Gaveston, put him to death. Edward transferred his attachment to a new favorite, Hugh le Despenser, or Spenser, a young man of a noble family, some merit, and very considerable accomplishments. His father was a person of respectable character, and being admitted to share the king's favor, Edward dispossessed some of the more turbulent lords of their estates, to bestow them upon this family. The earls of Lancaster and Hereford flew, on this, to arms. Sentence was procured from parliament of perpetual exile against the two Spensers, with a forfeiture of all their estates. At last the king took the field at the head of 30,000 men, and pressed the earl of Lancaster so closely, that he had not time to collect his forces; flying from one place to another, he was at last stopped on his way towards Scotland, and made prisoner. A court martial being summoned, he was immediately condemned as a traitor, and executed on an eminence near Pomfret, with circumstances of the greatest indignity. The Spensers now triumphed for some time over their enemies; most of the forfeitures were seized for their use, and they are said to have been guilty of many acts of rapine and injustice. But a more for midable enemy to them soon avowed herself. Queen Isabella fled to France, and refused to return to England till Spenser was removed from the court, and banished the kingdom. She was at this time carrying on a criminal intrigue with a young noble named Mortimer. Her court therefore became a sanctuary for all the malecontents who were banished, or who chose to come over; and her opposition to the Spensers made her popular in England. When she thought her plans sufficiently matured, she set sail from Dort, accompanied by a force of 3000 men. Landing without opposition on the coast of Suffolk, on the 24th of September, 1326, the people rose in one general revolt in her favor. The unfortunate king had placed some dependence on the garrison of Bristol, which was under the command of the elder Spenser; but they mutinied against their governor, and that unfortunate favorite, being delivered up, was hanged on a gibbet in his armour; his body was afterwards cut in pieces and thrown to the dogs, and his head exhibited on a pole in Winchester. Young Spenser did not long survive his father. He was taken, with some others who had followed the fortunes of the wretched king, in an obscure convent in Wales. The queen ordered him to be immediately led forth, and he was executed, ainidst the insults of herself and the populace, on a gibbet fifty feet high. His head was transmitted to London, where it was received by the citizens with brutal triumph, and fixed on the bridge. In the mean time the king, who hoped to find refuge in Wales, was delivered up to his adversaries, who conducted him to the capital amidst the reproaches of the people, and confined him in the Tower. Charges were soon exhibited against him to the parliament, alleging his incapacity to govern, his indolence, his love of pleasure, and his being swayed by evil counsellors. His deposition was quickly voted, and, a pension being assigned for his support, his son Edward, a youth of fourteen, was chosen to suc

ceed him. The queen was appointed regent during the minority. After this, we find the deposed monarch consigned successively to the custody of the earl of Lancaster, and the lords Berkeley, Mautravers, and Gournay, who were entrusted with the charge of him each for a month. While he was in Berkeley's custody, he was used with some degree of humanity; but under Mautravers and Gournay, every species of indignity was practised upon him. One day, it is said, when Edward was to be shaved, they ordered cold and dirty water to be brought from a ditch for that purpose. Taking advantage, finally, of lord Berkeley's sickness, which prevented him from attending the king, they came to Berkeley Castle and took possession of the king's person. One night, while they had him in charge, the inmates of the castle heard the most horrid shrieks, proceeding from his apartment. The next morning his dead body was exhibited, and the citizens of Bristol were called in to witness that it showed no external marks of violence. But the features of the countenance were dreadfully distorted; and these wretches were, at the time, reported to have despatched him by thrusting a red-hot iron up his body. When the ensuing revolution deprived their protectors of power, they fled the kingdom. Gournay was at last seized at Marseilles, delivered over to the seneschal of Guienne, and put on board a ship with a view of carrying him over to England; but he was beheaded at sea, by secret orders, as was supposed, of some nobles and prelates in England, who were anxious to prevent any discovery which he might make of his accomplices. Mautravers concealed himself for some years in Germany; but having rendered some services to Edward III. he ventured to approach his person, threw himself on his knees before him, and received a pardon. Mortimer, it is said, confessed, before his death, that he instigated, and Gournay and one Ogle actually committed, this murder.

