo cum eis, m signum deposicionis faiiacis et privacionis, adempto et cum eis ad ducem Lancastrie delato, - ,„„ et sibi in pleno parliamento, eodem die incepto, tradito. Eodem die, Ebrocensis archiepiscopus, facta per eum prius coUacione sub hoc themate : " Posui verba mea in os tuum," ' factus per regem Ricardum vocis sue organum, in prima persona, ac si ipsem^et rex loqueretur, ipsius status regii resignacionem, et quorumcunque sibi legiorum seu subditorum^ ab omni sub- jeccione, fidelitate, et homagio liberacionem, palam et publico, in scriptis redactas, in pleno legit parliamento. Quam re- signacionem, requisite primitus omnium et singulorum de parliamento ad hoc concensu, palam et expresse admiserunt. Quo facto, dominus mens, Cantuariensis archiepiscopus, sub isto themate: "Vir dominabitur eis,"^ collacionem fecit, multum ducem Lancastrie ipsiusque vires, sensus, et virtutes summe commendando, ipsum ad regnandum meritoque ex- toUendo ; ac inter cetera recitata per eundem de demeritis 1 Is. li. 16. ^ quoscunque sibi legios et subditos, MS. 3 I Eeg. ix. 17. " Ecce vir quem dixeram tibi ; iste dominabitur populo meo." 32 CHEONICON A.D. 1399. regis Ricardi, et presertim qualiter patruum suum, ducem Grlowcestriej dolose et sine audiencia seu responsione injus- tissime su£Focaverat in carceribus ; et qualiter totam legem Sentencia regni, per eum juratam, subvertere laborabat. Et sic, ut quid onis. mora, licet seipsum deposuerat ex habundanti, ipsius deposi- cionis sentencia in scriptis redacta, consensu et auctoritate tocius parliamenti, per magistrum Johannem Trevar de Powysia, Assayensem episcopum, palam, publice et solemp- niter lecta fuit ibidem. Et sic, vacante regno, consensu tocius parliamenti, dictus dux Lancastrie, in regem erectus, per archiepiscopos predictos in sede regaH ad statim intro- novi regis, nizari optinuit ; et sic in trono regali sedens, quandam protestacionem in scriptis redactam ad statim ibidem palam et publice legit, in se continentem quod, regnum Anglie videns vacare, per descensum, jure successario ex persona Henrici regis tercii sibi debito, hujusmodi successionem, quia sibi eidem debitam, peciit pariter et adtnisit j et quod, vigore hujusmodi successionis vel ipsius conquestus, nullatenus regni statum vel alicujus ejusdem in liber tatibus, frangesiis, novi regis, hereditatibus, vel quovis alio jure vel consuetudinis modo in aliquo mutare^ permitteret. Et diem coronacionis sue, Sancti scilicet Edwardi proxime futurum ; ac, quia per deposicionem parliameu- Ricardi olim regis parliamentum, ejus nomine congregatum, ^"po^f."' fuit extinctum, ideo, ipsius novi regis nomine, novum parlia- cionem jnentum, in dicte coronacionis crastino, de consensu omnium incipiendum, duxit statuenda. Fecit eciam ad tunc publice proclamari die, si quis aliqua servicia seu officia in ipsius coronacione, jure hereditario seu consuetudinario, sibi duxit vendicanda, coram senescallo suo Anglie suas in scriptis, quo jure et quare, peticiones proponeret, die Sabbati proxime sequenti, apud Westmonasterium, justiciam in omnibus babi- turus. In vigilia coronacionis, rex Henricus, presente domino Eicardo olim rege, apud turrim Londonie xlij creavit ' mutareve, MS. ADJE DE USK. 33 milites ; inter quos quatuor filii sui, necnon de Arundella de A.D. 1399. Stafford comites, ac [de] "Warw[i]co comitis filius et heres ;' cum quibus et aliis regni proceribus glorioso apparatu ad Westmonasterium transiit. Veniente coronacionis die, omnes beroes regni, in rubio, scarleto, et berminio ornanter Q„j,^g induti, ad ooronacionem hujusmodi magno gaudio venerunt, ''^^^ '^^'^ domino meo Cantuariensi servicium et officium coronacionis giadios. expediente. Coram rege quatuor ferebantur gladii : unum vaginatum, in signum militaris bonoris augmenti ; duos in rubiis volutos ac per ligamina aurea circumcinctos " in signum duplicis misericordie ; quartum nudum sine mucrone regSiui™ in signum execucionis justicie sine rancore faciende. Primum f "1^*^'°" gladium de Nortbomerland, duos vaginatos de Som.erset et de Warwico comites, quartum justicie regis primogenitus, princeps Wallie, sceptrum' dominus de Latemer, virgam. comes Westbomerland, tarn in coronacione portabant, quam in prandio circa eum continue stantes tenebant. Regem, ante recepeionem corone, domino Cantuariensi i urare audivi quod in miseri- .... . . cordia[et] populum suum in misencordia et veritate omnmo regere veritate. curaret. Officiarii fuerunt isti in festo coronacionis : de Officiarii. Arundell pincerna, de Oxonia aque lavantis ministrator, comites ; dominus Grey de Eutbyn mapparum dispositor. Dum rex erat in medio prandio, dominus Thomas Dymm.oc, miles, in dextrario totaliter armatus, cum gladio vaginato de nigro manubrium aureum babente, aliis duobus gladium nudum, et lanceam ante eum defferentibus in dex- trariis eciam sedentibus, aulam intravit ; et per unum herowd in quatuor aule partibus proclamare fecit quod, si quis dicere vellet quod suus dominus ligius presens et rex Anglie non erat de jure rex Anglie coronatus, quod ipse erat corpore suo paratus ad probandum contrarium ad statim, seu Pugii regis quando et ubi regi placeret. Tunc rex dixit : " Si necesse clone. fuerit, domine Thoma, in propria persona te de hoc re- levabo." 1 filium et heredem. MS. ' ciroum sinctos. MS. ^ septrum. MS. D 34 CHEONICON A.D. 1399. Hujusmodi serviciiun habuit idem dominus Thomas racione manerii de Screvilby, in comitatu Lincolnie, et sic senten- cialiter et diffinitive obtinuit, nomine matris sue adbuc viventis, dicti manerii domine, contra dominum Balduynimi Frevj'l, nomine castri sui de Tamworth hoc idem tunc yendicantem. De concilio dicti domini Thome tunc fui, et banc peticionem loco libelli sibi composui : " Grraciosissime domine senescalle Anglie, suplicat humiliter Margareta Dymmoc, domina ma- nerii de Screvilby, quatenus placeat vestre gloriose domina- cioni concedere dicte suplicanti quod ipsa poterit facere ad coronacionem potentiasimi domini nostri regis servicium dicto manerio pertinens, per Thomam Dymmoc^ suum primogeni- tum et heredem, tanquam dicte Margarete procuratorem in hac parte, in forma que sequitur : Petit Thomas Dymmoc, primogenitus et heres Margarete Dymmoc, domine manerii de Screvilbi, coram vobis, graciosissime domine senescalle Anglie, quatenus paciamini ipsum habere servicium. manerio de Screvilbo, in coronacione cujusque regis Anglie, pertinens et debitum, quod servicium dominus Johannes Djrmmoc, pater ejusdem et dicte Margarete maritus, et in jure ejusdem Margarete, fecerat in coronacione E-icardi, regis Anglie ultimi; et in cujus servicii possessione ejusdem Margarete antecessores, dicti manerii domini, a tempore conquestus hucusque extitervmt : scilicet, quod rex faciat sibi deliberare unum de melioribus dextrariis et unam de melioribus sellis domini nostri regis, cum. armis, ornamentis, eorumque perti- nenciis pro dicto dextrario ipsiusque equite perfectissimis, ac si ipsemet rex ad letale bellum ineundo perarmari deberet, ad effectum quod idem Thomas, in eodem dextrario sic armatus sedens, faciat quater in aula, tempore prandii, facere publice proclamari quod, si quis vellet dicere quod Henricus, presens rex Anglie et suus ligius dominus, non est de jure rex et de jure debeat in regem Anglie coronari, ipse idem Thomas paratus est ad probandum corpore suo, ubi, quando, et qualiter rex voluerit, quod ipse mentitur. Petit eciam idem Thomas feoda et remuneraciones huic servlcio debita et ADJE DE USK. 35 solvi consueta, eo peracto cum effectu, sibi tradi et liberari." A.D. 1399. Translatio ex Grallico iu Latinum hie non patitur modum endictandi. Ideo lector parcere dignetur. Isto festo ad anmim preterite, dominus E-icardus nuper rex istum eundem hodie coronatum regnum exire compulit. Item, parliam.entum. suum. sub omnibus censuris per Petrum de Bosco, pape legatiun, ipsiusque auctoritate confirmari apud Westm^onasterium. fecit. Item, comitissam. Warwicensem. pro m.arito sue, ut premittitur, damnato supplicantem mina- batur ultimo supplicio destruere, et hoc juravit, nisi ob reverenciam femine sexus, ad statim se facturum. Isto eodem coronacionis die, nepotem suum, comitem Cancie, apud f. 164. Dublineam cum magna mundi vana gloria in regem coronare Hibernie, pluresque proceres regni Anglie, ad tantam solemp- nitatem calide Yocandos, interimere dampnaliter proposuit, ipsum comitem et alios juvenes per ipsum, ut premittitur, exaltatos cum eorum possessionibus ditare captando. Sed Roboe Salamonis filio, consilium, juvenum quia insecuto, regnum Israel amittenti iste Eicardus merito poterit cum consilium suis juvenibus consialiariis assimulari : iij. Regum, xij. capi- J"^"*""™- tulo. Coronacionis in crastino, prime scilicet die novi regis par- liamenti, plebei suum locutorem, dominum Johannem Cheyny, militem, regi presentarunt. Rex ab omnibus dominis spiritu- alibus et temporalibus homagium ligium recepit. Item, parliamentum ultimum domini Ricardi tunc regis penitus fuit revocatum ; et hoc die Martis contingente. Item, die Mercurii sequenti, Henricum, primogenitum suum, per Quinque .,. , • j_ T • sunt in- qumque insignia, scilicet : per virge auree tradicionem, per gignja prin- osculum, per circulum, per anulum, et per sue creacionis "P*""^- literas, in principem erexit Walie. Item, cause revocacionis dicti parliamenti declarate fuerant : propter terrores et minas paribus regni tunc, si regis veto non parerent, inflictas ; secundo, propter vim armatam regi tunc assistencium in par- liamento fulminatam ; tercio, quia comitatus, civitates, et burgi liberam eleccionem, in creacione plebeiorum parlia- D 2 36 CHRONICON A.D. 1399. menti, non habuerant. Item, quod parliamentum dicti Ricardij undecimo anno, totum per ducem Glowcestrie et comitem Aiiindelle causatum, sue firmitatis vires haberet. Item, quod quilibet per dicti Eicardi ultimum parliamentum aliqualiter suo jure privatus ipso facto ad sua esset re- stituendus. Rexque primogenito suo principatum Wallie, ducatum Cornubie ad tunc eciam cum comitatu Cestrie con- cessit pariterque contulit. Johannes Halle, familiaris ducis Nortbfolchie, quia ducis Glocestrie morti consenciendo interfuit, per parliamentum dampnatus, trahitur, suspenditur, ac, ejus visceribus extractis et coram eo crematis, adhuc vivus decapitatur et quatri- pertitur ; cujus quarta pars, dextram manum contingens, ultra pontem Londoniensera in palo ponitur. Istius parliamenti tempore, duo regis valecti, Londoniis cenantes, in v ovis, quibus eis serviebatur, appertissimas bomi- num facies, in omnibus similitudinem continentes, invenerunt, que loco crinium babuerunt albedinem a faciebus separatam- ultra verticem coagulatam et ad mentum per fauces descen- dentem ; quorum unum vidi. Dominus Ricardus nuper rex^ post ejus deposicionem, circa medie noctis obscurissime silencium, per Tbamesim evectus, ululando et cum clamore se natum fuisse condoluit. Cui unus miles ibi excistens dixit sibi : " Cogites quod eodem modo comitem Arundelle per omnia malignissime tractasti." Dominus meus Cantuariensis, ab exilio reversus et per papam ad ecclesiam suam contra Rogerum Walden restitutus, peciit a parliamento quod posset bona ejusdem Rogeri, ubicunque inventa, pro fructibu^ et aliis ipsius bonis exilii sui tempore' per eum perceptis, distringere, et sic sua debita exigere et relevare ; quod concessum fuit sibi. Et Yerum est quod dominus Ricardus dederat eidem Rogero omnia super- lectilia et alia quecunque ejusdem Thome, Cantuariensis archiepiscopi, utensilia, quia confiscata, ut asseruit, ad ' temperie. MS. AD^ DE USK. 37 valorem vj m. marcarum eciam, preter maneriorum ecclesie A.D. 1399. Cantuariensis instauraciones ; que omnia dictus Rogerus Walden, in archiepiscopum subrogatus, habuit, et ocupavit. De quibus comes Somerset, audito de adventu dicti Thome in regnum, vj carucatas, per Walden versus castrum de Saltwod pro tutamine dispositas, ab ipsius familiaribus abstulit ; que omnia dicto Thome postea liberavit. De quibus inter cetera, festo Nativitatis Beate Virginis, modicum ante istud parlia- m.entum, quando fui in prandio.cum dicto domino meo reverse aput Lamhyth, vidi qualiter dictus Rogerus ex aularum et f- is* b. camerarum ornamentis quibuscunque, que dicti domini Thome