The Chronicle of Adam of Usk. 27 Dec 1387. The mayor of London, hearing of their coming, sent forth to them the keys of the city; and thereafter those same five lords did, on the feast of Saint John the Evangelist (27th December), blockade the Tower¹ of London till it yielded; then straightway they placed the king, who lay therein, under new governance, and delivered his fawning councillors into divers prisons until the next following parliament¹. On the morrow of the Purification of Our

Note 1. The confederate lords entered London on the 26th December, and immediately invested the Tower. Richard submitted, and summoned parliament to meet on the 3rd February, Lady (3rd February), they declared exiles those who had fled, and they banished into Ireland all the king’s justices, for that they had knowledge of the imagining of the death of the lords, as above written, and also the king’s confessor, the bishop of Chichester¹. Others who had wrongfully fostered the king’s unruliness, if not the causers thereof, namely, sir Simon Burley (age 47), chamberlain, sir Robert Tresilian, chief justice, Nicholas Brembre, mayor of London, sir John Berners and sir John Salisbury, knights, and Thomas Usk and John Blake, esquires, and very many others were beheaded².

Note 1. The judges who had taken a part in the council of Nottingham were—sir Robert de Belknap, chief justice of the Common Pleas; sir Robert de Fulthorp, sir John Holt, and sir William Burgh, puisne judges of the same; sir John Cary, junior baron of the Exchequer ; and with them, John Lokton, serjeant-at-law. Belknap and Holt were banished to Drogheda, Fulthorp and Burgh to Dublin, Cary and Lokton to Waterford. Thomas Rushook, bishop of Chichester and the king's confessor, was sent to Cork.—Rymer, Federa, 8th and 13th July, 1388.

Note 2. The execution of sir Simon Burley (age 47), the retainer of the Black Prince and Richard’s tutor, which was carried out in spite of all the king’s efforts to save him, made an impression on Richard’s mind which goes far to account for the fierceness with which he attacked his enemies in the parliament of 1397. Berners and Salisbury (as well as sir John Beauchamp, who was also executed) were of the royal household. Thomas Usk had been appointed undersheriff of Middlesex, with the view of influencing the elections to parliament; and John Blake had been commissioned to draw the bill of indictment which Richard, had he not been forestalled, would have brought forward against the confederate lords, in 1387, after the council of Nottingham. Usk has recently risen into a more interesting position than that which he holds in history, having been identified as the author of "The Testament of Love," a work which has been wrongly attributed to Chaucer. (Dict. Nat. Biogr. lviij. 60; Skeat, Chaucerian and other Pieces, 1897.)

Dugdale's Warwickshire. Touching the said Lady Isabel (deceased) his Countesse I find, that she did not long survive him; for her Testament¹ bears dare the date the first of December following, and the probat thereof 4. Febr. the same year. Of which Testament, forasmuch as it is very mememorable, I shall here deliver the substance; viz,. that her body should be interred in the Abby of Teskesbury [Map] , and her great Templys² with the baleys³ sold to the utmost , and delivered to the Monks of that house, so that they grutcht not with her burial there, and what else she had appointed to be done about the same. As also that her statue should be made all nakyd with her hair cast backwards according to the design and modell that one Thomas Porchalion had for that purpose and Mary Madg. laying her hands a-crosse, with S. John the Evang. on the right side and on the left side S. Anthony; and at her feet a Scocheon empaling her Arms with those of the Earle her late Husband, supported by two Gryphons, but on the sides thereof the statues of poor men and women in their poor array, with their beads in their hands. She also willed, that of her great Sharp a Challice should be made & offered to our Lady in the Lady-Chapell there at Tewkesbury and gave to our Lady of Caversham a Crown of Gold made of her Chain (weighing 25.l.) and other broken Gold in her Cabinet; and two Tablets , the one of S. Catherine, the other of S. George, the precious stones of which Tablets to be set in the said Crown. Her Tablet with the Image of our Lady, having a Glasse for it, she appointed to be offered unto our Lady of Walsingham with wide slieves, and a Tabernacle of silver like in the timbre to that over on; Lady of Caversham; and that her great Image of Wax, then at London, should be offered to our Lady of Worcester. To the Abby of Tewkesbury she gave her wedding Gown, and all her Cloaths of Gold, and Cloaths of Silk without Furs, saving one of Russet Velvet which she bequeathed to S. Winifride [Map]; further directing that all her precious Stones and Pearls should be sold, as also her silver Vessel and goods to perform her Will, whereof Sr. Will Mountfort, John Nansan, and John Norreii were consticuted Executors.

