RICHARD'S DEPOSITION AND DEATH.
A.D. 1397-1399
Difficulties of Richard's position.--His rivals.--Plot
discovered.--Richard arrests his uncle Gloucester.--Extraordinary
circumstances of the arrest.--Richard becomes extremely
unpopular.--His excesses.--Remorse.--His fear of Henry
Bolingbroke.--Coventry.--Preparation for the combat.--The combat
arrested.--Henry is banished from England.--Case of Lady De
Courcy.--Her dismissal from office.--Richard seizes his cousin
Henry's estates.--Ireland.--Richard's farewell to the little
queen.--A rebellion.--Misfortunes of the king.--Conway
Castle.--The king is made prisoner.--His interview with Henry
at the castle in Wales.--The king is conveyed a prisoner to
London.--Parliament convened.--Charges preferred against the
king.--Interview between Richard and Henry in the Tower.--Rage
of Richard.--Portrait of Henry.--The king is compelled to abdicate
the crown.--Henry desires that Richard should be killed.--Assassination
of Richard.--Disposal of the body.--The little queen.--Her return to
France.--Sequel of the story of the little queen.
It was not long after Richard's marriage to the little queen before
the troubles and difficulties in which his government was involved
increased in a very alarming degree. The feuds among his uncles, and
between his uncles and himself, increased in frequency and bitterness,
and many plots and counterplots were formed in respect to the
succession; for Isabella being so young, it was very doubtful whether
she would grow up and have children, and, unless she did so, some one
or other of Richard's cousins would be heir to the crown. I have
spoken of his cousin Henry of Bolingbroke as the principal of these
claimants. There was, however, another one, Roger, the Earl of March.
Roger was the grandson of Richard's uncle Lionel, who had died long
before. The Duke of Gloucester, who had been so bitterly opposed to
Richard's marriage with Isabella, and had, as it seemed, now become
his implacable enemy, conceived the plan of deposing Richard and
making Roger king. Isabella, if this plan had been carried into
effect, was to have been shut up in a prison for all the rest of her
days. There were several great nobles joined with the Duke of
Gloucester in this conspiracy.
The plot was betrayed to Richard by some of the confederates. Richard
immediately determined to arrest his uncle and bring him to trial. It
was necessary, however, to do this secretly, before any of the
conspirators should be put upon their guard. So he set off one night
from his palace in Westminster, with a considerable company of armed
men, to go to the duke's palace, which was at some distance from
London, planning his journey so as to arrive there very early in the
morning. The people of London, when they saw the king passing at that
late hour, wondered where he was going.
He arrived very early the next morning at the duke's castle. He sent
some of his men forward into the court of the castle to ask if the
duke were at home. The servants said that he was at home, but he was
not yet up. So the messengers sent up to him in his bedchamber to
inform him that the king was below, and to ask him to come down and
receive him. Gloucester accordingly came down. He was much surprised,
but he knew that it would be very unwise for him to show any
suspicion, and so, after welcoming the king, he asked what was the
object of so early a visit. The king assumed a gay and unconcerned
air, as if he were out upon some party of pleasure, and said he wished
the duke to go away with him a short distance. So the duke dressed
himself and mounted his horse, the king, in the mean time, talking in
a merry way with the ladies of the castle who had come down into the
court to receive him. When they were ready the whole party rode out of
the court, and then the king, suddenly changing his tone, ordered his
men to arrest the duke and take him away.
The duke was never again seen or heard of in England, and for a long
time it was not known what had become of him. It was, however, at last
said, and generally believed, that he was put on board a ship, and
sent secretly to Calais, and shut up in a castle there, and was, after
a time, strangled by means of feather beds, or, as others say, by wet
towels put over his face, in obedience to orders sent to the castle by
Richard. Several other great noblemen, whom Richard supposed to be
confederates with Gloucester, were arrested by similar stratagems. Two
or three of the most powerful of them were brought to a trial before
judges in Richard's interest, and, being condemned, were beheaded. It
is supposed that Richard did not dare to bring Gloucester himself to
trial, on account of the great popularity and vast influence which he
enjoyed among the people of England.
Richard was very much pleased with the success of his measures for
thus putting the most formidable of his enemies out of the way, and
not long after this his cousin Roger died, so that Richard was
henceforth relieved of all special apprehension on his account. But
the country was extremely dissatisfied. The Duke of Gloucester had
been very much respected and beloved by the nation. Richard was hated.
