12.Notes of Progress.-At this time learning was chiefly confined to the clergy，who were also the best gardeners and farmers.The nobles cared more for war and sports than for learning.Few of them could either read or write！-Books were not printed；they were written with the hand.This was the work of the monks.In every monastery there was a writing-room，where manuscripts，beautifully adorned in gold and colours，were patiently copied.The books thus produced were very costly，as much as ？40being paid for a copy of the Bible.-The population of England was only about three million，or smaller than that of London now.
a Ravenspur.-On the northern shore of the Humber in Yorkshire；5miles west of Spurn Head.
b Pon‘tefract.-Commonly pronounced Pomfret ；21miles south-west of York.c Lollards.-Literally，hymn-singers；from a German word meaning to sing.d Otterburn.-In Northumberland；20miles south-west of Alnwick.
中文阅读
1.理查德二世是黑王子之子，先王爱德华之孙，即位时年仅11岁；鉴于此，当时的国政大事皆由十二位贵族元老组成的咨议会裁决，直到国王长大成人才把统治权交给他。
2.理查德二世执政期间发生的第一件大事就是民众暴乱，为首者名叫沃尔特，即沃特·泰勒，起因是国王要对15岁以上的国民每人征收1先令a的人头税。
3.人们认为这项税金完全不公平，因为穷人与富人缴纳的是一样的金额。于是一大群的暴民在泰勒的带领下，冲入伦敦，到处焚烧贵族们的房屋，只要看上去有身份的人，一律格杀勿论。
4.次日，国王与暴乱民众在史密斯菲尔德b会面，沃特·泰勒与国王说话时极其无礼，市长大人威廉·沃尔沃思实在看不下去，拿起大棒把他从马背上打了下来。国王身边的一名骑士立即跃身上马，将他当场杀死。叛乱民众马上准备反击，这时年轻有为的理查德挺身而出，告诉民众不要在意泰勒之死，从现在开始他已经成为大家的首领，并且会按大家的期望施政掌国。
5.这一番大义凛然的演说立刻让叛乱民众平息下来，各自散去，回家了。然而理查德却并没有遵守他的承诺，数百名叛乱分子最后被活活绞死了。
6.当理查德渐渐执掌权柄之后，人们发现他是一个刚愎自用、懦弱愚蠢的国王，完全无法驾驭当时汹涌激烈的政治现实。于是国民对他的爱戴渐渐淡去，最后发生的一件事让他付出了王位与生命的代价。
7.公元1398年，赫里福德与诺福克的两位公爵之间产生了纠纷，理查德命令他们以决斗的方式解决。而当他们来到选定的决斗之地时，理查德却又禁止他们打斗，直接把他们流放，赫里福德公爵流放七年，诺福克公爵则流放终生。
8.此后不久，赫里福德公爵的父亲，即兰开斯特公爵亡故，理查德随即查封了他的所有资产。赫里福德公爵听到此消息后，出离愤怒，下定决心一定要把理查德赶下王位。不久他便带着一帮人在约克郡的渡鸦岔口c登陆，贵族阶层群起响应，很快随从人数便达到六万，浩浩荡荡开进了伦敦。
9.理查德当时还在爱尔兰，当他回国时才发现他的王国已经转入他人之手了。离开时还是英格兰国王，现如今只得投降，成了赫里福德公爵的俘虏，而此时的赫里福德公爵，也已经成了兰开斯特公爵了。公元1399年，理查德随后被押至伦敦，a 先令：英国旧制货币单位，1英镑等于20先令，1先令等于12便士。--译者注b 史密斯菲尔德：位于伦敦市中心，是著名的刑场，公元1305年华莱士就是在此地被执行死刑。同时也是闻名遐迩的比赛、集会之地，后期还成了牲口交易市场。
c 渡鸦岔口：位于约克郡内亨伯河北岸，地处斯伯恩角以西5英里。
并在那里被迫放弃了王位。之后又被囚禁在庞蒂弗拉克特a城堡，在他34岁的这一年，在此城堡被杀害。他便是安茹王朝末代帝王。
10.理查德二世是一位懦弱之君，而且是一个自私狭隘，喜怒无常的人。他喜好享乐，却毫无责任担当，他非常喜欢观赏表演，生活起居更是穷奢极欲。宫廷之中侍者有上万人，仅仅御膳房就有三百人。在他当政期间，伟大的改革家约翰·威克里夫将《圣经》翻译成了英文，他后来还有不少追随者，即罗拉德派b。
11.在他执政期间的公元1388年，发生了著名的奥特伯恩c之战，交战双方为道格拉斯家族与珀西家族。代表英格兰的珀西家族战败，成了阶下之囚，但道格拉斯本人也在此战中被杀身亡。
12.社会文明的进步--在这一时代，学术事业一般只局限在牧师阶层，他们不仅是知识分子，也是顶尖的园艺师与农夫。相对学术，贵族阶层关心更多的是打仗与狩猎。他们中几乎没人能够读书认字！那时还没有印刷的书籍，全都是靠用手抄写，这就是修道士们的工作内容之一。每一座修道院都有写作室，那些装饰得金光闪耀、五颜六色的精致手稿，就是在这里被精心抄录下来的。也正是因为如此，当时的书籍制作成本很高，一本《圣经》的价格差不多在40英镑。当时英格兰的人口总数才三百万左右，比如今伦敦的人口数量还少。
a 庞蒂弗拉克特：地处约克西南21英里。
b 罗拉德派：原词Lollards，文学作品中常写作Hymn-singers；从德语单词变化而来，意思是唱歌。
c 奥特伯恩：位于诺森白兰，地处阿尼克西南20英里。
63
THE RIOT AND DEATH OF WAT TYLER
沃特·泰勒之变
