1809.] 
they left their master, and caressed his 
enemy, it was deemed ominous. Rich- 
ard’s greyhound left the king, and fawned 
upon Lancaster, at Flint.} 
’ The author was probably one of those 
friends, who were separated from Rich- 
ard, Aor affer having reported the com- 
plaints of the king, at Flint Castle, be- 
cause he had heard them; he says in this 
place, “ no one knows any thing of his 
complaints or lamentations, except those 
who guarded him.” In passing through 
Lichfield, he meditated an escape, which 
made them guard him more severely, und 
like a thief or murderer. He was thus 
dragged in triumph in the train of Lan- 
easter, amidst the acclamations of the 
people, who blessed Henry, and insulted 
Richard, demanding hishead. he duke 
replied, that he should be judged by a 
free parliament. When he came near 
London, where he could be scarcely 
known, so much was his visage altcred 
by grief (inondé de larmcs) some pitied 
him exceedingly: others d d_ him, 
oo een “< We are well revenged of this 
e bastard, who bas made such a bad 
use of his government.” ~ 
To understand this contumely, it is ne- 
«essary to observe, that the Duke of 
Lancaster, the father (John of Gaunt), 
who wished to succeed to the throne 
upon thedeath of the Black Prince, his 
brother, had spread some clouds over the 
legitimacy of Richard. It was thrown 
out, that he was the son of a canon of 
Bourdeaux: that his mother’s palace was 
always full of, young and handsome 
clerks and canons, and upon this foun- 
dation they calumniated the most vir- 
tuous and respectable princess in the 
world.* They pretended even to attack 
her marriage with the Prince of Wales, 
saying, that the Earl of Salisbury, her 
- first husband ,who was separated from her, 
without dissolution of the marriage, was 
living when she married the Priiiée of 
Wales. Edward UT. put an end to this 
equivocal subject, and all incertitude, by 
declaring Richard his heir, proclaiming 
-him Prince of Wales, and bestowing upon 
» him all the honours and estates of the 
Black Prince, his father. But when in 
the end, the nation was exasperated 
* This was not the first slander about the 
_ countess: her ascendancy over Edward, {wit- 
hess the institution of the garter) and the 
Stories in Froissart and Du Chesne,and her sepa- 
tation, Lave an odd Jock, especially as she was 
-a@ woman of much spirit and strong sense, 
who knew how te manage well in ali ree 
aspects, 
Account of the last Days and Death of Richard I: 
513 
against Richard; these ancient calumnieg 
were revived. 
Richard was shut up in the Tower of 
London, where’ he saw only his enemies; 
Lancaster forced him’ to receive the Duke 
of York, and the Earlof Rutland hiésén, 
When they were announced, “‘ They have 
betrayed me, (cried Richard,) spare me 
from secitig them :” while he was speak 
ing, they entered.and overheard him, 
The Earl of Rutland walked up to him, 
his hat on, gave him the lie, and threw. 
his hat upon the ground to defy hint: am 
action, as cowardly then, as it would 
have been: rash before Richard’s fall, 
“Tt is too much, (said the king,) to be 
at once a traitor and insolent.” Lan- 
caster reproached and menaced the Eart 
of Rutland, prohibiting him to speak to 
the king, from an idea, that it was neces- 
sary still to dupe him, in order to obtain 
an abdication of the throne,' apparently 
voluntarily. “Am I your king or your 
prisoner, and why am [ thus guarded,” 
said Richard to the Duke of Lancaster. 
‘Sire, you are’ my king, (he replied,) 
bat the council of the realm has order=_ 
ed, that you should be thus guarded.” 
Richard demanded the queen, his wifes 
* You cannot ‘sce her, (said Lancaster} 
the council has prohibited it.”~ Rich 
appealed to the laws of chivalry, and 
offered to fight singly against four of his 
accusers, or oppressors.* Lancaster 
made no reply to this proposition, and 
begged him only to wait the decicion of 
parliament, “ Well then, (he said,y Tet 
me appear at leastin this parliament, and _ 
let them hear my reasons.” Lancaster, 
without entering into any explanations 
on this head, confented himself with an- 
swering,~< Sire, they will do you justice.” 
The manuscript does not say, as many 
historians, that he signed by will or com- 
‘puision any act of abdication. . 
The parliament assembled, September® 
$0, 1399, Lancaster accused Richard, 
and he was conderaned without being 
heard. The bishop of Carlisle alone 
dared to raise his voice in his favour. 
“What, my lords,” he said, will you, 
hear a malefactor or an assassin in his, 
defence, and refuse to hear your king, 
and dare to condemn him.” "The argu- 
ment was incontrovertible, and the ty= 
rant sensibly felt it; thus his reply was, 
an order to the marshal to arrest the bie 
shop and convey him to prisun, for having 
been guilty of high treason, in defending 
ae Dee mene eet en 
* His conduct in the affair of Wat Tyler, 
proves that he could be brave. " 
the 