His government was tyrannical. His style of living was so extravagant
that his expenses were enormous, and the people were taxed beyond
endurance to raise the money required. While, however, he thus spared
no expense to secure his own personal aggrandizement and glory, it was
generally believed that he cared little for the substantial interests
of the country, but was ready to sacrifice them at any time to promote
his own selfish ends.
In the mean time, having killed the principal leaders opposed to him,
for a time he had every thing his own way. He obtained the control of
Parliament, and caused the most unjust and iniquitous laws to be
passed, the object of which was to supply him more and more fully
with money, and to increase still more his own personal power. He went
on in this way until the country was almost ripe for rebellion.
Still, with all his wealth and splendor, Richard was not happy. He was
harassed by perpetual suspicions and anxieties, and his conscience
tortured him with reproaches for the executions which he had procured
of his uncle Gloucester and the other noblemen, particularly the Earl
of Arundel, one of the most powerful and wealthy nobles of England. He
used to awake from his sleep at night in horror, crying out that the
blood of the earl was all over his bed.
He was afraid continually of his cousin Henry, who was now in the
direct line of succession to the crown, and whom he imagined to be
conspiring against him. He wished very much to find some means of
removing him out of the way. An opportunity at length presented
itself. There was a quarrel between Henry and a certain nobleman named
Norfolk. Each accused the other of treasonable designs. There was a
long difficulty about it, and several plans were formed for a trial of
the case. At last it was determined that there should be a trial by
single combat between the parties, to determine the question which of
them was the true man.
The town of Coventry, which is in the central part of England, was
appointed for this combat. The lists were prepared, a pavilion for the
use of the king and those who were to act as judges was erected, and
an immense concourse of spectators assembled to witness the contest.
All the preliminary ceremonies were performed, as usual in those days
in personal combats of this character, except that in this case the
combatants were to fight on horseback. They came into the lists with
horses magnificently caparisoned. Norfolk's horse was covered with
crimson velvet, and the trappings of Henry's were equally splendid.
When all was ready, the signal was given, and the battle commenced.
After the combatants had made a few passes at each other without
effect, the king made a signal, and the heralds cried out, Ho! Ho!
which was an order for them to stop. The king then directed that their
arms should be taken from them, and that they should dismount, and
take their places in certain chairs which had been provided for them
within the lists. These chairs were very gorgeous in style and
workmanship, being covered with velvet, and elegantly embroidered.
The assembly waited a long time while the king and those with him held
a consultation. At length the king announced that the combat was to
proceed no farther, but that both parties were deemed guilty, and that
they were both to be banished from the realm. The term of Henry's
banishment was ten years; Norfolk's was for life.
The country was greatly incensed at this decision. There was no proof
whatever that Henry had done any thing wrong. Henry, however,
submitted to the king's decree, apparently without murmuring, and took
his departure. As he journeyed toward Dover, where he was to embark,
the people flocked around him at all the towns and villages that he
passed through, and mourned his departure; and when finally he
embarked at Dover and went away, they said that the only shield,
defense, and comfort of the commonwealth was gone.
Henry went to Paris, and there told his story to the King of France.
The king took his part very decidedly. He received him in a very
cordial and friendly manner, and condemned the course which Richard
had pursued.
Another circumstance occurred to alienate the King of France still
more from Richard. There was a certain French lady, named De Courcy,
who had come from France with the little queen, and had since occupied
a high position in the queen's household. She was Isabella's governess
and principal lady of honor. This lady, it seemed, lived in quite an
expensive style, and by her influence and management greatly increased
the expense of the queen's establishment, which was, of course,
entirely independent of that of the king. This Lady De Courcy kept
eighteen horses for her own personal use, and maintained a large train
of attendants to accompany her in state whenever she appeared in
public. She had two or three goldsmiths and jewelers, and two or three
furriers, and a proportionate number of other artisans all the time at
work, making her dresses and decorations. Richard, under pretense that
he could not afford all this, dismissed the Lady De Courcy from her
office, and sent her home to France. Of course she was very indignant
at this treatment, and she set out on her return home, prepared to
give the King of France a very unfavorable account of his son-in-law.
It was some time after this, however, before she arrived at Paris.
