CHAP. XV. NEGOTIATIONS FOR PEACE. 271 CHAPTER XV. PROCEEDINGS IN PARLIAMENT UNDER RICHARD PRINCE OF WALES. on THE history of the relations between England and A.D. 1376. Negotia till tions for 1 Froissart's account of these negotiations for peace is somewhat confused. He states (p. 705) that the truce was to last till April the 1st, 1376, whereas it is clear from the treaty published in Rymer (vol. iii. p. 1030), dated June 27th, 1375, that it was to last till the last day of June, 1376. He then goes on to say (p. 707) that according to agreement the plenipotentiaries met again on All Saints (November 1st), but that nothing was done; that ("environ le quaréme") about Lent (of course 1376), which may be considered to mean about the end of February or the beginning of March, a secret treaty was made between the English and French, which was to be taken for approval to their respective kings, and the negotiators were to return to Montreuilsur-mer, and that in the meantime, apparently, the truce was prolonged to the 1st of May (!). He proceeds to say that they did return, that Geoffry Chaucer, Guichard d'Angle, and Richard Stury were the English representatives, that they talked a great deal about the marriage of Prince Richard with the daughter of the King of France, and that the truce was prolonged to June 24th. He (p. 708) adds that certain French nobles were sent "to these talkings and secret treaties at Montreuil," that the Earl of Salisbury, Guichard d'Angle, the Bishop of Hereford, and the Bishop of St. David's went to Calais on the part of England, and that the Archbishop of Ravenna and the Bishop of Carpentras went backwards and forwards from one to another, but that in consequence of the French demanding the dismantling of Calais, negotiations were broken off and war renewed. He then (p. 708) goes on to say that when the Duke of Brittany, who was at Bruges with his prolongation of peace. A.D. 1376. the end of June 1376, but it was agreed that the Commissioners should meet again at Bruges on the previous 15th of September.1 The meeting apparently did not take place, for on October 10th, 1375, power was given by the King of England to the Duke of Lancaster to treat for peace. Nothing, however, resulted, and England prepared for a renewal of the war. Early in January, 1376, preparations were made for the defence of the kingdom ; but, in consequence of the Pope's continual efforts to bring about a peace, negotiations were recommenced, and, on the 18th of February, the King of cousin, the Earl of Flanders, heard of the failure of the negotiations, and the legates had returned to Bruges, he wrote to Guichard d'Angle at Calais to beg him to come to him at Bruges with 100 men, as he wished to return to England. This was done, and the Duke was conducted to Calais. This is all very difficult to reconcile with the documents in Rymer, and it appears to me that the treaty at Montreuil, at the beginning of March 1376, mentioned by Froissart, by which he says the truce was prolonged to May 1st, refers to the treaty published in Rymer (vol. iii. p. 1048) dated March 12th, 1376, by which the truce was prolonged till April 1st, 1377, and that the negotiations between Calais and Montreuil, which Froissart relates as if they were a continuation of the previous negotiations at Montreuil, were those which were renewed on April 26th, 1377 (Rymer, p. 1077), and which were interrupted by the death of King Edward. I have therefore taken Rymer as my authority. There is an unanswerable argument in favour of the view that the meeting at Calais and Montreuil was in 1377 and not in 1376, as Froissart states, and that is that Froissart relates that the Bishop of St. David's was one of the negotiators, and he describes him as Chancellor. He did not receive his appointment as Chancellor till January 11th, 1377 (Rot. Claus. 50 Ed. III. p. 2. m. 27), as quoted in Foss' Lives of the Judges, vol. iii. p. 326. 1 Rymer, vol. iii. p. 1034. 2 Ibid. p. 1045-6. CHAP. XV. TRUCE PROLONGED. 