days later began the march to London, unmarked by any special incident, except Richard's futile attempt to escape at Lichfield. Within five or six miles of the capital the mayor and citizens meet the army, and before entering the city Bolingbroke hands over his prisoner to their charge, the scene being represented in the fifteenth minia

ture.7

'Lors dist le duc Henry moult hault aux communes de la dicte ville : "Beaux seigneurs,vecy vostre roy ; regardez que vous en volez faire.” Et ilz respondirent a haute voix: "Nous voulons quil soit mene a Wemonstre." The obvious parallel between the actions of Pilate and Henry does not escape the attention of our author, who now thinks it time to return to his own country. Having seen and considered these matters, which caused me sore pain and grief at heart, and being also desirous to quit their country, we went to duke Henry, my companion and myself, beseeching him to grant us safe conduct to return to France, which he readily gave us.' Safe in France, Creton unburdens his feelings in a ballad addressed to Henry, that mirouer de traisons,' each verse of

Plate VIII, page 277

which closes with the prophetic refrain, Tu en perdras en la fin corps et ame.'

Here Creton's personal connexion with the tragedy of Richard's fall comes to an end. The rest of his chronicle in verse he compiled from the information of others, bringing it down to the restoration to France of Isabella, Richard's young queen, at the end of July, 1401. The last event which we here have to notice is Bolingbroke's claim to the crown; the particulars of which were furnished personally to the author by a certain French clerk whom Henry had taken with him into England. The scene in parliament is the subject of the last miniature :8 in the centre, the empty throne; on the left, the lords spiritual; on the right, the lords temporal, Henry in the background, again rendered conspicuous by his tall hat; in the foreground the earls of Northumberland and Westmoreland, two of the commissioners who had received Richard's surrender of the crown.

'Ainsi, comme vous avez ouy,
Fu deffait le roi ancien,
Sans droit, sans loy, et sans moyen,
Sans raison, sans vraie justice.'

8 Plate VIII, page 277.