A.D. 1361. Lionel, the king's son, appointed lieutenant of Ireland, July 1. The Second Great Pestilence in England. The pope (Urban V.) claims the Queenborough Castle built by Wil- tribute promised by John', but it is liam of Wykeham. refused by the parliament. A controversy springs up on the subject, in which John Wickliffe inveighs vehemently against the demand. A.D. 1362. On occasion of the king's jubilee, the abuse of purveyance is restrained by statute [36 Edw. III. c. 2—5]. The king states that he has redressed the grievances of his subjects in this matter of his own will, without motion of either great men or commons, and he directs the "heinous name of purveyors" to be changed to that of buyers. The laws directed to be pleaded in English [36 Edw. III. c. 15]. A general pardon granted for all such acts as tend not to the permanent injury of the Crown, Oct. 13 [36 Edw. III. c. 16]. A.D. 1363. Diet and apparel of each class of the community regulated by statute [37 Edw. III. c. 8-14]. King John, being unable to fulfil the terms of his release, returns to England. A.D. 1364. A.D. 1366. Lionel, duke of Clarence, holds a parliament at Kilkenny, in February, at which severe enactments are made against the Anglo-Irish'. A.D. 1367. The Black Prince espouses the cause of Pedro the Cruel, of Castile ". He gains the battle of Najara, April 3, and thus re-establishes him on the throne, but is ungraciously treated, and having suffered much from illness, returns to Bordeaux. A.D. 1368. He levies heavy taxes on the Gascons, when they appeal to the king of France. A.D. 1369. The Black Prince is summoned to Paris, to answer the complaints of the Gascons, May 1. Instead he prepares for war, and the king, by advice of parliament, resumes the title of King Charles of Blois is killed at Auray, of France, June 3. At length he relinquished his office of constable, being dissatisfied with the conduct of Charles V. towards his native country, and determined to withdraw to Spain, but delaying his journey, to complete, as a farewell service to France, the conquest of Randon, held by the English, he died before its walls, July 13, 1380; the fortress surrendered a few days after, and its keys were laid upon his coffin, the governor having sworn to submit only to Du Guesclin. P He was earl of Ulster, in right of his wife, and in consequence of some successes was in the following year created duke of Clarence. He had a safe conduct for that purpose, Dec. 10, but did not long survive his arrival; he died at the Savoy, April 8, 1364. See A.D. 1213. The tribute was paid by Henry III. and Edward I., but after the removal of the papacy to Avignon in 1309, it fell into arrear, the pope being considered a mere instrument in the hands of the French. John Wickliffe, probably a native of Yorkshire, and born about 1324, was a very popular lecturer on theology at Oxford, where he taught doctrines opposed to those then generally received, but not so much so as they are ordinarily represented. He translated the Scriptures into English, and wrote many works in which he inveighed against the avarice of the court of Rome and the candalous lives of many of the clergy, and advocated the supremacy of the civil magistrate. His doctrines were authoritatively condemned, he was obliged to retire from Oxford to his living of Lutterworth, and strenuous efforts were made to bring him to condign punishment; but being powerfully protected, especially by the duke of Lancaster, he was saved from further harm, and died quietly in his house, Dec. 31, 1384. His bones were several years after taken up and burnt, by order of the council of Constance, but his doctrines had taken deep root, and his followers, termed Lollards, maintained and widely propagated them in spite of the most strenuous efforts of the heads of both Church and State; whence John Wickliffe is ordinarily regarded as the father of the English Reformation. Their use of the Irish laws, intermarriage, and adoption of Irish surnames and customs, are prohibited, as is also the supplying the natives with arms, horses, or armour, under the penalty of forfeiture of lands or imprisonment. Peter had, among other atrocities, murdered his queen, Blanche of Bourbon, and he had been dethroned by his natural brother, Henry of Trastamare, assisted by Du Guesclin and the Free Companies. On the withdrawal of the Black Prince, he was again assailed by Henry, defeated, and put to death. John of Gaunt married one of his daughters soon after, and in consequence assumed the title of King of Castile and Leon. The king of France acted unjustifiably in this, as all feudal claim on the ceded provinces had been expressly renounced by the treaty of Bretigny. It is to be regretted that the last exploit of this renowned warrior was not more in accordance with the chivalrous character usually ascribed to him. He retired shortly after to England, in broken health, and was succeeded in his command by his brother, John of Gaunt. David, after his release in 1357, had paid frequent visits to the English court, and, as he had no son, had endeavoured to secure the succession to his nephew, Lionel, duke of Clarence, but the parliament of Scotland indignantly rejected the proposal. This was the famous William of Wykeham, Arms of New College, Oxford. who was born at Wykeham, in Hampshire, in 1324. He long served the king in