273 France appointed the Dukes of Burgundy and Anjou A.D.1376. to treat with the Duke of Lancaster. Geoffry Chaucer, our first great poet, accompanied Lancaster as one of the English commissioners. On the 12th of March it was agreed, that the truce should be prolonged till April 1st, 1377. After signing the treaty, Prolonged the Duke of Lancaster returned to England to be present at the meeting of "the Good Parliament' on the 23rd of April. till April 1st, 1377. The King grand holds a Christmas feast in his grand On the following Christmas Day, the King, having somewhat recovered his health, held a grand feast at the Palace at Westminster. His grandson, the young Prince Richard, who had been created Earl of honour of Chester and Prince of Wales during the sitting of son." Parliament, was present, and was "carried before him." On this occasion, the King formally invested him with the succession to the throne, and made all the Prelates, Barons, Knights and officers of the various cities and ports who were present on this important occasion, swear that they held him as their future King. Edward had evidently roused himself for this ceremony. His health improved and his waning life flickered up for a moment; but he soon relapsed, and retired to Havering-atte-bower, in Essex. His end was approaching, and he never again appeared in public.3 The Londoners were anxious to do their part in showing their regard for their future King, the son of their favourite, and, in accordance with the quaint and merry spirit of the times, determined to express it by a mummery on horseback. "On the Sunday 1 See Buchon's Froissart, vol. i. p. 707. 2 Walsingham, p. 321; and Rot. Parl. 51 Ed. III. (m. 9) 1. Buchon's Froissart, vol. i. p. 707. The Lonentertain Prince of doners the young Wales with strange mummeries. A.D. 1876. before Candlemas (1st February), in the night, 130 citizens, disguised and well horsed, in a mummery with sound of trumpets, large trumpets, horns, shalms, and other minstrels, and innumerable torchlights of wax, rode from Newgate through Cheap, over the Bridge1 through Southwark; and so went on to Kennington, besides Lambeth, where the young Prince remained with his mother, and the Duke of Lancaster his uncle, the Earls of Cambridge, Hertford, Warwick, and Suffolk, with divers other Lords. In the first rank did ride forty-eight in the likeness and habit of esquires, two and two together, clothed in red coats and gowns of Say or Sandall with comely vizors on their faces. After them came riding fortyeight knights in the same livery of colour and stuff. Then followed one richly arrayed like an Emperor, and after him at some distance, one stately attired like a Pope, whom followed twenty-four Cardinals, and after them eight or ten with black vizors not amiable, as if they had been legates from some foreign Princes. These maskers, after they had entered the Manor of Kennington, alighted from their horses and entered the hall on foot, which done, the Prince, his mother, and the Lords came out of the Chamber into the Hall, whom the said mummers did salute, showing by a pair of dice on the table their desire to play with the Prince, which they so handled that the Prince did always win when he cast them. Then the mummers set to the Prince three jewels one after another, which were a bowl of gold, a cup of gold, and a ring of gold, which the Prince won at three casts. Then they set to the Prince's mother, the Duke, the Earls, and the London Bridge was then the only bridge over the Thames till Windsor. CHAP. XV. MEETING OF PARLIAMENT. 275 other Lords, to every one a ring of gold, which they A.D. 1376. did also win. After which they were feasted and the music sounded, the Prince and the Lords danced on one part with the mummers who did also dance. Which jollitry being ended, they were again made to drink and then departed in order as they came." Parlia attended Wales. On the 27th January, Parliament again met, Richard Meeting of Prince of Wales being present and taking the place of ment the King, in accordance with his instructions, as exby the pressed in a letter to the Parliament, which was read Prince of to the members. Notwithstanding the decision come to in 1371, that no ecclesiastics should hold high offices of State, the Bishop of St. David's was now the Lord Chancellor, and opened Parliament. He had been appointed, on the 11th of January, by the Duke of Lancaster, in pursuance of his policy of reversing the proceedings of the Parliaments which had opposed him. His predecessor being a layman, had omitted the usual form of addressing Parliament in the form of a sermon; but the present Chancellor, being a priest, revived the practice, and preached a most elaborate sermon on the occasion. He took for his text, "Ye suffer fools gladly seeing that ye yourselves are wise," and applied it in the oddest manner, for he said, " And as you are wise and I am a fool, I suppose you want to hear me." He then said that the King's health was nearly restored. If it were so, he must soon have relapsed; for, on the 22nd of February, he was lying "too ill" at Shene, whither 1 Harleian Tracts, 247, as quoted in Stow's Survey of London, Strype's edition, vol. i. p. 303. 2 Rymer, vol. iii. p. 1070. 3 Rot. Parl. 51 Ed. III. (m. 9) 4. "Et pur tant q vous estes sages et je fouls |