erant, et sibi in predam versis, arma dicti domini Thome, scilicet comitatus Arundelle cum circumferencia, quia ipsius nobilis comitis filius erat, subtulerat et exuerat, et sua propria : de rubio, cum ligamine blodio et una merinula aurea, loco ipsorum insuta, subrogaverat et consuerat. Sed modicum valuerunt ibi, quia, eis sublatis, idem dominus Thomas iterate propria textorum artis subtilitate armaque et insignia restituit; dictique Rogeri, ut premittitur, sublata tunc vidi sub scannis, in derisum habita, jacere, et per famulos extra fenestras proici par iter et jactari. Yidi eciam, quando idem Rogerus venit ad palacium domini episcopi Londoniensis, a domino duce, jam rege, et a dicto domino Thoma graciam petiturus, quam quoad ipsius vitam obtinuit ; et sic Thomas et Rogerus, si fas est dicere, duo archiepiscopi in una ecclesia, quasi, duo capita in uno corpore, Rogerus sciUcet tunc per papam in possessione juris, et dominus Thomas, quia nondum per papam restitutus, per seculi tamen potestatem in possessione facti, que prevaluit in omnibus, quia sibi soli crucis Cantuariensis, sibi a dicto Rogero remisse, paruit in omnibus delacio. Iste Rogerus vir fuit modestus, pius, et affabUis, verba utilia et composita proferens, magis mUitaribus et mundialibus negociis quam clericalibus aut Kberalibus imbutus. Primo, regis Ricardi Gallicus thesau- WaMan. rarius, postea ejus secretarius, et demum Anglie thesaurarius cjusque principalis consiliarius. Quern villa Walden in 38 CHRONICON A.D. 1399. comitatu Essexie ex carnificis filio ad premissa, licet per saltum nimis festinanter, sublimavit. TJnde poete verificatur prophecie. proverbium : " Festinata substancia cito minuetur ;" et alias, " Nemo repente fit summus." iTnde versus : — " Funere detecto Thomas antistes abibit, Et lapis erectus ad terram funditus ibit." " Funere detecto," scilicet quia rex Ricardus continue in sompnis habuit caput comitis Arundel corpori fore restitu- tum ; unde funus fecit detegi. " Thomas antistes abibit ;" i.e. exilium ejusdem Thome. " Et lapis erectus," et cetera : i.e. Walden, quod est ereccio lapidum. Et est antiqua pro- phecia. Plebei petiverunt a rege, in pleno parliamento, quod nichil indigne alicui conferret, et presertim de hiis que ad coronam pertinebant ; et tunc episcopus Assavensis in hec verba proru- pit : " Ista peticio incivilis est et injusta, quia concludit ad regis tenacitatem, quod omni regalitati contrarium existit, cui pocius largitatis aflSuencia convenire denoscitur. Concludit eciam quod subditi suum regem a sui innata bonitate restrin- gerent ; que mihi non videntur honesta. Ideo non ipse, sed injuste et indigne petens, veniat pocius puniendus." Et hec responsio placuit mihi, propter le Codex : " De peticionibus, bonorum sublatis," lex ij.' Item, ordinatum fuit quod domini regni pannoriun seu signorum et presertim capiciorum sectam aut liberatum de cetero alicui, nisi familiaribus continue cum eis conunoran- tibus, non conferrent, propter plures sediciones per ea in regno causatas. Item, licet omnes alii, in ultimo parliamento regis Ricardi lesi, essent ipso jure ad sua restituti, comes tamen Warwic non nisi per specialem graciam, pro eo quod confessus fuerat se cum duce Glowcestrie et comite Arundell proditorie contra regem insurrexisse. Item, rex transtulit corpus ducis Glowcestrie a loco ubi, in ' Codex, X. tit. xij. 1. ij. AD^ DE USK. 39 sui vilipendium, in parte australi ecclesie, remotius a regi- a.d. 1399. bus ipsum Richardus sepeliri fecerat, et in loco, per ipsum in vita disposito, inter feretrum Sancti Edwardi et suorum f. 165. tumbas parentum, cum sua uxore, modicum ante defuncta, in magna sepelture solempnitate coUocavit. Ubi et quando, bonam predicacionem audivi sub isto themate : " Memorare ^°^^ ^^ sermone. novissima tua.'" Et dividebat in iij partes : prime, memorare vite tue ; secundo, vilicacionis tue ; tercio, finis tui. Iterate, primam partem in tria : memorare vite tue in ingressu, in progressu, in egressu. Sicut eciam secundam partem: qualiter in vilicacionem intrasti ; secundo, qualiter quesisti ; tercio, qualiter expendisti. Sic eciam terciam, scilicet me- morare finis : scilicet, qualiter ad judicium citaberis ; secundo, qualiter rimaberis ; tercio, qualiter judicaberis. Et tunc finitum est parliamentum. Hiis diebus, dictus dominus meus Cantuariensis contulit KemsvDg. mibi bonam ecclesiam de Kemsynge, cum capella sua de Seol, in Cancia ; et bonam prebendam. de Landoky,'' in ecclesia coUegiata de Aberguyli. Et ecclesiam de Scherys- newtone,' in inferiori Wencia, quam ex indulgencia sedis appostolice cum aKis beneficiis curatis ocupaveram, consobrino meo domino Thome ap Adam ap Wyllelmi de Weloc, et ecclesiam suam de Panteke* alii cognate meo, domino Matheo ap Hoel, conferri et per eos haberi optinui. Eciam impetravi domino Jacobo de Bercley, domino de Nota de Eaglane, et EKzabethe, uxori sue et suis heredibus, sub magna carta regj?, dictum dominium et alia eorum dominia sub gloriosa fortuna per regem confirmari. Tunc eciam vidi cum rege mirabilis condicionis leporarium, Nota T • ■ • comitissa Pbilippa, domini mei conutis Marchie nlia, pnmo juveni Arundeiie. probissimo comiti Penbrocbie aput Wotstok in bastiludio perempto, et postea nobiK comiti Arundeiie decapitate, tercio domino de Seynt Jobn conjugata, modicum postquam mibi ecclesiam de Westbanfeld,^ in Essexia, donaverat, nondum xxiiij'"" etatis sue annum attingens, aput Halaakyt' juxta Cicestriam, viam universe carnis est ingressa, et in prioratu de Bosgrove jacet tumulata. Lumbardi et alii mercatores transmarini aput Londoniam, Lumbardi .. , ... • Ti- • • Tu restringun- m propriis hospicus morari soiiti ac mercimoma sua libere tur.* 1 millium. MS. ^ West-Hanningfield. '' Halnaker. " retinguntur. MS. 54 CHIIONICON A.D. 1400. exponere toUerati, in tantum, more transmarino, sunt restricti, quod non per se, sed in dome alicujus civis in ea parte fide- jussuri, morari debeant ; nee sua mercimonia, nisi juxta ejusdem civis supervisionem, exponere sunt aliquatenus permissi. Dux Bavarie, frater regine Francie, Bohemie rege a diu imperium occupante, quia inutili et nondmn per papam coronato, contempto, Francorum auxilio in imperatorem erectus, cum pluribus Francis campestri hello per dictum regem devincitur. Quatuor campanelle, ad quatuor angulos tumbe Sancti Edwardi aput Westmonasterium^ affixe, propriis motibus et multo plus quam viribus bumanis pulsate, ad magna conventus terrores et prodigia, quater in uno die mirabiliter sonuerunt. Fons, in quo caput Llewelini ap Gruifyd, Wallensium prin- cipis ultimi, in pago de Buellt' situate,^ post ejus amputa- cionem lotum extitit, per diem naturalem integrum merissime sanguine manavit. Unum est quod biis diebus dolenter refero, quod duo pape, quasi monstrum in natura, jam per xxij annos tunicam Christi inconsutelem, contra id Sapiencie : " Una est columba f. 169. mea,"^ nefFandissime dividendo, mundum animarum erratibus corporum diversis cruciatorum terroribus nimium pertur- barunt. Et heu ! si verum est quod memorie reduce, scilicet illud evangelii :■* " Vos estis sal terre, sed quid si sal eva- nuerit? Ad nichil valet ultra, nisi ut eiciatur foras et conculcetur ab hominibus." Unde, quia sacerdocio modo quasi venali etc., nonne Cbristus ementes et vendentes in templo, facto funiculo, ejecit foras ? Et unde timeo, ne cum magna flagellacione et conculcacione a gloria sacerdocii eicia- mur, attendens quod in veteri testamento, postquam venalitas sacerdocium violarat, fumus inpressabilis, ignis inextinguibilis. Fit imper- ator dux Bavarie. Campane per se pulsant. Fonsmanat sanguine. Duo pape per xxij. aunos. Venalitas in sacer- docio. ' Builth, CO. Brecon. 2 situati. MS. » Cant. Cantic. vj. 8. •• Matt. V. 13. More correctly — "Vos estis sal terrre. Quod si sal evanuerit, in quo-salietur ? Ad nihilum valet nisi ut mittatur foras," etc. ADJE DE USK. 55 fetor innocissibilis, cessarunt in templo. TJt quid mora, en !' A.D. uoo. mater Virgo, juxta id Apocalypseos,^ a facie bestie in trono sedentis in desertum fugit cum filio. Hie me jubet quiescere Plato, cum nil sit cercius morte, nil incercius bora mortis. Ideo, benedicatur Deus ! in mei originis, scilicet de Usk, ecclesia, jam mori adiscens, memoriale meum in competentibus Omamenta , T . . -1 . . ecclesie de missali, gradali, tropario, sequencia, antipbanario, noviter et Usk. cum novis addicionibus et notis compositis, ac plena vesti- mentorum secta, cum tribus capis, ornanter compositorum meis signis, scilicet nudi fodentis in campo nigro, oracionxmi sufeagiis ibidem me comendando relinquo ; ulterius, si Deus dederit, ecclesiam eandem reparacione bonestiori, ad Beate Virginis gloriam, in cujus nativitatis honore est dedicata, perornare proponens ; boc ad mei laudem non reputando, quia presentis fatuitatis mee scripturam in vita mea videri detestor. Primogenitus Francie, in exberedacionem et detestacionem Filius regis . . . . . Francie fit regis Anglie, in ducem creatur Aquitanie ; quo statim mortuo, e peple. And pletid with poUaxis and poyntis of swerdis, And at the dome-^evynge drowe out /e bladis. And lente men levere of her longe battis. ADAM OF USK. 131 In the same parliament, the duke of Hereford,* son of the A.D. 1398. said duke of Lancaster, appealed the duke of Norfolk of treason. Wherefore the king appointed to them the morrow after the Exaltation of the Holy Cross' next following to fight in that quarrel. The duke of Hereford meanwhile, finding pledges, went whither he would. But the duke of Norfolk being delivered into custody at Windsor, his oflBces were given over to his other co-appellors, that is, the office of marshal of England to the duke of Surrey and that of captain of Calais to the duke of Exeter ; on account of which grants, by His righteous judg- ment, God did set between him and them great confusion and enmity, according to what the prophecy says in the verse : " The great judge of heaven shall break the ranks of evil men.'" And on the day of battle they both came in great state to the appointed place, which was fenced with a wet ditch. But the duke of Hereford appeared far more gloriously distin- guished with diverse equipments of ^even horses.' And because the king had it by divination that the duke of Norfolk should then prevail, he rejoiced much, eagerly striving after the destruction of the duke of Hereford. But when they joined battle, it seemed to him that the duke of Hereford would pre- vail. And so the king ordered the combat to be stayed, laying perpetual exile on the duke of Norfolk, yet striving, « They lacked alle vertues^at a juge shulde have ; For, er a tale were ytolde,/ey wolde trie/e harmes, Without ODy answere hut ho his lyf hatid. And ho so pleyn'd to/e prince, /at pees shulde kepe. Of these mystirmen, medlers of -n-rongis, He was lyghtliche ylaujte and ylugged of many. And ymummyd on/e mouthe and manaced to J)e deth." ' This day would fall on the 15th Septemher ; the 16th was the actua day appointed. ' Bridlington, dist. ij. cap. vj. 3 The comhatants made a great display of arms and trappings. Henry was assisted hy armourers sent by the duke of Milan ; Mowbray received his arms from Germany. — Froissart, iv. 63 ; Archisologia, xx. 102. k2- 132 THE CHROXICLE OF A.D. 1398. when he should find occasion, to restore him.' But the duke of Hereford he banished from the kingdom for ten years. The one died at Venice in exile ; the other within a year came back in triumph to the kingdom, and, deposing him who had banished him, reigned therein with might. A.D. 1399. In this year, the day after Saint Blaise (3rd February), died the duke of Lancaster, and in the church of Saint Paul in London, near the high altar, was with great honours buried. A.D. 1398. In the parliament of Shrewsbury, the king got the whole p. 24. power of the government to be given over to him and to six others to be named by him for the term of his life, where A.D. 1399. and when he pleased." By means of which commission he afterwards condemned the said duke of Hereford to perpetual exile, seizing all his goods. And he passed sentence against the memory of many who were dead. And at length he set out for Ireland (29th May) to subdue it, in an evil hour, for, as will hereafter be seen, his return to his own land was to his injury. j The coming out of exile of the said duke of Hereford, now W his father's death became duke of Lancaster, and so twice a duke, was according to that part of the prophecy of Brid- lington where are the verses : ^ " With scarce three hundred men the duke shall come again ; And Philip, false, shall flee, all reckless of the slain." ' This duke Henry, according to the prophecy of Merlin, ^ This view of Norfolk's banishment is not altogetlier unsatisfactory. It is difficult to give any good reason for the severity of the sentence. Norfolk -was notoriously a favourite with Bichard, and the charges brought against him by Henry are not enough to account for a life-banish- ment. It is not therefore impossible that Eiohard may have meditated recalling Norfolk, after his heavy sentence had served the purpose for •which it seems to have been intended, that is, as a counterfoil to make Henry's term of banishment appear comparatively trifling. ^ The commission to which were deputed the powers of parliament, at the close of the session of Shrewsbury, consisted of twelve peers and six commoners. Half of their number was empowered to act. — Rot. Pari, iij. 368. . 