Public-domain ebook
by Jacob Abbott
Language: en6,643 downloads on Project Gutenberg
Subjects
In: History - British·History - Medieval/Middle Ages·History - Royalty
Public-domain ebook sourced from Project Gutenberg #28433.
The work is a historical narrative that traces the lineage of English monarchs from the death of Richard I through the reign and downfall of Richard II, situating the latter within the broader tapestry of medieval chivalry, feudal warfare, and dynastic intrigue. It opens with a sweeping description of the age’s knightly grandeur, then moves into a detailed chronicle that begins with Richard I’s crusades, the tumultuous succession of John, Henry III, the three Edwards, and finally the youthful accession of Richard II. The author, Jacob Abbott, structures the volume into clearly labeled chapters, predecessors, quarrels, the Black Prince, battles, coronation, insurrections, and the king’s deposition, supplemented by numerous illustrations, maps, and engravings that depict castles, battles, and period costumes, all intended to give readers a “complete picture” of the customs, ideas, and military exploits of the era.
Written in the measured, didactic prose of late‑19th‑century scholarship, the book blends factual exposition with moral reflection, offering both narrative detail and commentary on the nature of royal authority and popular obedience. Its style will appeal to readers who enjoy thorough, source‑driven histories of medieval England, especially those interested in the political and social structures of the late 1300s, the evolution of chivalric ideals, and the visual culture of the period. Students of early English history, enthusiasts of genealogical succession disputes, and admirers of richly illustrated antiquarian works will find it a rewarding, if dense, exploration of Richard II’s world.
The opening · free to read
in the Clerk's office of the District Court of the Southern District of New York.
Copyright, 1886, by BENJAMIN VAUGHAN ABBOTT, AUSTIN ABBOTT, LYMAN ABBOTT, and EDWARD ABBOTT.
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.
CONTENTS.
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