By the murder of Edward II. the government fell entirely into the hands of the queen and her paramour. The parliament, which raised young Edward to the throne, had indeed appointed twelve persons as his privy council, to direct the operations of government; Mortimer excluding himself under a show of moderation: but he at the same time secretly influenced all the measures that came under deliberation. As this influence began very soon to be perceived, and the queen's criminal attachment to Mortimer was universally known, both quickly became obnoxious to the people. The first attack upon Mortimer's power was during an irruption of the Scotch, when the favorite prevented the young king from attacking the enemy. Though it is very probable that the English army would have been destroyed, by attacking the enemy in so advantageous a post as the Scotch at that time occupied, Mortimer was accused of having allowed the Scotch to make their escape: and the general disgust on this account was increased by his concluding a peace with that kingdom, by which the English renounced all title to the sovereignty of Scotland for the sum of 30,000 merks. Mortimer soon after seized and executed the earl of

Kent, brother to Edward II., who, supposing him to be still alive, had formed a design of re-instating him. The execution was so sudden, that the young king had not time to interpose in his uncle's behalf; and Mortimer soon after seized this nobleman's estate for his own use, as he did also the immense fortunes of the Spensers. Edward, finding the power of this favorite a continual restraint upon himself, resolved to shake it off. The queen and Mortimer had for some time chosen the castle of Nottingham for their residence. It was strictly guarded, and the keys of the gates were carried every night to the queen. It was therefore agreed between the king and some of the barons, who secretly entered into his designs, to seize upon them in this fortress. Sir William Eland the governor was induced to admit them through a subterraneous passage, which had been formerly contrived for an outlet, but was known only to one or two. Through this passage the noblemen in the king's interest entered the castle in the night-time; and Mortimer, without having it in his power to make any resistance, was seized in an apartment adjoining to that of the queen. The parliament, which was then sitting, condemned him, without either permitting him to make his defence, or examining a single witness. He was hanged on a gibbet at a place called Elmes, about a mile from London. A similar sentence was passed against some of his adherents, particularly Gournay and Mautravers, who escaped as above-mentioned. The queen, who was perhaps the most culpable of the whole, was screened by the dignity of her station. She was, however, deposed from all share of power; and confined for life to the castle of Risings, with a pension of £3000 a year. She lived twenty-five years after her deposition, the king paying her an annual visit of ceremony. Edward III. proved the most warlike, and one of the most successful, princes that ever sat on the English throne. He first attempted to raise Edward Baliol to the sovereignty of Scotland; but this he found impossible fully to accomplish. He next formed a project of invading and conquering France, to the sovereignty of which he pretended a right. So little success attended his first operations that, on his return to England, he found the nation very much discontented, and himself harassed by his numerous creditors, without any sufficient resource for paying them. Not dispirited, however, though disappointed, he endeavoured to divert the minds of his people from the past, by various acts of arbitrary power. Finding the tower of London negligently guarded on his arrival, he imprisoned the constable and all his inferior officers, treating them with the greatest severity. He then fell upon the sheriffs and collectors of the revenue, whom he dismissed from their employments, and appointed an enquiry into their conduct to be made by persons, who, knowing the king's humor, were sure to find every one guilty who came before them. The keeper of the privy seal, the chief justice, the mayor of London, the bishops of Chichester and Litchfield, with the chancellor and treasurer, were also deposed and imprisoned. In this career of resentment and injustice, however, he found himself opposed by