About three months after Henry of Bolingbroke was banished from the
realm, his father, the Duke of Lancaster, died. He left immense
estates, which of right should have descended to his son. Richard had
given Henry leave to appoint an attorney to act as his agent during
his banishment, and take care of his property; but, instead of
allowing this attorney to take possession of these estates, and hold
them for Henry until he should return, the king confiscated them, and
seized them himself. He also, at the same time, revoked the powers
which he had granted to the attorney. This transaction awakened one
general burst of indignation from one end of England to the other, and
greatly increased the hatred which the people bore to the king, and
the favor with which they were disposed to regard Henry.
It must be admitted, in justice to Richard, that his mind was greatly
harassed at this time with the troubles and difficulties that
surrounded him, and with his want of money. To complete his
misfortunes, a rebellion broke out in Ireland. He felt compelled to go
himself and quell it. So he collected all the money that he could
obtain, and raised an army and equipped a fleet to go across the Irish
Sea. He left his uncle, the Duke of York, regent during his absence.
Before setting out for Ireland, the king went to Windsor to bid the
little queen good-by. He took his leave of her in a church at
Windsor, where she accompanied him to mass. On leaving the church
after service, he partook of wine and refreshments with her at the
door, and then lifting her up in his arms, he kissed her many times,
saying,
"Adieu, madame. Adieu till we meet again."
As soon as Richard was gone, a great number of the leading and
influential people began to form plans to keep him from coming back
again, or at least to prevent his ever again ruling over the realm.
Henry, who was now in Paris, and who, since his father was dead, was
now himself the Duke of Lancaster, began to receive letters from many
persons urging him to come to England, and promising him their support
in dispossessing Richard of the throne.
Henry determined at length to comply with these proposals. He found
many persons in France to encourage him, and some to join him. With
these persons, not more, it is said, than sixty in all, he set sail
from the coast of France, and, passing across the Channel, approached
the coast of England. He touched at several places, to ascertain what
was the feeling of the country toward him. At length he was encouraged
to land. The people received him joyfully, and every body flocked to
his standard.
The Duke of York, whom Richard had left as regent, immediately called
a council of Richard's friends to consider what it was best to do. On
consultation and inquiry, they found that the country would not
support them in any plan for resisting Henry. So they abandoned
Richard's cause at once in despair, and fled in various directions,
intent only on saving their own lives.
The Duke of York went to Windsor Castle, took the queen and her
attendants, and conveyed them up the river to the Castle of
Wallingford, where he thought they would be more safe.
In the mean time, the king's expedition to Ireland resulted
disastrously, and he returned to England. To his utter dismay, he
learned, on his arrival, that Henry had landed in England, and was
advancing toward London in a triumphant manner. He had no sufficient
force under his command to enable him to go and meet his cousin with
any hope of success. The only question was how he could save himself
from Henry's vengeance. He dismissed the troops that remained with
him, and then, with a very few attendants to accompany him, he sought
refuge for a while among the castles in Wales, where he was reduced to
great destitution and distress, being forced sometimes to sleep on
straw. At length he went to Conway, which is a town near the northern
confines of Wales, and shut himself up in the castle there--that
famous Conway Castle, the ruins of which are so much visited and
admired by the tourists of the present day.
In the mean time, Henry, although he had marched triumphantly through
England at the head of a large, though irregular force, had not
proclaimed himself king, or taken any other open step inconsistent
with his allegiance to Richard. But now, when he heard that Richard
was in Wales, he went thither himself at the head of quite a large
army which he had raised in London. He stopped at a town in North
Wales called Flint, and, taking his lodgings there, he sent forward an
earl as his messenger to Conway Castle to treat with Richard. The
earl, on being introduced into Richard's presence, said that his
cousin was at Flint Castle, and wished that he would come there to
confer with him on matters of great moment. Richard did not know what
to do. He soon reflected, however, that he was completely in Henry's
power, and that he might as well make a virtue of necessity, and
submit with a good grace; so he said he would accompany the earl to
Flint Castle.
They had not gone far on the road before a large number of armed men
appeared at the road side, in a narrow place between the mountains and
the sea, where they had been lying in ambush. These men were under the
earl's command. Little was said, but Richard saw that he was a
prisoner.
On his arrival at Flint Castle,[J] Richard had an interview with
Henry. Henry, when he came into the king's presence, treated him with
all due reverence, as if he still acknowledged him as his sovereign.
He kneeled repeatedly as he advanced, until at length the king took
him by the hand and raised him up, saying, at the same time,
[Footnote J: There is some discrepancy in the accounts in respect to
the castle where this interview was had, but this is not material.]
