COINS FOUND ON THE FOREST, &c. 335 Though all ancient coins bear an effigy on one side, it is thought not to have been with the intention of preserving any resemblance of the sovereign whose name it bore, at least this remark applies in some cases; for, as Mr. Folkes observes, although Henry VI. became king when only nine years old, and reigned thirty-eight years, yet no difference can be observed in the impression of his face on the coin, between those minted in the early and latter part of his reign; neither was the date put on them till the time of Edward VI., 1548. Henry III. began to distinguish one king's coin from another, by placing the III. after his name, 1242; yet his successors did not adopt his improvement till Henry VII., 1504, when he coined a silver groat, bearing his head (a likeness) on one side, and the royal arms of England on the other. Sovereigns and half-sovereigns were coined in the reign of Edward VI., bearing a youthful countenance, with this motto round it, "Scutum Fidei proteget cum"-The shield of faith shall preserve him; on the reverse, a garnished escutcheon with the arms of England, with this inscription, " Edward VI. D. G. Angl. Fran. & Hib. Rex"-Edward VI., by the grace of God, king of England, France, and Ireland. From the time of Edward III. to Elizabeth, the pound sterling had been reduced to one-third of its original weight, consequently the penny was under eight grains; yet such was the attention in those times to accommodate the public with change, that there were pieces of silver current in her reign of d., d., Îd., 1‡d., 2d., 3d., 4d. (groat), 6d., and up to 5s., for people in those days expected to have real value in their coin, and therefore copper was not current. The quantity of silver coined in her reign exceeded four millions and a half sterling. The mill and screw were first adopted in coining during the Commonwealth. The first ever made was a crown piece, cut by the famous artist Simon, and bears the head of Oliver Cromwell, which, for the beauty and perfection of the workmanship, has never been equalled by any other artist since. Many silver pennies of Edward III. were found while digging a drain at the south side of the town in 1785; others were found in 1789, on the forest, of Edward the Confessor, in a high state of preservation, of which there were five varieties; one of them was made in Nottingham, and was in the possession of the late Mr. Stretton, of Nottingham, 1790. CHAPTER XVIII. The papal dominion in Europe gained its height about this time, from whence we may begin to trace its fall. The heavy pressure of this colossal sovereignty on the nations gradually diffused a spirit of resistance among kings and people. This opposition Philip le Bel began; and Wycliffe, nearly a century later, carried forward the great rebellion, which, after little more than another hundred years, was fought out triumphantly by Luther and others; but the cause of its decline lay within itself; it rose, attained its climax, and then waned to decay. John de Wycliffe was born in 1324, in the parish of Wycliffe, in Yorkshire, and studied at Queen's college, Oxford, where he was for some time divinity professor. He maintained most of those points afterwards distinguishing the Puritans. He wrote a treatise in 1356, called "The Last Age of the Church," in which he assailed the authority of the pope. A few years later he began to attack the mendicants, or begging friars, who swarmed through the land, and it was not long before he attacked the church in general, and all orders in it, enumerating in one of his works twelve orders of religious persons, beginning with the pope, and ending with the mendicants, all whom he denounces as Antichrists and proctors of Satan. This general corruption Wycliffe traced chiefly to the profusion of their wealth; his favourite topic therefore was, the recommendation of the poverty of the first teachers of the Gospel, his own example, and that of a body of disciples whom he called his poor priests, who, like himself, went about preaching the Gospel barefoot, and clothed with the coarsest attire: this conduct made a prodigious impression on the public mind. When, having been cited, he made his appearance before Courtenay, bishop of London, in St. Paul's cathedral, to defend himself against certain charges of heresy, he was supported by the duke of Lancaster, and earl Percy, marshal of England. Wycliffe translated the whole Bible into English. With his own hand he wrote, and sent a confession of his faith to the pope, and declared himself willing to defend it at Rome. A paralytic stroke terminated his life, at his rectory of Lutterworth, in Leicestershire, 31st October, 1384, aged 60 years. The doctrines of the reformation were still taught by his followers, who from this time were called Lollards by the churchmen, which means fanatics. 1376. June 18th, died Edward the Black Prince, as he was DEATH OF EDWARD III., 1377. 337 called (from the black armour he wore), the valiant son of Edward III., who was then an old man. So entirely had the nation been accustomed to look to the former as their future king, that his death seemed to toll the knell of the country's glory. From this time the people transferred their affections to Richard of Bordeaux, the only son of the late lamented prince; but he was a child only ten years of age, and his uncle, John of Gaunt, duke of Lancaster, evidently aimed at the throne. The Commons demanded, in right of the great charter, that their Speaker, Sir Peter de la Mare, who was then a prisoner in Nottingham castle, should either be liberated, or put on his trial; both requests, however, Edward III. sternly refused; and here remained the captive till the death of the king Edward III. died at Shene, 21st June, 1377, in the 65th year of his age, and 31st of his reign; and amidst much opposition from the party of the duke of Lancaster, Richard II. succeeded to the throne, and was crowned in Westminster Abbey, on the 16th of July, not being then quite eleven years old. One circumstance is remarkable as respects our history, which is, that at this coronation the ancient title of earl of Nottingham, which had lain in abeyance from the time of king John, the last earl, was now revived, and conferred upon John de Maubray, son of lord Maubray, of Axholm, by Elizabeth his wife, daughter and heiress of Margaret Brotherton, duchess of Norfolk, who was born at Epworth, the 8th day of August, 1365, and created earl of