The Star of Lancaster (25 page)

‘Of course it is only the Irish,’ said Harry disconsolately. ‘I wish it were the French.’

Ireland was a disappointment. There seemed to be little but miles of bog land which could be treacherous; there were stark mountains, sullen people who lived very poorly, and above all rain, perpetual rain.

Richard at the head of his armies looked very splendid indeed and he created a certain wonder among the Irish which was not without its effect. Harry noticed this. Richard had no real qualities as a leader but he had an aura of royalty which served him in a certain way. Harry had often heard of the manner in which he had faced the rebellious peasants at Blackheath and Smithfield and he understood why he had been able to quell them. He was extraordinarily handsome; so fair and light-skinned with an almost ethereal air. He was the man to ride out among his subjects and win them with his charm; but he was not the King to lead them into battle. If there was no real fighting Richard’s campaign might be successful. If there was it would fail. Harry was learning a good deal about leadership. One day he would have his own men and he would know how to lead them then.

The army grew more and more disgruntled. There was nodiing more calculated to sap the spirits of soldiers than inaction and perpetual rain. They were homesick; they hated
Ireland. There was no real fighting to excite them and no booty in this poverty-stricken land to make their journey worthwhile.

Back home in England Edmund of Langley, Duke of York, was acting as Regent. Although he was the son of Edward III he was quite without ambition and asked only for a quiet and peaceful life. Perhaps that was why Richard had appointed him as Regent. The King had chosen four men to help him, William Scrope, Earl of Wiltshire, Sir William Bagot, Sir John Bushby and Sir Henry Green. He could not have chosen four more unpopular men. Young as he was, Harry was amazed at the carelessness of the King.

It was a wretched campaign made even more so by the weather. The high seas made it impossible for stores to cross the water so lines of communication were cut off. The men were weary of the struggle, and although the Irish could not put up an army they had other ways of harassing the invaders. They destroyed even the little there would have been to leave behind them as they fled from the enemy and by the time Richard reached Dublin his army had one thought and that was to get back to their firesides as quickly as possible. They had had enough of senseless wars which brought them no profit.

There were messengers awaiting Richard in Dublin and the news they brought was catastrophic. Henry of Lancaster had landed in England; he had come to regain his inheritance, and men were rallying to his banner.

Richard had always been afraid of his cousin. He saw then that he had made a major mistake. First by exiling Henry and then by confiscating the Lancaster estates.

It was too late now to turn back.

He had two alternatives; to stay in Ireland and conduct a
campaign against Henry from that country or to return and face him. He must, of course, return to England, but there would necessarily be some delay. He sent John Montacute, Earl of Salisbury back to England immediately to raise the people of Wales against Lancaster. He would follow at the earliest possible moment when
he
had made some arrangements here in Ireland.

Then he remembered Harry of Monmouth, son of the invader, who was in his hands.

He should be able to turn that to advantage.

He laughed aloud at the thought. The son and heir of the enemy in his hands!

He sent for young Harry, who came, a little truculently, having heard the news of his father’s landing of course. He had to admire the boy. He was in a dangerous position and he knew it.

‘So you are the son of a traitor, eh?’ said Richard.

‘No, my lord, indeed I am not. My father is no traitor.’

‘Have you heard that he has landed in England although I have put him in exile?’

‘He comes to regain his estates I doubt not,’ said Harry. ‘Those which you promised my grandfather should not be forfeit.’

‘You make bold, my young bantam. I hold you my prisoner, you know.’

‘I know I have been and still am a hostage.’

‘For your father’s good behaviour.’

‘Then I have nothing to fear for my father does not act as a traitor. He comes but to take the estates which are his by right of inheritance.’

‘You will have to learn to curb your tongue, Harry.’

‘And lie . . . as others do.’

Richard flushed. ‘You’re a young fool,’ he said.

‘Better that than a knave,’ retorted Harry.

Richard cried: ‘Get out of my sight, or I’ll have that saucy tongue of yours cut out.’

Inwardly Harry quailed at the thought, but he showed no fear. He bowed and retired.

Richard buried his face in his hands. A thousand curses on Henry Bolingbroke! What a fool he had been to let that man live, to have sent him abroad to plot with his enemies, to have taken his estates. He had brought this on himself.

