Hello everyone and welcome to the History of England, Episode 129, Dominion and Destruction.

Once upon a time, but not for many weeks, I've recommended an audio book, Curtesy of

Audible. I can recommend Audible from personal experience, it's so much more affordable

than CDs and there's just this massive range. And you can get a free audio book on a 30-day

trial or discounted membership when you follow the link from my website, thehistoryofamegland.com.

I thought I could recommend an old classic that I thoroughly enjoyed in my youth my salad days

my days of yore, the name of the rose by Umberto Eko. It's wonderfully evocative of its time in a

medieval monastery and a thoroughly good murder mystery to boot. The film was Sean Connery, that's great too.

So in 1397 Richard freed himself of the shackles of Parliament and the permanent council

and revengeed himself on the men who had humiliated him so badly all those years ago.

But he didn't free himself from his own fears and terrors and in fact his behaviour has led

historians to speculate that he may actually have gone mad. Actually it's probably not quite as

extreme as that but it's very doubtful that the revenge he visited on his enemies made him any

happier in practice. But why do I make this outrageously speculative statement about him going mad?

Well let me tell you about the Cheshire Arches. You will remember from last week the Cheshire

Arches that ringged Parliament. Richard had a connection with the area that came through his

father the Black Prince. He visited the area, he retained men into his affinity there and the

Cheshire Arches became a permanent feature of his reign. A core of them became a notorious body

guard of 300, divided into the Vigilia or Watches. There was an additional reserve that could be

called up at any time. It was essentially a private army and a private army which was on terms of

remarkable intimacy. There's a quote that survives from one of the commanders to the aloof and

distant king that goes, Dickon sleeps securely while we wake and dread nothing while we live to guard

...