3 Dist. ii. cap. ij. ADAM OF USK. 133 was the eaglet, as being the son of John.' But, following A.D. 1399. BridKngton, he was rightfully the dog,' on account of his badge of a linked collar of greyhounds,' and because he came in the dog-days ; and because he utterly drove out from the kingdom the faithless harts, that is, the livery of king Richard, which was the hart. ' It requires some patience to thread the maze of this wonderfiil " sliim- ble-skamble stuff." The comparison of the eaglet with the son of John is clearly nothing more than an allusion to the emblem of St. John, the eagle. The " puUus aquilae " is however not to be found in the prophecy of Merlin, as given in Geoffrey of Monmouth, but in the " Prophetia AquUse," which often accompanies it in the MSS. The following extract is copied from MS. Eeg. 15 C. xvj. f. 184 : — " Post haec dicetur per Britanniam rex est rex non est. Post hsec eriget caput suum et regem se esse significabit multis fracturis sed nuUa repa- racione. Post hsec erit tempus milvorum et quod quisque rapuerit pro Buo habebit, et hoc septennis vigebit. Ecce rapacitas et sanguis effusio et fund multis comparabuntur ecclesiis et quod alius serit alius metet et vitae miseri inors prevalebit et paueorum hominum integra manebit caritas et quod quisque pepigerit vespere mane violabitur. Deinde ah austro veniet cum sole super ligneos equos et super spumantem inuuda- cionem maris pullus aquilcB navigans in Britanniam et applicans tunc statim et aliam domum aquilse siciens et cito aliam siciet." Those who have read Mr. Webb's translation of Creton's metrical history of the deposition of Eichard will recall the scene of the aged knight who, as he rides along by Creton's side, tells him how the king's ruin had been fore- told by Merlin, as he was prepared to prove out of book (Archceologia, xx. 168, 374, and Appx. IV.). ' Adam no doubt refers to the line in Bridlington (dist. ii. cap, vij.) — " Cum canis intrabit leo cum tauro volitahit," which is thus commented upon : " Cum canis intrahit, id est, cum Ula Stella nociva in coelo, qua; canis primus dicitur, oriatur cum sole, quod est quando sol est in fine cancri in menie Julii in diebus canieularibus," etc. The adaptation of prophecy could scarcely be carried further than to dub a man " dog " because he works out his mission in the dog-days. ' The greyhound has not been commonly recognised as among Henry's badges. The better known ones were the antelope, the white swan, and the fox's brush. Here, however, is the badge of the greyhound, so specifically named that there can be no doubt that Henry made use of it. Richard's cognizance of the white hart may perhaps have suggested his rival's use of the greyhound at this time, with the significance pointed to in the text. In the Harleian MS. 1989, f 381, containing a chronicle (unfortunately very corrupt) compiled at Chester, is also to be found a 134 THE CHRONICLE OF A.D. 1399. This duke Henry returned from exile in company with Thomas, archbishop of Canterbury, and Thomas, earl of Arundel, the son, who for fear of his life had fled to him in France from the keeping of the duke of Exeter, king Richard's brother; and he landed on the 28th day of June' with scarce three hundred followers, as above said, at a deserted spot in the northern parts of the land. And there first came to his help the chief forester of his forest of Knaresborough, Robert "Waterton,^ with two hundred foresters ; and after- wards, the earls of Westmoreland and Northumberland, and the lords Willoughby and Greystock ; aiid, in short, within a few days he stood in triumph, begirt by one hundred thousand fighting men. And two days before the end of July he arrived at Bristol, and there he struck oflf the heads of sir Wniiam Scrope,^ the king's treasurer, and sir John reference to this badge : — " Unde creditur quod armigeri ducis Lancastri» deferentes collistrigia quasi leporarii ad destruendum insolenciam missse besti?e,'' etc. (Traison et Mart de Mickart II., p. 283). The identification of the greyhound as a badge of Henry Bolingbroke may explain a passage in Michard the Redeles (ij. 113), which has caused some trouble to editors : — " But had/e good greehonde be not agreved, But cherischid as a cheiFeteyne and cheff of toure lese, Je hadde had hertis ynowe at toure wille to go and to ride." Mr. Wright supposes John Beaufort, earl of Dorset, to be here meant, the greyhound being the cognizance of his family (Political Poems, Eolls Series, I. 386). Mr. Skeat proposes Ralph Nevil, earl of Westmoreland, There can, however, be no question that Henry is more likely to be pointed to as " chief of your leash," than the other two comparatively unim- poftajit nobles. I ' JThis is a, few days earlier than is generally thought to be the true daw of Henry's landing, the 4th July. " Robert Waterton, afterwards a knight and Henry's master of the horse, is in some of the chronicles placed among those who accompanied Henry from Prance. In the Sloane MS. 1776 — containing a chronicle which partly follows the monk of Evesham and partly the Annales (ed. Eiley), and which is partly independent, — and also in the Harleian MS. 53, a version of the Brut chronicle, Waterton figures as Richard's gaoler at Pontefract. 3 The earl of Wiltshire, who is seldom named in the chronicles by his chief title. ADAM OF USK. 135 Bushy and sir Henry Grene, knights, the king's most evil A.D. 1399. councillors and the chief fosterers of his malice. There was I, the writer of this chronicle, present with my lord of p. 25. Canterbury late returned ; and I, through favour, made peace between the duke and the lordship of TJsk, the place of my birth, which he had determined to harry, on account of re- sistance made by that place, as ordered by my lady the king's niece; and I also got sir Edward Charlton,' then husband of that lady, to be taken into the duke's following ; and I caused all the people of TJsk, who for the said resistance had gathered at Monstarri," to their great joy to return to their own homes. At length the duke came to Hereford with his army, on the second day of August, and lodged in the bishop's palace ; and on the next day he moved towards Chester, and passed the night in the priory of Leominster. The next night he spent at Ludlow, in the king's castle, not sparing the wine which was therein stored. At this place, I, who am now writing, obtained from the duke and from my lord of Canter- bury the release of brother Thomas Prestburi, master in theology, a man of my time at Oxford, and a monk of Shrewsbury, who was kept in prison by king Richard, for that he had righteously preached certain things against his follies ; and I also got him promotion to the abbacy of his house.' Then, passing through Shrewsbury, the duke tarried ^ Sir Edward Oharlton, or de Cherleton, married Aliauore, daughter of Thomas Holland, earl of Kent, Richard's half-hrother, and widow of Eoger Mortimer, earl of March. He succeeded his hrother as lord Cherleton, lord of Powis, in 1401. 2 I cannot identify this place. I find the name of Nantyderry laid down in the ordnance map, ahout three miles above Usk, on the other side of the river. Allowing for the blunders of the scribe, it is quite pos- sible that this place is meant. ^ Thomas de Prestbury received the royal assent to his election as abbat of Shrewsbury on the 17th August, and had the temporalities on the 7th Sept. 1399. He afterwards got into trouble again, for he received a pardon from the king in 14 Hen. IV., and again, when indicted for felony, in 3 Hen. V. — Dugdale, Monasticon, iij. 514. 136 THE CHRONICLE OP A.D. 1399. there two days ; where he made proclamation that the army should march on Chester, but should spare the people and the land, because by mediation they had submitted themselves to him. Wherefore many who coveted that land for plunder departed to their homes. But little good did the proclamation do for the coimtry, as wiU be seen. The reasons why the duke decided to invade that country were : because, abetting the king as has been said, it ceased not to m.olest the land for the space of two whole years with murders, adulteries, thefts, pillage, and other unbearable wrongs ; and because it had risen up against the said duke and against his coming, threatening to destroy him. Another cause was on account of the right of exemption of that country, Wherein the in- habitants, however criminal elsewhere, and others entangled in debt or crime, were wont to be received j so that the whole land cried vengqg,nce on them, p. 26. On the ninth (eighth ?) day of August, the duke with his army entered the county of Chester, and there, in the parish of Coddington and other neighbouring parishes, taking up his camping ground and pitching his tents, nor sparing meadow or cornfield, pillaging all the country round, and keeping strict watch against the wiles of the men of Chester, he passed the night. And I, the writer of this chronicle, spent a not un- cheerful night in the tent of the lord of Powis.^ Many in neighbouring places, drinking of the poisoned cups given them by the people of Chester, perished. There also, from divers water- cisterns, which the men probed with spears, and from other hiding-places, vessels and much other goods were drawn forth and taken for plunder, I being present with the finders. The next day, which was the eve of St. Lawrence,^ I went in the morning to the church of Coddington, to celebrate mass ; but I found nothing, for everything was carried ofi' and doors and chests broken open. ^ Sir Edward de Cherleton. ' The eve of St. Lawrence falls on the 9th August. ADAM OF USK, 137 The same day, the duke of Lancaster with his host reached a.d. 1399. Chester. But first he reviewed his troops in a large field, in which was a fair crop of standing corn, some three miles from the city, on its eastern side, marshalling their ranks to the number of one hundred thousand fighting men. And it may be truly said that the hills shone again with their shields. And thus he entered the castle of Chester ; and there he remained for twelve days, he and his men, using king Richard's wine which was found there in good store, laying waste fields, pillaging houses, and, in short, taking as their own everything they wanted for use or food, or which in any way could be turned to account.' On the third day of his arrival there he caused the head of Perkin de Lye,^ who was reckoned a great evil-doer, to be cut off and fixed on a stake beyond the eastern gate. This Perkin, who as chief warden of the royal forest of Delamere,' and by power of that office, had oppressed and ground down the country people, was taken in a monk's garb ; and because, as it was said, he had done many wrongs in such disguise, he deservedly was put out of the world in that dress. One thing I know, that I thought no man grieved for his death. King Richard, hearing in Ireland of the landing of the p- 27. duke, set out in the full glory of war and wealth, and made for the shores of Wales at Pembroke with a great host, and landed on the day of St. Mary Magdalene (22nd July), sending forward the lord Despencer'' to stir up his men of Glamorgan to his help ; but they obeyed him not. Stunned by this news coming in from all sides, and acting on the advice of those who I think were traitors, and hoping to be relieved by the succour of the men of North Wales and ' See the Trdison et Mart, Appendix C. 281. ' Sir Piers de Legh of Lyme Hanley. ' The jurisdiction of the forest of Delamere was vested in four families : Kingsley, Grrosvenor, Wever, and Merton. — Ormerod, Sittory of Cheshire (1819) ij. 50. * Thomas Despencer, created earl of Gloucester in 1397 ; beheaded in 1400. 