wn a friendly disposition towards the city, and it was mainly
owing to her intercession that Richard had restored its liberties.(723)
Her death removed one good influence about Richard, and marks a change of
policy or of character.(724) His second marriage in 1396 did not improve
matters. In that year the mayor, Adam Bamme, died in office, and instead
of allowing the citizens freely to elect a successor, he thrust upon them
Richard Whitington.(725) He arrested the Duke of Gloucester and the Earls
of Warwick and Arundel, and otherwise behaved so outrageously as to raise
doubts as to his sanity. He gave out that he was afraid to appear in
public for fear of the Londoners; but this was only a ruse for the purpose
of raising money.(726) Like Edward II, he borrowed money from anybody and
everybody, and often resorted to unconstitutional measures to fill his
purse. He made the nobles and his wealthier subjects sign blank cheques
for him to fill up at his pleasure.(727) These cheques, or "charters" as
they were called, were afterwards burnt by order of his successor on the
throne.

(M387)

A crisis was fast approaching. The Duke of Hereford, whom the king had
banished, and who, on the death of his father "time honoured Lancaster,"
succeeded to the title early in 1399, was prevailed upon to return to
England and strike a blow for the recovery of his inheritance which
Richard had seized. Richard, as if infatuated, took this inopportune
moment to sail to Ireland. Before setting out he made a last bid for the
favour of the citizens by again granting them permission to rule the fish
trade according to ancient custom.(728) It was too late; they had already
resolved to throw in their lot with Henry of Lancaster.

As soon as Henry had landed at Ravenspur (4th July) a special messenger
was despatched to the city with the news. The mayor was in bed, but he
hurriedly rose and took steps to proclaim Henry's arrival in England. "Let
us apparel ourselves and go and receive the Duke of Lancaster, since we
agreed to send for him," was the resolution of those to whom the mayor
conveyed the first tidings; and accordingly Drew Barentyn, who had
succeeded Whitington in October, 1398, and 500 other citizens, took horse
to meet the duke, whom they escorted to the city. The day that Henry
entered the city was kept as a holiday, "as though it had been the day for
the celebration of Easter."

(M388)

When Richard heard of Henry's landing he hurri