Description:Shakespeare's source for his play of Richard II.
The 'black-letter' style of printing text derived from medieval manuscript style and was, by the 1580s very old-fashioned, even in England. Nevertheless it did not deter Shakespeare from reading this version before writing the plays based on this text, such as 'Richard II', described here.
Richard II. Anno Reg. 22. [22nd year of the reign of Richard II, at a time when the King is in Ireland]
[Left-hand column, Line 32 paragraph begins:]
In the meantime he sent the earl of Salisbury over into England to gather a power together, by help of the King’s friends in Wales and Cheshire, with all speed possible [so] that they might be ready to assist him against the duke [of Hereford, i.e. Bolingbroke] upon his arrival, for he meant himself to follow the earl within six days after [him]. The earl passing over into Wales, landed at Conway, and sent forth letters to the King’s friends both in Wales and in Cheshire, to levy their people and to come with all speed to assist the King, whose request with great desire and very willing minds they fulfilled, hoping to have found the King himself at Conway, insomuch that within four days space there were to the number of forty thousand man assembled ready to march with the King against his enemies, if he had been there himself, in person.
But when they missed the King there was a brute [rumour] spread amongst them that the King was surely dead, which wrought such an impression and evil disposition in the minds of the Welshmen and others that for [despite] any persuasion that the earl of Salisbury might use they would not go forth with him till they saw the king...
At length about eighteen days after [the day] the King had sent from him the earl of Salisbury he took [to] the sea, together with the dukes of Aumerle, Gloucester, Surrey and diverse others of the nobilitie, with the bishops of London, Lincoln and Carlisle. They landed near the castle of Berkeley in Wales...
Full title: Raphael Holinshed, The first and second volumes of chronicles[The thirde volume, etc.]... Now newlie augmented and continued... to the yeare 1586 by Iohn Hooker alias Vowell Gent. and others... [London] at the expenses of Iohn Harison, George Bishop, Rafe Newberie, Henrie Denham and Thomas Woodcocke, 1587.