=1404.= The olde Countesse of Oxford, mother to Robert de Vere Duke of Ireland did cause such as were familiar with her, to brute throughout all the parts of Essex, that king Richard was aliue, and that he should shortely come & chalenge his olde estate and dignitie. She caused many harts of silver, and some of golde to be made for badges, such as king Richard was wont to bestowe on his knights, Esquiers & friends, that distributing them in the kings name, she might the sooner allure the knights, and other valiant men of the Countrey, to be at her will and desire. Also the fame and brute which daily was blazed abroad by one William Serle, sometimes of K. Richards chamber, that the same King Richard was in Scotland, and tarryed with a power of French & Scottishmen, caused many to beleeue that he was aliue. This William Serle had forged a priuie Seale in the said Richards name, and had sent diuers comfortable letters vnto such as were familiar with K. Richard, by which meanes, many gaue the greater credit to the Countesse, insomuch, that some religious Abbots of that country did giue credit vnto her tales who afterward were taken at the Kings commaundement and imprisoned, because they did beleeue and giue credit to the Countesse in this behalfe, and the Countesse had all her goods confiscate, and was committed to close prison: and William Serle, was drawn from pomfret, through the chiefest Citties of England, and put to death at London.[140] =1424.= The Parliament sitting in this year “ordained that what prysoner for grand or petty treason was committed to ward, & after wilfully brake or made an escape from the same, it should bee deemed pettie treason.” Sir John Mortimer lay in the Tower, accused of divers points of treason. “Which John Mortimer, after the statute aforesaid escaped out of the tower, and was taken againe vpon the tower wharfe sore beaten and wounded, and on the morrowe brought to Westminster, and by the authoritie of the said parliament, hee was drawne to Tyburne, hanged & headed.” (Stow, Annals, p. 365.) Stow refers to Hall, who says: “In the tyme of which Parliament also, whether it were, either for deserte or malice, or to auoyde thynges that might chaunce, accordyng to a prouerbe, whiche saith, a dead man doth no harme: Sir Iohn Mortimer … was attainted of treason and put to execution: of whose death no small slaunder arose emongest the common people.”[141] =1427.= Ande that same yere a theffe that was i-callyd Wille Wawe was hangyd at Tyborne (Gregory’s Chronicle, p. 161).