88 SOCIAL DISTINCTIONS., AND THE 



assured his councillors that he would take his full vengeance 

 hereafter. It will be found that he kept this promise. 



The king was thoroughly aware of the peril which he had 

 run. When, on returning to his mother on the night of the 

 1 6th of June, she congratulated him on his safety, he told her 

 that he had wellnigh lost, and actually gained his crown on 

 that memorable morning. Before evening, however, he issued a 

 proclamation, commanding, under pain of death, the departure 

 of all country folk from London. The proclamation was 

 obeyed ; and the insurgents, dismayed and broken, quitted the 

 capital. 



Richard did not long delay his vengeance. He made a 

 progress through the disturbed districts, and demanded the 

 movers of the sedition from the chief persons in all the towns 

 and villages. All the culprits were hanged ; according to 

 Walsingham, were gibbetted in chains. The charters were 

 cancelled. It is said by Froissart that fifteen hundred suffered 

 death in the various counties. 



Walsingham has given a copy of the charter of manumission 

 addressed to the authorities of the county of Herts. The terms 

 are cc Know that of our special grace, we have manumitted 

 cc all our liege and singular subjects and others of the county 

 " of Hertford, freed each and all of them of all bondage, and 

 " made them quit by these presents : pardon them all felonies, 

 " treasons, transgressions and extortions committed by any or 

 " all of them, and assure them of our c summa pax.' Dated 

 " June the fifteenth, anno regni quarto." 



The same author recounts at great length the troubles which 

 befel the abbey of St. Albans at the hands of such villains as 

 held of the monastery. They demanded, it seems, that a 

 charter, which they asserted had been granted long since in 

 their favour, but had been secreted by the monks, should be 

 surrendered to them. The abbot made promises in abundance, 

 with the most reasonable hopes of eluding their fulfilment. 

 He was fortified in his pious fraud, by an opportune miracle. 

 We are told, that when the common seal of the abbey was 



