1370-1379 Death of the Black Prince Accession of Richard II

On 23rd April 1376 King Edward III of England (age 63) created a number of new Garter Knights ...

54th John Montfort V Duke Brittany (age 37).

55th Thomas Banastre (age 42).

56th William Ufford 2nd Earl Suffolk (age 37).

57th Hugh Stafford 2nd Earl Stafford (age 40).

58th Thomas Holland 2nd Earl Kent (age 26). He the son of Joan "Fair Maid of Kent" Princess Wales (age 47) whose second husband was Edward III's son Edward "Black Prince" (age 45).

59th Thomas Percy 1st Earl of Worcester (age 33) was appointed 59th. He the son of Mary Plantagenet Baroness Percy daughter of Henry Plantagenet 3rd Earl of Leicester 3rd Earl Lancaster who was the first cousin of Edward III's father King Edward II of England.

60th William Beauchamp 1st Baron Abergavenny (age 33).

Archaeologia Volume 22 Section XVI. A Chapter of the Princes death.^s

About the same tyme upon the feaste of the Holy Trinnitie which happened the sixt ides of Junii, or the 8 day of Junii [1376], died the most invincible defender of the citie, Prince Edward of Woodstock, the first begotten sonne of Kynge Edward, after the conquest the third, whose noble mynd, as it was alwaies stronge agaynst hys enemyes in battel, so was it fortified agaynst deathe, for being ready to depart the world, he went not as one which should die but making his supplication to the most blessed Trinitie, as one which, after his pilgrimage should return to his contrey, from death to be translated to life, from servitude to glory. O holy Trinite (sayed he) blessed be thou for ever more, whose name upon earthe I have alwaies worshipped, whose honor I have studied to enlarge, in whose faith (although otherwise a wicked man & a synner) I have alwaies lyved, I hartely pray the that as I have magnified this thy feast upon earthe, and for thy honor have called the people together to celebrate the same feast with me, deliver thou me from this deathe, and vouchsafe to call me to that most delectable feast that is kept this day with the in heaven; whose prayers (as we may thynke) were heard of the Lord God, for the very same day about 3 of the clocke he departed this life. After the tyme he had begonne this preface he lay intending only to praiers, to almes deedes, and other worke of mercy; and not only did God gave him the tyme of repentance, but also for the space of five years & more continually was he visited with a great & incommodious dissease of his body; for all that tyme, commonly every month, he suffered the flux both of sede & of blud, which two infirmities made him many tymes so feeble, that his servante took him very often for dead; notwithstanding he bare all these thinges with such patience, that he never seemed to offer unto God one mutinous word. And before his death he dystributed large gyfts as well to hys housholde servantes as to others of what station or condicion soever, and he humbly requested the kynge hys father, that he wolde ratifie hys gyftes, and wolde cherishe & favour those his servantes and frendes, for that, sayed he, they have deserved to have many other thynges both of your gyfte and myne, and that he wolde suffer hys debtes spedely to be payed of hys own proper goodes, which thynge the kynge promysed agayne, and granted his third petition, that ys to say, that he wolde favor his ssone, and gyve hym hys councell & helpe. After this, callynge hys sonne unto hym (altho' but a little one) he commanded hym upon payne of hys curse he sholde never chaunge or taike away the gyftes that he att hys deathe gave unto hys servantes. Yt chaunced in the same houre, that the forenamed Syr Rychard Stery came to see hym, for the prince had commanded that hys doore sholde be shutt to none, nor to the leaste boy [page], wherfor the sayed Rychard entered more boldly. The prince now prostrate, and in the panges of deathe, liftynge upp hys eyes as well as he myght, seynge that sayme Rychard, he sayed, come hither Rychard, come near & beholde that which thou haste long desyred to see; & when he affirmed wyth an othe that he never desyred the syght of hys deathe, yt ys otherwise, sayed he, thou wast afeared of thy owne skynne, thy conscyence tellynge thee that in tyme to come I wolde not suffer thy excesses [outrages], or the evil counsell thou suggested to the kynge, unpunished; and truly so it wolde have chaunced, yf God had granted me lyfe, and thou wolde have found that to have been true evil councell ys worste to the councellor; but now I goe whither God calls me, whom I humbly beseache (yf