This Vow full well the King perform'd In one Day, Fifty Knights were slain, And of the reft, of small Account, Thus ended the Hunting of Chevy-Chace, God fave the King, and bless the Land And grant henceforth, that foul Debate XV. The XV. The Banishment of the Dukes of Hereford and Norfolk, in the Time of King Richard the Second. An Introduction to this Ballad is almost unneceffary; for our Poet has either copied fo clofely from Hiftory, or the Hiftorians have borrow'd from our Poet in fuch a Manner, that I fcarce find one Point in which they differ. Some indeed there are, who will have it, that the Duke of Hereford accufed the Duke of Norfolk; but this is fufficiently contradicted by others. Nor is there any Probability of Truth in it; for neither he nor his Father had Veneration enough for King Richard, to do any fuch Thing; nor Affection, I believe, to forewarn him, if any Danger had threaten'd. This Duke of Hereford was Henry Bolingbroke, Son to John Duke of Lancafter, the King's Uncle; who married the fole Heiress of Hereford, and enjoy'd that Title and Eftate in Right of his Wife. What follows, of the Challenge; of its being to be fought at Coventry; of a Stop being put to the Com bat, bat, when they had enter'd the Lifts; of their Banishment, and of Norfolk's Death; is ftrictly true. Richard, during the Banifhment of his Coufin, thought fit to reduce his ExilefromTentoSix Years: But the Duke of Lancaster dying in that Time; and the King fearing, that if fuch a vast additional Eftate fhould fall to his muchinjur'd Coufin, he might grow too formidable; pronounc'd his Banishment perpetual, and feiz'd his whole Inheritance. But King Richard going afterwards on an Expedition into Ireland; the Duke of Lancaster, who had afJum'd his Father's Titles, took that Opportunity of coming to England; being invited by a great Number of the Nobility, and excited by the Archbishop of Canterbury, a Fellow Exile. He landed in Yorkfhire, with about Twenty armed Men; giving out, That he had no other Defign, but to take Poffeffion of his Inheritance. He was foon join'd by great Numbers: And the King's Friends endeavouring to raise Forces, in order to oppofe him; the People refufed going out against him, thinking his Demands most just and reasonable. The Winds blowing directly contrary; Six whole Weeks pafs'd, before K. Richard could have any Notice of Lancaster's Landing in England; by which Time, he was Mafter of a great Part of the Kingdom. Nor did the King, after the News was brought to him, make that Hafte back he might, and ought to have done; infomuch, that when he return'd, he had no Army: And tho' fome faithful Friends offer'd to join him, with their Vaals; yet he abfolutely refus'd it, finding it was too late. For he had made the Clergy his Enemies; and they took care to ftir up the People against him; and, prone to Change, infinuated the Happiness they might expect under the Duke of Lancafter. A Parliament being call'd, Articles were exhibited against King Richard; who was depos'd in the moft folemn Manner, and the Duke of Lancaster crown'd King, by the Name of Henry the Fourth. The Coronation-Sermon was preach'd by the Archbishop of Canterbury, who came over with him to England: And Richard feeing this, formally refign'd his Crown, on the 30th Day of September, in the Year 1399, and in the Twenty third of his Reign; beingatthat Time about Thirty three Years of Age. WO Noble Dukes of great Renown, Tw That long had liv'd in Fame, Thro' hateful Envy were caft down, The The Duke of Hereford was one, The Duke of Norfolk, most untrue, The Duke of Hereford greatly grew Which by his Grace was acted still The Duke of Hereford then, in Hafte, Who being guiltlefs of this Crime, How can't thou, with a shameless Face, And here, before his Royal Grace, So falfly face it out? Did not these wicked Treasons pass, When we together were; How that the King unworthy was Wherefore, my gracious Lord, quoth he, And you his Noble Peers, With many happy Years: G 2 I do |