The Duke of Somerset succeeded to the power of Suf folk, and also to his unpopularity. It was under Somer set's government that the French provinces were lost ; and the people, who judge only by the event, repaid him with their animosity and hatred. These passions soon broke out in open insurrections; and one Jack Cade, a low-born Irishman, who had been formerly obliged to fly into France for his crimes, excited a disturbance in Kent, which threatened the most dangerous consequen ces. He assumed the name of John Mortimer, pretend ing to he a descendant of that popular family, which drew to his standard a crowd of adherents. Sir Humphrey Stafford was sent with a small force, to quell the insur rection ; but he was defeated and slain, in an action with the rebels near Sevenoke ; and Cade, advancing with 20,000 followers, encamped on Blackheath. He sent to the court a list of grievances, and demanded the punish ment of Lord Say the treasurer, and Cromer, sheriff of Kent, for their malversations. The king retired to Ke nilworth, and the capital immediately opened its gates to the rebels. Cade at first maintained great order and dis cipline among his followers, whom he always led out into the fields during the night. But he was obliged to gra tify them by the death of Say and Cromer, when they became so unruly, that his orders were unheeded. They teroke into the house of a rich citizen, which they plun dered ; and this act of violence so alarmed the inhabi tants, that they shut their gates against them. Cade en deavoured to force his way, hut was defeated with great slaughter ; and the Archbishop of Canterbury, who' was then chancellor, having proclaimed a general pardon to the rebels, they retreated to Rochester, and dispersed. Cade was afterwards taken and killed, and many of his followers were executed.
The suppression of this rebellion did not bring quiet aless and security to the government. The clamours of the people continued as violent as ever ; and were sup .ported and encouraged by the appearance of a pretender f.6. the throne. Richard Duke of York was the nearest heir to the house of Mortimer. His mother Anne, Countess of Cambridge, was sister to the last Earl of Marche, who died without issue, and thus he stood plain ly in the order of succession to the throne, before the fa mily of Lancaster. Richard had displayed great valour and abilities in his government of France, from which station lie had been recalled by the intrigues of the Duke of Somerset. He was then sent to suppress a rebellion in Ireland, and here lie was equally distinguished by his conduct and prudence, and had even been able to attach to his person and family that independent people, whom he was sent to subdue. The talents of this nobleman thus made him formidable ; but lie was rendered still more so by his powerful connections. He possessed im mense baronial estates, and was connected by blood or alliance with the most potent and opulent noblemen in England. But with all his abilities and power, he was of a mild and moderate disposition ; and his claim to the crown, which had lain so long dormant, would not have been revived by him, had he not been encouraged to do so by the weakness and unpopularity of the present go vernment. He was also in a manner compelled to it, by
a regard to his own security. He had become an ob ject of jealousy to the reigning interest, from his preten sions and his power ; and he found it necessary to assert his right, in order to maintain his safety. He was even suspected of being concerned in the late discontents and insurrections, and of having secretly instigated Cade to rebellion, that lie might ascertain the dispositions of the people towards his title and family. When the govern ment heard that lie intended to return from Ireland, they were afraid that he meant to bring a military force along with him, and issued orders to oppose his entrance into England. But he refuted the calumnies of his enemies, by coming only with his ordinary attendants. He could not but see, however, the danger to which he was expo sed as a suspected subject, and lie therefore endeavoured by every mean to strengthen his interest, and to be pre pared against every emergency. His partizans were in structed to discuss his claim in all companies, and to maintain his right by succession, and by the established laws and constitution of the kingdom. The question be ing thus brought before the public, every one embraced the one side or the other, according to his convictions, his feelings, or his interest ; and the minds of men were thus insensibly led to cherish all those antipathies and prejudices, which afterwards burst forth with such a dreadful explosion, and which continued to fill the king dom with slaughter and desolation.
The pretensions of both parties may he shortly stated. The family of Lancaster derived their descent from John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, the third son of Edward III; while the Duke of York was descended by the female line from Lionel, Duke of Clarence, second son of that mo narch. The adherents of the former, while they allowed the advancement of Henry IV. to be irregular, maintained that it was founded upon general consent. It received the sanction of a free people, who were driven from their al legiance by the tyranny of their rulers, and gratefully be stowed the sceptre upon their deliverer ; that, though the deposition of Richard II. was perhaps rash and imprudent, yet it was justified by the state of the nation, and it was now too late to remedy the evil ; that the crown was ed upon the family of Henry by reiterated acts of parlia ment, and were these acts to be now invalidated, the English must he considered not as a free people, who could dispose of their own government, but a nation of slave", who were implicitly transmitted from one master to ano ther; that the order of succession was estahlished only for the general good, and could never be pleaded for the overthrow of public tranquillity; that the nation was bound to the house of Lancaster by their oaths of fealty and allegiance, and were these oaths to be wantonly in fringed, it would throw them loose from all principles, and expose them to continued revolutions.