the archbishop of Canterbury, whom he had ap pointed to collect the taxes for the support of the French war. That prelate, happening to be absent at the time of the king's arrival, did not immediately feel the effects of his resentment. Being informed, however, of his humor, he issued a sentence of excommunication against all who should exercise violence against the persons or estates of clergymen, or who infringed those privileges secured by the great charter, or who should accuse a prelate of treason, or any other crime, in order to bring him under the king's displeasure. A regular combination was formed against the king by the clergy, with the primate at their head; who, to excite the indignation of the people as much as possible, reported that the king intended to recal the general pardon, and the remission of old debts, which had been granted, and to impose new and arbitrary taxes without consent of parliament. In a letter to the king, the archbishop also informed him, that there were two powers by which the world was governed, viz. the holy pontifical apostolical dignity and the regal authority; of which the clerical power was evidently the supreme, as the priests were to answer even for the conduct of kings at the last judgment; and were, besides, the spiritual fathers of all the faithful, kings and princes not excepted; having, also, a heavenly charter, entitling them to direct their wills and actions, and to censure their transgressions. On this the king resolved to mortify him, by sending no summons to him when the parliament was called: but the prelate, undaunted by this mark of resentment, appeared before the gates of the parliament-house, with his crosier in his hand, demanding admittance as the first peer of the realm. This application was rejected for two days, but at last complied with; and the parliament now seemed inclined to abridge the king's authority considerably. They began with observing, that as the great charter had been violated in many points, particularly by the illegal imprisonment of many freemen, and the seizure of their goods; it was necessary to confirm it anew, and to oblige all the chief officers of the law and others, to swear to the observance of it. It was also required that, whenever any of the great offices became vacant, the king should fill them up by the advice of his council, and the consent of such barons as should be found to be at the time in the neighbourhood of the court. They also enacted that, on the third day of every session, the king should resume all such offices into his own hand, excepting those of the justices of the two benches, and the barons of exchequer; that the ministers should for the time be reduced to private persons; that they should in that condition answer before parhament to any accusation preferred against them; and that, if they were found in any respect guilty, they should be finally deprived of their offices, and others appointed in their stead. In return for such ample concessions, the king was offered a grant of 20,000 sacks of wool; and such was his urgent necessity, that he was compelled to accept of it upon these terms. Still, however, he determined to adhere to his engagements no longer than till his difficulties were re

moved. Though the agreement, therefore, was ratified in full parliament, he secretly entered a protest, that, as soon as his convenience permitted, he would, from his own authority, revoke what had been extorted from him. This protest was afterwards confirmed by a public edict, in which he asserted, that the above statute had been made contrary to law; that it was prejudicial to the prerogatives of the crown, which he had only dissembled when he seemed to ratify it; that in his own breast he had never assented to it; and that from thenceforth it had no force or authority. This exertion of arbitrary power, which might have been expected to have ocsioned much clamor, was not taken notice of by any of the subsequent parliaments; so that in the course of two years, Edward had more than regained his entire authority, and obtained more than virtual repeal of the obnoxious statute. Having thus settled matters to his satisfaction, the king resumed his expedition against France. In his absence the Scotch invaded England, but were entirely defeated at Durham, and their king, David II. taken prisoner. Edward, in the mean time, was obtaining a succession of victories on the continent, in which his son Edward, surnamed the Black Prince, was equally conspicuous with himself. But for the wars of Edward III. and the exploits of this prince, see CRESSY, FRANCE, and SCOTLAND.

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In the first of these articles we have followed the general account of that great triumph of British valor. The following is Dr. Lingard's animated picture of the same scene: Never, perhaps, were preparations for battle made under circumstances so truly awful. On that very day the sun suffered a partial eclipse; birds in clouds, the precursors of a storm, flew screaming over the two armies: and the rain fell in torrents, accompanied with incessant thunder and lightning. About five in the afternoon the weather cleared up the sun in full splendor darted his rays in the eyes of the enemy, and the Genoese setting up three shouts, discharged their quarrels. But they were no match for the English archers, who received the volley in silence, and returned their arrows in such numbers, and with such force, that the cross-bow men began to waver. The count d'Alençon, calling them cowards, ordered his men to cut down the runaways; but he only added to the disorder. Many of his knights were unhorsed by the archers, and as they lay on the ground, were dispatched by the Welshmen, who had armed themselves with long knives for that purpose. At length the passage was cleared; the count on one side, and his colleague, the earl of Flanders, on the other, skirted the English archers, while a numerous body of French, Germans, and Savoyards, forced their way to the men at arms, under the command of the prince. The second division immediately closed for his support: but the conflict grew fierce and doubtful, and Sir Thomas Norwich was sent to request a reinforcement. Edward, who, from a windmill, watched the chances of the battle, and the movements of the armies, enquired if his son were killed or wounded. The messenger replied, 'No:' Then,' said he, 'tell Warwick that he shall have no VOL. VIII.

assistance. Let the boy wear his spurs. fie and those who have him in charge, shall earn the whole glory of the day.' This answer was hailed as a prediction of victory, and intused new courage into the combatants.

