Gloucester at once perceived the king's intentions, and, in order_to prevent their execution, he and his ad herents assembled their vassals near Highgate, and de manded that those persons who had misled him by pernicious counsels, should be delivered up to them. They accused the Archbishop of York, the Duke of Ireland, the Earl of Suffolk, Sir Robert Trcsilian, and Sir Nicholas Brembre, as traitors to the king and king dom. The Duke of Ireland levied sonic forces, and at tempted to relieve his master ; hut he was defeated by Gloucester, and obliged to fly to the Low Countries. The rest also sought safety in flight; but they were con demned by the parliament as guilty of high treason ; and Brembre and Tresilian, who had been discovered and taken, were executed. The other judges, who had given their opinion in favour of the king, were banished to Ireland. But the vengeance of Gloucester was still unsatisfied, and it fell upon Lord Beauchamp of Holt, Sir James Berners,• and Sir Simon Burley, who were all condemned and executed. Burley 'had been ap pointed governor to Richard by the late king and the Black Prince, and had attended him from his earliest infancy. He was generally beloved for his many good qualities, but his enemies were jealous of his influence over the king; and though the queen, whose amiable dispositions had acquired her the appellation of the Good Queen Anne," interested herself in his behalf, and knelt for three hours before Gloucester, begging for his life ; yet the tyrant was inexorable. This prince's power, however, which he had so wantonly abused, was but of short continuance. In less than a twelvemonth, Richard was enabled to recover his autho rity, though by what means is not known, but which he exercised for a time with great moderation. Ile dis placed the principal officers of the crown, who had late ly been appointed by the opposition ; and Gloucester and the Earl of Warwick were also removed, for a time, from the council. He confirmed, by proclamation, the general pardon which had been passed by the parlia ment; and endeavoured to engage the affections of the people, by remitting some subsidies which had been granted him.
During these domestic convulsions, the French war was scarcely heard of, and the battle of Otterburn was the only event that marked the hostilities with Scotland. This affair, however, proceeded more from a rivalship between the martial families of Percy and Douglas, than from any national quarrel. In this engagement, Douglas was slain, and Percy was taken prisoner ; but both sides claimed the victory. A ti uce was now esta blished with France for twenty-five years ; and Richard, who had lost his queen, was affianced to Charles' daugh ter Isabella, now only seven years old.
During this period also, the Duke of Lancaster, with the flower of the English army, had been prosecuting, in Spain, his claim to the crown of Castile ; but after a vain and useless effort, he was compelled to resign it, upon receiving a large sum of money. On his return, he was received with great kindness by the king, who employed his authority to counterbalance that of his uncle Gloucester. This turbulent prince, however, still continued to excite divisions and rebellion; and the con duct of Richard tended too much to heighten, rather than to soothe the discontents of the nation. His time was spent chiefly in the company of worthless favourites, and the public treasures were dissipated in low pleasures and unprofitable amusements. The truce with France gave universal dissatisfaction, and Gloucester took ad vantage of this spirit to inveigh against the measures of government, and the pusillanimity of the king. lie in.
flamed the minds of the people by the recital of their former victories, and compared the glories of the former reign with the indolence and effeminacy of the present. His popularity daily increased, and it was even alleged, that he contemplated the overthrow of the government, and the dethronement of the king. Richard at least was jealous and apprehensive of his popularity, and resolved, by some decisive measure, to counteract his ambitious designs. His impetuous temper would not allow him to deliberate, but he ordered Gloucester to be instantly arrested and conveyed to Calais. The Earls of Arundel and Warwick were seized at the same time, and a par liament was immediately summoned to deliberate upon the conduct of these noblemen. They were accused of high treason, in procuring the illegal commission, and in appearing in arms against their sovereign ; to which they pleaded, that their crimes had been committed eight years before, and for which they had received re peated pardons. This defence, however, did not avail them. Arundel was executed, and Warwick was con demned to perpetual banishment in the Isle of Man. A warrant was next issued for bringing over the Duke of Gloucester from Calais, in order to his trial; hut the governor returned for answer, that he had died sudden ly of an apoplexy. The suspicions which this circum stance excited, were much to the discredit of the king's honour and humanity, for it was generally believed that his uncle was murdered by his orders. Indeed, in the following reign, it was incontestibly proved before par liament, that he had been suffocated with pillows, by the command of his nephew.
After the fall of Gloucester and his adherents, Richard endeavoured to attach the opposite party more closely to his interests, by grants and preferments. The prin cipal nobility now seemed devoted to his will; but it was the devotion of fear and interest, not of affection ; and they waited only for a favourable opportunity to shake off the restraint under which they were held, and to transfer their submission to a more worthy ob ject. While the king thus believed his government secure from farther opposition, a quarrel happened among his friends, which, by his imprudent weakness was rendered the cause of his future overthrow and de struction. The Duke of Hereford, son of the Duke of Lancaster, accused the Duke of Norfolk before parlia ment, of having spoken slanderous words against the king. Norfolk denied the charge, and offered to prove his innocence by duel. The challange was accepted by Hereford ; and the lists were prepared at Coventry before the king and a committee of parliament. The combatants appeared in the field, and, after the usual ceremonies, were about to engage, when Richard inter posed, and, without farther enquiry, ordered them both to leave the kingdom. Norfolk was banished for life, and Hereford for ten years ; the one without being convicted of any crime, the other without even being charged with one. This decision produced general disapprobation. Norfolk was so overwhelmed with grief and despondence at the judgment awarded against him, that he died soon alter at Venice of a broken heart. Hereford's conduct was more temperate and submis sive ; and he behaved with such respect before the king, that Richard remitted four years of his exile, and granted him letters patent, by which he could take possession of any inheritance that might fall to him du ring his absence.