Five great peers, men whose combined power was able at any time to shake the throne,--the duke of Glocester, the king's uncle; the earl of Derby, son of the duke of Lancaster; the earl of Arundel; the earl of Warwick; and the earl of Nottingham, mareschal of England,--entered before the parliament an accusation, or appeal, as it was called, against the five counsellors whom they had already accused before the king.

The parliament, who ought to have been judges, were not ashamed to impose an oath on all their members, by which they bound themselves to live and die with the lords appellants, and to defend them against all opposition with their lives and fortunes.[*] * Cotton, p.

322.
The duke of Glocester and his adherents soon got intelligence of this secret consultation, and were naturally very much alarmed at it.

They saw the king's intentions; and they determined to prevent the execution of them.

As soon as he came to London, which they knew was well disposed to their party, they secretly assembled their forces, and appeared in arms at Haringay Park, near Highgate, with a power which Richard and his ministers were not able to resist.