The king of France was impatient to join the count d'Alençon but the archers in his front opposed an impenetrable barrier. At each charge he lost the bravest of his attendants; his horse had been killed under him; and his friends advised him, but in vain, to retire. At length it began to grow dark: his brother and the earl of Flanders had fallen; and the battle was evidently lost, when John of Hainault, telling him to reserve himself for victory on some other occasion, laid hold of his bridle, and led him away by force. With a small retinue of five barons, and sixty knights, he escaped to the city of Amiens. The flight of Philip did not terminate the contest. Many of the French continued in detached bodies to charge their adversaries; but as their efforts were made without concert, they generally ended in the destruction of the assailants. As the darkness increased, the fight gradually ceased; the voices of men, seeking the banners from which they had wandered, were no longer heard: and the English congratulated themselves on the repulse of the enemy. The king, ignorant of the extent of his victory, ordered fires to be kindled, and forbade his men to quit their posts. Eager to testify his approbation of the prince, he sprang to meet him, and, clasping him in his arms, exclaimed: Fair son, continue your career. You have behaved nobly. You have shown yourself worthy of me and the crown.' The young Edward sank on his knees, and modestly attributed all the merit to his father.

'The darkness of the night was succeeded by a dense mist in the morning, which equally intercepted the view: and to gain information, the king sent out, before sun-rise, a detachment of 3,000 men. They soon found themselves in the midst of a body of militia from Beauvais and Amiens, which, ignorant of the preceding events, had marched all night to overtake the army. These men, unsuspicious of danger, and unprepared for battle, were massacred almost without resistance. A similar mistake proved equally fatal to the archbishop of Rouen, and the grand prior of France, with a numerous body of knights. As the day cleared, thonsands or Frenchmen were discovered in the fields, who had passed the night under the trees and hedges, in the hope of finding their lords in the morning. These, too, were butchered by the English cavalry, so that the carnage of the second is asserted to have exceeded that of the former day. At noon the king ordered the lords Cobham and Stafford to examine the field of battle. They took with them three heralds, to ascertain from the surcoats of the knights, and two secretaries to record, the names and rank of those who had fallen. In the evening they presented to the king eighty banners, and a catalogue of eleven princes, 1,200 knights, and 30,000 persons of inferior condition. A truce of three days was proclaimed, to allow the enemy time to bury their dead: and Edward assisted, in mourning,