Nottingham in the year 1377. This John died without issue, scarcely eighteen years old; after whose death king Richard bestowed the earldom on Thomas Maubray, his younger brother, who was likewise immediately after, by the same king, created duke of Norfolk. He also died at London, about the feast of St. Agath, the 8th of February, 1381, the 6th of Richard II., and was buried at the Friars Carmelites, in London. young, Thomas Maubray was created earl of Nottingham the 9th of Richard II., 1382; he was hereditary earl-marshal and duke of Norfolk the 21st of Richard II., 1398. He used to style himself duke of Norfolk, earl of Nottingham, marshal of England, lord of Maubray, Seagrave, Gower, and Brews. This nobleman, soon after he was created duke of Norfolk, was banished by king Richard, with Henry of Lancaster. The cause of his banishment was (a) for that Henry, duke of Hereford, one day by chance, conferring with (a) See Peerage, Pt, I. vol. ii. p. 285, which says he was accused by Henry of Bolingbroke for words irregularly spoken of the king. Thomas, duke of Norfolk, made many complaints unto him against the king's majesty, all which being misunderstood by Norfolk, he watched an opportunity to discover all the whole matter to the king, who being very much moved at it, called duke Henry before him, who stiffly denied the accusation, pronouncing himself not guilty, and that by arms he would retort the fault upon his accuser's head. On the contrary, Maubray maintained what he had before affirmed. In the heat of this contention the day was assigned wherein the combat should be tried; but the king considering it was only for words (if any such were spoken), was advised by his council to forbid the combat; and seeing there was no certain proof in whom the fault rested, and that neither might be held free, they were both banished. Henry had most favour, for he was banished for ten years; after it was decreed but for six years, and at last, before one year came about, he was called home by the nobles, and caused to take upon him the crown; but Thomas was longer exiled, and further off, first travelling into Italy, and afterwards to Venice, where with grief he died, (a) Sept. 27th, the 1st of Henry IV. He was first married to Elizabeth Strange, August 23d; she died without issue, and was the daughter of Sir John Strange, son and heir of John, lord Strange, of Blackmere. The second lady was Elizabeth, eldest sister and co-heiress of Thomas Fitz Allan, earl of Arundel and Surrey; by her he had Thomas, earl of Nottingham, and John, duke of Norfolk; also three daughters, Elizabeth, Margaret, and Isabell. The morning after the coronation of Richard II. the prelates and barons chose a council in aid of the chancellor, amongst whom not one of the king's uncles were named. John of Gaunt withdrew to Kenilworth castle, discontented with the young king's advisers, who had taken from him the strong castle of Hereford. The truce with France was now nearly expired, and from the predatory excursions which they had made on the Isle of Man and the British coasts, a war seemed inevitable. A parliament was summoned at Westminster, to obtain from it the necessary supplies. Robertus Germayn and Willielmus Capper were returned burgesses of the town; and S. de Leek, Chevalier, and Johannes de Birton, knights of the shire. So exhausted was the treasury, that the nation was considered in the most imminent danger. Supplies were voted, and by borrowing great sums of the merchants, government was enabled to put to sea a considerable fleet, under the (a) The Peerage says he died of the pestilence at his return from Jerusalem, enumerates many posts the king employed him in, and that he was made Knight of the Garter, 19th Richard II. command of the duke of Buckingham, which was attended with indifferent success. 1378. Another parliament was summoned at Gloucester; the two former burgesses were returned from Nottingham, and John de Annesly and John Parker, knights of the shire. This parliament met in bad humour; the government wanted money, and the Commons a reform of abuses. A compromise was effected, and a new duty was laid on wool, wool felts, hides, leather, and other merchandize. In an evil hour a capitation tax was imposed, by which every person above fifteen years old was to pay three groats, but in cities and towns the aggregate amount was to be divided among the inhabitants, according to their abilities, or in such way that no individual should pay less than one groat, or more than sixty, for himself and his wife. Where there was little or no registration, endless disputes arose as to the ages of young persons, whether they were fifteen or not. The levying this awkward tax might have passed over with nothing more serious than a few riots between the people and the tax-gatherers, had it not been for other circumstances. The peasantry had been gradually emerging from slavery to freedom, and begun to feel an ambition to become men, and be treated as such by their superiors in the accidental circumstances of rank and wealth. In this transition state mistakes were fallen into, and excesses committed by both parties. Some of our historians have attributed the storm that was now gathering in England to the preaching of Wycliffe's disciples, but the great bulk of the people were still iron-collared serfs, bound to the soil, and sold or bequeathed with the estates of the landed proprietors; it is easy to see how impossible it was such a state of society could consubsist, with the faintest rays of civil liberty. But the poll-tax was the proximate cause; this was persevered in, and the obstinacy of the people kept pace with the harshness of the collectors, till at last many of the rural districts refused to pay any longer. The recusants were sorely handled by the authorities, but it only fanned the yet rising flame. Alarmed at these proceedings, the government sent out commissioners into the disturbed districts, but these were set upon and driven back; the judge Belknap was obliged to escape from the fury of the populace, who chopped off the heads of the jurors who had been empanneled to try the offenders. And now a riotous priest at the head of the commons, as they called themselves, who took the name of Jack Straw, harangued the multitude, insisting in his sermons or orations, that all men were equal before God, and ought to be so before the laws. The following is said to have been his standing text: “When Adam delved, and Eve span, |