Historic%20Yorkshire
Historic%20Yorkshire
Historic%20Yorkshire
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Chapter xii.<br />
THE FALL AND DEATH OF RICHARD II.<br />
REAT changes were takingplacein oldEngland<br />
in 1399. A banished nobleman returning to<br />
his native country, andwith but a followingof<br />
sixty men, not onlyregaining his inheritance,<br />
but,by thesympathyand assistancehe gained.<br />
takingviolent possession of the crown itself, is a<br />
El/ sight which excites theutmost surprise. Let us see<br />
how such circumstances came about. Richard of<br />
Bordeaux, having rendered himself unpopular by his<br />
misgovernment of the nationand fondness for favourites,<br />
his uncle, the bold and ambitious Duke of Gloucester,<br />
possessed himself of the reins of power by forcing his<br />
nephew to appoint a Commissionfor the managementof<br />
national business; but on Richard attaining the age of<br />
twenty-two,he threw off theyoke ofGloucesterby taking<br />
advantage of a full Council to declare openly that he<br />
should for the future act byhis ownjudgment. Gloucester<br />
was shortly after arrested and sent to Calais, where it is<br />
supposed that he was murdered by his nephew's order.<br />
Those nobles who had, in a more or less degree, been<br />
partakers in the seizure ofpowerby Gloucesterwere next<br />
the object of the King's lawless resentment. Among<br />
those who had reason to fear this were the Duke of<br />
Norfolk and Henry Bolingbroke,Duke of Hereford, son<br />
of John of Gaunt. It wouldappear that the former had<br />
put some inquiries to Bolingbroke as to the best method<br />
of avertingthe dangersof the King's anger. Bolingbroke,<br />
however, betrayed the communication to the King,<br />
openly accusing Norfolk of high treason. Richard,