29. Edward, who was one of the greatest of the English sovereigns, was eminent as a warrior; and on account of his wisdom as a legislator, he has been styled the English Justinian. But he was, in disposition, a tyrant, and as often as he dared, trampled on the liberties, or invaded the property of his subjects. He was, however, admired by his contemporaries, and his barons respected the arbitrary sway of a monarch as violent and haughty as themselves. His reign was highly advantageous to the kingdom, particularly for the improvements made in the national code, and the administration of justice. He repeatedly ratified Magna Charta, and an important clause was added to secure the people from the imposition of any tax without the consent of parliament. Ever since that time, there has been a regular succession of English parliaments.

30. Edward II., surnamed of Caernarvon, from the place of his birth, soon after succeeding to the throne, in compliance with his father's dying injunction, invaded Scotland, with an army of 100,000 men, which was met at Bannockburn by 30,000 Scots, under their king Robert Bruce. A great battle ensued, in which the English sustained a more disastrous defeat, than they had experienced since the battle of Hastings.

31. Edward II., who possessed little of the character of his father, was of a mild disposition, weak, indolent, fond of pleasure, and governed by unworthy favorites, the most famous of whom were Gaveston and the two Spencers. His inglorious reign was characterized by the corruption of the court, and by contests and war between the king and the barons; and his life was rendered unhappy by a series of mortifications and misfortunes.

32. Isabella, his infamous queen, fixed ner affections, which had long been estranged from ner husband, upon Mortimer, a powerful young baron, and she, together with her paramour, formed a conspiracy agair.st the king, and compelled him to resign the crown to his son. He was then thrown into a prison, and afterwards murdered, by order of Mortimer, in a barbarous manner.

33. Edward III. succeeded to the throne at the age of 14 years. A council of regency, consisting of 12 persons, was appointed, during the minority of the king; yet Mortimer and Isabella possessed the chief control. But Edward, on coming

of age, could not endure the authority of a man who had caus ed the murder of his father, or of a mother stained with the foulest crimes. Mortimer was condemned by parliament, and hanged upon a gibbet; and Isabella was imprisoned for life at Castle Risings, and continued for 28 years a miserable monument of blasted ambition.

34. The king, soon after he was established on the throne, made war with the Scots, and defeated them with great slaughter, in the battle of Halidown Hill. On the death of Charles IV., he laid claim, in right of his mother, to the crown of France, which he attempted to gain by force of arms, in opposition to Philip of Valois, who was acknowledged by the French nation as the rightful heir. This claim involved the two countries in a long and sanguinary war.

35. After having made his preparations, Edward sailed from England with a powerful armament. His fleet, consisting of 250 sail, encountered that of France, amounting to 400 ships, off the coast of Flanders, and gained one of the greatest naval victories recorded in history. The loss of the English is stated at 4,000 men and 2 ships; that of the French, at 30,000 men and 230 ships.

36. Edward then invaded France at the head of 30,000 troops; and in the famous battle of Cressy, gained a splendid victory over Philip, the French king, who had an army of upwards of 100,000 men, and whose loss exceeded 30,000. This battle is noted not only for the greatness of the victory, but also for being the first in English history in which cannon was made use of, and likewise for being the scene in which Edward the Black Prince, the king's eldest son, then only 16 years of age, commenced his brilliant military career.— -Edward afterwards besieged and took Calais, which remained in the possession of the English till the time of queen Mary.

37. While the English monarch was in France, the Scots, under their king, David, invaded England, and were defeated at Neville's Cross, near Durham, by Philippa, Edward's he roic queen, and their king was led prisoner to London. Of the four generals under the queen, three were prelates.

38. John, who succeeded his father in the throne of France, took the field with an army of 60,000 men, against the Black Prince, who, with only 16,000 troops, gained a signal victory at Poictiers. King John was taken prisoner, and led in triumph, by the victorious prince, to London, where he was kept a fellow captive with David of Scotland.

39. Edward, in the latter part of his reign, sunk into indolence and indulgence, and experienced a reverse of fortune

and before his death, all his conquests, with the exception of Calais, were wrested from him. His son, the Black Prince, (so called from the color or covering of his armor,) falling into a lingering consumption, was obliged to resign the command of the army; and Charles V. of France, an able sovereign, recovered most of the English possessions in that country. The death of the Black Prince, illustrious for his amiable virtues, as well as for his noble and heroic qualities, plunged the nation in grief, and broke the spirits of his father, who survived him only about a year.

40. Edward was the most powerful prince of his time in Europe, and in personal accomplishments, is said to have been superior to any of his predecessors. His domestic administration was, in many respects, excellent, and advantageous to his subjects. The astonishing victories wich cast so much military splendor on his reign, and which are accounted the most brilliant in English history, appear to have dazzled the eyes both of his subjects and foreigners, who placed him in the first rank of conquerors. But his wars with France and Scotland were unjust in their object; and after having caused great suffering and devastation, he at last found that the crowns of those kingdoms were beyond his reach.