Note 1. Lussnam Q 27.

Note 2. Jewels hanging on womens foreheads by bodkins thrust into their hair.

Note 3. Pale, or Peach coloured Rubies.

Holinshed's Chronicle 1539. 27 Dec 1539. During which time, goodlie iusts and costlie bankets were made to hir, for hir solace and recreation. And on S. Iohns daie in Christmasse, she with fiftie saile tooke passage about noone, and landed at Dele in the Downes about fiue of the clocke, where sir Thomas Chenie lord Warden of the ports receiued hir. She taried there a certeine space in a castell newlie built, and thither came the duke of Suffolke, and the dutches of Suffolke, and the bishop of Chichester with a great number of knights and esquiers, and ladies of Kent and other, which welcomed hir grace, and brought hir that night vnto Douer castell, where she rested till mondaie, on which daie (notwithstanding it was verie foule and stormie weather) she passed towards Canturburie, and on Baram downe met hir the archbishop of Canturburie, with the bishops of Elie, S. Asse, S. Dauies, and Douer, and so brought hir to S. Augustins without Canturburie, where she laie that night. The next daie she came to Sittingburne, and laie there that night. As she passed towards Rochester on Newyeares euen, on Reinam downe met hir the duke of Norffolke, and the lord Dacres of the south, and the lord Montioie, with a great companie of knights and esquiers of Norffolke and Suffolke, with the barons of the escheker which brought hir to Rochester, where the laie in the palace all Newyeares daie. On which daie, the king (longing to sée hir) accompanied with no more but eight persons of his priuie chamber, both he and they all apparelled in marble cotes, priuilie comming to Rochester, suddenlie came to hir presence, wherof at the first she was somewhat astonied, but after he had spoken to hir and welcomed hir, she with louing countenance and gratious behauiour him receiued, and welcomed him on hir knées, whom he gentlie tooke vp and kissed, and all that after noone communed and deuised with hir, supped that night with hir, and the next daie he departed to Gréenewich, and she came forward to Dartford.

