He left a son behind
him, young Richard Andrew, who must have found himself in sorry
plight when he came to take up his patrimony and enter upon his
inheritance. Those were not the days when the weak man and the beaten
man excited much pity in England. No! they were _not,_ whatever
sentimental people may say who maunder about the ages of faith and
refresh themselves with other such lackadaisical phrases. So, poor
Richard being down in his luck, John Bonington, acting for Henry,
Earl of Lancaster, [Footnote: His son and heir, Henry, Earl of Derby,
was created _Duke_ of Lancaster in 1351.] the lord of the manor,
put the screw on, and boldly claimed a heriot from the young man as
the right of the lord. Richard disputed the right, and protested that
his land was not _heriotable._ Bonington pleaded his _might_
in a very effectual way, and took his heriot--to wit, the best horse which
Richard had in his stable, the best and probably the only one.
Then Richard appealed to the homage. The homagers were
afraid to give a verdict against the steward, and timidly objected
that all Richard's evidences had been burnt in the fire. Bonington
trotted off triumphant, leaving Richard to his bitter wrath. Six
years went by, and the plague came. It fell upon the district round
with terrific fury, and the people died in that dreadful April, 1349,
as the locusts die when the hurricane drives them seaward, and they
rot in piles upon the shore.
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