Efquires, brought the Duke of Gloucester, and delivered King Henry IV. him to the faid Serle and Franceis in an inner Parlour, and faid, There is Serle and Franceis: Whereupon the Duke of Gloucester faid, Now I fee I fhall do well; and fo afked Serle how the King did? who faid, Well; and fent to him Commendations, and then the faid John Lovetofte departed.

Whereupon the faid Serle and Franceis took the faid Duke of Gloucefter into an upper Chamber, faying, That they would fpeak with him; unto whom, when they were come there, they faid, That the King's Will was, that he fhould be flain; the Duke answered thereto, If it be fo, it is welcome. That Serle and Franceis willed the Duke to take a Chaplain, whom the Duke there took, and was confeffed.

'After which Confeffion they caused the Duke to lie upon a Bed, upon whom fo lying, the faid Serle and Franceis threw a Feather-Bed, the Sides whereof the said William Rogers, Dennice, and Cock, of the Chamber, held; and Serle and Franceis lay on the Mouth of the faid Duke untill he was dead; Colfox, Hempfterley, and Bradefton, fat that Night by the Duke on their Knees, weeping, and praying for the Soul of the faid Duke; and Hall, this Examinant, kept the Door untill the Duke was flain.

'After the Death of which Duke, the Duke of Norfolk came in, and feeing him dead, faid, It were a great Matter to have the faid Duke living again.

By which Confeffion, it feemed to the Lords that he the faid John Hall had deferved a grievous Death; whereupon they adjudged, by the Affent of the King, that the fame Hall fhould be drawn from Tower-Hill to Tyburn, his Bowels to be burnt before him, his Body to be hanged, headed, and quartered, and his Head to be fent and fet upon Calais, and his Quarters at the King's Pleasure; and the Marshal the fame Day didd Execution accordingly.'

Though the Reader may find that this Revolution was fufficiently fanctified by the Archbishop of Canterbury, and all the other Bishops, except one, concurring with it, yet a more formal Teftimony was expected from them. And whilft the two Houfes of Parliament were acting, in the Manner abovefaid, at Westminster, the

Bishops

[60]

King Henry IV. Bishops and Clergy met in the Convocation at St. Paul's. The King rightly judging that, in order to support himfelf on the Throne, it was neceffary to make that Body his Friends, he fent the Earls of Northumberland and Westmoreland to affure them of his Protection. These Ambaffadors, being admitted into the Affembly, faid, That they were come from the King, not to demand Money, as was ufual in the former Reign; but to acquaint the Clergy of the King's Resolution to maintain them in all their Privileges and Immunities. Adding, that they had Orders to affure the Convocation, that the King was ready to concur with them in whatever Means fhould be thought proper to extirpate Herefy, • and punish obftinate Heretics.' They concluded with defiring the Clergy's Prayers for the Welfare of the King and Kingdom.

[61]

The King pronifes to affift the pating Herefy.

Clergy in extir

The King of France declares against Henry.

6

The French Writer, before-quoted, remarks here, That nothing could be more apt to gain the Hearts of the Ecclefiaftics, than the King's Promife to extirpate Herefy. The Number of the Lollards, which daily increased, gave the Clergy much Reason to fear that, in the End, a Reformation might be fet on Foot, very detrimental to their Temporal Interefts. Accordingly the Affurances the King gave the Convocation were received with great Demonstrations of Joy and Thankfulness; and the Reader will find, in the Courfe of this Reign, that he strictly kept his Word with them.

The next Year, Anno 1400, began with Troubles of various Kinds, but all levelled against Henry and his new-acquired Government. The King of France, whofe Daughter Richard had married, was exceedingly exafperated at the late Revolution; and made great Preparations to revenge the Wrong done to his Son-in-Law, Henry had fent an Embaffy into France, to excuse this Matter as well as he could, but the Envoys could proceed no farther than Calais; because the French King had not only denied them his Safe-Conduct, but had Peers only, call'd imprifoned an Herald they had fent to demand it. In o prevent char- this preffing Exigency, nothing but War being expected, ging the Com- and the Sinews of it very much wanted, Henry called mmons with any a Great Council of Peers to meet at Westminster on the 9th Day of February, to confult of proper Measures to

A Council, of

Tax for the War.

divert

[ 62 ]

divert this Blow. In the Collection of Public Acts is aKing Henry IV. long Memorial of what was concluded on in this Council; which, as it is there expreffed, was called of Lords Spiritual and Temporal only, in this preffing Neceffity, to avoid fummoning any Parliament', and laying any Tax or Impofition on the Commons. They therefore confented to raise Forces at their own Expence; and in the Lift of the Names of the Peers then prefent, is an Account of what Number of armed Men each Temporal Lord engaged himself to bring; but the Spiritual, tho' there alfo named, were out of this Queftion.

1400.

At York.

