6o6 ENGLAND. 
laid four of their number dead at his feet. But he was 
at length overpowered, and ftruck dead by the blow of 
a pole-axe; although fome writers affert, that he was 
fltarved in prifon. 
Richard II. furnamed of Bourdeatix, the place of his 
birth, was remarkably handfome in his perfon, and does 
not feem to have been naturally defective either in cou¬ 
rage or underftanding : for on fome occafions, particu¬ 
larly in the dangerous infurreCtion of Wat Tyler, he aCted 
with a degree of fpirit and prudence greatly fuperior to 
his years. But his education was miferably negleCted, 
or rather he was intentionally corrupted- and debauched 
by his three ambitious uncles, who, being defirous of re¬ 
taining the management of date affairs, encouraged him to 
fpend his time in the company of dilfolute young people 
of both fexes, and in a continued round of feafting and 
diffipatipn. By this means he contracted a fade for often- 
tatious pleafure, and a diflike to the cares of government. 
The greateft foible in the chara&er of this unhappy 
prince, was an exceflive fondnefs for, and unbounded li¬ 
berality towards, his favourites, which enraged his un¬ 
cles, particularly the duke of Gloucefler, and difgufled 
fuch of the nobility as did not partake of his bounty. 
Yet he was an affectionate hufband, a generous inafter, 
and a faithful friend; and, if he had.received a proper 
education, might have proved a great and a good king. 
Richard was dethroned in the twenty-third year of his 
reign, and the thirty-fourth of his age, and never had any 
children. If a juft regard had been paid to the conftitu- 
tion or the rights of blood, he would have been fuc- 
ceeded by Edmund Mortimer earl of March, defeended 
from Lionel duke of Clarence, third fon of Edward III. 
and elder brother to John of Gaunt duke of Lancafter. 
But in the tumult of faction which attended this revolu¬ 
tion, that young nobleman’s name and rights were hardly 
ever mentioned, though his father, Roger Mortimer earl 
of March, had been declared prefumptive heir of the 
crown, by aCt of parliament, in 1385. 
Though we find no fplendid a£ts of munificence in the 
encouragement of the arts, recorded in Richard the Se¬ 
cond’s reign, yet his biographers agree, that he excelled 
all his predeceft'ors in hofpiiality, and fed a thoufand poor 
every day with the fuperabundance of his kitchen. 
From the ACCESSION of the HOUSE of LAN¬ 
CASTER, to the DEPOSITION of HENRY VI. 
The duke of Lancafter, knowing the weaknefs of his 
title, was at leaft determined to give his coronation all 
pofiibleSolemnity, and to make religion a cloak to cover 
his usurpation. Thefe meafures were perhaps taken to 
quiet his own fears; for the heir of the houfe of Morti¬ 
mer, who had been declared the true heir to the crown, 
was alive, though only feven years of age. Him Henry 
cautioufly detained, together with his younger brother, 
in the caitle of Windfor. But, notwithftanding thefe pre¬ 
cautions for his Security, Henry foon found that the 
throne of an ufurper is a bed of thorns. Such violent 
animofities broke out among the barons, in the firft meet¬ 
ing of his parliament, that, to its eternal difgrace, forty 
challenges were given and received. But though thefe 
commotions were apparently fuppreffed, yet they foon 
broke ont into open rebellion; and a confpiracy was fet 
On foot for Seizing Henry at WindScr, and replacing Rich¬ 
ard on the throne, who was SuppoSed to be Still alive. 
This plot was Set on foot by the earls of Rutland, Kent, 
Huntingdon, and lord SpenSer, whom Henry had degraded 
from fuperior titles conferred upon them by the late king. 
The particulars of their intended operations were com¬ 
mitted to writing, and each of the confpirators had a copy 
ligned by all the reft. Among the number of thefe, the 
carl of Rutland was one, furnillied with a paper, which 
he accidentally let fall from his bofom as he was fitting 
at dinner with his father the duke of York. The duke 
perceiving Something fall, privately took it up, and, to 
bis great aftonilhment, read the contents, which he re- 
folved to make known to the king; and accordingly rode 
off to Windfor, where the court refided. The fpn, find¬ 
ing the mifchance that had happened, and fufpecting the 
caufe of his father’s hafty departure, made a virtue of 
neceftity, and, travelling by a (horter way, difclofed the 
whole to the king, and obtained the royal pardon, before 
his father reached Windfor. 
