An Island Story - H. E. Marshall (best books to read in your 20s .TXT) 📗
- Author: H. E. Marshall
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As the day went on, the noise grew greater and greater, and when night came the rioters collected in the square in front of the Tower. There they made a terrible noise, swearing that, if the King did not come out to them, they would burn the Tower.
The King and his friends held a council together, and Richard decided that next day he would again try to speak with the people. He sent a message to them telling them to go to an open space called Mile End, and that there he would come to speak with them in the morning.
A great many of the people, when they heard this, marched to Mile End, but others refused to go away from the Tower. Next morning, as soon as the gates were opened for the King to pass out, these rioters rushed in. They killed many of the people in the Tower, and nearly frightened the King’s mother, the Princess of Wales, to death.
Meanwhile, Richard rode to Mile End, and found a great company of people awaiting him there. As soon as he was near enough he spoke to them kindly.
“My good people,” he said, “I am your King. What is it you want? And what do you wish to say to me?”
“We want you to make us free for ever, both ourselves and our children. We will not be slaves any longer,” they replied.
“You have your wish,” answered Richard. “Now go home quietly. Leave behind you one or two men from each village. To them I will give letters signed and sealed with my seal, promising what you ask.”
Then the people, who really did not know quite what they wanted, set up a great shout for the King, and went back to their homes.
Richard gave orders to about thirty secretaries, who wrote the letters as fast as they could. They sat up all night to write. These letters promised freedom to all the slaves and, as soon as they were written, they were signed and sealed with the King’s seal, and given to the men who waited for them.
But Wat Tyler had not been with the rioters at Mile End, and he would not agree to go home. He wanted the King to promise much more than that there should no longer be slaves in England. Next day, while he and his followers were gathered at a place called Smithfield, the King came riding by, attended only by a few friends and soldiers.
“Here is the King,” said Wat, “I will go to speak to him. You must not move until I give you a signal.” He waved his hand and added, “When you see me make this sign, run forward and kill every man of them, except the King. Do not kill him, for he is young, and we can make him do what we like.”
Then he set spurs to his horse, and galloped towards Richard, who was waiting to see what the rebels meant to do.
“King,” said Wat, “do you see all those men there?”
“Yes,” replied the King, “I do. Why do you ask?”
“Because they are all under my orders,” said Wat, “and have sworn to do whatever I command them.”
“I have no objection to that,” replied the King, and he went on to speak quietly and peaceably to Wat Tyler, but Wat was too angry to listen. Finding that he could not quarrel with the King, he began to do so with one of the gentlemen beside him.
Hot words passed between them, till Richard growing angry turned to the Mayor of London, who was also there, and told him to seize Wat Tyler.
“Truly,” said the Mayor, “it ill becomes such a rascal to use such words in the presence of the King. I will pay him for it,” and raising his sword he struck Wat Tyler a blow on the head. Wat fell to the ground, the King’s friends closed round him, and a minute later he was dead.
When Wat Tyler’s men saw him fall, they called out, “They have killed our captain. Let us slay them all,” and they ran towards the King with their bows bent ready to shoot.
Then Richard did a brave thing. Forbidding any of his men to follow him, he rode alone toward the rioters, “Friends,” he said, “what are you doing? I am your King. Follow me. I myself shall be your leader.”
At these words many of the rioters were ashamed. Some of them at once slipped quietly away, and Richard, putting himself at the head of the others, led them out into the country.
Meanwhile some of Richard’s company had fled back into London, crying, “They are killing the King, they are killing the King.”
When the people heard that, many of the King’s soldiers came running together, and an army marched out to the fields to meet Richard and the rebels.
As soon as he saw them, the king left the rebels and put himself at the head of his own soldiers. Several of the nobles then wished to attack the rebels, but Richard forbade them to do so. But he ordered all the letters promising freedom, which the rioters had among them, to be given up at once on pain of instant death.
As soon as the King received the letters, he tore them up in sight of the rebels. These poor people now saw all their hopes of freedom gone. Their leader, too, was dead, so not waiting for more they broke and fled they hardly knew where. Many of them returned to their homes, but John Ball and Jack Straw were cruelly betrayed by the very men they had tried to help and free. They were beheaded by Richard’s orders, along with many of their followers.
