became of age, he was disgraced
and dethroned on account of his vices and crimes.

CHAPTER VIII.

CHIVALRY.

A.D. 1378-1380

Edmund, Earl of Cambridge.--Thomas of Woodstock.--Richard's young
cousin, Henry of Bolingbroke.--A boy king in France.--Richard and
Henry Bolingbroke.--French incursions into the Isle of Wight.--Curious
story of the Scotch borderers.--Their strange ideas of the grace of
God.--Nature of the royal government.--The House of Commons.--Luxury
and extravagance of the nobility.--Wars.--Modes of
warfare.--Mining.--Besieging engines.--The Duke of Lancaster's
sow.--Gunpowder.--Story of the Welsh knight, Evan.--Siege of
Mortain.--Situation of the castle.--Evan's hostility to the
English.--Hatred of the English against Evan.--John Lamb.--John Lamb
arrives at Mortain.--His reception by Evan.--State of the
siege.--Curious manners and customs.--John Lamb accomplishes his
purpose.--Death of Evan.--Interview between John Lamb and the
governor of the castle.--The knights loved fighting for its own
sake.--Their love of glory.--Story of De Langurant.--His men.--He
challenges the governor of the castle to single combat.--Encounter
of the knights.--Use of lances.--Manner in which such combats were
fought.--Result of the combat between De Langurant and Bernard.--De
Langurant refuses to surrender.--His fate.--Intolerable tyranny of
the nobles in those days.--Oppression of the tax-gatherers.--Richard's
helplessness.

Besides his uncle John, Duke of Lancaster, Richard had two other
uncles, who each acted an important part in public affairs at the
commencement of his reign. They were,

1. His uncle Edmund, who was the Earl of Cambridge, and
afterward Duke of York. Of course he is sometimes called, in
the histories of those times, by one of these names, and
sometimes by the other.

2. His uncle Thomas. Thomas was born in the palace of
Woodstock, and so was often called Thomas of Woodstock. He
was the Earl of Buckingham, and afterward the Duke of
Gloucester.

Besides these uncles, Richard had a cousin just about his own age, who
afterward, as we shall see, played a very important part indeed in
Richard's history. This cousin was named Henry Bolingbroke. He was the
son of Richard's uncle John, the Duke of Lancaster. He and Richard
were now both about eleven years of age; or rather, Richard was
eleven, and his cousin Henry was about ten.

Of course, Richard was alto