In the mean time, while Henry employed the mod vi¬ 
gorous efforts to difpel the rifing ftorm, the confpirators, 
finding their firft intentions fruftrated, drelled up one of 
the late king’s fervants, named Maudlin, in royal robes, 
giving out that he was the depofed monarch, whom they 
bad taken from his prilen, and were determined to re¬ 
place on the throne. Humanity and commiferation feem 
ever to have formed the aggregate of the Englifti charac¬ 
ter ; and from feelings of this generous nature the people 
were induced to flock round the ftandard of the confpira¬ 
tors. Their army foon became considerable, and en¬ 
camped near Cirencefter, while the leaders took up their 
head-quarters within the city; yet fo carelefs or confi¬ 
dent were they, that they neglected to place guards at 
the gates and avenues of the town. This being perceived 
by the mayor, who was in the intereft of the king, lie 
affembled four hundred men in the night, fecured the 
gates fo as to exclude the army from without, and then 
fell upon the chiefs within. The earls of Kent and Sa- 
lifbury were taken, after an obftinate refinance, and be¬ 
headed on the Spot by the mayor’s order. The earl of 
Huntingdon and lord Spenfer efcaped over the tops of 
the houtes into the camp, in hopes of (forming the town 
at the head of their forces; but they had the mortifica- 
lion to find the tents and baggage abandoned by the fol- 
diers ; who, upon hearing the tumult in the town, con¬ 
cluded that a party of the king’s army had entered pri¬ 
vately to co-operate with the townfmen ; and, under this 
impreflion, they fled in all directions. The two noble 
lords, perceiving that all was loft, endeavoured to con¬ 
ceal themfelves; but they were foon after taken, and be¬ 
headed by tlie king’s order. Their deaths were followed 
by thofe of fir Thomas Blount and fir Benedict Sely ; 
and, when the bleeding quarters of thefe unhappy men 
were brought to London, no lefs than eighteen bilhops, 
and thirty-four mitred abbots, joined the cavalcade, ex¬ 
prefling the mod favage exultation. In this (hocking 
procellion was feen the earl of Rutland carrying the head 
of lord Spenfer, his brother-in-law, on a pole,°after hav¬ 
ing betrayed him. "1 his mifereant had been long inured 
to blood and treachery : he was inftrumental in the mur¬ 
der of his uncle the duke of Gloucefler, to pleafe the 
ill-fated king Richard; he foon after deferted the fallen 
fortunes of that monarch, and joined Henry; he then en¬ 
tered into a confpiracy againft this monarch, after having 
fworn allegiance to him ; and at laft betrayed thofe very 
affociates whom he had drawn into the confpiracy, carry¬ 
ing in triumph the marks of his execrable villanies. 
But the fuppre[lion ot a (ingle rebellion was inadequate 
to give repole to a kingdom threatened with foreign in- 
valions, and torn by inteftine broils. The king of France 
had actually railed a vaft armament to invade England; 
but a truce was foon after concluded for eight-and- 
twenty years ; and it was agreed, that queen Ifabella, 
who had been married to Richard, but whofe marriage 
had never been confuntmated, (hould return to France, 
her native country. The Scots, (hortly after, began to 
renew their ancient difturbances ; and, while the Enalilh 
army marched northward to oppofe their incurfions^the 
Welfh, under the conduCt of Owen Glendour, attacked 
the kingdom in the contrary quarter. Many were the 
petty viftories gained, and the ravages committed, in 
thefe unavailing contefts. The name of Owen Glendour 
is refpeCted among the Welfh to this very day; but, as 
all his conquefts procured no lading advantage, and as 
all his victories only terminated in fame, they are fcarcely 
worthy notice in the page of hiftory. It will be (Efficient 
to obferve, that whatever honour the Englifh loft on'the 
2 ( fide 
