II . 95 refolved to defend his conduct. He was confidered as a champion in the caufe, and appointed the leader and spokesman of the people. It is eafy to imagine the diforders committed by this tumultuous rabble; the whole neighbourhood rofe in arms; they burnt and plundered wherever they came, and revenged upon their former mafters, all thofe infults which they had long sustained with impunity. As the difcontent was general, the infurgents encreafed in proportion as they approached the capital. The flame foon propagated itfelf into Kent, Hertfordshire, Surry, Suffex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridge, and Lincoln. They were found to amount to above an hundred thousand men, by the time they were arrived at Blackheath. At the head of one party of thefe was Wat Tyler, who led his men into Smithfield, where he was met by the king, who invited him to a conference, under a pretence of hearing and redreling his grievances. Tyler ordering his companions to retire, till he fhould give them a fignal, boldly ventured to meet the king in the midft of his retinue, and accordingly began the conference. The demands of this demagogue are cenfured by all the hiftorians of the time, as infolent and extravagant; and yet nothing can be more juft than those they have delivered for him. He required that all flaves fhould be fet free; that all commonages fhould be open to thepoor as well as rich; and that a general pardon fhould be paffed for the late outrages. Whilft he made thefe demands, he now and then lifted up his fword in a menacing manner; which infolence fo raised the indignation of William Walworth, then mayor of London, attending on the king, that, without confidering the danger to which he expofed his majesty, he ftunned Tyler with a blow of his mace; while one of the king's knights, riding up, difpatched him with his fword. The mutineers, feeing their leader fall, prepar edthemselves to take revenge; and their bows were now bent bent for execution, when Richard, though not yet quite fixteen years of age, rode up to the rebels, and, with admirable prefence of mind, cried out, "What my people, will you then kill your king? Be not concerned for the lofs of your leader; I myfelf will now be your general; follow me into the field, and you fhall have whatever you defire." The awed multitude immediatly defifted; they followed the king as if mechanically into the fields, and there he granted them the fame charter that he had before given to their companions, but which he foon after revoked in parliament. Hitherto the king had aced under the controle of the regency, who did all they could devife to abridge his power; however, in an extraordinary council of the nobility, affembled after Eafter, he, to the aftonifhment of all prefent, defired to know his age; and being told that he was turned of two and twenty, he alledged, that it was time then for him to govern without help; and that there was no reason that he fhould be deprived of thofe rights which the meaneft of his fubjects enjoyed. Being thus left at liberty to conduct A. D. the bufinefs of government at difcretion, 1389. it quickly appeared that he wanted thofe arts that are ufually found to procure alafting refpect; he was fond of luxurious pleafures and idle oftentation; he admitted the meaneft ranks to his familiarity; and his converfation was not adapted to imprefs them with a reverence for his morals or abilities. The cruelty fhewn to the duke of Gloucefter, who upon flight fufpicions was fent to confinement in Calais, and there murdered in prifon, with fome other acts equally arbitrary, did not fail to encreafe thofe animofities which had already taken deep root in the kingdom. The aggrandifement of fome new favourites, contributed ftill more to make the king odious but though he feemed refolved, by all his actions, to fet his fubjects againft him, it was accident that gave ; Ifaac Taylor del et sculp Wat Tyler threatening Richard II. Published by G. Kearsley in Fleet Street, as the Act directs. July 21774 gave the occafion for his overthrow. The duke of Hereford appeared in parliament, and accused the duke of Norfolk of having fpoken feditious word against his majefty, in a private converfation. Norfolk denied the charge, gave Hereford the lie, and offered to prove his innocence by fingle combat. As proofs were wanting for legal trial, the lords readily acquiefced in that mode of determination; the time and place were appointed; and the whole nation waited with anxious fufpenfe for the event. At length the day arrived on which this duel was to be fought, and the champions having juft began their career, the king ftopped the combat, and ordered both the combatants to leave the kingdom. The duke of Norfolk he banished for life, but the duke of Hereford only for ten years. Thus the one was condemned to exile without being charged with any offence, and the other without being convicted of any crime. The duke of Norfolk was overwhelmed with grief and defpondence at the judgment awarded against him; he retired to Venice, where, in a little time after, he died of a broken heart. Hereford's behaviour on this occafion was refigned and fubmiffive, which fo pleased the king, that he confented to fhorten the date of his banishment four years; and he alfo granted him letters patent, enfuring him the enjoyment of any-inheritance which thould fall to him during his abfence; but upon the death of his father, the duke of Lancaster, which happened fhortly after, Richard revoked those letters, and retained the poffeffion of the Lancaster eftate to himfelf. Such complicated injuries ferved to enflame the refentment of Hereford against the king and although he had hitherto concealed it, he now fet no bounds to his indignation, but even conceived a defire of dethroning a perfon who had fhewa himfelf fo unworthy of power. Indeed no man could F be |