Middle English Literature

of Richard II. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 162–4.
19
1 Samuel 9.17.
Usurpation
83

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84
Force and Order
Language: French
Manuscript date: ca. 1400
Firstly, on Sunday the eve of Michaelmas, after dinner,
20
the following
people were, with the assent of all the great council of England, sent to
King Richard, who was then in the Tower of London: the archbishop of
York and the bishop of Hereford for bishops; the earls of Northumberland
and Westmorland for earls; Lord Despenser, the former earl of Gloucester,
21
and Lord Bergavenny for barons; Sir Thomas Gray and Sir Thomas
Erpingham for knights; Master Thomas Stow and Master John Burbach,
doctors; and Master Denis Lopham and Master John Ferriby, notaries. This
was in order to ascertain from the king on behalf of the aforesaid council
whether he was willing to resign all the right that he had to the crown of
England with its appurtenances, as he had previously promised to them that
he would. The king said in reply that he would prefer first of all to see in
writing the form of the resignation by which he was supposed to resign.
Whereupon they handed him a bill in which it was explained how he had to
resign all the right that he had to the crown of England and its appurte-
nances, that is to say, in the kingdoms of England, France, Ireland, and
Scotland; the duchies of Guyenne and Normandy; the county of Ponthieu
and the town of Calais; and in all the other castles, fortresses, and towns
which he either held at present or claimed by right, both on this side of the
sea and beyond it, and in every part of them, for himself and his heirs in
perpetuity. To which he replied by saying that he wished to consider this
until the following morning.
On the feast of Michaelmas, therefore, at nine o’clock in the morning,
the same lords came to the Tower and with them the prior of Christchurch
Canterbury, and they asked him if he had considered sufficiently what his
reply to the aforesaid bill would be. He replied shortly that he would not do
it under any circumstances, and he was greatly incensed and declared that
he would like to have it explained to him how it was that he could resign
the crown and to whom. Later, however, after various additional arguments
had been put forward and explained to him there by the aforesaid lords, he
said, “Bring my dear cousin Lancaster here, for I am willing, upon certain
conditions which I shall explain to him, to make my resignation to him.”
Whereupon, after dinner on that same day, the duke of Lancaster, the
earls of Northumberland and Westmorland, and a large number of other
20
September 28.
21
Thomas le Despenser, earl of Gloucester 1385–97.

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barons, knights, and esquires rode through Cheap to the Tower, where the
archbishops of Canterbury and York, the bishop of Hereford, the abbot of
Westminster, the prior of Christchurch Canterbury, and various other spir-
itual clerks were at that time waiting. And there the king was asked if he was
willing to resign all the right that he had to the crown of England and its
appurtenances as set out in the bill of resignation handed to him. To which
the king replied that he would do it willingly in the interests of his dear
cousin the duke of Lancaster upon certain conditions which he would state.
He was told by them, however, that there was no way in which this could
be done; he must do it simply, without any conditions. Whereupon the king
picked up the aforesaid bill himself and read it out with good cheer, loudly
and clearly, thus resigning to the duke of Lancaster all the right that he had
to the crown of England and its appurtenances, together with all other
lands apart from the lands and tenements which he had bought from Roger
Walden and from Sir William Scrope, the former treasurer of England, with
which to endow a yearly anniversary for his soul at Westminster abbey, the
latter having been allowed to him in presence of all the aforesaid lords. And
upon this the names of certain witnesses were entered as of record.
Adam of Usk. British Library MS Additional 10104, fols. 162r–162v. In C. Given-Wilson (ed.
and trans.) (1997) The Chronicle, 1377–1421. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 61–5.
Language: Latin
Manuscript date: 1401