he geuen ouer before to serue the Lord and his word, chusing rather to serue the humore of the Pope and bloudy prelates, then to further the Lordes procedynges in preachyng of his woorde. And then, as I sayd, how can enemies lacke, where God standeth not to frende? or what cause can bee so litle, whiche is not able enough to cast downe, where the Lordes arme is shortened to susteyne? MarginaliaGods speciall fauour necessary for princesWherfore, it is a point of principall wisedom in a prince not to forget, that as he standeth alwayes in nede of God his helpyng hand: so alwayes he haue the discipline and feare of him before his eyes, accordyng to the counsaile of the godly kyng Dauid. MarginaliaPsal. 2.Psal. 2.

And thus much touchyng the tyme and rase of this kyng Richard, with the tragicall story of his deposyng. The order and maner wherof purposely I pretermitte, onely contented briefly to laye together, a fewe speciall thynges done before his fall, such as may be sufficient in a brief somme, both to satisfie the reader inquisitiue of suche stories, & also to forwarne other princes to beware the lyke daungers. MarginaliaThe K. led with lewd counsaile.In such as write the lyfe and Actes of this prince, thus I read of him reported, þ^t he was much inclined to the fauoryng and aduaunsing of certein persons about him, and ruled all by their counsaile, whiche were thē greatly abhorred and hated in the realme: The names of whom were Robert Weer, whō the kyng had made duke of Ireland, Alexander Neuyle Archbishop of Yorke, Michael Attepoole Earle of Southfolke, Robert Trisilian lord chief Iustice, Nicholas Brambre, w^t other

These men being hated and dysdayned of diuers of the nobles, and of the commons, the king also by fauouring them, was lesse fauoured himselfe. MarginaliaThe nobles vp in armes against certaine of the kings counsailors.In somuch, that the Duke of Glocester, named Thomas Woodstok the kinges Vncle, with the Earle of Warwike, and Earle of Darby: stood vp in armes against those Counsailors & abusers (as they named them) of the king. In so much that the kyng for feare, was constrayned agaynste hys mynde to remoue oute of hys court, Alexander Neuyle archbishop of Yorke, Iohn Forde bishop of Duresme, Frier Thomas Rushoke bishop of Chichester þ^e kinges confessor, with the Lord Haringworth, Lord Burnell, and Bemond, Lord Weer, and diuers other. And furthermore, in the parlament the same yeare followyng, Robert Thrisylian the Iustice was hanged and drawē. Also Nicholas Branbre knight, Iames Salisbury also and Iames Barnise both knightes, Iohn Beuchamp þ^e kinges stuard, and Iohn Blake Esquire in lyke maner. All these by the counsayle of the Lordes being cast in the parlament against the kinges mynde, did suffer, whych was in the. xj. of his raygne, he beyng yet vnder gouernours: But consequently after the same, the kyng clayming his owne libertie, being come to the age of. xx. began to take more vpō him. And this was one thyng that stirred vp the kynges stomache agaynst the nobles. Ex Chron. Alban.MarginaliaEx Chron. D. Albani.