attendants，followers.collector，tax-gatherer.destruction，ruin；death.discontented，not satisfied.expenses，cost.
galloping，riding on horseback.
induced，led.
insolent，rude.
luxury，fine living.occupation，trade.oppression，harsh treatment.
polltaxt，ax at so much a head.prevented，stopped.promising，giving his word.retinue，body of attendants.violence，roughness.
1.In the old town of Dartford，in Kent，about fifteen miles from London，there lived a workman，who was called from his occupation Walter the Tyler.History has shortened this name into Wat Tyler.
2.It happened one day，when this man was engaged in tiling the roof of a house in the village，that the collector of the district came to his cottage to demand payment of a tax，which had been lately laid on the English people in order to meet the expenses of a French war.It was called the polltax，being laid on every head over fifteen years of age，and its amount was a shilling a year.It must not be forgotten that a shilling a year in the reign of Richard the Second was almost the same as a pound would be now.
3.There was a dispute about the age of a little girl，the daughter of Tyler；and when he heard of the rudeness and violence with which the collector was demanding the tax，Wat jumped off the roof where he had been at work，ran home，and struck the insolent official so violently on the head with his lathing-staff as to knock him down dead.
4.In another part of Kent a priest named John Ball had for a long time been preaching every Sunday in the open air against the luxury of the rich and their oppression of the poor.He spoke so fiercely and so often on the subject that the poor people began to look on the possessions of the rich as the property of mankind，in which they themselves ought to have a share.And so they werequite ready to join in a riot.There was a similar movement in Essex，where the leader of the people was Jack Straw.
5.All the poor and discontented people of the counties around London gathered on Blackheath，to the number of one hundred thousand men，armed with weapons of the strangest kind：rusty swords；bows cut from the yew-trees that filled the churchyards；and that favourite weapon of rustic rioters，scythe blades tied on poles.
6.To Rotherhithe on the Thames the King rowed down in his royal boat to speak with them，and to learn what they wanted.They called out that he must come ashore；but he refused，and one of his attendants was foolish enough to mock at the dress of the mob，as being unfit for a meeting with the King.
a
London Bridge was shut against the rioters by order of the Lord Mayor.
But the mob threatened to burn every house in London if the gates were not opened；and they were admitted through fear.