41. In this reign, chivalry was at its zenith in England; and in all the virtues which adorned the knightly character, in courtesy, munificence, and gallantry, in all the delicate and magnanimous feelings, none were more conspicuous than Edward III. and his son the Black Prince. Their court was, as it were, the sun of that system, which embraced the valor and nobility of the Christian world.

42. Richard II., the unworthy son of Edward the Black Prince, succeeded to the throne, at the age of 11 years. He was indolent, prodigal, perfidious, and a slave to pleasure. The administration of the government, during the minority of the king, was intrusted to his three uncles, the dukes of Lancaster, York, and Gloucester, whose contests embroiled all the public measures. Of these the Duke of Lancaster, John of Gaunt, or Ghent (so named from the place of his birth), was the most distinguished, and was possessed of great wealth and power; but he became unpopular, particularly with the courtiers and clergy; and he was noted for being (probably for political reasons) the protector of Wickliffe, the Reformer, whose opposition to the tyranny and corruptions

of Rome commenced in the preceding reign, and gained tim many adherents.

43. A poll-tax of three groats, imposed by parliament upon every male and female above the age of 15 years, excited universal discontent among the lower classes, on account of its injustice, in requiring as much of the poor as of the rich. One of the brutal tax-gatherers, having demanded payment for a blacksmith's daughter, whom the father asserted to be below the age specified, was proceeding to improper familiarities with her, when the enraged father dashed out his brains with a hammer. The spectators applauded the action; a spirit of sedition spread through the kingdom; and 100,000 insurgents under Wat Tyler were soon assembled upon Blackheath. But the leader was slain, and his followers were finally compelled to submit.

44. Vhile the kingdom was convulsed with domestic contests, it vas also engaged in hostilities with France and Scotland. At Otterburn was fought, between the English under Percy (surnamed Hotspur, on account of his fiery temper), and the Scotch under Douglas, a battle, in which Percy was taken prisoner, and Douglas was slain.-On this battle is founded the celebrated ballad of Chevy Chace.

45. Richard unjustly banished his cousin Henry, the eldest son and heir of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster; and on the death of the duke, he seized upon his estate but the king having afterwards undertaken an expedition to Ireland, in order to quell an insurrection, Henry, the young duke, took advantage of his absence, returned to England, landed at Ravenspur, soon found himself at the head of a numerous army, and compelled Richard, on his return, to resign the crown. The king being generally detested, the parliament readily confirmed his deposition; he was then imprisoned, and afterwards murdered.

46. The Duke of Lancaster was raised to the throne with the title of Henry IV.; though Edmund Mortimer was the true heir to the crown, being descended from Lionel, the 3d son of Edward III.; whereas Henry was the son of John of Gaunt, the 4th son of Edward III.-Hence began contests between the houses of York and Lancaster.-During this reign and the preceding one, flourished Chaucer, who has been styled the Morning Star of English poetry.

SECTION V.

BRANCH OF LANCASTER.-Henry IV.; Henry V.; Henry VI-From A. D. 1399 to 1461.

1. Henry IV., surnamed Bolingbroke, from the place of his birth, who succeeded to the throne by the deposition and murder of the lawful king, and the exclusion of the rightful heir, soon found that the throne of a usurper is but a bed of thorns. A combination was immediately formed against him. The Scots under Douglas, and the Welsh under Owen Glendower, took part with the rebels; but their united forces were defeated in a most desperate and bloody battle at Shrewsbury, and their leader, Percy [Hotspur], was killed.

2. While a subject, Henry was supposed to have imbibed the religious principles of his father, John of Gaunt, the patron of Wickliffe and his followers. But after he was raised to the throne, he made his faith yield to his interest as he needed the support of the clergy, he procured their favor by endeavoring to suppress the opinions which his father had supported; and he has the unenviable distinction of having his name recorded in history, as the first English monarch that burnt his subjects on account of religion.

3. Henry was distinguished for his military talents, and for his political sagacity; and had he succeeded to the throne by a just title, he might have been ranked as one of the greatest of English monarchs. He had been one of the most popular noblemen in the kingdom; yet, although his reign was, in many respects, beneficial to the nation, he became a most unpopular sovereign. His peace of mind was destroyed by jealousy and by remorse; he was an object of pity even when seated on the throne; and he felt the truth of the language which Shakspeare puts into his mouth; "Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown."

4. The latter part of his life was imbittered by the extreme profligacy of his son Henry, Prince of Wales. One of the prince's dissolute companions having been indicted before the chief justice, Sir William Gascoigne, for some misdemeanor he was so exasperated at the issue of the trial, that he struck the judge in open court. The venerable magistrate, mindful of the dignity of his office, ordered the prince to be committed to prison. Henry quietly submitted, and acknowledged his

error.