MarginaliaThe second preparatiue to the K. deposing.2. An other thing that styrred him vp asmuche agaynst the Londoners was this: for that he would haue borowed of them a thousand pound, and they denyed hym, to their double and triple disaduauntage, as after ensued vpon it, ibidem. An other occasion beside this, betwene the king and the Londoners happened thus, by reason of one of the bishop of Salisburies seruauntes, named Roman, and a Bakers man: who then carieng a basket of horsbread in fleetestreet, the foresayde Roman, tooke a horseloafe out of the basket. The Baker asking why he did so, the bishops lustye yeman turned backe againe, and brake his heade: whereupon the neyghbours came out, and woulde haue arested this Roman, but he escaped away into the bishops house. Thē the Constable would haue had him out, but the byshops men shut fast the gates, that they should not approch. Thus, much people gathered together, threatning to brast opē the gates and fire the house, vnles they had the foresayd partye tothem brought out. Wherby much adoe there was, til at length the Maior and Shirifs cam and quieted the rage of the commons, and sent euery man home to his house, charging them to keepe peace. Here as yet was no great harme done, but if the bishop for his part had ben quiet, & not haue styrred the coales of debate, whych were wel slaked already, all had bene ended without further perturbation. MarginaliaI. Waltam bish. of Salisb. make bate.But þ^e stomach of the bishop not yet digested (although his mā had done the wrong) hauing no great cause so to do, whose name was Iohn Waltā, being thē treasorer of England: MarginaliaTho. Arundel Archbish. of Yorke.went to Thomas Arundel archbishop the same time of Yorke, and lord Chauncelour of England, to complayne of the Londoners. Where is to be noted, or rather reuealed by the way a priuy mistery. which although be not in this story touched of the wryters: yet it touched the hartes of the bishops not a lyttle. MarginaliaLondiners fa-fauourers of Wickliffes doctrine.For the Londoners at that tyme were notoriously knowen to be fauourers of Wyckliffes side, as partlye before is to be seen, and in þ^e story of S. Albans more plainly doth apeare: Where the autor of the said history, MarginaliaEx histor. D. Albani cuius sic habet initium. Anno gratiæ, &c.writing vpon the. xv. yeare of king Richards raygne, reportteth in these wordes of the Londoners, that they were Male creduli in deum et traditiones auitas, lollardorum sustentatores, religiosorum detractores, decimarum detentores, et cōmunis vulgi depauperatores. &c. that is, not righ-beleuers in God, nor in the traditions of their forefathers: sustainers of the Lollards: deprauers of religious men: withholders of tythes: & impouerishers of the common people. &c.

MarginaliaLondiners complained of to the king, by the bishops.Thus the Londoners beyng noted and suspected of the bishops, wer the more maliced (no doubt therfore) of the sayd bishops, which were the more readye to fynde and take all occasions to woorke agaynst them, as by their doing herein may well appeare. For the byshop of Salisbury, and Archbishop of Yorke, hauing no greater matter against them, then was declared: with a greuous complaynt went to the king, MarginaliaBeati pacifici.complaynyng of the Maior and Shiriffes of London. What trespas the Maior and Shiriffes had done, as ye haue hearde before, so may you iudge. Nowe what folowed after let vs heare. The K. incensed not a litle with the complaint of the Byshops, conceiued eftsoones agaynst the Maior and Shiriffes, and against the whole Citye of London, a great stomache. In so much, that the Maior and both the Shiriffes were sent for, and remoued from their office. Syr Edward Darlynton then was made warden and Gouernour of the Citye, who also for his gentlenes shewed to the Citizens, was also deposed, and an other named sir Baldwyn Radington, placed in that roome. MarginaliaThe court remoued from London to Yorke.Moreouer, so much grewe the kynges displeasure agaynst the Citye, that he also remoued from London the courtes and Tearmes to bee kept at Yorke, that is to saye, the Chauncery, the Eschequire, the Kynges bench, the hamper, and the common place: where the same continued from Mydsommer, till Christenmas, to the great decay of the Citie of London: which was. an. 1393.

MarginaliaThe 3 preparatiue to the kings deposingThirdly, an other great cause which purchased the kyng much euill wyll among hys subiectes, was the secrete murtheryng of hys owne vncle named T. Woodstocke, Duke of Gloucester, of whō mencion was made before, where was declared how the sayde Duke, wyth the Earle of Arundell, the Earle of Warwike, and the Earle of Darby, with other, wer vp in armour against certayne wycked Counsailours about the king. Wherupon, the king watching afterward hys tyme, came to chelsford, and so to the place neare by, where the Duke lay: MarginaliaThe king aresting his owne Vncle, caused him to be put secretly to death.where wyth his own hands, he arested the said duke his vncle, & sent him down by water immediatly to Calice. And ther through þ^e kings cōmaundement, by secret means was put to death, being strāgled vnder a fetherbed, þ^e erle Marshal being thē þ^e keper of Calis. Wherby great indignatiō rose in many mens harts against þ^e K.