rd to appoint a new chancellor, and to place the box in his
hands. In the same summary manner the king displaced almost all the
other high officers of state, and appointed new ones of his own instead
of them. The former officers were obliged to submit, though sorely
against their will. They were powerless, for the king had now attained
such an age that there was no longer any excuse for withholding from him
the complete possession of his kingdom.

From this time, accordingly, Richard was actually as well as nominally
king of England; but still he was often engaged in contentions and
quarrels with his uncles, and with the other great nobles who took his
uncle's part.

The queen--for good Queen Anne was at this time still living--was so
gentle and kind, and she acted her part as peace-maker so well, that
she greatly softened and soothed these asperities; but Richard led,
nevertheless, a wild and turbulent life, and was continually getting
involved in the most serious difficulties. Then there were wars to be
carried on, sometimes with France, sometimes with Scotland, and
sometimes with Ireland. Richard's uncles, the Dukes of Lancaster and
Gloucester, generally went away in command of the armies to carry on
these wars. Sometimes Richard himself accompanied the expeditions; but
even on these occasions, when he and his knights and nobles were
engaged together in a common cause, and apparently at peace with each
other, there were so many jealousies and angry heartburnings among
them, that deadly quarrels and feuds were continually breaking out.

As an example of these quarrels, I will give an account of one which
took place not very long after Richard was married. He was engaged
with his uncles in an expedition to Scotland. There was a knight in
attendance upon him named Sir Miles. This knight was a friend of the
queen. He was a Bohemian, and had come from Bohemia to pay Anne a
visit, and to bring the news to her from her native land. The king,
out of affection to Anne, paid him great attention. This made the
English knights and nobles jealous, and they amused themselves with
mimicking and laughing at Sir Miles's foreign peculiarities. The
particular friends of the queen, however, took his part, one
especially, named the Earl of Stafford, and his son, the young Lord
Ralph Stafford. Lord Ralph Stafford was one of the most courteous and
popular knights in England.

In the course of the expedition to Scotland the party came t