you want to have me murdered by your brother, and my brother-in-law, and by the earls of Sar-lifbury and Kent, your nephew, with the lord de Spencer, but, if you have had any hand in this plot, it fhall end badly for you/ Richard denied any knowledge of it, faying,—c As God may help ' me, and have companion on my foul, I never be-' fore heard one word of this plot. I never looked for any change in my fituation, for I am perfectly contented with my prefent ftatc/. Nothing more palled* The king fent for the mayor of London and his particular friends, to whom he related every thing he knew or had heard of tMj§ con-ipiracy. They were gready furprifed on hearing it, and faid,-—* Sire, you muft fumftion your forces, and march inftandy againft them, before they increase more in numbers. We have made you king, and king you (hall be, in fpite of all that envy and difcontenfi tnay do againft you/ * The king loft no time in employing clerks and mefiengers to write and carry letters to the knights of his realm/ He wrote himfçlf to his conftable, the earl of Northumberland, to his marfhal, the earl of Weftmoreland, and to other great barons in Eficx and Lincoln, from whom he expefted aflift- ' ance. . All who received them taadc tiaftç to join the king. The earls of Huntingdon apd Saltfbury* and their party, determined to march to London, fof they imagined there muft be fomç of the citizens attached to king Richard, who, HSpoild givç themi fupport. In confequence, they left Colnbrook, N4 . • me- • 183