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hopes of him in the nation; but, in proportion as he advanced in years, these hopes were blasted; and his want of capacity and judgment appeared in all his undertakings. He justly forfeited the attachment of the people, by allowing the parliament to revoke the charters of enfranchisement and pardon which had been granted; and suffering their ringleaders to be put to death without any form of trial. Among his nobles, supposing himself to be in too great subjection to his uncles, particularly the duke of Gloucester, he attempted to shake off the yoke, by raising others to a greater degree of power. His first favorite Robert de Vere, earl of Oxford, a young man of agreeable person, but dissolute in his behaviour, soon acquired an absolute ascendarcy over his mind. He first created him marquis of Dublin, then duke of Ireland, transferring to him the entire sovereignty of that island by patent. He then gave him in marriage his cousin-german, the daughter of the earl of Bedford; but soon after permitted him to divorce her for another lady, of whom he became enamoured. He became eventually the dispenser of all the king's favors to such a degree, that a conspiracy was formed against him; at the head of which were, Mowbray, earl of Nottingham, Fitz-Alan, earl of Arundel, the earls of Northumberland, Salisbury, and Warwick. Vere was impeached in parliament; and though nothing of moment was even alleged against him, he was condemned, and deprived of all his offices. The royal authority itself was another object of attack. Under pretence that the king was yet unable to govern the kingdom, they appointed a commission of fourteen persons, to whom the sovereignty was to be transferred for a year. This measure was urged forward by the duke of Gloucester, and none but his own faction were admitted as members of the commission. The king at first endeavoured to gain over the parliament to his interests, by influencing the sheriffs of each county, who were then the only returning officers. This measure failing, he applied to the judges. They declared that the commission which had deprived the king of his authority was unlawful, and those who procured or advised it, were punishable with death; but their sentence was quickly opposed by declarations from the lords. The duke of Gloucester in the meantime appealed to arms: his partisans appeared at Haringay Park near Highgate, at the head of a body of men sufficient to intimidate the king and all his adherents; and began by demanding of the king the names of those who advised him to the late rash measures. A few days afterwards they appeared armed in his presence, and accused by name the archbishop of York, the duke of Ireland, the earl of Suffolk, and Sir Robert Tresilian, one of the judges who had declared in his favor, together with Sir Nicholas Bember, as public and dangerous enemies to the state. The duke of Ireland fled into Cheshire, where he attempted to raise a body of forces; but was quickly obliged to fly into Flanders, on the arrival of Gloucester with a superior army. Soon after, the king was obliged to summon a parliament, where an accusation was drawn up against five of his counsellors. Of these, only Sir Nicholas Bember was present;

and he was quickly found guilty, condemned, and executed, together with Sir Robert Tresilian, who had been discovered and taken during the interval. Lord Beauchamp of Holt also was soon after condemned and executed; and Sir Simon Burley shared the same fate, though the queen continued for three hours on her knees before the duke of Gloucester, imploring his pardon. Such unparalleled insolence in a subject could not pass unpunished. In 1389, the king, at an extraordinary council of the nobility assembled after Easter, desired, to the surprise of all present, to know his age. Being told that he was upwards of two and twenty, he alleged that it was then time for him to govern without help; and that there was no reason why he should be deprived of those rights which the meanest of his subjects enjoyed. The lords answered, in some confusion, that he had certainly an undisputed right to take upon himself the government of the kingdom. 'Yes,' replied he, 'I have long been under the government of tutors; and I will now first show my right of power, by their removal.' He then ordered Thomas Arundel, whom the commissioners had lately appointed chancellor, to give up the seals; which he next day delivered to William Wickham, bishop of Winchester. He next removed the duke of Gloucester, the earl of Warwick, and other lords of the opposition, from the council; and all the great officers of the household, as well as the judges. The king being thus left at liberty, rapidly advanced for some time in the affections of the people. It does not appear indeed, that he ever gave them cause of complaint; but a severe and vigorous administration was the great requisite at this period, and this demanded an energy of mind which Richard did not possess. The duke of Gloucester frequently spoke with contempt of his person and government, and suggested the lawfulness of throwing off all allegiance to so pusillanimous a prince. The king being informed of his conduct, at last formed a resolution of ridding himself of him. He ordered him to be arrested, and sent over to Calais, where there was no danger of his being rescued by his numerous adherents. The earls of Arundel and Warwick were seized at the same time; and a new parliament, which the king knew would be obedient to his will, was summoned at Westminster. Here the commission of fourteen, who had usurped the royal authority, was annulled for ever; all those acts which had condemned his former ministers were repealed; and the general pardon, which the king had given, when he assumed the government into his own hands, was revoked. Several of Gloucester's party were condemned and executed, and at last that nobleman himself was called to take his trial; but he had before been privately dispatched! After the destruction of the duke of Gloucester and the heads of his party, a misunderstanding arose among the noblemen who had joined in the prosecution. The duke of Hereford appeared in parliament, and accused his grace of Norfolk of having spoken seditious words against the king. Norfolk denied the charge, gave Hereford the lie, and offered to prove his innocence by single combat. The challenge was accepted; but on the day appointed for the duel, the king