The extraordinary presence of mind which the king had shewn on this occasion, gave hopes that he would emulate the glories of his grandfather ; but these were soon dissipated by the discovery of his indolence and incapacity.
Since the death of Edward, the war with France had been carried on without any event of importance. The Duke of Gloucester had traversed from Calais to Brit tany with an army of 10,000 men ; but the enemy, ter rified by their former defeats, carefully avoided coining to a close engagement, and the Duke was obliged to re turn. The French, however, soon after meditated, in their turn, an invasion of England. Some of their principal sea-port towns were still in possession of the English; and they considered this the most likely ex pedient for wresting them out of their hands. Great preparations were accordingly made; and all the nobi lity of France were engaged in the enterprize. But before the army was embarked, their fleet had been dispersed in a storm, and many of their ships were taken by the English, which prevented for a time their hostile designs.
The frequent incursions of the Scots, who were sup ported by a body of French cavalry, called the atten tion of the English government to the defence of their frontiers. A numerous army of 60,000 men was im mediately collected, which Richard led into Scotland. The enemy retired on his approach ; but he had no sooner crossed the borders on the cast, than the Scots entered England on the west ; and, ravaging the coun ties of Cumberland, Westmoreland, and Lancashire, returned with an immense booty to their own country. Richard advanced without opposition to Edinburgh, which lie reduced to ashes. 1 le also burnt Dundee, Perth, awl other places in the low countries; but when le was advised to march towards the west, and inter cept the enemy, his indolence and effeminacy overcame every other consideration, and he hastened home to en joy the pleasures and amusements of a dissolute court. Such conduct soon convinced the nation how little re liance was to be placed upon the exertions and abilities of their sovereign; and the absolute authority which he attempted to exercise over his subjects, excited uni versal displeasure and disgust.
Richard had been hitherto restrained, in some mea sure, by the authority of his uncles, particularly of the Duke of Gloucester. But, wishing to shake off the subjection in which he was held, he raised up a rival to them in the Earl of Oxford. This nobleman was young, and of very engaging manners, but dissolute and worth less. He seemed to possess the entire affections of his
master. Richard loaded him with titles and dignities. He created him first, Marquis of Dublin, then Duke of Ireland, and conferred upon him the sovereignty of that island for life. These favours could not be over looked by Gloucester; and this prince was soon joined by the principal nobility, in his opposition to the fa vourite and his friends. The popularity of Gloucester had acquired him a complete ascendant over the parlia ment; and lie prevailed with the Commons to carry up an impeachment to the House of Peers against the Earl of Suffolk, the chancellor, who was the most able sup porter of the Duke of Ireland. The king, apprehen sive of danger, withdrew from parliament, and retired with his court to Eltham. The parliament invited him to return, and hinted something about deposition, in case of non-compliance, which immediately ensured his submission. He stipulated, however, that, except ing the present impeachment against the chancellor, no attack should be made upon any of his other minis ters. Suffolk was brought to trial, and charged with the most frivolous crimes; and, though these even were not satisfactorily proved, yet he was condemned to be deprived of his office.
Gloucester was now sensible of the power which he had acquired, and proceeded to still farther encroach ments upon the royal authority. A commission was framed, and ratified by parliament, by which a coun cil of fourteen persons was appointed, to whom was transferred the sovereign power for one year. In this measure Richard was also obliged to acquiesce ; but at the end of the session, he publicly entered a protest, that the prerogatives of the crown should still be deem ed entire and unimpaired. He could not, however, but see that he was in a manner dethroned ; and his violent temper soon urged him to seek the means of recovering his lost authority. He first endeavoured to gain over the Commons to his interest, by influencing the elections. But this failing, he had recourse to the judges, who encouraged him in resisting the authority of the council. They declared that the late commis sion was altogether derogatory to the prerogatives of the crown, and that those who supported it were guil ty of treason. They also gave it as their opinion, that the king alone has the right of dissolving the parlia ment at pleasure ; that that assembly, when it sits, must first proceed upon the king's business ; and that it can not, without his consent, impeach any of his ministers and judges.