"Dear cousin, you are welcome."
Henry replied,
"My sovereign lord and king, the cause of my coming at this time is to
have again the restitution of my person, my lands, and my heritage,
through your majesty's gracious permission."
The king replied,
"Dear cousin, I am ready to accomplish your will, so that you may
enjoy all that is yours without exception."
After some farther insincere and hypocritical conversation of this
sort, breakfast was served. After breakfast, Henry conducted the king
to a window on the wall, from which, on looking over the plain, a vast
number of armed men, who had come from London with Henry, were to be
seen. Richard asked who those men were. Henry replied that they were
people of London.
"And what do they want?" asked Richard.
"They want me to take _you_," said Henry, "and carry you prisoner to
the Tower; and there will be no pacifying them unless you go with me."
Richard saw at once that it was useless to make any resistance, so he
submitted himself entirely to such arrangements as Henry might make.
Henry accordingly set out with him on the journey to London,
ostensibly escorting him as a king, but really conveying him as a
prisoner. On the journey, the fallen monarch suffered many marks of
neglect and indignity, but he knew that he was wholly in the power of
his enemies, and that it was useless to complain; indeed, his spirit
was completely broken, and he had no heart to make even a struggle. On
reaching London, he was conducted to the Tower. He was lodged there as
he had often been lodged before, only now the guards which surrounded
him were under the command of his enemies, and were placed there to
prevent his escape, instead of to protect him from danger.
Henry immediately convened a Parliament, issuing the writs, however,
in the king's name. This was necessary, to make the Parliament
technically legal. When the Parliament met, articles of accusation
were formally brought against Richard. These articles were
thirty-three in number. They recapitulated all the political crimes
and offenses which Richard had committed during his life, his
cruelties and oppressions, his wastefulness, his maladministration of
public affairs, the illegal and unjust sentences of banishment or of
death which he had pronounced upon peers of the realm, and various
other high crimes and misdemeanors.
While these measures were pending, Richard's mind was in a state of
dreadful suspense and agitation. Sometimes he sank into the greatest
depths of despondency and gloom, and sometimes he raved like a madman,
walking to and fro in his apartment in his phrensy, vowing vengeance
on his enemies.
He had interviews from time to time with Henry and the other nobles.
At one time Henry went with the Duke of York and others to the Tower,
and sent a messenger to the king, requesting him to come to the
apartment where they were, as they wished to see him.
"Tell Henry of Lancaster," said the king, "that I shall do no such
thing. If he wishes to see me, let him come to me."
So they came to the king's apartment. Henry took off his cap as he
came in, and saluted the king respectfully. The Duke of York was with
Henry at this time. Richard was very angry with the Duke of York, whom
he had left regent of England when he went away, but who had made no
resistance to Henry's invasion. So, as soon as he saw him, he broke
forth in a perfect phrensy of vituperation and rage against him, and
against his son, who was also present. This produced a violent
altercation between them and the king, in which one of them told the
king that he lied, and threw down his bonnet before him in token of
defiance. Richard then turned to Henry, and demanded, in a voice of
fury, why he was placed thus in confinement, under a guard of armed
men.
"Am I your servant," he demanded, "or am I your king? And what do you
intend to do with me?"
"You are my king and lord," replied Henry, calmly, "but the Parliament
have determined that you are to be kept in confinement for the
present, until they can decide in respect to the charges laid against
you."
Here the king uttered a dreadful imprecation, expressive of rage and
despair.
[Illustration: HENRY OF BOLINGBROKE--KING HENRY IV.]
He then demanded that they should let him have his wife. But Henry
replied that the council had forbidden that he should see the queen.
This exasperated the king more than ever. He walked to and fro across
the apartment, wringing his hands, and uttering wild and incoherent
expressions of helpless rage.
[Illustration: PONTEFRACT CASTLE, KING RICHARD'S PRISON.]
The end of it was that Richard was forced to abdicate the crown. He
soon saw that it was only by so doing that he could hope to save his
life. An assembly was convened, and he formally delivered up his
crown, and renounced all claim to it forever. He also gave up the
globe and sceptre, the emblems of sovereignty, with which he had been
invested at his coronation. In addition to this ceremony, a written
deed of abdication had been drawn up, and this deed was now signed by
the king with all the necessary formalities. Proclamation having been
made of Richard's abdication, Henry came forward and claimed the crown
as Richard's rightful successor, and he was at once proclaimed king,
and conducted to the throne. Richard was conducted back to the Tower,
and soon afterward was conveyed, by Henry's order, to a more sure
place of confinement--Pontefract Castle, and here was shut up a close
prisoner.