the quality of surveyor of works, and built for him many noble edifices, both civil and military, the castles of The king embarks to invade France, Aug. 31, but is driven back by bad weather. A.D. 1373. De Montfort (John IV.) is expelled from Britanny b. The Black Prince surrenders his principality of Aquitaine to the king, April. John of Gaunt, appointed captain store the English power, and marches general, June 12, undertakes to redeaux. The march occupied from July through France from Calais to Borto December; the French did not attempt to dispute his passage, but harassed his troops with continual skirmishes, causing them very heavy loss. Windsor and Queenborough among the number: became warden of the forests south of Trent, keeper of the privy seal, president of the council, bishop of Winchester, and at length chancellor, in Sept. 1367. In 1371 he was driven from court, and his temporalities seized on charges of corruption, which were proved afterwards to be unfounded. On the accession of Richard II. he was restored to favour, but took little further part in public affairs, (though his name appears in the commission of regency, and he again became chancellor for a short period,) devoting his energies instead to the administration of his diocese, and the founding and endowing of the noble establishments of New College, Oxford, and St. Mary, Winchester. He died Sept. 27, 1404, and was buried in his cathedral. a He had married Margaret, the king's youngest daughter, but she died soon after. Though thus allied to royalty, he was not ransomed until he had suffered a three years' imprisonment, and he then died at Arras, on his way to Calais, April 16, 1375. b. He took refuge in England, where, except for a short period in 1375, he remained until 1379, in which year he was invited back by his subjects. In. 1380 a large force was sent to his assistance, under the command of the earl of Buckingham, but he soon after made his peace with the king of France, on condition of renouncing the alliance he had so long maintained with the English. He died in. 1399. ment. Much discontent is occasioned by the extortionate and illegal proceedings of the Lords Latimer and Neville, his counsellors, and of Alice Perrers, the king's mistress. The parliament (afterwards known as the Good Parliament") assembles. Sir Peter de la Mare, a Herefordshire knight, takes the lead in their deliberations c. Supported by the Prince of Wales, the Commons complain vehemently of the proceedings of the duke of Lancaster. They suspect him of aspiring to succeed to the throne, to the prejudice of the young son of the Prince of Wales, and at length induce the king to appoint a new council of government, from which Lancaster and his friends are excluded. The Commons present articles of accusation against Latimer, Neville, Alice Perrers, and others, charging them with extortion, fraud, and interference with the administration of justice. The Lords investigate the complaints, are satisfied of their truth, and procure the removal of the of fenders from the court. The Black Prince dies, June 8. The Commons request that his son may be declared Prince of Wales, but the king declines to comply ". power. He procures the dismissal of the new council, and imprisons De la Mare in Nottingham Castle. A.D. 1377. A new parliament assembles, chiefly composed of the partisans of the duke of Lancaster. The duke endeavours to exclude William of Wykeham from the parliament, but on the other bishops taking up his cause, he gives way. The bishop of London (William Courtenay) cites Wickliffe to appear before him in St. Paul's, to reply to a charge of heresy, Feb. 19. On his appearance the duke of Lancaster and Lord Percy accompany him, treat the bishop with much rudeness, and thus provoke a tumult in the city; they are obliged to retire precipitately, to save their lives. In consequence of the tumult, the mayor and aldermen are deprived of office, March 29. A poll-tax of fourpence on each person over fourteen years of age is granted. A general pardon granted, on occasion of the king's royal jubilee [50 Edw. III. c. 3. The king dies, at Shene, (now Richmond,) June 21, and is buried at West The duke of Lancaster returns to minster. RICHARD, the son of Edward the | John of Gaunt and Thomas of WoodBlack Prince and Joan of Kent, was born at Bordeaux, April 3, 1366. Soon after the death of his father, he was created Prince of Wales, and he succeeded to the throne when only in his twelfth year. The first ten years of his reign were passed in tutelage, while the state was disturbed by the contentions of his ambitious uncles, stock; and though on occasion of the insurrection of the commons, which occurred in the sixteenth year of his age, he gave proof of courage and ability, he soon fell into the fatal error of abandoning the management of affairs to his ministers (or "favourites," as they were disparagingly termed), Michael de la Pole and Robert Vereb, His family had long farmed the customs at Hull, and his grandfather was the first mayor of that town. He served with distinction in France under the Black Prince, and also accompanied John of Gaunt to Spain. Under Richard II. he attached himself to the court, soon gained the royal favour, and at length was appointed chancellor, (March 13, 1383). He obtained many lavish grants from the king, and in 1386 was created