138 THE CHKONICLE OF Chester, he fled in panic at midnight with only a few followers to Caermarthen,' on the road to Conway castle in North Wales. Whereupon the dukes, earls, barons, and all who were with him. in his great host, according to the text : " Smite the shepherd and the sheep shall be scattered,"" disbanded, and making their way through by-ways into England were robbed of everything by the country people.' And I saw many of the chief men come in to the duke thus stripped, and many of them, whom he trusted not, he delivered into divers keepings. On the eve of the Assumption of the blessed Virgin (14th August),* my lord of Canterbury and the earl of Northumber- land went away to the king at Ithe castle of Conway to treat with him on the duke's behalf/ ^nd the king, on condition of saving his dignity, promised W) surrender to the duke at Flint castle.j And so, delivering up to them his two crowns, valued at onte hundred thousand marks, with other countless treasure,* he straightway set forth to Flint. There the duke ' The Harl. MS. 1989, printed in the Traison et Mprt, Appendix C. 282, also mentions Caermarthen as the place whitlier Richard first went on landing in Wales. = Zech. iij. 7. ^ See ArchcBologia, xx. 104, 328, where Creton tells us how the English soldiers were pillaged by the Welsh as they made their way through the country. * In the Traison et Mart, 195, the earl of Northumberland receives his instructions on the 17th August. As, however, he was at Conway on the 18th of the month, and had to make his arrangements and post his troops, the date in our chronicle is probably the more correct one. Both Creton {Arch. XX.) and the author of the Treason et Mart state that Northum- berland alone was present at Conway, and that the archbishop only met the king at Flint. Consequently, the truth of Biohard's promise to ^ abdicate, which, according to the Rolls of Parliament (iij. 416), was made •at Conway to the archbishop and earl, is open to grave doubt. See Traison et Mart, 202 ; Lingard, Mist. Engl. ; Wallon, Sichard JI. y ij. 292. * This story of the surrender of treasure is not supported by other chronicles. Perhaps the capture of treasure at Holt oastle, which surrendered to Henry, is meant. — Arch. xx. 122. ADAM OF USK. 139 coming to liiiii with twenty thousand chosen men — the rest of a.d, 1399. his army heing left to guard his quarters, and the country and castle and city of Chester^ — sought the king within the castle (for he would not come forth), girding it round with his armed men on the one side and his archers on the other ; whereby was fulfilled the prophecy : " The white king shall array his host in form of a shield/" And he led him away prisoner to Chester castle, where he delivered him into safe keeping. Thus, too, hfe placed in custody certain lords, taken along with the king, to be kept till the parliament which was to begin on the morrow of Michaelmas-day. WhUe the duke was then at Chester, three of the twenty- ^ four aldermen of the city of London, on behalf of the same city, together with other fifty citizens, came to the duke, and recommended their city to him, under their common seal, renouncing their fealty to king Richard.' They told, toOf how the citizens had gathered in arms to "Westminster abbey to search for the king, hearing that he had in secret fled thither ; and that, not finding birn there, they had ordered to be kept in custody, till "parliament, Roger Walden, Nicholas Slake, and Ralph Selby, the king's special coTincillors, whom they did find.* And so the duke, having gloriously, within ' Creton has drawn a fine scene in which Bichard stands on the battle- ments of Flint castle and watches Hemy's army advance and encircle the fortress {Arch. xx. 155, 370). The number of troops is put down at 100,000 men, and the whole body is represented as marching to FUnt. Pr. Lingard has made some allowance, and reduced the number to 80,000. Twenty thousand men would, however, be quite enough for Henry's purpose ; and I have no doubt that Adam's account of the disposition of the troops is right. ' This comes from the " Prophetia AquilaB " : — " Exercitus ejus ad modum clipei formabuntur." MS. Ileg.l5 C. xvj. ^ The deputation from London is also said to have met Hemy at Lich- field {Arch. XX. 176), or at Coventiy {Tra'ison et Mori, 212). * Holinshed (Ed. 1807. ij, 859) tells a somewhat similar story : that some of the Londoners designed to slay Richard on his arrival at the city, but, being prevented, " They, comminge to Westminster, tooke maister John Sclake, deane of the king's chappell, and from thence brought him to Newgate, and there laid him fast in irons." Roger Walden was shortly 140 THE CHRONICLE OF A.D. 1399. fifty days, conquered both king and kingdom, marched to I London ; and there he placed the captive king in the Tower, \ under proper guard. / Meanwhile the duke sent to Ireland for his eldest son Henry, and for Humphrey, son of the duke of Gloucester, who had been imprisoned in the castle of Trim by king Richard. And when they had been sent over to him, along with great treasure belonging to the king, the said Humphrey, having been poisoned in Ireland, as was said, by the lord Despencer, died, to the great grief of the land, on his arrival at the isle of Anglesey in Wales.' But the duke's son came safe to his father, and brought with him in chains sir William Bagot,' a knight of low degree, who had been raised by the king to high places. ^It was of king Richard's nature to abase the noble and exalt the base, as of this same sir William and other low- born fellows he made great men, and of very many unlettered men he made bishops, who afterwards fell ruined by their irregular leap into power. ^Wherefore of this king Richard, as of Arthgallo, once king of Britain, it may well be said in this wise: Arthgallo debased the noble and raised up the low, he took from every man his wealth, and gathered countless treasure ; wherefore the chiefs of the land, unable longer to bear such great wrongs, revolting against him, put him aside and set up his brother to be king.* So in all things was it afterwards deposed from the archbishopric of Canterbury. Nicholas Slake was prebendary of York, and dean of the king's chapel, West- minster. Ralph de Selby had been subdean of York, and was warden of King's Hall, Cambridge. ' Creton represents him as arriving in England, and as having, along with the young earl of Arundel, the custody of Klchard confided to him at Chester. — Arch. xx. 173, 375. ^ Bagot had escaped from Bristol. He was afterwards set at liberty, and died a few years later in retirement. — Arch. xx. 278. ' The appointments of Walden, archbishop of Canterbury, Merkes, bishop of Carlisle, and Robert Tideman of Winchecumb, bishop of Worcester, are here pointed at. * Adam is quoting, from memory, from Geoffrey of Monmouth: " Mobiles ADAM OF USK. 141 witli king Richard ; concerning whose birth much evil a.d. 1399. report was noised abroad, as of one sprung not from a father p. 29. of royal race, but from a mother given to slippery ways of life ; to say nothing of much that I have heard.' Next, the matter of setting aside king Richard, and of choosing Henry, duke of Lancaster, in his stead, and how it was to be done and for what reasons, was judicially committed to be debated on by certain doctors, bishops, and others, of whom I, who am now noting down these things, was one. And it was found by us that perjuries, sacrileges, unnatural T crimes, oppression of his subjects, reduction of his people to S slavery, cowardice and weakness of rule — with all of which \ crimes king Richard was known to be tainted — were cause ] enough for setting him aside, in accordance with the chapter \J "Ad apostolicae dignitatis," under the title : " De re judicata," namque ubique laborabat deponere et ignobiles exaltare.divitibus quibusque sua auferre, infinites thesauros aecumulans. Quod beroes regni diutius ferre recusantes insurrexertmt in ilium et a solio regio deposuei-unt. " iij. 17. ' See tbe account in the Trdison et Mart, 215, of Richard's reception bj the Londoners with the cry : " Now are we well revenged of this wicked bastard, who has governed us so ill ! " Proissart (iv. c. 77) gives shape to these rumours in an apocryphal dialogue between Eichard and Henry in the Tower, when the former was said to have resigned the crown. Henry, upbraiding Bichard, says : " Et tant que commune renomm^e court, par toute Angleterre et aiUeurs, que vous ne fates oncques fils au prince de GaUes, mais d'un clerc ou d'un chanoiue ; car j'ai oui dire & aucuns chevaliers qui furent de I'hotel du prince mon oncle, que pourtant que le prince se sentoit m^&it de mariage, car votre mfere etoit cousine germaine au roi Edouard, et le commencoit h, accueiller en grand' haine pouitant qu'il n'avoit point de generation, et si etoit sa commere deux fois des enfants qu'il avoit tenus sur le fonds qui furent S, messire Thomas de Hollande, elle, qui bien savoit tenir le prince et qui conquis I'avoit en mariage par subtilite et cautelle, se douta que mon oncle le prince, par une diverse voie, ne se voulsist demarier ; et fit tant qu'elle fut grosse et vous eut, et encore un autre devant vous. Du premier on ne scut que dire ni juger ; mais de vous, pourtant que on a vu vos moeurs et conditions trop contraires et differentes aux vaillances et prouesses du prince, on dit et parole, en ce pays ci et ailleurs, que vous futes fils d'un clerc ou d'un chanoine. Car pour le temps que vous futes engendre et n6 st Bordeaux sur Gironde il y en avoit moult de jeunes et beaux en I'hotel du prince." 142 THE CHRONICLE OF A.D. 1399. in the Sextus ;' and although he was ready himself to yield up the crown, yet was it determined, for the aforesaid reasons, /ihat he should be deposed by the authority of the clergy and ^people, for which purpose they were sumrnoned. / ^On St. Matthew's day ('21st September), just two years after the beheading of the earl of Arundel, I, the writer of this history, was in the Tower, wherein king Richard was a . prisoner, and was present at his dinner, and marked his mood and bearing, having been taken thither for that very purpose by sir William Beauchamp.