rther ceremonies took place. Representatives of
the various wards were told off to line the streets, the solemnity of the
occasion being marked by the burning of torches, whilst chaplains stood in
the porches of the various churches, clad in their richest copes, with
thuribles in their hands, and chanted the _venite_ and incensed the royal
remains as they passed. The livery companies provided amongst them 211
torches, and to each torch-bearer the city chamberlain gave a gown and
hood of white material or "blanket" (_de blanqueto_), at the "cost of the
commonalty." (800)

CHAPTER XI.

(M424)

At the death of Henry V the administration of affairs fell into the hands
of his two brothers, John, Duke of Bedford, and Humfrey, Duke of
Gloucester. On the 29th September a writ was issued from Windsor, in the
name of the infant on whom the crown of England had devolved, summoning
four citizens of London to attend a parliament to be held at Westminster
at Martinmas,(801) and two days afterwards another was addressed to the
sheriffs of London, enjoining them to make proclamation for the keeping
the king's peace, and authorising them to arrest and imprison rioters
until the king and his council should determine upon their
punishment.(802) The precise wishes of the late king as to the respective
parts which Bedford and Gloucester were to undertake in the government of
the realm are not clearly known, but it is generally thought that he
intended the former to govern France, whilst the latter was to act as his
vicegerent in England. An attempt to carry out the arrangement was doomed
to failure.

As soon as parliament met (9 Nov.) it took into consideration the
respective claims of the two dukes. Bedford had already (26 Oct.)
despatched a letter from Rouen, addressed to the civic authorities,
setting forth his right to the government of the realm, as elder brother
of the deceased sovereign and as the party most interested in the
succession to the crown. Without mentioning Gloucester by name, he warned
the citizens against executing orders derogatory to himself. He professed
to do this, not from any ambitious designs of his own, but from a wish to
preserve intact the laws, usage and customs of the realm.(803) After some
hesitation, parliament resolved to appoint Bedford protector as soon as he
should return from France, but that during his absence Gloucester should
act for him.(804)

(M425)

On the 8th February of t