, Adam Stable, was removed, and
Nicholas Brembre appointed in his place. A fresh election of aldermen took
place,(613) and the City did penance for the recent insult to the duke's
escutcheon by offering, at the king's confidential suggestion, a wax taper
bearing the duke's arms in St. Paul's. Even that did not satisfy him; nay,
it was adding insult to injury (he said), for such an act was an honour
usually paid to one who was dead! The citizens were in despair, and
doubted if anything would satisfy him, short of proclaiming him king.(614)

(M333)

One of the last acts of Edward was to restore the Bishop of Winchester to
the temporalities of which he had been deprived by the duke, and this
restitution was made at the instance and by the influence of Alice
Perers,(615) who within a few weeks robbed her dying paramour of his
finger rings and fled.(616)

CHAPTER IX.

(M334)

Shortly after Edward had breathed his last, a deputation from the City
waited upon the Prince of Wales at Kennington. John Philipot again acted
as spokesman, and after alluding to the loss which the country had
recently sustained, and recommending the City of London--the "king's
chamber"--to the prince's favour, begged him to assist in effecting a
reconciliation with Lancaster. This Richard promised to do, and a few days
later the deputation again waited on the young king--this time at Shene,
where preparations were being made for the late king's obsequies--and a
reconciliation took place, the king kissing each member of the deputation,
and promising to be their friend, and to look after the City's interests
as if they were his own.(617) Formal announcement of the reconciliation
was afterwards made at Westminster, and Peter de la Mare, long a prisoner
in Nottingham Castle, was set free, to the great joy of the citizens.(618)

(M335)

At the express wish of the citizens, Richard--the "Londoners' king," as the
nobles were in the habit of cynically styling the new sovereign, for the
reason that he had ascended the throne more by the assistance of the
_bourgeois_ Londoner than of the nobility(619)--took up his quarters at the
Tower, whence he proceeded in state to Westminster for his coronation.
Great preparations were made in the city to tender his progress through
the streets one of exceptional splendour. The claim of the mayor and
citizens to assist the chief butler at the banquet was discourteously
refused by Robert Belknap, Chief