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1、MENOFIRONMENOFIRONbyErnieHowardPyle1MENOFIRONINTRODUCTIONTheyear1400openedwithmorethanusualpeacefulnessinEngland.Onlyafewmonthsbefore,RichardII--weak,wicked,andtreacherous--hadbeendethroned,andHenryIVdeclaredKinginhisstead.Butitwasonlyaseemingpeacefulness,lastingbutforalittlewhile;forthou
2、ghKingHenryprovedhimselfajustandamercifulman--asjusticeandmercywentwiththemenofironofthosedays--andthoughhedidnotcaretoshedbloodneedlessly,thereweremanynoblefamilieswhohadbeenbenefitedbyKingRichardduringhisreign,andwhohadlostsomewhatoftheirpowerandprestigefromthecominginofthenewKing.Among
3、thesewereanumberofgreatlords--theDukesofAlbemarle,Surrey,andExeter,theMarquisofDorset,theEarlofGloucester,andothers--whohadbeendegradedtotheirformertitlesandestates,fromwhichKingRichardhadliftedthem.TheseandothersbrewedasecretplottotakeKingHenry'slife,whichplotmighthavesucceededhadnotoneo
4、ftheirownnumberbetrayedthem.TheirplanhadbeentofallupontheKingandhisadherents,andtomassacrethemduringagreattournament,tobeheldatOxford.ButHenrydidnotappearatthelists;whereupon,knowingthathehadbeenlodgingatWindsorwithonlyafewattendants,theconspiratorsmarchedthitheragainsthim.Inthemeantimeth
5、eKinghadbeenwarnedoftheplot,sothat,insteadoffindinghimintheroyalcastle,theydiscoveredthroughtheirscoutsthathehadhurriedtoLondon,whencehewaseventhenmarchingagainstthemattheheadofaconsiderablearmy.Sonothingwasleftthembutflight.Somebetookthemselvesoneway,someanother;somesoughtsanctuaryhere,s
6、omethere;butoneandanother,theywereallofthemcaughtandkilled.TheEarlofKent--onetimeDukeofSurrey--andtheEarlofSalisburywerebeheadedinthemarket-placeatCirencester;LordLeDespencer--2MENOFIRONoncetheEarlofGloucester--andLordLumleymetthesamefateatBristol;theEarlofHuntingdonwastakenintheEssexfens
7、,carriedtothecastleoftheDukeofGloucester,whomhehadbetrayedtohisdeathinKingRichard'stime,andwastherekilledbythecastlepeople.Thosefewwhofoundfriendsfaithfulandboldenoughtoaffordthemshelter,draggedthosefriendsdownintheirownruin.Justsuchacasewasthatofthefatheroftheboyhe