The King did not keep any of his promises to the people. “Slaves you are, and slaves you shall remain,” he said savagely, when the danger to himself was over. It seemed as if the rising had been in vain. But that was not so. Many masters freed their slaves, and although years passed before all were free, Wat Tyler’s rebellion was the beginning of freedom for the lower classes in England. Up to this time many of the laborers and workers who were free men had been treated almost as badly as slaves, but now their condition became better.
HOW KING RICHARD II. LOST HIS THRONE
RICHARD was only a boy of fifteen when he faced the rioters at Smithfield so bravely, and afterward broke his promises so basely. It would have been better for England if he had always been brave as he was the day he faced the rioters, and never base as he was afterward.
It was not until Richard was twenty-one that he really ruled. Until then his uncles ruled for him.
“How old do you think I am, uncle?” he said suddenly to one of them at a feast.
“Your highness is in his twenty-second year,” replied he.
“Then I am surely old enough to rule. I thank you for your past help, uncle. I require it no longer.” And before his uncle could recover from his surprise, Richard had asked for the great seal and keys of office, and had proclaimed to the people that in the future he himself should rule. And for a time Richard ruled well. He made peace with France, and the taxes on the poor were made lighter. But this was not for long. It was soon seen that he intended to do exactly as he liked, and would take advice from no one. He banished and outlawed those who tried to keep him in check. As he was always in need of money, he seized the lands and money of these banished people, and did many other wicked and dishonest things. At last the King, who had been placed upon the throne amid so much rejoicing, came to be hated and despised.
One of the people whom Richard had banished was his cousin, Henry of Bolingbroke, the son of his uncle, John of Gaunt. Soon after Henry had been banished John of Gaunt died, and Richard, in spite of having promised not to do so, seized his land and money.
When Henry heard of this he came back to England to take possession of his own inheritance, he said, but really to try to win the crown of England. The people had always loved Henry, and had been very sorry when he was banished, and now they welcomed him back with joy, hoping that he would free them from their hated King. Henry came with only fifteen knights, but as soon as he landed, many people flocked to him.
Richard, at this time, was in Ireland, trying to put down a rebellion there. As soon as he heard that Henry was in England he hurried home. But he was too late. Henry was already master of the country.
Richard brought a large army with him from Ireland, but many of the soldiers deserted almost as soon as they landed and joined the standard of Henry.
At last, forsaken by all, in utter despair, without food or clothes, or even a bed upon which to sleep, Richard was forced to submit to his cousin.
They met at the castle of Flint in Wales. Henry knelt to Richard as to his king and kissed his hand.
“Fair cousin of Lancaster,” said Richard, looking down upon him, “you are right welcome.”
“My lord,” replied Henry, “I am come somewhat before my time.” By which he meant that he had a right to the throne after the death of Richard, but that he had not waited until then. “But,” he went on, “I will tell you the reason. Your people complain that you have ruled them badly these twenty years. Please God, I will now help you to rule them better.” And the poor, broken, spiritless king replied, “Fair cousin, if it pleaseth you, it pleaseth me right well.”
But when Richard was left alone he burst out in furious rage, “Would to Heaven that I had killed when I might this false cousin, this Henry of Bolingbroke.”
Amid the curses of his people, forsaken even by his favorite dog which left him for Henry, Richard II. was led a prisoner to the Tower of London. There he solemnly gave up his right to the crown, and Henry of Bolingbroke was made king. This was in 1399 A.D.
Richard was afterwards sent to Pontefract Castle in Yorkshire, where, it is believed, he was cruelly murdered.
HENRY IV. OF BOLINGBROKE—THE STORY OF THE BATTLE OF SHREWSBURY
HENRY IV. knew quite well that he was not the real heir to the throne, although he tried to make people believe that he was. The real heir was Edmund Mortimer, Earl of March.
Richard II. was the son of Edward the Black Prince, who was the eldest son of Edward III. Edmund Mortimer was descended from Lionel of Clarence, who was the third son of Edward III. Henry Bolingbroke was descended from John of Gaunt, who was the fourth son of Edward III. So, of course, Edmund Mortimer had a better right to the throne than Henry Bolingbroke had. But Edmund Mortimer was only a little boy, and, like so many other little princes, he was passed over and forgotten. The people chose rather to have a strong man who could really rule, than a little boy who could rule only in name. But Henry was afraid of Edmund, and kept him a prisoner in Windsor Castle, although he was not otherwise
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