Young Harry knew it. He was a shrewd, clever boy. Richard hated violence. That was why he was so loth to go to war. Why could not people all enjoy the things that he did – music, literature, art, good food in moderation, fine wines, sweet perfumes, rich clothes, sparkling jewels, a clean and beautiful body . . . ? They thought him unkingly because he cared for these things. And now Lancaster was forcing a war on him; and Harry, his son, was defiant, almost insolent because he knew in his heart that to harm him would be loathsome to Richard who abhorred violence. What to do with Harry?

He summoned two of his guards. ‘Let the Lord Harry of Monmouth be taken to the castle of Trim and with him his cousin Gloucester. There they shall remain until I have settled this matter with the traitor Lancaster.’

So the two boys were sent to Trim Castle, there to fret away the days playing chess and games they contrived with their playing cards, while they waited for news from England.

Henry had decided to make for that part of the country which he expected would be most loyal to him, so instead of landing at Dover or Folkestone as he would have been expected to, he set a northerly course and finally arrived at Bridlington. He was amazed at the numbers who flocked to his banner. They were welcoming him because they were tired of Richard. He made his own castle of Pickering his temporary headquarters and from there he marched to Doncaster, his following growing more numerous every day.

At Doncaster he was joined by the Earl of Westmorland, and Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland with his son Sir Henry Percy known as Hotspur. The Percys were a powerful family who helped to keep watch on the Scottish border for any trouble which might flare up. They were like kings of the northern provinces. With them they had brought the Lords of Greystock and Willoughby, a formidable force.

The Earl of Northumberland called together a council which he asked Henry to attend and when they were all assembled, he said, ‘It is important to know what your intentions are, and why you have returned to England.’

Henry replied promptly that his intentions were to regain his estates which had been unjustly forfeited. He had no other intentions.

The company was relieved. They implied that they had no desire to take part in a campaign to take the crown from Richard and put it on his cousin’s head. But being men of property themselves they had very strong views about the seizure of estates. The King had acted foolishly in breaking his promise to John of Gaunt and they agreed that there had been only one course open to Henry of Lancaster. He must come to England and take back what was his.

So these powerful earls of the North joined with Henry of Lancaster in a righteous course.

The next week saw the complete débâcle. Richard’s followers deserted him one by one, and they flocked to Henry’s banner. The King was at first bewildered, then resigned. What he had always feared had come to pass. The people were tired of him; they no longer loved the bright and handsome boy they had cheered so wildly at Blackheath and Smithfield. They had had enough of him and they thought that Henry of Lancaster would serve them better.

When Richard was left with but six loyal men he knew that it was only a matter of days before he was captured. He wandered from castle to castle until he came to Conway and there he rested for he had no heart to continue the futile struggle.

His old enemy Archbishop Arundel came to him there and extracted from him a promise to give up the crown.

He did so, almost with alacrity. He was tired of the crown, tired of his life. He did regret though that he was parted from his little Queen.

The young Isabella had brought him what he had lacked in his life since the death of Queen Anne. He wanted to love and be loved; and this exquisite little girl who adored him and whom he could regard as a beloved child – wife though she was to him – had supplied that.

Poor sweet Isabella what would become of her now!

As for Henry he had succeeded beyond his wildest expectations.

He had seen that Richard must give up the throne from his
own desire to do so. Henry did not want trouble which would be inevitable if Richard were forced to abdicate. Henry wanted to be persuaded to take that which his hands had itched to grasp for many years.

Richard was obstinate at first when the irrevocable step had to be taken but eventually he gave in.

There was a new King on the throne. Henry of Bolingbroke, Duke of Lancaster had become King Henry the Fourth of England.

Chapter VI

H
arry was becoming very restless in Trim Castle, for on the orders of the King, a close watch was kept on him and Humphrey. They were not allowed to ride out which was a hardship scarcely to be endured. They played games until they were tired of them; Harry made all sorts of plans for escape which Humphrey dismissed as impossible. Harry knew this too but it helped a little to plan.

Then one day when they sat idly in a corner of the room they shared, they heard the sound of footsteps coming up the steep spiral staircase; the footsteps stopped at their door and they heard the clanking of keys as the door was being unlocked.

Two of the guards came into the room. They were looking at Harry and there was a distinct change in their demeanour. Not that they had been cruel. Richard would never have wanted that. But now there was respect in the bow they gave in Harry’s direction and then in Humphrey’s.