=1400.= After the deposition of Richard II. and the coronation of Henry IV. a conspiracy was formed to surprise Henry at a tournament to be held at Windsor in December, 1399. The plot was made known by the Earl of Rutland, one of the conspirators. Henry collected an army in London, and set out for the rebels’ camp near Windsor. The rebels retreated to Cirencester, where they were overthrown. According to the Chronicle of London (1827), Sir Thomas Blount, Sir Bennet Shelley, Thomas Wyntreshull, and about twenty-seven others, were executed at Oxford. “Afterwards was taken Sr. Bernard Brocas, Sr. Thomas Schelley, Maudelyn parson, Sr. William Fereby prest: and there were drawen, hanged, and beheded at Tyborne.” There is, however, great confusion in the various accounts. The Grey Friars Chronicle, for instance, says that Sir Bernard Brocas was beheaded in Cheapside. In Chroniques de Waurin, and in a manuscript in the Bibliothèque Nationale, is a long account of the execution of Sir Thomas Blount. Reference has sometimes been made to it as illustrating the cruelty of the times. Cruel enough they were: so cruel that there existed no need to overcharge a narrative. But this account of the execution is clearly in great part a work of imagination. Sir Thomas is represented as sitting, disembowelled, near the fire in which his bowels had been burnt, and in this condition he holds a long conversation with Sir Thomas Erpingham. Finally, the executioner asks Sir Thomas whether he would like to drink. Sir Thomas replies, “Nennil, car je ne le scauroye où mettre.”[137] The partisans of the deposed Richard refused to believe that he was dead:— =1402.= In the meane time while the kyng was thus occupied in Wales, certain malicious and cruel persons enuiyng and malignyng in their heartes that king Henry contrary to the opinion of many, but against the will of mo had so shortely obteigned and possessed the realme and regalitie, blased abrode & noised daily amongest the vulgare people that kyng Richard (whiche was openly sene dead) was yet liuying and desired aide of the common people to repossesse his realme and roiall dignitie. And to the furtheraunce of this fantasticall inuencion partly moued with indignacion, partely incensed with furious malencolie, set vpon postes and caste aboute the stretes railyng rimes, malicious meters and tauntyng verses against King Henry and his proceedynges. He beyng netteled with these vncurteous ye vnuertuous prickes & thornes, serched out the authours, and amongest other were found culpable of this offence and crime, sir Roger Claryngdon knight, and eight gray Friers whiche according to their merites and desertes were strangeled at Tiborne and there put in execution.[138] Walter de Baldocke, formerly Prior of Laund in Leicestershire, a ninth minorite friar, and a servant of Sir Roger, were also executed.[139]