Richard duke of York and the Act of Accord
A.D 1460. THE DUJTE OF TOBK CLADTS Tins CBOWir, 455
In the month of October, in the same year, the duke of
York came over fix)m Ireland ; and repairing to Westminster,
while the Parliament was there assembled, entered the upper
chamber of the royal palace^ where the lords spiritual and
teipjporal were sitting; after which, going up to the royal
throne, he cUdmed the right of sitting there as belonging solely
to himself. He then genealogically traced his lineal descent
from Lionel, duke of Clarence, to whom, as being the elder
son, he asserted that the succession to the kingdom of England
of right belonged, and not to the posterity of John, duke of
Lancaster, his younger brother, from whom king Henry was
descended ; after which, he protested that he would no longer
put up wiUi the injustice which had been done to his line for
flo many years by the three Henrys, who were only usurpers.
Immediately after this, making his way into the inner rooms
of the royal palace^ he compdled the king to remove to the
queen’sapartments, while he kimself took possession of the whole
of the king^s abode. This disturbance continued, though un-
attended by slaughter, for about three weeks, until the vigil of
All Saints ; the whole Parliament being occupied, in the mean
time, with the discussion of the genealogical question, and the
rights of the before-mentioned duke. Upon that vigil, these
differences were brought to a conclusion in the following man-
ner : the duke and his sons, Edward, earl of March, and Ed-
mund, earl of Kutland, who had both arrived at the years of
discretion, were to swear fealty to the king, and to recognize
him as king so long as he should live, the same having been al-
ready determined by Parliament. At the same time, it was
added, with the king’s consent, that as soon as the king should
have departed this hfe, it should be lawful for the said duke
and his heirs to lay claim to, and take possession of, the crown
of England. Matters being thus arranged, the duke removed
from the palace of Westminster to his mansion in London,
and left the king and his people in peace.
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