thou escape the hands of men) that he wyll make an ende of thy evill deedes. And when he wepte & prayed hym of pardon, God that ys juste, sayed he, rewarde the accordynge to thy deserts; I will not thou trouble me any longer; depart forthe of my syghte, not here after to see my face agayne. After hys departure he began vehemently to faynt and so to loose hys streangth, that scarce any breathe remained in hym, which the Bishopp of Bangor,^t whoe then was present, percevynge, he came unto hym & sayed, now, without doubt, deathe is at hande, and he ys to goe whither God hath appoynted, therefor I councell you, my lorde, now to forgive all those that have offended you, and for that yt ys manyfest that you have offended both God and many men, therfor, fyrste, aske God forgeveness; and secondly, all men whom of sett purpose or ignorantly you have willingly offended. To whom he answeared, I will; and the bishopp sayed yt suffyceth not to say only I will, but when you have powre, declarynge the same by wordes, you ought to aske pardon; but he answeared nothynge els, but only "I will;" and when he had oftentymes done thys, the bishopp sayed, I suppose some evil sprytes to be here present that let thys tongue, whereby he cannot expresse hys mynde with wordes, &, takynge the sprincle, he caste holy water by the four corners of the chamber where he lay, and beholde, sodenly the prynce with joyned handes and eyes lifted up to heaven, sayed, I gyve the thankes, O God, for all thy benefyts, and with all the paienes of my soule I humbly beseache thy mercye to gyve me remission of those synnes which I have wickedly comytted agaynst the, & of all mortall men, whom willingly or ignorantly I have offended, with all my harte I desyre forgevenes. When he had spoken these wordes [in the full catholicke faith] he gave upp the goste to goe, as we beleave, to hys bankett, whose feaste he then worshipped in earthe, whoe departynge, all hoope of Englishe men departed, for he beynge present they feared not the incursions of any enemys, nor the forcesible meetynge in baittayle, he beynge present they never suffered any rebuke for that they had done evil or forsaiken the field, & as yt ys sayed of Alexander the Greate, he never went agynste any countrye which he wone not, he never beseiged any citye which he tooke not. Thys doth testyfye the battayle att Cressy, the siege of Cales, the battayle of Poyters, where the Kynge of France was taken, the battaile of Spayne, where Henry Bastarde, the invader [usurper] of that kyngdome was dryven away, & Don Peter, the right kynge of that realme, restored to hys dominion, & lastly, that greatest siege of the cytye of Leovicense,^u where, although with the multitude so pressed that he was scarce able to sytt on hys horse, yet at that houre he so encouraged hys souldyers, that they supposed yt unpossible for any cytye to resyste there force. His body was brought to Canterbury to be buryed accordynge as in his lyfe he had commanded. O untymely deathe that causest sorrow in the whoole realme of England, in that thou taikest away hym that seemed to be the ayde and helpe of Englishe men. O how sorrowfull leavest. thou the oulde kynge hys father, taikynge from hym not onely his desire, but the delyte of the whoole people, that ys to say, in taikynge from hym hys fyrste begotten soñe that sholde sytt in hys throne after hym, & sholde judge the people in equitye. O how greate & what sorrowes gyvest thou to the countrye that in hys absence beleavethe her selffe to be voyde of a protectoure. What synckes of sorrow gevest thou to citizens, depryved of such a prince; what tryumphynge joyes to enemies, the feare of such a defender being taken away. Truly, unless God (who defended hym in battayle & hath now taiken hym from thys worlde, perchaunce that we sholde putt our truste more confidently in God) holde, under hys blessed hande, least the miserable Englishmen be trodden down yt ys to [be] feared that our enemies who compasse us on every syde will rage uppon us even unto our utter destruction, & will taike our place & country. Arise, Lorde, helpe us, & defende us for thy names sake.

Note s. Hearne, in a long note on the anonymous history of Edward the Third, printed in the second volume of his edition of Hemingford, p. 444, has referred to a MS. chirurgical work, then in the possession of Dr. Mead, written by John Ardern in the year of the prince's death, of which it contained some notices. Of Ardern and his works an account will be found in Tanner's Bibliotheca Britannico-Hibernica, p. 47.