^ And there and then the king discoursed sorrowfully in these words : " My God ! a wonder- ful land is this, and a fickle ; which hath exiled, slain, destroyed, or ruined so many kings, rulers, and great men, and is ever filled and toileth with strife and variance and envy ; " and then he recounted the histories and names of sufferers from the earliest habitation of the kingdom. Per- ceiving then the trouble of his mind, and how that none of his own men, nor such as were wont to serve him, but strangers who were but spies upon him, were appointed to his service, and musing on his ancient and wonted glory and on the fickle fortune of the world, I departed thence much moved at heart. One day, in a council held by the said doctors, the point was raised by some, that by the right of descent from the p. 30. person of Edmund earl of Lancaster — they declaring that the same Edmund was the eldest son of king Henry the third, but that, on account of his mental weakness, his birthright had been set aside and his younger brother Edward put in his place — Richard's succession in the direct line was barred. As to this, see the history in the pedigree,'' known throughout /ijjiber sextus Decretalium, II. tit. xiv. § ij. This was the decree of fl^sition passed at the council of Lyons, in 1245, hy pope Innocent IV. against the emperor, Trederick II. 2 Sir "WUliam Beauchamp, distinguished as a soldier and sea-captain, became lord Bergavenny in 1392. He died in 1410. ' In the MS. the word is written " P. de Grw," as though it were a ADAM OF USK. 143 England, that Edward was first-born son of king Henry^ and a.d. 1399. that after him, and before Edmund, Margaret, who was afterwards queen of Scotland, was born to the same king. I have read the following in the chronicles of the friars preachers of London : " There was bom Edward, eldest son of king Henry, at Westminster ; whom the legate Otho baptized " (book vii. eh. xxt. A.D. 1239). Again : " King Henry gave to his eldest son Edward, Gascony, Ireland, Wales, Chester, and Surrey '' (book vii. ch. xxxvij. A.D. 1253). Again: " On the 15th of May, in the battle of Lewes, the barons took prisoners king Henry and his eldest son Edward " (book vij. ch. xxxvij. A.D. 1253). Again: "Edward, eldest son of king Henry, went with his wife to the Holy Land " (book vij. ch. xxxvij. A.D. 1271). — Polychronicon. Again: "King Henry kept Christmas at Winchester. The same year of our Lord, 1239, was born to king Henry and queen Eleanor their eldest son Edward, on the 17th of June." Again : " The king summoned the queen and his eldest son Edward into France, to treat of a marriage between him and the daughter of the king of Spain, in the year of our Lord 1254, and the thirty-eighth of king Henry." Again : " The same year was sent into Spain the king's eldest son Edward, to king Alfonso, for the said marriage." — Trivet. Again : " Queen Eleanor brought forth her son Edward at Westminster, in the year of our Lord 1239." "Queen Eleanor brought forth her daughter Margaret, in the year of our Lord 1241." "Queen Eleanor brought forth her son p. 31. Edmund, in the year of our Lord 1245." — Chronicle of Gloucester? chronicler's name. But T suspect that nothing more than " pedigree " is meant, the scribe probably having been puzzled at the word, and that the common genealogical history of the kings of England, of which so many copies written on long vellum rolls are still extant, is here referred to. Hearne prints from one of his MSS., at the end of his edition of Robert of Gloucester, a " petegreu " of the kings of England from William the Conqueror to Henry VI. ' This passage is interesting, as it throws some light on the story of the 144 THE CHKONICLE OP A.D. 1399. On St. Michael's day there were sent to the king in the Tower, on behalf of the clergy, the archbishop of York and the bishop of Hereford ; on behalf of the superior lords temporal, the earls of Northumberland and Westmoreland ; for the lower prelates, the abbat of "Westminster and the prior of Canterbury; for the barons, the lords Berkeley and Burnell ; for the lower clergy, master Thomas Stow and John Borbach ; and for the commons of the kingdom, sir Thom.as Grey and sir Thomas Erpingham, knights, to receive the surrender of the crown from king Richard.' And when this fabrication of a ctroniole \>j Jolin of Gaunt, with a view to make out a claim to the crown by direct descent, and of the investigation of the matter by the privy council. "We see here that the subject was actually discussed, but in a council different from that to which it was supposed to have been submitted. Hardyng is the author of the story, and tells it in these words : " For as muche as many men have been merred and yit stonde in grete erroure and controversy, holdyng oppynyon frowarde howe that Edmonde, erle of Lancastre Leicestre and Derby, wase the elder sonne of kynge Henry the tliride, croukebacked, unable to have been kynge, for the whiche Edward his yonger brother was made kynge be his assente, as somme men have alleged, be an untrewe cronycle feyned in the tyme of kynge Richarde the seconde be John of Gaunte, duke of Lancaster, to make Henry his sonne kynge, when he sawe he myght not be chose for heyre apparaunt to kynge Richarde. Por I, John Hardynge, the maker of this booke, herde the erle of Northumberlande that was slayne at Bramham More in the time of king Henry the Fourth sale, howe the same king Henry, upon Saynt Mathee daye, afore he wase made kinge, put forth that ilke cronycle, claymynge his title to the crown be the seid Edmonde, upon whiche all the cronycles of Westminstre and of all our notable monasteries were hade in the couusell at Westmynstre, and examyned amonge the lordes, and proved well be all theire chronycles that the kinge Edwarde wase the older brother, and the seide Edmonde the younger brother, and not croukebacked nother maymed, but the semeliest person of Engelonde except his brother Edwarde. Wherfore that Chronycle which kynge Henry so put farth was adnuUed and reproved." (Ed. Ellis, 1812, p. 353.) He goes on to say that John of Gaunt forged the chronicle in consequence of the parliament refusing to recognise him as heir to the throne after Richard, and that he published it by placing copies in different monasteries. See Arch. xx. 186. ' The Rolls of Parliament (iij. 416) also name Sir William Thyrnynge and John Markham justices, and William de Periby and Denis Lopham notaries. ADAM OF TJSK. 145 was done, on the morrow, the said lords, on behalf of the A.D. 1399. whole parliament and the clergy and the people of the king- dom, altogether renounced their oath of allegiance, loyalty, submission, service, and what obedience soever, and their fealty to him, setting him aside, and holding him henceforth not for king, but for a private person, sir Eichard of Bordeaux, a simple knight ; having taken away his ring in token of depo- sition and deprival, and bringing the same to the duke of Lancaster, and delivering it to him in full parliament on that day assembled. On the same day the archbishop of York delivered first an address on the text : " I have set my words in thy mouth ; "^ and then, having been made by king E-ichard his mouthpiece, he, using the first person, as though the king himself were speaking, read in full parliament the surrender of his royal rank and the release of all his lieges and subjects whomsoever from all submission, fealty, and homage, openly and publicly drawn up in writings. And this surrender, the consent of all and every in parliament being first called for, was openly and distinctly accepted. Which being done, my lord archbishop of Canterbury made an address on the text : " A man shall reign over my people,"^ wherein he highly lauded the duke of Lancaster and his strength and his understanding and his virtues, rightly exalting him to be their king ; and, among other things, he spake of the shortcomings of king Eichard, and p- 32. specially how he had most unjustly stifled in prison his uncle, the duke of Gloucester, treacherously, and without a hearing or leave to answer ; and how he strove to overthrow the law of the land to which he had sworn.^ And so, in short, although he had sufficiently made resignation, the sentence of his deposition, drawn up in writing, by consent and authority of the whole parliament, was there openly, publicly, and solemnly read by master John Trevour of ' Is. Ij. 16. ' 1 Sam. ix. 17. 2 This sermon was not delivered by the archbishop till after he had enthroned Henry. — Rot. Pari. iij. 423. L 146 THE CHRONICLE OF A.D. 1399. Powis, bishop of St. Asaph. And so, the throne being vacant, by consent of the whole parliament, the said duke of Lancaster, being raised up to be king, forthwith had en- thronement at the hands of the said archbishops, and, thus seated on the king's throne, he there straightway openly and publicly read a certain declaration in writing, wherein was set forth that he, seeing the kingdom of England to be vacant, by lawful right of succession by descent from the body of king Henry the third, did claim and take upon himself the crown as his by right ;^ and that, in virtue of such succession or conquest, he would in no wise allow the state of the king- dom nor of any man to suffer change in liberties, franchises, inheritances, or in any other right or custom. And he fixed the day of his coronation for St. Edward's day next coming. And for that, through the deposing of king Richard, the parliament which was in his name assembled had become extinct, therefore, by consent of all, he ordained a new parliament in his own name as new king, to begin on the morrow of the coronation. He also thereupon made public pro- clamation that, if any thought that he had claim to do service or office in the coronation, by right of inheritance or custom, he should send in his petition, setting forth the why and the wherefore, in writing, to the seneschal of England, at West- minster, on the Saturday next following, and that he should have right in all things. On the eve of his coronation, in the Tower of London and in the presence of Richard late king, king Henry made p. 33. forty-six new knights, amongst whom were his three sons,'' and also the earls of Arundel and Stafford, and the son and heir of the earl of Warwick ; and with them and other nobles ' Henry's challenge of the crown was made hefore his enthronement. — Rot. Pari. iij. 422. 2 The MS. reads forty-two, instead of forty-six knights, and makes Henry knight four of his sons, in place of three. Holinshed gives the names of all the forty-six, who were created knights of the Bath. It is nowhere else said that Eichard was present at the ceremony. ADAM OF TJSK. 147 of the land he passed in great state to "Westminster. And A.D. 1399. when the day of coronation was come (13th October), all the peers of the realm, robed finely in red and scarlet and ermine, came with great joy to the ceremony, my lord of Canterbury setting in order all the service and duties thereof. In the presence were borne four swords, whereof one was sheathed as a token of the augmentation of military honour, two were wrapped in red and bound round with golden bands to repre- sent twofold mercy, and the fourth was naked and without a point, the emblem of the execution of justice without rancour.^ The first sword the earl of Northumberland carried, the two covered ones the earls of Somerset and Warwick, and the sword of justice the king's eldest son, the prince of Wales ; and the lord Latimer bore the sceptre, and the earl of Westmoreland the rod. And this they did as well in the coronation as at the banquet, always standing around the king. Before the king received the crown from m.y lord of Canterbury, I heard him swear to take heed to rule his people altogether in mercy and in truth. These were the ofiScers in the coronation feast : The earl of Arundel was butler, the earl of Oxford held the ewer,^ and the lord Grey of Ruthin spread the cloths. While the king was in the midst of the banquet, sir Thomas Dymock, knight, mounted in fuU armour on his destrier, and having his sword sheathed in black with a golden hilt, entered the hall, two others, likewise mounted on chargers, bearing before him a naked sword and a lance. And he caused proclamation to be made by a herald at the four sides of the hall that, if any man should say that his now liege lord and king of England was not of right crowned 1 Tkis was the Curtana. The sword home bjf the earl of Northumber- land was the one which Henry wore on landing at Eavenspur, and was called the Lancaster sword. The earl did this service for the Isle of Man, which had been granted to him immediately on Henry's accession. ^ Holinshed says that sir Thomas Erpingham served the office of chamberlain, though it was claimed by the earl of Oxford. l2 148 THE CHRONICLE OF A.D. 1399. king of England, he was ready to prove the contrary with his body, then and there, or when and wheresoever it might please the king. And the king said : " If need be, sir Thomas, I will in mine own person ease thee of this duty." p. 34. This same sir Thomas had this service by reason of his manor of Scrivelsby, in LincolnshirCj and so he held it by sentence and judgment, in the name of his mother, who was still living, the lady of that manor, as against sir Baldwin Frevyle, who claimed this office in right of his castle of Tamworth.