Speaker in full
Parliament. He issued his rigid "constitution" against the Lollards in
1409; and he was the principal agent in the persecution of Lord Cobham.
He died February 20th, 1414, lingering for a few days after a paralytic
stroke, as stated in the story. His age was 61. The mantle of this
cleverest man of his day--clever for evil--descended, a hundred years
later, upon Stephen Gardiner. Any believer in transmigration could feel
no doubt that the soul of the one man inhabited the other.

CAMBRIDGE, RICHARD PLANTAGENET, EARL OF ("DICKON").

Third and youngest child of Edmund Duke of York and his first wife
Isabel of Castilla: born at Conisborough Castle, Yorkshire, whence,
according to the custom of his time, he was usually known as Richard of
Conisborough. The only record extant of his father's visiting the
castle is a charter dated thence, September 11th, 1376. (_Rot. Pat_.
50 E. III, Part 2.) This is probably therefore about the time of
Richard's birth. He was left in England with his sister during the
eighteen months (May, 1381, to October, 1382) which his parents spent in
Portugal. His mother, dying in 1393, bequeathed him to the care of King
Richard the Second, who had been his godfather, though the King was only
nine years older than his godson and namesake; and she constituted his
Majesty her residuary legatee in trust for her son, desiring that he
would allow him 500 marks annually for life. This sum would be
equivalent now to about 6,500 pounds per annum. So long as King Richard
was in power, the money was paid faithfully, 100 from the issues of the
County of York, and 233 pounds 6 shillings 8 pence from the Exchequer.
(Lansd. _Ms_. 860, A, folio 274; Nicolas' _Test. Vet_, i. 134; _Rot.
Pat_. 16 R. II, Part 3.) During the sanguinary struggles between King
Richard and his cousin Henry the Fourth, nothing is seen of Richard of
Conisborough. He was not with the King in Ireland nor at Conway,
neither does he appear in Henry's suite. He probably kept himself very
quiet. When his brother and sister were imprisoned in 1405 for the
attempted rescue of the Mortimers, no suspicion fell on Richard.
Whether he was really concerned in the plot can only be guessed. In
1406 he was chosen to escort the Princess Philippa to Denmark, and on
account of his poverty a grant was made to cover his expenses. The
poverty was no great wonder, for though a show of confirming his royal
godfather's grant had b