Note t. The Bishop of Bangor, again noticed in a subsequent chapter, was John Swafham, who, according to Bishop Godwin, had been nominated to his see by Pope Gregory propter crebra cum Wiclevistis certamina." ["because of frequent disputes with the Wycliffites"] De Præsul. Angl. p. 623, edit. 1722.

Note u. Limoges.

Archaeologia Volume 22 Section XVI. The convocation at London agaynst the Duke (age 36) and Henry Percy, and of there flyght.

[March 1377] The morrow after the Londoners collyng the cytezyns together, tooke counsell uppon such demande as the day before the Lord Thomas Woodstoke and the Lord Henry Percye affyrmed did procede ofthe kyngs will and pleasure concernyng the creation of a captayn in the cyty, & of the use of the Marshalls offyce in the same, as is before declared. Besydes, of the injury that was offered to his byshop and other matters, and whilst there was longe and great ado and talke about these thyngs, there entered in the Lord Ffyzwalter,^z and the Lord Wydo de Bryon,^a whether to know there mynde, or for what other cause it is uncertayne. The commons at there fyrst comyng scarcely held there hands from beatyng them that came, and were not called for; but at last, after they had sworne that there comyng to there counsell was not for any hurt unto them or the cytye, they were suffered of the cytezyns, as well for that they themselves were cytezyns, as also had many possessions in the cytye. The Lords tooke an othe of fydelyty to be observed to the cyty & cytezyns, or els sel or let there goods to others, because now it was agreed that none of there enemyes should enjoye any tenement or rent in the cytye, therfore these lords put there hands to the booke in a hye place of the hall, the cytezyns & commons requestyng that so it myght be. The Lord Fyzwalter having gotten favor thus at the cytezyns hands, began his oration on this wyse :-Worthy Cytezyns, synce by the othe that I have presently taken, I am bound to love and obeye you, & that by my auncyent inherytance, as may appere, I ought to be your standard bearer, & one of your specyall favorers, there is none that doubt but that your losse redoundeth to myne, & the injuryes that be offered to you are in lyke sort to mee, I thought good, for that it concerns mee as well as you, to forewarn you that your lybertyes are in great daunger, & it were good that you looked more watchfully unto your selves, and whether it be with your knowledg or not, yt is for your discredyt that one should be kept in the inn of the Marshall, namely, of the Lord Henry Percye, where it is well known that the pryson ought not to be any such custodye, which if you neglygently at this tyme suffer, it may come to passe that when you wold you shall not be able to repulse or withstand the lyke chaunce with all your forces. Now therefore you ought to take counsell what is to be done in it, and see whether the remyssyon of this dede be not hereafter a thorne in your eyes, & this present presumption unpunyshed bring over you new customs to your manyfest losse & hynderance. The cytezyns, whome the comon people for the auncyent nobility of London call proceres, state they all with a shout consent, and every man cryes out that by manyfest judgement they wold condemme such injurye; nether made they any delay, but presently tooke armor, & ran with great rage to the marshall his inn; they break up the doores, brought out the prysoner, & cary away the gyves wherein his feete were bounde, entendyng to burne them in the mydst of the cytye. The Lord Percy is sought for doubtles to receyve punyshment for the injury, if he could have been founde. The armed men wander up & downe the chambers, thrustyng thorowe the bedds with there launces. The privy houses are searched, but all in vayne; ffor that daye he and the duke were to dyne with one John de Ipres, who before had bydden them; but the Londoners knew it not, for they thought that he & the duke had bene at the Savoye, & therfore with all hast, they posted thyther, but whylst these thyngs were doynge, one of the duke's soldyers seeing this, in great hast came to the place where the duke was,^b & after he had knocked rudelye, and could not get in as he wold, with great feare he sayed to Haverland, the porter, if thou love, sayth he, my lord & hys lyfe, open me the gate quycklye, with which words he gat entrye, and with great feare, scarce able to speake, he tells the duke, that without the doores were infynyte numbers of armed men, & unles he tooke heede, this day should be his last; and with his words he made the Lord Percy no less afrayd, for he opened unto hym how for his cause this comotion was made, and what they had done at his inn. They were, when [this man] he came in, standyng about there oysters, & some had eaten some of them, and others none at all. The duke, when he hard this message, thought it nothyng safe to tary any longer there, lept so hastely from his oysters, that he hurt both his leggs aganst the forme, whereby being greved, his offycers offered hym wyne, but he wold not drynke, and sayinge as it were it is fynyshed, the ungodly man fled with his felow the Lord Percy, no man following them, and, entryng the Thames, never stynted rowynge untyll they came to a house nere the maner of Kenygton, where at that tyme the prynces with the young prynce aboade, before whome (with great feare, as appeared by hys sweatynge and tremblynge) he made his complaynt of all those thyngs that had happened. The prynces hearyng there talke comforted them with such wordes as she thought best for the tyme, promysyng that she wold make a fynall end of all those matters which should be profytable to them, as they should well perceyve.

