m on matters of great moment. Richard did not know what
to do. He soon reflected, however, that he was completely in Henry's
power, and that he might as well make a virtue of necessity, and
submit with a good grace; so he said he would accompany the earl to
Flint Castle.

They had not gone far on the road before a large number of armed men
appeared at the road side, in a narrow place between the mountains and
the sea, where they had been lying in ambush. These men were under the
earl's command. Little was said, but Richard saw that he was a
prisoner.

On his arrival at Flint Castle,[J] Richard had an interview with
Henry. Henry, when he came into the king's presence, treated him with
all due reverence, as if he still acknowledged him as his sovereign.
He kneeled repeatedly as he advanced, until at length the king took
him by the hand and raised him up, saying, at the same time,

[Footnote J: There is some discrepancy in the accounts in respect to
the castle where this interview was had, but this is not material.]

"Dear cousin, you are welcome."

Henry replied,

"My sovereign lord and king, the cause of my coming at this time is to
have again the restitution of my person, my lands, and my heritage,
through your majesty's gracious permission."

The king replied,

"Dear cousin, I am ready to accomplish your will, so that you may
enjoy all that is yours without exception."

After some farther insincere and hypocritical conversation of this
sort, breakfast was served. After breakfast, Henry conducted the king
to a window on the wall, from which, on looking over the plain, a vast
number of armed men, who had come from London with Henry, were to be
seen. Richard asked who those men were. Henry replied that they were
people of London.

"And what do they want?" asked Richard.

"They want me to take _you_," said Henry, "and carry you prisoner to
the Tower; and there will be no pacifying them unless you go with me."

Richard saw at once that it was useless to make any resistance, so he
submitted himself entirely to such arrangements as Henry might make.
Henry accordingly set out with him on the journey to London,
ostensibly escorting him as a king, but really conveying him as a
prisoner. On the journey, the fallen monarch suffered many marks of
neglect and indignity, but he knew that he was wholly in the power of
his enemies, and that it was useless to complain; indeed, his spirit
was completely broken, and he had