RICHARD II., king of England from 1377 to 1399, son of the Black
Prince, born at Bordeaux; succeeded his grandfather, Edward III.; during
his minority till 1389 the kingdom was administered by a council; in 1381
the Peasants' Revolt broke out, headed by Wat Tyler, as a result of the
discontent occasioned by the Statutes of Labour passed in the previous
reign, and more immediately by the heavy taxation made necessary by the
expense of the Hundred Years' War still going on with France; a corrupt
Church called forth the energetic protests of Wycliffe, which started the
LOLLARD (q. v.) movement; an invasion of Scotland (1385),
resulting in the capture of Edinburgh, was headed by the young king;
coming under French influence, and adopting despotic measures in the
later years of his reign, Richard estranged all sections of his people; a
rising headed by Henry of Lancaster forced his abdication, and by a
decree of Parliament he was imprisoned for life in Pontefract Castle,
where he died (probably murdered) soon after (1367-1400).

RICHARD III., king of England from 1483 to 1486, youngest brother of
Edward IV., and last of the Plantagenets, born at Fotheringhay Castle; in
1461 was created Duke of Gloucester by his brother for assisting him to
win the crown; faithfully supported Edward against Lancastrian attacks;
married (1473) Anne, daughter of Warwick, the King-Maker; early in 1483
was appointed Protector of the kingdom and guardian of his young nephew,
Edward V.; put to death nobles who stood in the way of his ambitious
schemes for the throne; doubts were cast upon the legitimacy of the young
king, and Richard's right to the throne was asserted; in July 1483 he
assumed the kingly office; almost certainly instigated the murder of
Edward and his little brother in the Tower; ruled firmly and well, but
without the confidence of the nation; in 1488 Henry, Earl of Richmond,
head of the House of Lancaster, invaded England, and at the battle of
Bosworth Richard was defeated and slain (1452-1485).

RICHARD OF CIRENCESTER, an English chronicler, born at Cirencester;
flourished in the 14th century; was a monk in the Benedictine monastery
of St. Peter, Westminster; wrote a History of England from 447 to 1066;
for long the reputed author of a remarkable work on Roman Britain, now
proved to be a forgery; _d_. 1401.

RICHARDS, ALFRED BATE, journalist and author; turned from law to
literature; author of a number of popular dramas