Nor were the Scots lefs frightful to Henry on the other Side; but, taking Advantage of the Diffentions in England, they broke the Truce, and made feveral Inroads, with great Devaftions and Plunderings. To ftem this Tide, Henry carried his new-raifed Forces towards Scotland; and, in his Way thither, he thought to have met a Par- Anno Regni liament he had fummoned to appear at York; for we find that Writs of Summons were fent out, directed to Henry Prince of Wales, &c. and dated at Westminster the 19th Day of September, for a Parliament to meet at York, on the Feast of All-Saints next coming. The Abridgement of the Records has given us no more than the Names of the Peers that were fummoned to this Parliament; it is probable that the Business of it was interrupted by the Infurrections then made in the Nation in Favour of King Richard. It is not for our Purpose to be fo particular as to defcribe all these first Attacks against this new-fettled Government; we must refer our Readers to the larger English Hiftorians for that Purpose. Sufficient it is to fay, that thefe Civil Tumults were foon quafhed, and the Authors of them fuffered Death, or perpetual Imprisonment. In this Interval it was thought neceffary that the unhappy Occafion, though innocent of them himself, fhould be Richard II. put also removed; and Richard II. underwent the fame Fate to Death. with his Great Grandfather Edward II. to make sure Work, and prove this common Maxim true, that There is but a fmall Space betwixt the Prifons and Graves of Kings.

Pour efcbuire aucune Parlement estre sommoner, &c. Tom. VIII. p 125, 126.

After

Fæd. Ang.

Authors differ as to the Manner of his Death. Seme fay he was murdered with a Poll-Ax: Others, that he was ftarved to Death.

1401.

King Henry IV. After thefe Commotions were, in fome Measure, Anno Regni 2. quieted, another Parliament was fummoned to meet on the 20th of January, in the second Year of this King, At Westminster, when the Knights and Burgeffes were called into the [ 63 1 Chancery Court, in Westminster-Hall, before the Chancellor and the Steward of the King's Houthold, by. Name; upon whofe Appearance, the Chancellor put off the Parliament to the next Day, by the King's Authority.

On the faid Day Sir William Thyrning, Chief Justice of the King's Bench, by the King's Command, declared, That this Parliament was called to the End that Holy Church, and other Corporations and Perfons fhould enjoy their Liberties; that all good Laws fhould be executed, and Juftice truly miniftred; and that nothing fhould be done in Derogation of the Common Law. He then rehearfed, What great Charges the King had been at for his Coronation; for fuppreffing the 'late Rebellion attempted by the Nobles; for his Expedition against the Scots; and, laftly, for refifting the Rebels in North Wales; all which Adventures he had undertaken in his own proper Perfon.' He further told them, That the King was bound to return the Queen into France, with all fuch Jewels and Riches as King Richard, lately deceased, had with her in Marriage. He put them in Mind of the Chargès for keeping of Calais, and the King's other Fortreffes abroad; especially for the Duchy of Guienne, being • annexed to the Crown, for the which War was likely to enfue, because the King of France had created his ⚫ eldest Son Duke of Guienne; and laftly, for the Wars in Scotland and Ireland. For the Support of all which < great Charges he urged the Lords and Commons to confult and to confider the Importance of them. And whereas, heretofore, feveral of the Lords and Com'mons fummoned to Parliament were more intent in minding their own private Bufinefs and Concerns than that of the Realm, the King wills and commands, he • faid, That no Lord, Knight of a County, Citizen or · Burgefs, come to this Parliament by Summons, fhould abfent himself from it, or leave the Town on any Pretence whatsoever; but that they should attend it every Day in the Places affigned for them. He concluded

with

with defiring the Commons to chufe a Speaker, and King Henry, IV. ⚫ to prefent him the next Day to the King.

Then the Receivers and Triers of Petitions were appointed for England, and the other Kingdoms and Countries abroad, as ufual; and on the Day after, being January 22, the Commons prefented to the King Sir Arnold Savage for their Speaker, who made the accuf- Sir ARNOLD SAtomed Proteftation for himself and the Commons VAGE chofen ; Speaker. which was accepted and enrolled.

On the 25th, the Commons by their Speaker, in full Parliament, gave the King moft hearty Thanks for his Promife of maintaining the Catholic Faith. They [64] defired that the King would not give an Ear to any flanderous and untrue Reports concerning their Proceedings, but let the Event fhew the fame.' Which being promifed, the Speaker went on and declared to the King, That to every good Government four Things appertained, viz. Wisdom, Prowefs, Manhood, and Riches; all which he affirmed was in the King and his Nobility, as the World very well knew, and they would approve; for the Hearts and Goodwill of Subjects, which his Majefty had, were the Riches of a King. Therefore, for certain Reasons, the Commons would perfuade the King not to agree to the Challenges which the French had made to him. and the Lords.' This the King promifed not to attempt without their Advice, and gave them Thanks for their tender Good-will to him ".

On the laft Day of January, the Commons, by Word of Mouth prayed, that certain Petitions might be anfwered by the King; which he, again, defired might be put in Writing, and prefented with their other Petitions, and that then he promised to answer them.

On the 21ft of February, the Commons prayed the King to execute the Ordinance of King Richard II. upon the Conqueft of Wales, viz. that no Welshman born fhould bear any Office in that Country, &c. The King promised to fend for the Ordinance, and caufe Execution of it.

They

The Duke of Orleans, Brother to the French King, a Prince of great Courage and Reputation in Arms, had fent a Challenge to Henry to meet him at Bourdeaux, with a hundred ftout Warriors on a Side, there to fight, and each Victor to have his Prifoner. This Accident is placed tw❤ or three Years later by all our Hiftorians,