^ In this case I was counsel to sir Thomas, and I drew for him the following petition to serve as his Hbel : " Most gracious my lord seneschal of England, prayeth humbly Margaret Dymock, lady of the manor of Scrivelsby, that it please your noble lordship to grant to your said bedeswoman that she may, at the coronation of our most potent lord the king, do the service which belongeth to the said manor, by Thomas Dymock, her eldest son and heir, as proctor of the said Margaret in this matter, in form follow- ing : Prayeth Thomas Dymock, eldest son and heir of Margaret Dymock, lady of the manor of Scrivelsby, before you, most gracious lord seneschal of England, that you suffer him to have the service belonging and due to the manor of Scrivelsby in the coronation of every king of England ; which service sir John Dymock, father of the same Thomas and husband of the said Margaret, and in right of the same Margaret, did in the coronation of Richard, last king of England ; and in possession of which service the ancestors of the same Margaret, lords of the said manor, have been from the time of the Conquest till now : to wit, that the king make to be delivered to him one of the best chargers and one of the best saddles of our lord the king, with armour and orna- ments and appurtenances of the same of full equipment for ' This was a, son of the Baldwin who claimed the office at the coronation of Richard II. Both families claimed hy descent from the house of Marmion. — Dugdale, Baronage, ij. 103. ADAM OF USK. 149 horse and rider, just as tlie king himself would be armed A.D. 1399. when going into mortal battle, to the end that the same Thomas, mounted thus in arms on the same charger, cause proclamation to be made four times within the hall at the time of the banquet that, if any man shall say that Henry, now king of England and his liege lord, is not of right king, nor ought of right to be crowned king of England, he, the same Thomas, is ready to prove with his body, where and when and howsoever the king shall think right, that that man lies. Prayeth also the same Thomas the fees and dues belonging to and wont to be paid for this service when fully P- ^s. discharged, to be delivered and given over to him."' This rough translation from French into Latin does not pretend to be exact. And so, reader, be lenient. On this feast, a year past,^ had Richard late king forced to depart the realm him who was on this same day crowned king. Also, he had caused his parliament to be confirmed at Westminster by censures from the mouth of ' Peter du Bois, the pope's legate, and by his own authority. And he had also threatened to destroy with the last penalties the countess of Warwick, as she sued for her husband who had been condemned, as told above ; and this he swore he would straightway do, were it not for consideration of her sex. On this same coronation-day he had thought to crown his nephew, the earl of Kent, at Dublin, with great worldly parade, king of Ireland, and had thought to sweep away in destruction many nobles of England who were to be craftUy summoned to that great ceremony, seeking to enrich with their possessions the same earl and other young men whom, as has been said, he had raised up. But this Richard, with his youthful councillors, may weU be likened to Rehoboam, son of Solomon, who lost the kingdom of ' A copy of the petition in French is to be found in Cotton MS. Vespaa. C. xiT. f. 137 b. ^ It need hardly be pointed out that Adam is wrong in his dates. 150 THE CHRONICLE OF A.D. 1399. Israel because he followed the advice of young men. ' (I Kings, xij.) On the morrow of the coronation^ which was the first day of the new king's parliament, the commons; presented to the king their speaker, sir John Cheyne, knight. The king received liege homage from all the lords spiritual and temporal. Also, the last parliament of lord Richard, then king, was declared altogether void. And this took place on the Tuesday. On the Wednesday the king promoted his eldest son Henry, by five symbols, to wit^ by delivery of a golden rod, by a kiss, by a belt, by a ring, and by letters of creation, to be prince of Wales. Also the causes of the repeal of that parliament were declared to be because of the fears of, and threats used towards, the peers of the realm if they obeyed not the king^s will ; secondly, because of the armed violence of the king's supporters, which blazed forth in the parliament ; and thirdly, because the counties, cities and boroughs had not had free election in the choice of the members of the commons, p. 36. It was also declared that the parliament of the eleventh year of king Richard, which was all the work of the duke of Gloucester and the earl of .Arundel, should remain in full force. Also, that anyone who, had in any way been deprived of his right by Richard's last parliament should then and there be restored to his own. And the king also granted and gave over to his eldest son the principality of Wales, as well as the duchy of Cornwall, along with the county of Chester. John Halle, servant of the duke of Norfolk, because he was present at, and consenting to, the death of the duke of ' " Thanne wolde right dome reule, if reson were amongis us, i That icli leode lokide what longid to his age, And never for to passe more oo poynt ffor^er, To usurpe j)& service p?A, to sages bilongith. To become conselleris er/ey kunne rede, In schenshepe (ruin) of sovereynes and shame at_^e last. Tor it iFallith as wel to fFodis of xxiiij teris, Or yonge men of yistirday to |eve good redis, As heeometh a kow to hoppe in a cage !" — Hich. Itedeles, iij. 254. ADAM OF USK. 151 Grioucester, being condemned by parliament, is drawn, banged, A.D. 1399. his bowels taken out and burned before bim, and while still living is beheaded and quartered ; and the quarter belonging to the right arm is set up on a stake beyond London-bridge. At the time of this parliament, two of the king's servants diaing in London found in five eggs with which they were served the distinct face of a man, exact in every respect, and having the white in place of hair standing clear of the face above the forehead and coming down the cheeks to the chin ; and I saw one of them. The lord Richard, late king, after his deposition, was carried away on the Thames, in the silence of dark midnight, weeping and loudly lamenting that he had ever been born. And a certain soldier there present said to him : " Remember that thou, ia like manner, didst entreat the earl of Arundel in aU things most spitefully." My lord of Canterbury having come back from banishment, and having been restored to his church as against Roger Walden, prayed of the parliament leave to distrain the goods of the same Roger, wherever found, on account of the fruits and other his goods received by him during the time of my lord's banishment, and so to exact and abate what was due to him ; and it was granted. And it is true that the lord Richard had given to the same Roger all the furniture and other the household goods of the same Thomas, archbishop of Canterbury, as being confiscated, as he declared, even to the value of six thousand marks, besides the stock of the p, 37. manors of the church of Canterbury, which goods the said Roger Walden, being raised to the archbishopric, did hold and enjoy. And of them the earl of Somerset, when the news came of the landing of the said Thomas in the kingdom, seized six cart-loads from the hands of Walden's servants, which he had sent off to Saltwood castle for safety, and after- wards delivered all to the said Thomas. And with regard to this, among other things, on the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin, short time before this parliament, while I 152 . THE CHRONICLE OF A D. 1399 was dining with my said lord after his return at Lambeth, I saw how the said Roger had taken away and stripped off from the ornaments of halls and chambers, which belonged to my said lord Thomas, but which had been turned into his booty, the arms of my said lord, to wit, those of the earldom of Arundel with a bordure, which he bore as son of the noble earl, and had set up and had sewed over them, in their stead, his own arms : gules, a bend azure and a martlet or.' However, they lasted not long ; for, taking them down, my lord Thomas again restored his own arms and badges by the skill of the weaver's handiwork. And the arms of the said Roger, thus taken down^ as I have said, I saw lying under the benches, a laughing-stock, and cast and flung out of window by the servants. I was likewise a witness when the same Roger came to the palace of my lord bishop of London to seek grace from the duke, now king, and from my said lord Thomas ; which, as far as his life went, he found. And so Thomas and Roger, if I may say so, were two archbishops in one church, like to two heads on one body ; that is to say, Roger, then in possession by right, by the pope's authority, and m3' lord Thomas, because he was not yet restored by the pope, in possession in fact, by means of the secular arm, which was all-powerful, because before him alone was borne the cross of Canterbury, which had been given up to him by Roger. This Roger was a modest man, pious and courteous, in speech of profitable and well chosen words, better versed in things of the camp and the world than of the church or the study. First he was king Richard's French treasurer (at Calais); then his secretary, and at length treasurer of England and the king's chief councillor.^ Him the town of Walden p. 38. in Essex saw exalted from a butcher's son to the said honours, although by a too hasty leap. Whence is fulfilled the pro- ' An impression of Waldeu's seal witli tliis bearing is preserved in Westminster Abbej'. ' Walden was afterwards restored to favour, and became bishop of London in 1404. ADAM or USK. 153 verb : " Quick gains are soon lost " ; and, again : " No man a.d, 1399. was ever great all at once." And hence the verses : " When the grave shall be uncovered, bishop Thomas shall be gone. And upon the earth, uprooted, falls the once exalted stone." " When the grave shall be uncovered " : that is, because king Richard had it without ceasing in his sleep that the head of the earl of Arundel was restored to his body ; wherefore he caused the tomb to be opened.' " Bishop Thom.as shall be gone : " that is, the banishment of the same Thomas. " And upon the earth," etc. : that is, Walden; which signifies the setting up of stones. And this is an ancient prophecy. The commons prayed of the king, in full parliament, that he would make grants undeservedly to no man, and specially of such things as belonged to the crown. And thereupon the bishop of St. Asaph burst out in these words : " This petition is unmannerly and unjust, in that it argueth for niggardliness in the king, a thing which is contrary to all royalty, whereunto the bounty of an open hand is the rather thought to be seemly. It argueth too that subjects may fetter their king in his own inborn goodness. Which things seem to me unworthy. Therefore let not the king, who giveth, but let him who seeketh unjustly or unworthily rather be punished." And this answer pleased me, accord- ing to the passage in the Codex of Justinian : " De petitioni- bus bonorum sublatis."