ed back from Ireland. He was
met by the duke with a large force, which comprised 1,200 Londoners, fully
armed and horsed.(729) Finding resistance hopeless, the king made
submission, craving only that he might be protected from the Londoners,
who, he was convinced, bore him no good will. He was, in consequence,
secretly conveyed to the Tower under cover of night. Articles were drawn
up accusing him of misgovernment, and publicly read in the Guildhall. Four
of his advisers and supporters, whose names he gave up, hoping to gain
favour for himself thereby, were executed at a fishmonger's stall in
Cheapside. Sentence of deposition was passed against him, and Lancaster
proclaimed king in his stead under the title of King Henry IV.

CHAPTER X.

(M389)

The sentence passed on the late king proved his death warrant; his haughty
spirit broke down, and he died at Pontefract the following year. According
to Henry's account he died of wilful starvation. There were many, however,
who believed him to have been put to death by Henry's orders; whilst
others, on the contrary, refused to believe his death had actually taken
place at all, notwithstanding the fact of the corpse having been purposely
exposed to public view throughout its journey from Pontefract to
London.(730) This belief that Richard was still alive was fostered by
many, and, among others, by William Serle. He had been at one time the
late king's chamberlain, and he kept up the delusion of Richard being
still in the land of the living, by exhibiting the late king's signet,
which had come into his possession. Serle was eventually arrested in the
north of England and brought to London, to be executed at Tyburn.(731)

(M390)

Sixteen years later (1416), a certain Thomas Warde, called "Trumpyngtone,"
personated the late king, and a scheme was laid for placing him on the
throne with the aid of Sigismund, king of the Romans Sigismund, however,
refused to have anything to do with the plot, which was hatched within the
city's liberties by Benedict Wolman and Thomas Bekering. The conspiracy
having been discovered, its authors were thrown into prison. One died
before trial, the other paid the penalty for his rashness with his
head.(732) In August, 1420, long after Trumpington was dead, two others,
Thomas Cobold and William Bryan, endeavoured still to keep up the delusion
in the city. The mayor, Whitington, himself ordered their arrest. Bryan
had time to escape from