The first several chapters of Richard II recap the turbulent reigns of the previous Plantagenet kings including John Lackland and the three Edwards. Several chapters are then dedicated to the Black Prince, Richard's father, who achieved great fame at the battles of Crecy and Poitiers. The reign of Richard II was most notable for the Wat Tyler rebellion and the fact of that he was eventually deposed.

PARLEY WITH THE INSURGENTS.

Preface

King Richard the Second lived in the days when the chivalry of feudal times was in all its glory. His father, the Black Prince; his uncles, the sons of Edward the Third, and his ancestors in a long line, extending back to the days of Richard the First, were among the most illustrious knights of Europe in those days, and their history abounds in the wonderful exploits, the narrow escapes, and the romantic adventures, for which the knights errant of the Middle Ages were so renowned. This volume takes up the story of English history at the death of Richard the First, and continues it to the time of the deposition and death of Richard the Second, with a view of presenting as complete a picture as is possible, within such limits, of the ideas and principles, the manners and customs, and the extraordinary military undertakings and exploits of that wonderful age.