The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1883-10-17
The Sad Story OF a Boy King.


London took holiday of the 18th of
July, 1877. There were professions of
merry makers in the streets, and the win
dows were crowded with gayly dressed
men, women and children. The great
lords, glittering in armor, and mounted
upon splendid steel-clad horses, marched
through the town. The bishops and cler-
gymen in gorgeous robes made solemn,
but not less attractive, show. The trade
guilds were out in their best clothing,
bearing the tools of their trade instead of
arms. Clowns in motley, merry-makers
of all kinds, great city dignitaries, lords
and commons-everybody, in short
made mad and merry holiday; and at
night the houses were Illuminated, and
great bon.fres were lighted in the streets
All England was wild with joy; but
the happiest person in the land was Rich
ard Plantagenet, boy eleven years of
age. Indeed, it was for this boys sake
and in his honor that all this feasting and
merry.making went on, for on that day
young Richard was crowned king of Eng
land and in those days king of England
was much more important person than
now, because the people had not then
learned to govern themselves, and the
king had powers which Englishmen would
not allow any man to have in our day.
Richard was too young to govern
wisely, and 80 council was appointed to
help him until he should grow up; but in
the mean time he was a real king, boy as
he was, and it is safe to say that he was
the happiest boy in England on that July
day, when all London took a holiday in
his honor.
But if he had known what this crown
ing was to lead to, young Richard might
have been very glad to change places with
any bakers or butchers boy in London.
The boy king had some uncles and cousins
who were very great people, and who gave
wars on his hands, too, and needed great
deal more money than the people were
willing to give him, and 30 when he grew
older, and took the government into his
own hands, he found troubles all around
him. The Irish people rebelled frequently;
the Scotch were hostile there was trouble
with Spain because Richards uncle
wanted to become king of that country
and there was standing war with France.
But this was not all. In order to carry
on these wars the king was obliged to
have money, and when he ordered taxes
to be collected the common people, led
by Wat Tyler, rose in rebellion. They
marched into London, seized the tower
and pat to death the treasurer of the
kingdom, the archbishop of Canterbury
and many other persons high in the gov
ernment. Tyler was so insolent one day
that the lord mayor of London killed
him. But the boy king-who was only
sixteen years old-seeing that the rebell
were too strong for him, put himself a
their head, and marched with them GU
OF the city, and so the king, agains
whom the rebellion was made, becam
the leader of the rebels. As soon a
matters grew quiet, however, he brok
all the promises he had made and pun
ished the chief rebels very harshly.
Not long after this one of the king
uncles made himself master of the kine
dom by force, and it was several wear
before Richard could put him out Q
power.
But the greatest of all Richards trout
les were yet to come. His cousin
Henry Bolingbroke, the son of old job
OF Gaunt, had misbehaved, and Richar
had sent him out Of England, not to r.
turn for ten years. But while Richar
was In Ireland putting down rebellio
There, Henry came back to Englan,
raised an army, and was joined by man
OF the most powerful men in the kingdom
When Richard came back from Irelan
Henry made him prisoner, and not lon
afterward the great men made up the
minds to set up Henry as the king instes
of Richard. They made Richard sign
paper giving up his right to the crow
and then, to make the matter sure, parli
ment passed law that Richard should
king no longer.
Richard was only thirty-three years OIL
when all this was done, but after so maj
troubles he might we'll have been glad
give up his kingdom, if that had been Il
end of the matter. But a king who b
been set aside is always a dangerous mi
to have in the kingdom, and it would n
DO to let Richard 60 free. He mig
gather his friends around him, and ri
trouble. So it was decided that the U
fortunate man should be shut up in
prison for the rest of his life.
But even this was not the worst of t
matter. Richard had wife, Queen Il
bella, whom he loved very dearly, and
the two could have gone away togett
into some quiet place to live they mig
still have been happy, in spite Of bel
under guard all the time. But the n
king would not have it so. He GO
orders that Richard should be shut
closely in prison, and that Isabella shol
go back to France, where Richard b
married her.
This was terrible thing for the you
man and his younger wife, who mil
have had long life of happiness still
fore them, if Richard had never beer
king. But Richard had been king
England, and so he had to give up b
his freedom and his wife.
In his play of King Richard the Seco
Shakespeare makes very touching SC