The realme let to farme Holinshed mentions the farming of England by Richard (I. iv. 45; and cp. II. i. 57-64, 109-113, 256) : [Hol. iii. 496/1/64.] The common brute ran, that the king had set to farme the realme of England vnto sir William Scroope, earle by the king. of Wiltshire, and then treasuror of England, to sir Iohn Bushie, sir John Bagot, and sir Henrie Greene, knights.1 Blanke charters. [Blank charters.] Of "blanke charters" (I. iv. 48-51) as sources of revenue, we have the following account. In 1398 a reconciliation was effected between Richard and the Londoners,2 with whom he had been deeply offended. [Hol. iii. 496/1/11.] But yet to content the kings mind, manie blanke charters were deuised, and brought into the citie, which manie of the substantiall and wealthie citizens were faine to seale, to their great charge, as in the end appeared. And the like charters were sent abroad into all shires within the realme, whereby great grudge and murmuring arose among the people: for, when they were so sealed, the kings officers wrote in the same what liked them, as well for charging the parties with paiment of monie, as otherwise. In April, 1399,3 large fines were exacted from the inhabitants of seventeen counties, who had aided the Duke of Gloucester in the coup d'état of 1387, and a new oath of allegiance was required. 4 [Hol. iii. 496/2/30.] Moreouer, they were compelled to put their hands and seales to certeine blankes, wherof ye haue heard before; in the which, when it pleased him, he might write what he thought good. Holinshed does not name the object to which the money thus raised was applied. Shakspere inferred (L. iv. 43-52) that the cost of the Irish war obliged Richard to farm the revenues and issue blank charters. That Richard was accused of extorting money for such a 1 Fab. (545), Hol.'s authority, says that this rumour was current in the 22nd year of Richard's reign (June 21, 1398-June 20, 1399). 2 According to Fab. (545) this reconciliation was effected after the adjournment of Parliament on September 29, 1397. Richard's ire was moved by the Londoners' opposition to "certeyne actys" of that Parliament. 3 "cito post Pascha" (March 30).-Ott., 199. Cp. Wals., ii. 230, 231. 4 It appears from Ott., 200, and Wals., 231, that these blank charters (albas chartas) were contemporaneous with the fines imposed upon the counties. But according to Eves. (146, 147) these fines and blank charters were in operation about Michaelmas, 1398. purpose 1 appears from one of the articles exhibited against him in the Parliament by which he was deposed. forced to. [Hol. iii. 502/2/56.] 19 Item, the spiritualitie alledged against [The clergy him, that he, at his going into Ireland, exacted manie notable summes of monie, beside plate and iewels, without law or custome, contrarie to his oth taken at his coronation. Act II. sc. i.—While Richard devised means to pay for his Irish expedition he was entreated to visit John of Gaunt, who lay at Ely House, "grieuous sicke" (I. iv. 54-58). Gaunt's death is thus briefly recorded by Holinshed. [Hol. iii. 496/1/22.] In this meane time [Feb. 3, 1399], the duke of Lancaster departed out of this life at the bishop of Elies place in Holborne. The particulars of Gaunt's death (II. i. 1-138) were imagined by Shakspere, but for the rest of this scene he found some material in Holinshed. The ensuing excerpt illustrates ll. 160-162; 201-208. [Hol. iii. 496/1/26.] The death of this duke gaue occasion of increasing more hatred in the people of this realme toward the king, for he seized into his hands all the goods that belonged to him, and also receiued all the rents and reuenues of his lands which ought to haue descended vnto the duke of Hereford by lawfull inheritance; in reuoking his letters patents, which he had granted to him before, by vertue wherof he might make his attorneis generall to sue liuerie for him, of any maner of inheritances or possessions that might from thencefoorth fall vnto him; and that his homage might be respited, with making reasonable fine whereby it was euident, that the king meant his vtter vndooing. Shakspere had Holinshed's authority for York's resentment of such injustice, and consequent departure from Court (II. i. 163-214). [Hol. iii. 496/1/40.] This hard dealing was much misliked of all the nobilitie, and cried out against of the meaner sort; but 1 Ott. (197) says that during Lent, 1399, Richard exacted money, &c., for the Irish expedition. 2 "in crastino Purificationis beatæ Mariæ" (Feb. 3).-Ott., 198. "in crastino Sancti Blassii" (Feb. 4).-Usk, 23; 132. 3 See p. 102 below. pay for Richard's The death of the duke of [The people's hatred of increased confiscated and goods Gaunt, and allow Richard is because he the rents which had belonged to refused to Bolingbroke to sue livery as Gaunt's Tho. Walsi. by attorney heir.] [York had patiently borne Gloucester's death and Bolingbroke's but was sore moved by Richard's confiscation namelie the duke of Yorke was therewith sore mooued; who, before this time, had borne things with so patient a mind as he could, though the same touched him verie neere, as the death of his brother the duke of Glocester, the banishment of his nephue the banishment, said duke of Hereford, and other mo iniuries in great number; which, for the slipperie youth of the king, he passed ouer for the time, and did forget aswell as he might. But now perceiuing that neither law, iustice, nor equitie could take place, where the kings wilfull will was bent vpon any wrongfull purpose, . . . he thought it the part of a wise man to get him in time to a resting place, . . . Herevpon he with the duke of Aumarle his sonne went to his house at Langlie. of Bolingbroke's inheritance.] The duke of Yorke misliketh the court & goeth home. The duke of One of the wrongs which York had borne patiently was (II. i. 167, 168) What York refers to is thus narrated by Holinshed: [Hol. iii. 495/2/31.] At his [Bolingbroke's] comming into France, king Charles [VI.], hearing the cause of his banishment Hereford is (which he esteemed to be verie light), receiued him gentlie, and him honorablie interteined, in so much that he had by fauour French king obteined in mariage the onelie daughter of the duke