Things remained in this state a short time, and then a rumor arose
that a conspiracy was formed by Richard's friends to murder Henry, and
restore Richard to the throne. A spiked instrument was said to have
been found in Henry's bed, put there by some of the conspirators, with
a view of destroying him when he lay down. Whether this story of the
conspiracy was false or true, one thing is certain, that the existence
of Richard endangered greatly the continuance and security of Henry's
power. Henry and his counselors were well aware of this; and one day,
when they had been conversing on the subject of this danger, Henry
said,
"Have I no faithful friend who will deliver me from this man, whose
life is death to me, and whose death would be my life?"
Very soon after this, it was known that Richard was dead. The
universal belief was that he was murdered. There were various rumors
in respect to the manner in which the deed was perpetrated. The
account most precise and positive states that a man named Exton, who
had heard the remark of the king, repaired at once to the castle of
Pontefract, accompanied by eight desperate men, all well armed, and
gained admission to Richard's room while he was at table. Richard,
seeing his danger, sprang up, and attempted to defend himself. He
wrenched a weapon out of the hands of one of his assailants, and
fought with it so furiously that he cut down four of the ruffians
before he was overpowered. He was felled to the floor at last by a
blow which Exton struck him upon his head, Exton having sprung up upon
the chair which Richard had sat in, and thus obtained an advantage by
his high position.
It was necessary to make the fact of Richard's death very certain, and
so, soon afterward, the body was placed upon a hearse, and drawn by
four black horses to London. Here it was left in a public place for
some time, to be viewed by all who desired to view it. There were no
less than _twenty thousand_ persons that availed themselves of the
opportunity of satisfying themselves, by the evidence of their senses,
that the hated Richard was no more.
* * * * *
The little queen all this time had been confined in another castle.
She was now about twelve years old. Her father, when he heard of the
misfortunes which had befallen her husband, and of the forlorn and
helpless condition in which she was placed, was so distressed that he
became insane. The other members of the family sent to England to
demand that she should be restored to them, but Henry refused this
request. He wished to make her the wife of his son, who was now the
Prince of Wales, but Isabella would not listen to any such proposals.
Then Henry wished that she should remain in England as the
queen-dowager, and he promised that she should be treated with the
greatest respect and consideration as long as she lived; but neither
she herself nor her friends in France would consent to this. At
length, after long delay, and many protracted negotiations, it was
decided that she should return home.
The little queen, on her return to France, embarked from Dover. There
were five vessels appointed to receive her and her suite. There were
in attendance upon her two ladies of the royal family, who had the
charge of her person, her governess, several maids of honor, and two
French chambermaids, whose names were Semonette and Marianne. There
were many other persons besides.
Isabella reached the French frontier at a town between Calais and
Boulogne, and there was delivered, with much form and ceremony, to a
deputation of French authorities sent forward to receive her.
She lived in France after this for several years, mourning her husband
all the time with faithful and unchanging affection. At length a
marriage was arranged for her with her cousin, a French prince. She
was married when she was nineteen years old. She was very averse to
this marriage when it was first proposed to her, and could only speak
of it with tears; but, under all the circumstances of the case, she
thought that she was not at liberty to decline it, and after she was
married she loved her husband very sincerely, and made a very devoted
and faithful wife. Three years after her marriage she had a son, and a
few hours after the birth of the child she suddenly died. Her husband
was almost distracted when he heard that his beloved wife was dead.
His grief seemed, for a time, perfectly uncontrollable; but when they
brought to him his infant child, it seemed in some measure to comfort
him.
THE END.
TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES:
1. Minor changes have been made to correct typesetters' errors, and to
ensure consistent spelling and punctuation in this etext; otherwise,
every effort has been made to remain true to the original book.
2. The sidenotes used in this text were originally published as
banners in the page headers, and have been collected at the beginning
of each chapter for the reader's convenience.
3. The original Table of Contents mistakenly referred to Chapter V. as
beginning on page 146; this has been corrected to show that that chapter
begins on page 140.
4. Text in two places, in the original book, were typeset in an old
style font; these two paragraphs have been rendered in this extext with
a = at the beginning and end of the paragraph.