Note z. Of Walter Lord Fitzwalter (age 32) a particular account will be found in Dugdale's Baronage, vol. i. p. 220. As hereditary Constable of Castle Baynard, and Banner Bearer of London, he enjoyed very important rights and privileges in the City, which are set forth in Stow's Survey of London, Strype's edition, vol. i. p. 60.

Note . a Guy de Bryan (age 58) was, as Dugdale observes, a person of very great note in his time. He had been Standard Bearer to the King at Calais, and was afterwards employed in many important military and civil services. Baronage, vol. ii. p. 151.

Note b. This was at Ipres Inn, in St. Thomas Apostle, west of the church. William of Ipres, a Fleming, who came over to the aid of King Stephen against the Empress Maud in 1138, built this "great messuage" (as Stow calls it) near the Tower Royal, where the king "was then lodged, as in the heart of the city, for his more safety." Stow's London by Strype, b. iii. p. 8. William was created Earl of Kent by Stephen, but in the subsequent reign was forced to leave England, and died a Monk at Laon, according to Dugd. Bar. i. p. 612. But Stow says he was recalled and restored to his possessions, which remained to his descendants. John of Ipres, named in the text, was a person of sufficient importance to be appointed one of King Edward's executors. See Nichols's Royal Wills, p. 63.

Archaeologia Volume 22 Section XVI. The Londoners go to the Kyng about the enjoyning their Liberties.

