1351.

1352.

1353.

1356.

1360. 1362.

1364.

1367. 1369.

1370.

1372.

1373.

1374.

1376.

1377.

The first Statute of Labourers (a).

The first Statute of Provisors, to prevent encroachments by the Pope on patronage (b). [In this year begin a series of petitions against the usurped jurisdiction of the Privy Council.]

The first Statute of Treasons (c).

The first Statute of Præmunire, to prevent usurpations of jurisdiction by the Pope (d).

The Black Prince marches from Bordeaux to Berri.

Sept. 19. Victory of Poitiers, and capture of John II.

Edward besieges Paris. Peace of Bretigny (e).

Enactment that no subsidy should be set on wool by the merchants or
any other body without consent of Parliament (ƒ).

The English language is ordered to be used in the law courts.
John II. of France dies at the Savoy.

Expedition of the Black Prince to help Pedro of Castile.

The Black Prince is summoned to Paris on account of his heavy taxation of the Gascons. Queen Philippa dies.

Renewal of the war.

Invasion of Gascony by the French. Massacre by the English at
Limoges.

Defeat of the English off Rochelle by the Spaniards.

John of Gaunt's disastrous expedition from Calais to Bordeaux.
Tonnage and poundage is formally granted by Parliament for two
years (i).

Loss of all French dominions, except Calais, Bordeaux, and Bayonne.
John of Gaunt is at the head of the administration.

The Good Parliament, supported by the Black Prince and
William of Wykeham, impeaches Lords Latimer and Neville,
Alice Perrers, and others. [This is the first instance of an
impeachment.]

June. The Black Prince dies.

John of Gaunt returns to power.

He throws into prison

Peter de la Mare, the Speaker of the Good Parliament.

Wickliffe is cited to appear at St. Paul's.

June 21. Death of Edward III.

1379. 1380.

RICHARD II., 1377-1399 (22 YEARS).

The French ravage the south coast.

Peter de la Mare is released from prison, and elected Speaker of
Richard's first parliament.

Appointment of provisional government (j).

Walworth and Philipot are appointed treasurers of the parliamentary

grant.

A graduated poll-tax is imposed.

An additional poll-tax is imposed.

1381.

1382.

1384.

1385.

1386.

1387.

1388.

1389.

1390. 1391.

1393.

1394.

1395.

1396.

1397.

Rising of the Commons (in Kent, Essex, and elsewhere)
under Wat Tyler and Jack Straw.

Murder of Simon of Sudbury, Archbishop of Canterbury.
Richard meets the rioters at Mile-end and Smithfield.

Dispersion of the insurgents.

[Virtual end of villenage.]

Continued influence of John of Gaunt.

A statute is passed against heretic preachers, which is repealed in the next Parliament.

Death of Wickliffe.

Richard ravages Scotland, which had received help from France.
A scutage due for this war is remitted. [After this time scutage
hardly ever appears again.] Death of the Princess of Wales.
Roger, Earl of March, is declared heir to the throne (a).
John of Gaunt goes to Spain for three years.

[The first records of the Privy Council appear in this year.]
Parliament demands the dismissal of ministers. Richard refuses.
Impeachment of Suffolk (Michael de la Pole), Richard's Chancellor.
A Council of Eleven is appointed as a commission to sit for
a year, and to regulate the royal household and the kingdom.
The judges appealed to by Richard decide that the council is
illegal.

The Lords Appellant (the Duke of Gloucester, the Earls of Arundel,
Derby, Nottingham, and Warwick) take up arms.

Battle of Radcot Bridge. De Vere, Duke of Ireland, is defeated.
Fall of the court party.

Meeting of the "Merciless" Parliament.

Impeachment of the king's favourites, De Vere, Suffolk, Neville,
Archbishop of York, Sir Simon Burley, and others.

Battle of Otterburn. The Scots are victorious, but Douglas is
slain.

Richard takes the government into his own hands; he rules apparently well for eight years.

Reconciliation of the Lords Appellant to the king.

Return of John of Gaunt to England.

The Commons pray that the Chancellor and the Council may not
after the close of Parliament make any ordinance contrary to the
common law.

Statute of Provisors [re-enacting statutes of 1351 and 1362].
Statute of Mortmain is re-enacted (see 1279), and evasions of
ecclesiastical lawyers are finally stopped.

The great Statute of Præmunire. (See 1353, note.)
Death of the queen.

Richard goes to Ireland for nine months (b).

The Lollards present a remonstrance to Parliament against the power of the clergy and abuses in the Church.

Richard marries Isabella of France at Calais, and a truce for
twenty-five years is made.

Parliament confirms the Act by which Richard makes the children
of Katharine Swynford (the Beauforts) legitimate.
Haxey's case. Interference by the king with the Commons' freedom of
debate (c).

1397. Richard attacks the Lords Appellant in Parliament. Gloucester dies in custody. Arundel is beheaded, and his

1398.

1399.

1400.

1401.

1402.

1403.

brother, Archbishop of Canterbury, banished (a). Warwick is imprisoned for life.

Parliament of Shrewsbury.

(1) Annuls the Acts of the Merciless Parliament.
(2) Grants customs to the king for life.

(3) Delegates its authority to eighteen of its members.

Richard, virtually absolute, rules arbitrarily.

Quarrel between Hereford (formerly Earl of Derby) and Norfolk
(formerly Earl of Nottingham). They are banished by Richard.
Feb. 2. Death of John of Gaunt. His estates are seized by
Richard.

May. Richard goes to Ireland.

July. Hereford, now Duke of Lancaster, lands at Ravenspur, is supported by the Percies, and joined by the Duke of York (the regent) and the mass of the people.

Richard returns from Ireland and surrenders.

Sept. 29. Richard, a prisoner in the Tower, resigns the

crown.

Sept. 30. Parliament meets, accepts the resignation, and after hearing the articles of accusation, deposes the king.

HENRY IV., 1399-1413 (14 YEARS) (b).

Born 1366; Married

The Acts of Richard's last

1380, Mary de Bohun.
1403, Joan of Navarre.

parliament are annulled.

The Acts of the Merciless Parliament are re-established.
Richard is put in prison.

Rebellion of the Earls of Rutland, Huntingdon, Kent, and Salis-
bury; betrayed by Rutland and easily suppressed.
Many persons involved are executed.

Richard II. disappears, and his funeral is celebrated.
Glendower rebels in Wales, and maintains himself in Wales dur-

ing the whole reign, in spite of a series of expeditions under-
taken by the king and the Prince of Wales. Invasion of
Scotland, and burning of Leith.

Manuel Palæologus, Emperor at Constantinople, visits Henry,
seeking help against the Turks.

The Act De Heretico comburendo" is passed by the
Lords and clergy at the prompting of Archbishop
Arundel.

Execution of William Sawtre by royal writ [the first execution for
Lollard heresy in England].

The Scots invade England, and are defeated at Homildon Hill
by the Percies.

The king makes Henry Beaufort, his half-brother, chan

cellor.