^ It was also ordained that the lords of the land henceforth give not their suit or livery of clothes or badges, or more especially of hoods, to any man, except their own servants who are always with them, owing to the many strifes which had been thereby caused in the realm. ' See Wals. ij. 226; Annates Sicardi II. 219. ' Codex, x. tit. xij. 1. ij. 154 THE CHRONICLE OF A.D. 1399. Also, although all who had been condemned in the last parliament of king Richard had of pure right been restored to their own, yet it was not so with the earl of Warwick, except by special grace, for that he had confessed that he had traitorously risen up against the king with the duke of Gloucester and the earl of Arundel. Also, the king removed the body of the duke of Gloucester from the distant spot on the south side of the church, where, in p. 39. dishonour, Richard had caused it to be buried apart from the kings, and laid it with great pomp in the place which the duke had got ready in his life-time, between the shrine of St. Edward, and the tombs of his parents, by the side of his wife who had died a short time before.' And there and then I heard a good sermon on the text : " Remember the end,"^ which the preacher divided into three parts : iirstly, remember thy life ; secondly, thy stewardship ; thirdly, thine end. Again, the first he divided into three : remember thy life, in its beginning, in its course, in its end. So likewise the second : how thou hast entered upon the stewardship, how thou hast got, and how thou hast spent. So also the third : remember thine end, how thou shalt be summoned to judgment, how thou shalt be examined, and how thou shalt be j udged. And then ended the parliament. In these days my said lord of Canterbury bestowed upon me the goodly church of Kemsing along with its chapel of Seal, in Kent, and the goodly prebend of Llandogo, in the collegiate church of Abergwili. And the church of Shire- Newton, in South Wales, which by indulgence of the apostolic see I had held with other cures, I had leave to have given to my cousin-german sir Thomas ap Adam ap 1 " Thomas of Woodstock was interred on the south side of the Con- fessor's chapel, beneath the pavement, under a splendid brass (see Sand- ford, p. 230), of which nothing but the indentations can now be traced. His widow lies in the chapel of St. Edmund, under a, brass representing her in her conventual dress as a nun of Barking." — Stanley, Memorials of Westm. Alley (1868), p. 145, note. " Bcclesiasticus, vij. 36. ADAM OF USK. 155 WiUiam of Weloc, and his cturch of Pant-teg to another, my A.D. 1399. cousin sir Matthew ap Hoel, each to be held by them. I also got, by great good fortune, for sir James de Berkeley, lord of Raglan,' and for his wife Elizabeth and his heirs, under the king's great seal, the Confirmation of that and other their lordships. Then, too, I saw with king Henry a greyhound of wonderful nature, which, on the death of his master the earl of Kent, foimd its way by its own instinct to king Richard, whom it had never before seen and who was then in distant parts ; and whithersoever the king went, and wheresoever he stood or lay down, it was ever by his side, with grim, and lion-like face, until the same king, as is before told, fled at midnight by P- *°- stealth and in craven fear from his army ; and then, deserting him, and again led by instinct and with no other guide, it came from Caermarthen to Shrewsbury to the duke of Lancaster, now king, who lay in the monastery with his army, and, as I looked on, it crouched before him, whom it had never before seen, with a submissive but bright and pleased aspect. And when the duke had heard of its qualities, believing that thereby his good fortune was foretold, he received the dog with wiUingness and joy, and let it sleep upon his bed. And after the setting aside of king Richard, when it was brought to him, it cared not to regard him at all other than as a private man whom it knew not ; which the deposed king took sorely to heart.° ' Sir James Berkeley, younger brother of Thomas lord Berkeley, married Elizabeth, daughter of sir John Bloet, by whom he had the town and castle of Raglan. Dugdale notices the confirmation. — Baronage, i. 361. ^ By a remarkable coincidence Froissart tells the story of the grey- hound, though in a different form. He lays the scene at Flint, at the moment when Henry and Richard are prepai-ing to leave : " Entretenant que on seUoit et appareUloit le chevaux, le roi Richard et le comte (Henri de Lancastre) devisoient I'un k I'autre de paroles, et ^toient moult fort regardes d'aucuns Londriens qui Yk etoient ; et avint une chose dont je fus informe que je vous dirai. Le roi Richard avoit un levrier, lequel on nommoit Math, tres-beau levrier outre mesure ; et ne vouloit ce chien connoitre nul homme fors le roi ; et quand le roi devoit chevaucher, cil qui 156 THE CHRONICLE OF A.D. 1399. In these days was born at Usk a calf which had two tails, two heads, four eyes and four ears. Such another monster saw I also in my youth in the parish of Llandenny, in the house of a certain woman, Llugu daughter of Watkyn by name. There was born too, in the parish of Llanhadock, a boy with one eye only, placed in his forehead. A.D. 1400. On the eve of the Epiphany (5th January), the earls of Kent, Huntingdon, and Salisbury thought to slay the new king by craft and fraud, and to bring back the deposed king out of prison, because they had lost their rank as dukes and the possessions of condemned persons which had been given to them. And their chief design was against the castle of Windsor, in secret, with a great power of armed men, feigning to hold a tournament there, and so seizing the entrance they would have slaughtered the king and his sons, and others, his body-servants. But the king, forewarned, suddenly hastened to London for safety. Wherefore the earls of Kent and Salis- bury, on their way to the county of Chester, to get the favour and help of those who rose in their cause, passed through p. 41. Cirencester, and there, on the morrow of the Epiphany, were beheaded in a riot of the country people. And many who I'avoit en garde le laissoit aller, et ce l^vrier venoit tautot devers le roi festoyer et lui mettoit ses deux pieds sur les ^paules. Et adonc advint que le roi et le comte Derby parlant ensemble en-mi la place de la court du dit chastel et leurs cbevaux tous selles, car tantofc ils devoient monter, ce l^vrier nomm^ Math, qui coutumier ^toit de faire au roi ce que dit est, laissa le roi et s'en vint au due de Lancastre, et lui fit toutes les oontenances teUes que endevant il faisoit au roi, et lui assist les deux pieds sur le col, et le commenja grandement a oonjouir. Le due de Lancastre, qui point ne connoissoit le llvrier, demanda au roi : ' Et que vent ce l^vrier faire P ' — ' Cousin,' ce dit le roi, ' ce vous est grand' signifiance et k moi petite.'— ' Comment,' dit le due, ' I'entendez-vous P ' — ' Je I'entends,' dit le roi, ' le l^vrier vous festoie et recueille aujourd'hui comme roi d'Angleterre que vous serez, et j'en serai depos^ ; et le Wvrier en a connoissance naturelle ; si le tenez de-lez vous, car il vous suivra et il m'eloignera.' Le duo de Lancastre entendit bien celle parole et conjouit le levrier, lequel onoques depuis ne voulut suivre Riobard de Bordeaux, mais le duo de Lancastre ; et ce virent et sjurent plus de trente mille." — Proissart, iv. 75. See Wallon, Richard II. ij. 488. ADAM OF TJSK. 157 were found with them were taken to Oxford and were there A.D. 1400. beheaded ; whose bodies, quartered after the manner of the flesh of beasts taken in the chase, partly in sacks and partly slung on poles between men's shoulders, I saw carried to London and afterwards salted.' The earl of Huntingdon also* trying to escape through Essex into France, was taken by the country people, and, in the very place where the duke of Gloucester had yielded himself to king Richard, was beheaded by clowns and workmen.' Regarding which things the king wrote to my lord of Canterbury. Whereupon, taking for his text the words : " Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy/'^ he made known the news to the clergy and people of London, in the form of a sermon, and then, a " Te Deum " being sung, giAring thanks to God he passed in solemn pro- cession through the city. Afterwards, many others, amongst whom were master Richard Maudelen and William Ferby, clerks, and sir Benet Shelley and sir Bernard Brocas,'' knights, were drawn and hanged, and, as having knowledge of and as furtherers of this crinie, were beheaded. And now those in whom Richard, late king, did put his trust for help were fallen. And when he heard thereof, he grieved more sorely and mourned even to death, which came to him most miserably on the last day of February, as he lay in chains in the castle of Pontefract, tortured by sir N. Swinford with scant fare.^ 1 See the Trdison et Mart, 246. ^ See Wallon, Richard II. ij. 517. The existence of a royal order to the governor of the Tower to receive Huntingdon ipto custody, dated on the 10th January, has heen hrought forward to disprove this account of his death. ' Luke ij. 10. * The two knights are named Thomas and Barnahas in the MS. * This is the only chronicle in which any of Richard's keepers is accused by name of having taken a personal part in starving his prisoner. Who sir N. Swinford was does not appear ; but- it is probable that sir Thomas Swinford, afterwards captain of Calais, is meant, for he is known to have had the custody of Richard [Trdison et Mart, Iviij.). Of the different 158 THE CHEONICLB OF A.D. 1400. At the coronation of this lord three ensigns of royalty- foreshadowed for him three misfortunes. First, in the pro- theories of Eichard's death, that, which is supported by our chronicle, of gradual starvation hy his keepers seems to be the most probable. The question has been so fully discussed elsewhere, that it would be superfluous in this place to repeat what has been so often told before. As, however, Adam of Usk is a fresh authority, and an important authority as being a contemporary, for the theory of enforced starvation, it may be well to see what the other early chronicles say on this point. Walsingham tells us that on hearing of the death of his friends Richard voluntarily abstained from food. The continuator of the Croyland chronicle has the same story, which is also found in various MSS., such as Cotton MSS., Nero A. vj. and Galba B. vij. The Annales Sicardi II. (Rolls Series) and Otterbourne follow this account, but add that after abstaining some time Richard was prevailed on to try to take food, but that it was too late as he could not swal- low. The monk of Evesham gives the account of voluntary abstention, but adds an important passage : " Aliter tamen dicitur et verius, quod ibidem fame miserabiliter interiit." Similarly, the Sloane MS. 1776 has an alternative : " Rex Ricardus primo de turre ad Leedes infra Canciam, sub custodia Johannis Pelham ibidem ; deinde ad castrum de Pomf rete, ubi Robertus Watyrton f uerat custos, occulte deductus est, ubi non habuit spem alioujus relevaminis. Bt eoiam, pre nimia .amicorum suornm in- terempcione, dolore, tristicia areptus, non valuit consolari ; neo consola- torem habens, diem clausit extremum, videlicet in festo saucti Valentini. Et qualiter, penitus a nobis nescitur. Quidam tamen opinantur quod fame miserabiliter ibidem interiit; hoc est, quod privabatur penitus ab omni sustentacione naturali, usque ad diem sue resolucionis." The Kirkstall chronicle, Cotton MS. Domitian xij., has: "Postmodo Ricardus quondam rex translatus est de turri Londonie usque ad castram de Pomfret, ubi diu ante mortem pane et aqua ut dicebatur sustentatus, tandem fame neoatus est, secundum communem famam," in which account it agrees with Harl. MS. 3600, a copy of Higden's Polychroniccm with continuation. In other MSS. we find more particulars of the duration of Richard's sufferings. The chronicle of Peter de Ickham, in Harl. MS. 4323, states that, on his removal to Pontefract, " per tempus certum custodiebatur," and then, " tandem a, cibo et potu per quatuor aut qninque dies restrictus, f amis inedia, cum xxij annis regnasset, expiravit." The same version appears in the chronicles in Cotton MS. Domitian iv., and Harl. MS. 3906, and again in many copies of the English chronicle of the Brut. All these authorities are of value, for, although it cannot be said that they are all contemporary, they are at least early and sufficiently near the time to show that, from the first, rumours of Richard's starvation were very generally believed. Of a later period is the chronicle in Cotton MS. Titus D. X., of the early sixteenth century, which has a more ' embellished account : that Richard, " ductus de loco in locum, tandem, ut opinio est ADAM OF USK. 159 cession lie lost one of the coronation shoes ; whence, in the A.D. uoo. first place, the commons who rose up against him hated him vulgi, apud Pontifractum cibi inedia interiit. Nam dicitur cibaria in singulos dies, more regio, sibi apposita fuisse, sed esurieuti non licuisse degustave." This appears in an English dress in Harl. MS. 53, a version of the Brut chronicle : " In the first yere of the regne of kyng Henry the iiijte, kyng Richard, which that was put