Pepy's Diary. 27 Dec 1667. Up, and by water to White Hall, and there walked with Creed in the Matted Gallery till by and by a Committee for Tangier met: the Duke of York (age 34) there; and there I did discourse over to them their condition as to money, which they were all mightily, as I could desire, satisfied with, but the Duke of Albemarle (age 59), who takes the part of the Guards against us in our supplies of money, which is an odd consideration for a dull, heavy blockhead as he is, understanding no more of either than a goose: but the ability and integrity of Sir W. Coventry (age 39), in all the King's concernments, I do and must admire. After the Committee up, I and Sir W. Coventry (age 39) walked an hour in the gallery, talking over many businesses, and he tells me that there are so many things concur to make him and his Fellow Commissioners unable to go through the King's work that he do despair of it, every body becoming an enemy to them in their retrenchments, and the King (age 37) unstable, the debts great and the King's present occasions for money great and many and pressing, the bankers broke and every body keeping in their money, while the times are doubtful what will stand. But he says had they come in two years ago they doubt not to have done what the King (age 37) would by this time, or were the King (age 37) in the condition as heretofore, when the Chancellor (age 58) was great, to be able to have what sums of money they pleased of the Parliament, and then the ill administration was such that instead of making good use of this power and money he suffered all to go to ruin. But one such sum now would put all upon their legs, and now the King (age 37) would have the Parliament give him money when they are in an ill humour and will not be willing to give any, nor are very able, and besides every body distrusts what they give the King (age 37) will be lost; whereas six months hence, when they see that the King (age 37) can live without them, and is become steady, and to manage what he has well, he doubts not but their doubts would be removed, and would be much more free as well as more able to give him money. He told me how some of his enemies at the Duke of York's (age 34) had got the Duke of York's (age 34) commission for the Commissioners of his estate changed, and he and Brouncker (age 47) and Povy (age 53) left out: that this they did do to disgrace and impose upon him at this time; but that he, though he values not the thing, did go and tell the Duke of York (age 34) what he heard, and that he did not think that he had given him any reason to do this, out of his belief that he would not be as faithful and serviceable to him as the best of those that have got him put out. Whereupon the Duke of York (age 34) did say that it arose only from his not knowing whether now he would have time to regard his affairs; and that, if he should, he would put him into the commission with his own hand, though the commission be passed. He answered that he had been faithful to him, and done him good service therein, so long as he could attend it; and if he had been able to have attended it more, he would not have enriched himself with such and such estates as my Chancellor (age 58) hath got, that did properly belong to his Royal Highness, as being forfeited to the King (age 37), and so by the King's gift given to the Duke of York (age 34). Hereupon the Duke of York (age 34) did call for the commission, and hath since put him in. This he tells me he did only to show his enemies that he is not so low as to be trod on by them, or the Duke hath any so bad opinion of him as they would think. Here we parted, and I with Sir H. Cholmly (age 35) went and took a turn into the Park, and there talked of several things, and about Tangier particularly, and of his management of his business, and among other discourse about the method he will leave his accounts in if he should suddenly die, he says there is nothing but what is easily understood, but only a sum of £500 which he has entered given to E. E. S., which in great confidence he do discover to me to be my Lord Sandwich (age 42), at the beginning of their contract for the Mole, and I suppose the rest did the like, which was £1500, which would appear a very odd thing for my Lord to be a profiter by the getting of the contract made for them. But here it puts me into thoughts how I shall own my receiving of £200 a year from him, but it is his gift, I never asked of him, and which he did to Mr. Povy (age 53), and so there is no great matter in it.

Pepy's Diary. 27 Dec 1668. Lord's Day. Walked to White Hall and there saw the King (age 38) at chapel; but staid not to hear anything, but went to walk in the Park, with W. Hewer (age 26), who was with me; and there, among others, met with Sir G. Downing (age 43), and walked with him an hour, talking of business, and how the late war was managed, there being nobody to take care of it, and telling how, when he was in Holland, what he offered the King (age 38) to do, if he might have power, and they would give him power, and then, upon the least word, perhaps of a woman, to the King (age 38), he was contradicted again, and particularly to the loss of all that we lost in Guinny. He told me that he had so good spies, that he hath had the keys taken out of De Witt's¹ pocket when he was a-bed, and his closet opened, and papers brought to him, and left in his hands for an hour, and carried back and laid in the place again, and keys put into his pocket again. He says that he hath always had their most private debates, that have been but between two or three of the chief of them, brought to him in an hour after, and an hour after that, hath sent word thereof to the King (age 38), but nobody here regarded them. But he tells me the sad news, that he is out of all expectations that ever the debts of the Navy will be paid, if the Parliament do not enable the King (age 38) to do it by money; all they can hope for to do out of the King's revenue being but to keep our wheels a-going on present services, and, if they can, to cut off the growing interest: which is a sad story, and grieves me to the heart.

Note 1. The celebrated John de Witt, Grand Pensionary of Holland, who, a few years afterwards, was massacred, with his brother Cornelius, by the Dutch mob, enraged at their opposition to the elevation of William of Orange to the Stadtholdership, when the States were overrun by the French army, and the Dutch fleets beaten at sea by the English. The murder of the De Witts forms one of the main incidents of Alexandre Dumas's "Black Tulip"..