[Around 21st March 1377] The Londoners having held a comon councill about this present matter, sent of the chefe of there citie, ether to justifie that which had happened, or to excuse them unto the kyng, who suing long tyme to come unto the kynges speache, were kept from the kynges presence thorough the procurement of the duke as ytt is thought, yett att length after one dayes stayeng, the duke seing that they resolutely persisted in theyre determination to speak wyth the king, came unto them, willing them to declare unto him the cause of the coming, affirming that his Lord the King was very ill at ease, & that his sickness myght lightly be encreased yf that he were moved to anger, or should heare ought that dyd encounter or crosse his will & that which he would have. But the citizens, whose speaker & chefest man was John Philpott,^g answered the duke wyth due reverence that they were not come by any meanes to augment the kinges sicknes ether by their coming or speache, but rather to mitigate his greif, that he myght be strong to defend them & others if that they myght obteyne access unto his highnes, moreover they sayd that they were charged that they should not communicate those matters which they had in commission from the citie, unto any other than unto theyre liegelord the king himselffe, specially seing that their liege the king had oftentymes willed them that in any matter that touched the citie & citizens, they should not make any other men mediators unto him, but declare theire owne matters them selves unto hym, face to face. But yf they should otherwyse doo then he him self had commanded & the citie had enjoyned them, that then they should gett them evill thankes att both their handes, when they had by such allegations obteyned accesse, they shewed unto the king, how ytt had been published in the parliament that ytt was his will that contrarye unto theyre liberties, the maior should be deposed, & a capteyne created, & other matters in parliament which sowned against there libertyes, also they excused themselves of dyvers things which had been done during the tyme of the comotion of the comonaltie of the citie, which myght redounde unto the dyshonor of the duke, sayeng that they were not pryvie unto any such doinges, but that among so greate a multitude, some lewd felowes had done such matters, they being unwittinge & unwilling, nether can so great a multitude be moved by the exhortations of the maire, when they be once upp, but they goo like a whirlwynd, hither & thither according unto the indiscrete direction of sundry heddes, untill they have done some great thing to the hurt of other or themselves; yet, blessed be God, our duke hath felt no harme, nether hath any of his ben hurt. But the king being a little cheared upp with theire comyng, answered that he would not the diminishing of theire liberties; no, he was rather ready yf neede were to augment them, nether dyd any such resolution ever come out of his mouth, & therefore he encouraged them not to feare, commanding them to depart home, & to appease the citizens, & to keape them in peace. After they had taken theire leave of the king, as they were comyng back agayne, they mett wyth the duke in the haule, who chardging them wyth those matters that we have told how they dyd, they answered as we have told you, they reported unto the king, adding there unto that yff they would fynd out or learne what he was that had devised such a dyshonor unto the reproach of the duke, that they would punish him as the duke him self would, or yff he would rather so, delyver him unto him for to be punished according to his owne pleasure. They sayed moreover that the citie dyd desyre him to stand theyre good Lord as he was wont, & yfi that ought had ben done otherwyse than became them, he should find the citie ready to satisfye him in all thinges. When the duke heard this he was glad, hoping that he should gayne some greate somme of money of the citizens, for he thought that they had used such speache for feare, but ytt was far otherwise then he trusted, for when he sayd that he would presently entreat wyth them about the instant matter, because he thought that, seing the chief of the citie were there, they were sufficient for to deale for all the comons, they answered, that they being citizens had ben sent by the citie unto there leige the king for dyvers causes, which being dispatched, there ambassade was expired, wherefore they could not entreat wyth him unless they had receaved new commission from the citie, & so the joyfulnes of the duke was deluded. But the citizens returning unto the citie, & declarynge in order what had happened, brought no small joye to all the citizens.

Note g. John Philpot was Mayor of London in 1378, and was knighted in Smithfield by Richard the Second in 1381, upon the overthrow of Wat Tyler. "A man," says Stow, "of jolly wit, and very rich in substance." Of the wealth and spirit of this citizen, some estimate will be formed, when we are told by Stow that, in 1378, "he hired with his own money 1000 soldiers, and defended the realm against the incursions of the enemy; so that in small time his hired men took John Mercer, a sea rover, with all his ships which he had before taken from Scarborough, and fifteen Spanish ships laden with great riches." Survey of London, b. i. p. 261, edit. 1720. For undertaking this adventure without the sanction of the Council, his conduct was censured, but he made a stout and triumphant defence, and it appears in Rymer that he was afterwards employed in affairs of trust by Richard the Second, to whom he had furnished loans.

Archaeologia Volume 22 Section XVI. Of the Kings death, and such thyngs as happened about hys departure.