of Berrie, [; and might honorablie interteined with the the Duke of Berri's daughter, if Richard had have married vncle to the French king, if king Richard had not beene a let in that matter; who, being thereof certified, sent the earle of Salisburie1 with all speed into France; both to surmize, by vntrue suggestion, heinous offences against him, and also to require the French king that in no wise he would suffer his cousine to be matched in mariage with him that was so manifest an offendor. not prevented the match.] Froissard. As Richard leaves the stage he announces his intention of sailing for Ireland to morrow next'; and appoints York "Lord gouernour of England" (II. i. 217-220). The "iusts" performed at Windsor "a little before" Richard's embarkation (Hol. iii. 497/1/3) may be alluded to in II. i. 223: 1 The date of Salisbury's mission was, perhaps, March, 1399. Soon after ("assez tôt après ") his return to England, a royal proclamation directed that a tournament should be held at Windsor. After this tournament Richard made preparations for going ("ordonna aller ") to Ireland. He left the Queen at Windsor, and went thence to Bristol (Frois., xiv. 163, 164). saileth over into Ireland with a great Fabian. [Hol. iii. 497/1/8.] When these iusts were finished, the king The king departed toward Bristow, from thence to passe into Ireland; leauing the queene with hir traine still at Windesor: he appointed armie for his lieutenant generall in his absence his vncle the duke of Caxton. Yorke and so in the moneth of Aprill,1 as diuerse authors write, he set forward from Windesor, and finallie tooke shipping at Milford, and from thence, with two hundred ships, and a puissant power of men of armes and archers, he sailed into Ireland. Three passages in Holinshed may have suggested to Shakspere the conversation of Northumberland, Ross, and Willoughby (11. 241-248), who remain on the stage after Richard's exit. Northumberland seems to glance at (11. 241-245) an act of the subservient Parliament of 1397; which Holinshed thus records : The duke of Yorke generall of lieutenant England, the king being in Ireland. unnamed nobles excepted from [Hol. iii. 493/1/40.] Finallie, a generall pardon was granted for all offenses to all the kings subiects (fiftie onelie excepted) (Fifty whose names he would not by anie meanes expresse, but reserued them to his owne knowledge, that when anie of the nobilitie offended him, he might at his plesure name him to be one of the number excepted, and so keepe them still within his danger. pardon.] heires disherited. Manie other things were doone in this parlement, to the displeasure of no small number of people; namelie, for that diuerse rightfull heires were disherited of their lands and liuings, by Rightfull authoritie of the same parlement: with which wrongfull dooings the people were much offended; so that the king, and those that were about him, and cheefe in councell, came into great infamie and slander. Large grants had been obtained from his Parliaments by Richard II.; and the oppressive poll-tax-to which we may suppose Ross refers -caused the commons' rebellion in 1381. Of that impost Holinshed says: subsidie. [Hol. iii. 428/2/36.] There was a new and strange subsidie or 4 grecuous taske granted to be leuied for the kings vse, and towards the charges of this armie that went ouer into France with the earle of Buckingham; to wit, of euerie preest secular or regular, six "post Pentecosten proximo sequens" [read sequentem or understand festum]-Eves., 148. "circa festum Pentecostes."-Ott., 200. Wals., 231. In 1399 Whit Sunday fell on May 18. Fab. (545)-quoted by Hol. in the marginal note-gives "ye moneth of Aprell" as the date. [A Poll Tax some have New exactions. shillings eight pence, and as much of euerie nunne, and of euerie man & woman married or not married, being 16 yeares of age, (beggers certenlie knowne onlie excepted,) foure pence for euerie one. Great grudging & manie a bitter cursse followed about the leuieng of this monie, & much mischeefe rose thereof, as after it appeared. In illustration of 11. 247, 248, I quote the passage noticed above (p. 90) concerning the fines levied from seventeen shires. [Hol. iii. 496/2/9.] Moreouer, this yeare [1399] he caused seuenteene shires of the realme, by waie of putting them to their fines, to paie no small summes of monie, for redeeming their offenses, that they had aided the duke of Glocester, the earles of Arundell, and Warwike, when they rose in armor against him. The paiment The nobles, gentlemen, and commons of those shires were inforced also to receive a new oth to assure the king of their fidelitie in time to come; and withall certeine prelats and other honorable personages were sent into the same shires to persuade men to this paiment, and to see things ordered at the pleasure of the prince : and suerlie the fines which the nobles, and other the meaner against their estates of those shires were constreined to paie, were not small, but exceeding great, to the offense of manie. of these fines was called a plesance as it were to please the K. withall, but ye same displeased manie that were thus constreined to paie willes. A shift to recouer monie After "blanckes," Willoughby mentions "beneuolences as one of the " new exactions" devised by Richard (II. i. 250). A "benevolence" was-in name, at least the conception of a later king.1 In 1473 Edward IV. was meditating an expedition to France: [Hol. iii. 694/1/43.] But bicause he wanted monie, and could not well charge his commons with a new subsidie, for that he had receiued the last yeare great summes of monie granted to him by parlement, he deuised this shift,-to call afore him a great number of the wealthiest sort of people in his realme; and to them declaring his need, and the requisite causes thereof, he demanded of euerie of them some portion of monie, which they sticked not to 1 Of those inhabitants of seventeen counties who paid fines to Richard in 1399, Wals. says (ii. 230, 231): "coacti sunt Regi concedere. importabiles summas pecuniæ, pro benevolentia sua recuperanda." Ott. says (199):*"Vocabantur itaque tales summæ, sic levata de singulis comitatibus, le pleasaunce.” Cp. Hol.'s sidenote, "The paiment," &c. |