ansferred to his eldest surviving brother, John of Gaunt, Duke
of Lancaster. In 1372 the king himself set out with the flower of the
English nobility, and accompanied by a band of London archers and crossbow
men.(587) The expedition, which had for its object the relief of Rochelle,
and which is said to have cost no less than L900,000, proved disastrous,
and Edward returned after a brief absence.(588) In 1373 the city furnished
him with a transport barge called "The Paul of London." The barge when it
left London for Southampton was fully supplied with rigging and tackle;
nevertheless, on its arrival at the latter port, it was found to be so
deficient in equipment that it could not proceed to sea. The only
explanation that the master of the barge could give of the matter was that
a certain number of anchors and cables had been lost on the voyage. The
City paid twenty marks to make up the defects.(589) The year was marked by
a campaign under Lancaster which ended in the utmost disaster. The French
avoided a general action; the English soldiers deserted, and as the winter
came on the troops perished from cold, hunger and disease. By 1374 the
French had recovered nearly all of their former possessions. England was
tired of the war and of the ceaseless expenditure it involved. It was with
no little joy that the Londoners heard, in July, 1375,(590) that peace had
been concluded.

(M325)

In April, 1376, a parliament met, known as the Good Parliament,(591) and
before granting supply it demanded an account of former receipts and
expenditure. No less than three city aldermen were charged with
malversation. Richard Lyons, of Broad Street ward, was convicted with Lord
Latimer of embezzling the king's revenue, and sentenced to imprisonment
and forfeiture of goods.(592) Adam de Bury, of Langbourn ward, who had
twice served the office of mayor, was charged with appropriating money
subscribed for the ransom of the French king and fled to Flanders to avoid
trial;(593) whilst John Pecche of Walbrook ward was convicted of an
extortionate exercise of a monopoly of sweet wines and his patent
annulled. All three aldermen were deposed from their aldermanries by order
of an assembly of citizens composed of representatives from the various
guilds and not from the wards.(594)

(M326)

The guilds, indeed, were now claiming a more direct participation in the
government of the city than they had hitherto enjoyed, and their claim had
given rise