But whylst the kynge had yet the use of hys tongue, the often named harlot was still syttyng by hym, mutch lyke a dogg that wayted gredely to take, or els snatch whatsoever his master wold throw under the boorde, so shee with greedy chapps, wyde gapyng, & uncomely grynnynge, still wayted if any comodyty by chaunce fell to the kynge, not content with the multitude of possessions & great welthe where with the dotyng kynge had dayly enryched her, but ever trusted that the ryver Jordan wold flow into her mouthe; namely, that after the kynge, the possession of the whoole kyngdome wold fall out to her content & obay her alone, as well for feare of the kynge as for her greate ryches, wher in she trusted more then in God; by these, & such lyke occasyons, she tooke from the kynge what so she colde snatch or catch out of his hands, & hyndered hym lest he should recompence such poore servants as had long served hym (as then it did become a kyng to do), but what thanks she gave hym for his desertes towards her I have already wrytten, for she dyd nothynge that becomed a woman of her condytion, but wrought still accordynge to her own nature & disposytion. The kynge thus beinge at the point of deathe, was left not only of her but of [blank in MS.] the knyghtes & squyres who had served hym, alured more with hys gyfts then with love, and remayned almost without a comforter; a comforter I count hym that wold consult somewhat about the health of his soule. Amongst a thousand there was only present at that time a certayn preyst named [blank in MS.] who was careful for his salvation; this man, lamentyng the kyngs myserye, and inwardly touched with grefe of hart, for that amongst so many counsaylors which he had, there was none which wold saye unto hym the wordes of lyfe, came boldly unto hym and admonyshed hym to lyft up the eyes, as well of his body as his hart, unto God, and with sygnes to aske hym mercy, whose majestye he well knew he had greavouslye offended. The kynge then presently lystened to the advyse of the preyst, & allthough he had a lyttle before wanted the use of his voyce, yet then takyng strengthe to hym without help, semed to speake what was in his mynde, & then, what for weakenes of his body, contrytion of his hart, and sobbyng, his voyce and speache fayled, and scarce halfe pronouncyng this word "Jesu," he with this last word made an end of his speache; and I thynk God gave hym power to pronounce it, lest any should beleve he wanted Gods mercy who was ever mercyfull to his subjects: for it is godly to beleve that he obtayned mercye; because, althoughe he was seduced, or rather overcome with certayn vyces, yet the affection of his gentle mynd, his great innocence which he used synce his mothers womb, his mercy and aboundant contrytion before his death, were accounted to hym for health or salvation, & that he was contryte, appered evydently the day before his death, ffor when the harlot scarce worthy to be named, wold, as she was wont, have whyspered in his ear, perhaps eyther with her forme or flattery to please hym, he sodaynly, contrary to her expectation, refused her embrasyngs, & sayd it is nothyng that thou dost, & it is to no purpose thou goest about, & with disdayn, as it is thought of her person, & wery or repentyng his former lyfe, with syghyng he wrong his syde, and turned hymself cleane from her. Besydes, he shewed other sygnes or tokens of penytent devotion, for when the foresayd preyst was desyrous to be certyfyed of his contrytion, he gave hym these admonytions: You know, sayeth he, lovyng lord, that often & without cause you have vexed your naturall and leyge people, vyolatyng not only the laws of God but your own also, to the observation whereof at your coronation with publyke othe you bound yourself, & where you ought to have geven to every man his due or ryght, you became a regarder of persons, and have not done justyce betwyxt man and Aske mercy, therefor, of the mercyfull Lorde, & because your voyce fayleth, lyft up your eyes unto the Lord, that we maye see you bothe penytent & askyng mercye: presently he lyft up bothe his eyes & his hands to heaven, drawynge syghes as it were from the bottom of his hart no doubt sygnes of his repentance. Then the preyst admonyshed hym that, for as mutch as he had uniustly punyshed his servaunts, he wold repent hym, & show the aforesayed sygnes: whyche devoutly he dyd. And agayne he sayth, because it is certayn that many men have grevously trespassed agaynst you, & for that you have hated them, remit [or forgive] with all your hart such as have offended you, & receyve them into your full favour agayne, as you wold your selfe fynd favour and grace at God's hand. Then stretchyng forth his hand, declared that from his hart he freely forgave them. Then the preyst brought unto hym the crucyfyx. This, sayth he, is the image of our Lord Jesus, who vouchsafed to suffer for us, that he myght brynge us to his glorye, worshyp it, and pray that Chryst maye for his passyon sake receyve your repentance, & lovyngly forgeve all your synes. By and by he tooke the crosse in his hands, and with teares & syghyng he put it to his mouthe, devoutly worshyppyng & kyssyng the same, and within a lyttle whyle after he yelded his spyryte unto God.^s

Note s. The beautiful and pathetic lines of Gray, describing the funeral couch of this "mighty Victor," will occur to every reader. Barnes labours to shew the great improbability of this barbarous desertion of the king in his last moments, though, in homelier phrase than was afterwards used by the poet, he admits that "it is very usual, and ever will be, for the court to fall away from the setting sun, and to turn towards the East." The story, however, as related by Walsingham, as well as in the Chronicle before us, cannot now be refuted, though we may reasonably hope that the strong party feeling of the writers may have exaggerated its painful details. It should be observed that the conduct of Alice Perrers on this occasion did not form one of the charges contained in the articles of impeachment brought against her in Parliament on the 22d of December following.