doune of his rialte, was in the castell of Pountfret under the ward of sir Robert of Watirton, knyght, and there he was ich day servet as a kynge aught to be that he myght se it, but he myght come to non therof. Wherfore soue aftir he deyd for honger in prison in the same castell, and so he made his ende." Holin- shed has printed this account, along with others, of the death of Richard. (For the various discussions on this subject, see Arch. vol. xx. ; Tytler, History of Scotland, vol. iij. ; Trdison et Mort de Richart II., Introduction ; and Wallon, SicJiard II., vol. ij.) The date of Richard's death is put by Adam of Usk rather later than in most of the chronicles. The 14th February, the usually received date, is probably more correct. Richard was apparently supposed in Prance to have been dead as early as the end of January, a deed of Charles VI., dated on the 29th of that month, referring to him as " feu nostre tres chier et tres ame fils Richard" (Rymer, Fcedera). That such rumours were current in England is proved by the well-known minute of the Privy Council to which attention was first drawn by sir Harris Nicolas. The date of the council at which this minute was passed has been fixed between the 2nd and the 24th Pebmary, and the wording of the original memorandum to which the minute serves as an answer implies, although it does not express, an uncertainty as to whether Richard was actually then living. An entry in the Pell Issue Rolls of Michaelmas term, 1 Henry IV., en- ables us further to fix the date of the death within narrower limits. Per this entry is dated 17th February, and is a memorandum of the pay- ment of a certain sum for the conveyance of Richard's body to London. The date then of the 14th February is probably not very far wrong. An interesting fact in connection with the above-mentioned minute of the Privy Council has hitherto escaped observation. When examining the original rough minutes of the council preserved in the Cottonian library (Cleopatra P. iij. f. 9), I was struck with the care with which an alteration in this particular minute had been made, and then discovered that the minute as we now have it is not the one which was first written. This has been destroyed. The first leaf of the proceedings of this session of the council contains on its face nine memoranda or heads of business to be discussed, with this title : " Fait a remembrer de certains matires necessairs a monsterer au grant conseil du Roy." The first memorandum is : " En primes si E. nadgairs Roy soit uncore vivant a ce que len suppose quil est, ordenez soit quil soit bien et seurement gardez pur sauvaoion de lestat du Roi et de son Roiaume.'' On the back of the leaf are written four rough 160 THE CHRONICLE OF A.D. uno. ever after all his life long : secondly, one of the golden spurs fell off; whence, in the second place, the soldiery opposed him in rebellion : thirdly, at the banquet a sudden gust of wind carried away the crown from his head ; whence, minutes in answer to the first four memoranda. The minule (the one with which we are concerned) which answers to the first memorandum runs thus : " A le primer article soit parle au Eoi qen cas qe E. soit vivant, quil soit mys en seuretee g. [aggreable a] les seignurs et qe sil soit mort qadonqes il soit monstrez overtement au poeple quils en puissent avoir conissance." Now the leaf is composed of three pieces of vellum which are connected together so as to form one sheet. The first piece of vellum, which is a very narrow strip, contains the first memorandum only ; the second piece, the second, third, and fourth memoranda ; and the third piece, the rest. The minutes in answer to the second, third, and fourth memoranda are written immediately at their hack ; hut the first minute, in- stead of being written directly behind its memorandum, and on the fir.st piece of vellum, as one would expect, is entered below the fourth minute and on the third piece of vellum. The reason of this is apparent after exa- mining the different pieces of vellum, for it is clear that the second piece has been cut away at the top, part of the words of the second minute having been docked in the process, and that the first narrow piece is an addition to take the place of what has been cut away. There can be no doubt that what took place was as follow^ : — The first four memoranda were all written on one piece (now the second piece) of vellum, and the four minutes were written on the back in proper order. The first minute was, however, reconsidered, and was re-written below. But, as the matter to which it related was one of so serious a nature, it was thought proper to destroy the original draft. The clerk therefore cut it away, and necessarily, along with it, the first memorandum on the other side. He then re- wrote the latter on the narrow strip which he fastened to the head of the sheet, as we now have it. On the back of this narrow strip is the heading : " L'informaciou de certains matires a monstrer a grant conseil nostre seignur le Roy," which, however, has no connection with the minutes, but which happened to be on the sheet which the clerk used for the fresh transcript. As a further proof how anxiously must have been considered the form in which the minute was to appear, the words : " seuret- tee g. les seignurs," which are an alteration, are written over an erasure very carefully made ; whereas, in the second minute, which contains no state secret, but which has been much altered, most of the corrected words are only crossed out with the pen. Sir Harris Nicolas has made use of the contemporary fair copy of the minutes in the text of his work [Pro- ceedings of the Privy Council, 1834, i. Ill), and has inserted the rough minutes in a foot-note ; but, by a strange oversight, not noticing that the first rough minute was written below the others, he has omitted it altogether. ADAM OF USK. 161 in the third and last place, he was set aside from his kingdom A.D. uoo. and supplanted by king Henry.' Richard, farewell ! king indeed (if I may call thee so), most p. 42. mighty ; for after death all might praise thee, hadst thou, with the help of God and thy people, so ordered thy deeds as to deserve such praise. But, though well endowed as Solomon, though fair as Absalom, though glorious as Ahas- uerus, though a builder excellent as the great Belus, yet, like Chosroes, king of Persia, who was delivered into the hands of Heraclius, didst thou in the midst of thy glory, as Fortune turned her wheel, fall most miserably into, the hands of duke ' Henry, amid the curses of thy people. Meanwhile the lord Despenser, lord of Glamorgan, as knowing and abetting the treason, was with much indignity beheaded by workmen at Bristol; and the heads of those who thus fell were fixed on stakes and were for some time shown to the people beyond London bridge. But, seeing that all these things were done only by the savage fury of the people, I fear that they will make this a plea to wield still more in future against their lords the possession of the sword, which hath now been allowed to them against all system of order. Also, all blank charters, in which throughout England his subjects had placed themselves under their seals at the will of king Richard,- as though there had been a new conquest of the land, were publicly carried to London on the points ' A parallel is to be found in a chronicle which exists in two MSS. in the British Museum: Cotton, Titus D. xv., and Royal ]3 A. xix. : — " Hoc eeiam anno Eicardus rex in castello de Pounfreit existens, postquam audivit certum nuncium de morte comitum Huntyngdonie, Savum et Kancie, et maxime comitis Huntyngdonie, fratris sui, scilicet Johannis Holland, juravit se cibum nunquam pre dolore commesturum ; et sic per quinque dies totidemque noctes a cibariis custoditus circa festum Purifi- cacionis Beate Marie obiit, ut adimpleretur prophecia cujusdam militis Francie ad ejus coronacionem existentis, ubi vidit regis sotularem ad terram cadentem et regem ad prandium cibum suum evomentem. Quod sic exposuit : ' Iste rex gloi-iosus erit et in cibis valde habundans, sed regui dignitatem amittet, et in fine pre fame morietur.' " M 162 THE CHRONICLE OF A.D. 1400. of spears, and there burned along with their countless seals. The bishop of Norwich, uncle of the said lord Despenser, being accused of the same treason, was not delivered to a temporal prison, but to the keeping of my lord of Canter- bury^ from reverence to his priestly office, to await judgment. But afterwards the king frankly restored him to his church and dignity.' The bishop of Carlisle, late a monk of Westminster, being accused of the said treason before the king's judges, was convicted and condemned by a jury of laymen, and after languishing for a season in chains in prison in the Tower of London, his bishopric being given to another, he was sent back to his old monastery to lead a monk's life, though named to the see of Miletus.^ p. 43. In this year my lord of Canterbury, calling together his clergy, mournfully laid before them how temporal powers fear not to violate the liberties of the church of England, and specially in seizing, imprisoning, and in judging bishops, without distinction, just as they would laymen. " True ! my lord," I said, " in turning over the corpus of the law and the chronicles more cruelty is found to have been inflicted on prelates in England than in all Christendom." And I quoted the chapter : " Sicut dignum,"' touching homicide, and many others, and in short, as to the present case of imprisoning bishops, the Clementine chapter : " Si quis suadente,"* touch- ing penalties, which was decreed on account of the im- prisonment of the bishop of Lichfield/ in the time of Edward the second, king of England. My lord of Canterbury then ' Henry, bishop of Norwich, was a younger brother of Edward, lord Despenser, the father of Thomas, lord Despenser, who fell at Bristol. His arrest for complicity in the plot does not appear to be noticed elsewhere. 2 The MS. reads " Millatenci." Merkes, however, was translated by the pope not to Miletus, but to Samos in Kephalonia. He died rector of Todenham in Gloucestershire. ^ Decret. Greg, ix., lib. v., tit. xij. §. vj. * Decret. Clement, lib. v., tit. viij. §. j. ^ Walter de Langton. ADAM OF USK. 163 recounted how that but lately Simon lelep, his predecessor, A.D. i4oo. seeing his suffragan, Thomas Lylde, then bishop of Ely, dragged as a criminal in Westminster Hall and standing before the judgment-seat of the king's justices, did take him by the right hand saying : " Thou art my subject. Thou art standing in forbidden court before him who is not thy judge. Come with me." And so, in spite of the judge, he led him away. Yet the bishop, not daring to remain in England, got him to the court of Rome ; and there he caused that judge to be excommunicated, and, for that he had in the meantime died, to be bereft of church burial, and cast forth into a ditch.' Having heard that France and Scotland were making them ready to invade England, the king, taxing only the lords spiritual and temporal, did spare the commons. The body of lord Richard, late king of England, was brought to the church of St. Paul in London, the face not covered but shown openly to all ; and the rites being there celebrated on that night and a mass on the morrow, he was buried at Langley among the brethren. My God ! how many thousand marks he spent on burial-places of vain glory, for himself and his wives, among the kings at Westminster ! But fortune ordered it otherwise. Brother William Botsam [or Bottlesham] died, bishop of p. 44. Rochester, sometime of Llandaff, and master John Botsam, chancellor of my lord of Canterbury, was raised to his place. There died also that man of grace, John ap Gruffydd, abbat of Llanthony, who, when his monastery was by accident burned to the ground, in a few years marvellously restored it from its foundations. To him succeeded a man of the highest prudence, John ap Hoel, prior of the same house. ' Thomas Lylde (not William Lj'lc, as in the MS.) bishop of Ely, was put on his trial and condemned for the homicide, by one of his servants, of a follower of the lady Blanche de Wake. Godwin {Ve pr