[1] [2] His chance verelie was greatlie infortunate, which fell into such calamitie, that he tooke it for the best waie he could deuise to renounce his kingdome, for the which mortall men are accustomed to hazard [page 508] all they haue to atteine therevnto. But such misfor|tune (or the like) oftentimes falleth vnto those prin|ces, which when they are aloft, cast no doubt for pe|rils that maie follow. He was prodigall, ambitious, and much giuen to the pleasure of the bodie. He kept the greatest port, Harding. and mainteined the most plentifull house that euer any king in England did either be|fore his time or since.The noble house-kéeping of king Ri|chard. For there resorted dailie to his court aboue ten thousand persons that had meat and drinke there allowed them. In his kitchen there were thrée hundred seruitors, and euerie other office was furnished after the like rate. Of ladies, chambe|rers, and landerers, there were aboue thrée hundred at the least.Excesse in apparell. And in gorgious and costlie apparell they exceeded all measure, not one of them that kept with|in the bounds of his degrée. Yeomen and groomes were clothed in silkes, with cloth of graine and skar|let, ouer sumptuous ye may be sure for their estates. And this vanitie was not onelie vsed in the court in those daies, but also other people abroad in the towns and countries, had their garments cut far otherwise than had beene accustomed before his daies, with im|broderies, rich furres, and goldsmiths worke, and eue|rie daie there was deuising of new fashions, to the great hinderance and decaie of the common-welth.