1803.] 
he greateft complaint of the Englith 
againit Richard, was the reftoration to 
France of many important conqueits ; and 
the ceffion of breft, which alone vemained, 
and had been the price of many a hard- 
fought battle, completely alienated their 
affections. 
It is at this period that the manufcript 
commences its detail. 
The firit breach between Richard and 
his uncle of Gloucefter, which was never 
healed, arofe from the Duke’s haughtily 
exclaiming, at one of Richard’s feafts, 
‘«« Sire, before you reftore or fell any of 
the cities which your predeceffors, the 
Kings of.England, have gained or con- 
quered, you fhould, with your own arms, 
have taken a city from your enemies.”°— 
This alluded to the reftoration of Brett ; 
in which tranfaétion Richard was not at 
all to blame, for that city had been merely 
mortgased to the Englith by the Duke 
of Britany, who had repaid the money, 
and was confequently intitled to its pof- 
feffion. 
The confpiracy of the Duke of Glou- 
cefter with the Earls of Arundel, Not- 
tingham, Derby, the Archbifhop of Can- 
terbury, and many other difcontented no- 
bles, to deprive Richard of his crown; 
the dife very of the whole plot by the 
treacherous Eal of Nottingham; the 
conleguent ex-cution of the Earl cf Arun. 
del, and the feizure and imprifonment of 
Glonceiter* by Richard himielf, are fully 
deferibed, and form curious features of 
tie hictory of the times. . 
The maauicript next details, at con6- 
derable length, the proceedings occafioned 
by the Ear] of Derby (who afterwards 
became Duke of Lancafter) accufing 
Nottingham (on whom the Dukedom of 
Norfolk had devolved) of being falfe, 
traitorous, and difloyal, to his fovereign, 
and the kingdom of England; and the 
well-known duel, which ended in the ba- 
nifhment of both. This ftrange fenteace, 
fo contrary to all the laws of trial by fin- 
_ gle combat, condemning and punifhing 
* The manuicript does not fate what be- 
came of Gloucefter. Richard, for fear of any 
violent commotion from his adherents, or- 
dered him to be conveyed to Calais (of which 
‘Nottingham was governor) until all appre- 
henfion fubfided ; and when, in the following 
year, he was ordered to bring Gloucefter 
over, the parliament being defirous to pro- 
ceed on his trial, he coolly replied, that he 
had died ina fit of apoplexy.—=It foon after- 
wards appeared, that Nottingham had ordered 
him to be {mothered between two mattrafies, 
in the Bibliotheque Nationale at Paris. 
203 
both the accufer and accufed, without 
either of them being convicted, is per- 
festly inexplicable. According to our 
manufctipt, however, they were each well 
‘pleafed at having efcaped the fate of the 
Earl of Arundel.” 
The feparation of Richard from his 
young queen, occafioned by his expedition 
into Ireland, and whom his hard fate ne- 
ver permitted him to fee again, is fully 
defcribed, and ‘contains many ftrong 
proofs of warm affection, and a tender 
heart. The account of his domeftic ar- 
rangements before his departure is curious, 
fimple, and interefting. 
Previous to the Earl of Derby’s going 
into exile, Richard promifed to fhorten the 
term of his banifhment to four years, and 
granted letters patent to preferve what- 
ever inheritasces might fall to him, if 
the Duke of Lancafter, his father, fhould 
die in his abfence, which actually hap- 
pened ; but the conduct of Derby, in ap- 
parently endeavouring to raife an oppoti- 
tion againft the King, by demanding the 
niece of the French King in marriage, 
induced Richard to revoke the letters-pas 
tent he had granted, and infift on retain 
ing the Lancafter eftates. . 
During Richard’s abfence in Ireland, 
Lancafter return:d to reclaim his, poffef= 
fions ; and, trom the fituation of affairs, 
foon found that it was in his power to de- 
prive the monarch of his crown, who had 
reiufed the reftoration cf his patrimony. 
Forged letters were cireulated, alleging 
that Richard intended to make himfelf 
abiolute by the affiftance of the French ; 
and every artifice which villainy could in- 
vent was ufed to render him generally 
odious to his fubjects. The plan fucceeded 
too well, and Lancafter {uon found a for- 
midable army ranged under his banners, 
which was ftrengtnened by the junction 
of many of the moft confiderable peers of 
the realm. On this alarming intelligence 
being communicated, Richard exclaimed, 
«¢ Three times have I pardoned this man’s 
mifdeeds, and this is the fourth offence he 
has committed: truly did his father, my 
dear uncle of Lancalter, tell me of his 
fon, that I did wrong to pardon him fo 
often, for he would (till continue to offend 
me.’—The King, however, loft no time 
in returning to England. His army con- 
fited of 32,000 mea, natives and fo- 
reigners; but the attachment of the for- 
mer he juftly fufpected. . 
The morning after his arrival in Eng- 
land, thofe apprehenfions were confirmed. 
On rifing to fay his orifons, he found his 
army reduced to 6,000 men, the reft hav- 
Ddz ing 
a a i ae arte oee, 
