The New Student's Reference Work/Richard II

Richard II of England, second son of the Black Prince and Joanna of Kent, was born at Bordeaux, April 13, 1366, and succeeded to the throne on the death of his grandfather, Edward III, June 28, 1377. His reign is an interesting epoch of English history, as the newly-established house of commons was eager to claim a share of political power and the laboring classes were seeking to be freed from the bondage under which they had so long suffered. During the first years of Richard's reign — he being only n when he came to the throne — the government was intrusted to a council of 12. Although John of Gaunt, the king's uncle, was nominally excluded from this council, he was generally regarded as the real head of the government and was held responsible for the heavy taxation and other abuses of which the nation complained. In the midst of the conflicts of contending factions and after several impeachments and executions Richard in 1380 declared himself of age and took the government into his own hands. For several years the country enjoyed peace and a fair degree of prosperity until the king became involved in quarrels with the earls of Warwick, Arundel and others. Warwick was banished and Arundel beheaded, but Richard, after having triumphed over his enemies, began to quarrel with his friends. A misunderstanding having arisen between the duke of Norfolk and Henry, duke of Lancaster, Richard sent the former into banishment for life and the latter for ten years. But on Richard's return from an expedition into Ireland in 1399, he found that Lancaster had landed in England and raised a large army during his absence, with which he was marching to London; moreover, the army which Richard had taken into Ireland no sooner landed in England than it almost entirely deserted him and passed over to the invader. Richard met Lancaster at Flint Castle, where he formally resigned his crown and was carried captive to London and placed in the Tower. A month later Lancaster was proclaimed king as Henry IV, and Richard was condemned to imprisonment for life In the following: February Richard's body, or what was supposed to be his body, was brought from Pontefract Castle and shown to the public. According to some accounts, he was murdered in the castle in February, 1400; according to others, he escaped to Scotland and died there a lunatic.