reigned under the name of Richard II. King Edward died the year after his son, at his palace of Shene. CHAPTER XIII. RICHARD II., 1377-1407. Married, first, Anne of Bohemia; secondly, Isabella of France. It is curious in reading history to notice how many kings have come to violent and miserable ends. Poor Richard II. was one of these unhappy kings. He was not clever enough to make a good ruler, although at the beginning of his reign he was thought so. There was a great commotion among the people about some taxes that were raised, which they thought unfair. At the head of the rioters was a man named Wat Tyler. On one occasion young Richard rode out with his followers, to meet the mob. Wat Tyler advanced to the front, and spoke so impudently to the king that one of his servants killed him. The mob looked confounded at the loss of their leader, and Richard, with great presence of mind, turned to them saying, "I will be your leader," and then contrived to persuade them to go home peaceably. However, much blood had been shed before this quiet ending. Richard seems to have lost his courage and good sense as he got older. Like Henry III., he made favourites. The same consequences followed. His people rebelled against him, and at last his cousin, Henry, Duke of Lancaster, seized the crown, obtaining the consent of Parliament to his doing so, and had the king imprisoned. CHAPTER XIV. HOUSE OF LANCASTER. HENRY IV., 1399-1413. Married, first, Mary de Bohun; secondly, Isabella of France. Children:-Henry; Thomas, Duke of Clarence; John, Duke of Bedford; Humphrey, Duke of Clarence; and five daughters. HENRY IV. could not have had a very happy reign. Although the Parliament had given him the crown, he knew that, even after Richard, he had no right to it. The true heir was a boy of nine years old, who was descended from Lionel, Duke of Clarence, the second son of Edward III. Henry was afraid even of this poor child, and shut him up at Windsor as a prisoner. Then a man who happened to be very like King Richard, got some soldiers together, and declaring that he was Richard, rebelled against the king. This rebellion was soon stopped, and the leaders put to death; but Henry was so afraid that something of the same sort might happen again, that he had King Richard murdered, and his dead body brought to London, where people were allowed to go and look at it, in order that no one might doubt his death. In the year 1401, just as Henry was getting into bed one night, he found a sharp-pointed instrument under the clothes, which was no doubt put there in order to kill him. To add to his troubles, his eldest boy, who was nicknamed "Madcap Harry," was very wild, and constantly with bad companions. It was natural that he should not respect his father, and he did not mind what was said to him. This boy was crowned king, as was the common custom in those days, during his father's lifetime, to show that he was the heir to the throne. Henry IV. walked behind his son on this occasion, carrying the crown. Madcap Harry turned round, and said impudently, "The son of an Earl may well wait on the son of a king." Henry fell into bad health, and was subject to fits. Once he was insensible for so long a time, that every one believed him to be dead, and Prince Henry took away the crown. When the king came to himself, he missed it, and asked where it was? The prince brought it back, and told his father why he had taken it. The king said, "Alas, how do you think to keep a crown to which, as you know, I had no right?" The prince replied, "With the sword you won it, and with the sword I will keep it." And for it he had not long to wait. Henry IV. died shortly afterwards, having had his ill-gotten crown fourteen years. CHAPTER XV. HENRY V., 1413-1422. Married Catharine of France. Child:-Henry. Principal Event:-Battle of Agincourt. THE first thing that Henry V. did after his father's death The was to shut himself up in his own room alone. second was to send for all his wild companions, and to tell them that in future he intended to change his ways, and that he wished them good-bye until they had done the same. Now it happened that at the time when Henry V. reigned in England the King of France was mad, and therefore unable to govern. Henry longed very much for the crown of France. However, he determined to try fair means before foul, and so asked a French princess in marriage. But he made it very plain that it was her fortune he cared about, and not herself, by asking for such a quantity of land as her wedding-portion that the French people must all have been as mad as their king if they had agreed. Like many of our monarchs, Henry loved fighting. Off he went to France, and fought a battle at Agincourt, which was as glorious to the English and as fatal to the French as those of Cressy and Poictiers. There were so many more French than English that one gentleman told the king before the battle that he could not help longing for some of the brave men in England who were doing nothing. "Don't say that," replied the king; "if we conquer, we shall have the more honour; and if we are beaten, fewer people will be killed." Henry got his land and his wife, and a promise moreover that, when the mad king died, the throne of France should be his. But just when he was at the height of his power and grandeur he died, leaving a little baby-son to inherit his vast possessions. KING HENRY V. AND THE HERMIT OF DREUX. He passed unquestioned through the cam, In silent reverence, or begged And so the Hermit passed along King Henry sat in his tent alone, Fresh conquests he was planning there King Henry lifted up his eyes, The intruder to behold; With reverence he the Hermit saw, "Repent thee, Henry, of the wrongs "I have pass'd forty years of peace But what a weight of woe hast thou |