earl of Suffolk. In the same year he was impeached by the Commons, and being afterwards appealed of treason by the duke of Gloucester and others, he fied in disguise to Calais, and thence to Paris, where he died, Sept. 5, 1388; his vast possessions were forfeited, and his magnificent house in London given to Sir John Holland, the king's halfbrother. His son, also named Michael, was restored in blood by Henry IV., and of his two grandsons, Michael was killed at Agincourt, and William, duke of Suffolk, became the well-known minister of Margaret of Anjou. b Robert de Vere, son of Thomas, earl of Oxford, was born in 1362; he was of a light and profligate disposition, and acquiring the favour of Richard II., was loaded with extraordinary honours by him. First he received in marriage the lady Philippa de Coucy, the granddaughter of Edward III., and the grant of her lands; then he was created marquis of Dublin, and at length duke of Ireland (Oct. 13, 1386,) by a patent which rendered him, as far as the king's wishes were allowed to take effect, a sovereign prince. He, however, abandoned his wife, and married a waiting-woman of the queen; this was speedily followed by his being imprisoned on a charge of treason, but he escaped in disguise, and railing some troops, en whom he loaded with wealth and honours. At length John of Gaunt engaged in an expedition into Spain, when Gloucester became supreme, and the favourites were impeached and banished, or put to death. The lords appellants, as Gloucester and his associates were called, declared that by these proceedings no dishonour was meant to the king, whose youth and inexperience had been imposed upon, but they left him only the shadow of power. He bore this for a while, but in the year 1389 he came suddenly into the council, and formally inquiring his age, on the reply that he was in his 24th year, declared he would no longer endure the government of tutors, and at once deprived of office and drove from the court the duke and his party. A few years of peace and apparent contentment followed this resolute step, during which the king made a visit to Ireland, and by his affability and liberality conciliated many of the most powerful chiefs; but his popularity was marred by a peace with France | and marriage with a French princess, as it was generally suspected that Calais and the Channel Islands were intended to be given up, as Brest and Cherbourg had already been. The duke of Gloucester took advantage of the discontents thus occasioned, and intrigued to regain his lost ascendancy, but the king was now directed by his half-brother, the earl of Huntingdon, a bold and cruel man, and the duke and his confederates were suddenly seized and put to death. Richard now appeared firmly established on the throne, when a quarrel between the dukes of Norfolk and Hereford, who had been among the deavoured to overthrow the rule of the duke of Gloucester. He was defeated, outlawed, and Arms of De Vere, earl of Oxford obliged to flee to the continent, where he was appellants of 1388, but had since aided him against his uncle, induced him to banish them both. Norfolk submitted to his sentence and died abroad, but his opponent (who had lingered in France, and had become duke of Lancaster by the death of his father,) soon returned with a few friends under pretence of claiming his inheritance, was joined by the Percies and others, seized the king on his return from a second expedition to Ireland, brought him captive to London, and procured his formal deposition, Sept. 30, 1399, after a troubled and inglorious reign of twenty-three years. Richard was then in the Tower, but the parliament soon after desired that he might be "kept secretly," and so fully was this carried out, that he soon after disappeared, and nothing is certainly known of the time, place, or manner of his death. It is, however, tolerably certain that the received account that he was murdered at Pomfret by Sir Piers Exton is untrue, and that the body exposed at St. Paul's (March 12, 1400) was not his, but probably that of Maudelyn, a priest who bore a strong resemblance to him, and is believed to have been his natural brother. The English writers of the period all speak vaguely on the subject of Richard's death, and acknowledge that reports of his being alive were long circulated, but they appear to have been too much under the influence of the usurping Lancastrians to venture to say more. From documents among the public records, of both England and Scotland, however, and the statements of Scottish and French chroniclers, it has been surmised with a high degree of proba killed while hunting in Lorraine, in 1392. The king retained an affection for him which he manifested by having the corpse brought to England and bestowing a pompous funeral on it, in the year 1395. e Richard was very unpopular with the Londoners, who commonly styled him only Richard (or John) of Bordeaux, and affected to doubt his legitimacy. He had seized their charters and extorted money from them, and they had so great a share in his overthrow, that the people of the north afterwards spoke of Henry of Lancaster as only chosen by "the villeins of London." Some say he was killed by Exton, some that he was starved to death, others that he starved himself: qualifying their accounts, however, with "as it is said," "according to commen rumour," &c. |