some one over a feeble prince. The con- the necessities of war, seized on the reveduct of queen Isabella, though it cannot be nues of Cornwall which had been granted justified on any supposition, will be aggra- to Isabella. In the next year, the king was vated or extenuated by the judgment which persuaded, by suggestions from Paris, to the reader may form on charges made by send her to France to negotiate a peace ancient writers against Edward, to which with her brother. She concluded a treaty nothing but historical justice could war-so humiliating for Edward, that he seemed rant an allusion.* The very prevalence of to be the only man in the kingdom willing such rumors was enough to produce alien- to ratify it. The French government ination and disgust in a youthful beauty, long sinuated that the terms of this compact before the appearance of those feelings might be rendered milder, and therefore could be justly ascribed to deep design or more durable, by a grant from Edward of criminal animosity. his French territories to Edward prince of

As Isabella had early murmured at the Wales, then in the 13th year of his age, favor of Gaveston, so she complained, wheth- who, with less loss of dignity than his father, er sincerely or not, of harshness from the might do homage for these still considerSpencers, and appears to have had hitherto able dominions. This project was eagerly no political connexion but with the unfor- adopted. Edward shrunk from prolonged tunate earl of Lancaster, of whose follow-war. The Spencer administration was too ers Roger de Mortimer was the surviving unpopular needlessly to risk it. Charles chief. Undoubtedly, however, she sought of Valois probably expected influence over an escape from her husband. The court the young duke of Guienne, or rather an of her brother at Paris was her natural ref- easy conquest of that long coveted province. uge. In the course of various disputes be- Isabella, perhaps, expected to reign at Bortween the two courts, that monarch required deaux under the name of her son; and she homage and fealty for Guienne, which Ed- might hope to grant a safe asylum to the ward declined or evaded. A rupture be- emigrants, or even to obtain her brother's tween England and France was the conse- aid against the Spencers, whom she conquence. Mortimer escaped from the Tower, sidered, or at least represented, as having where he had been confined since the bat-obtained her husband's consent to make tle of Boroughbridge, and joined the Eng-away with her and her son. It is hard to lish malcontents at the court of France. determine whether the truth or falsehood Roger Mortimer lord Wigmore being con- of her allegations be most agreeable to the fined in a high and narrow turret with his manners of the age in which she lived. uncle and several of their noble adherents, She was, however, desirous of remaining effected his flight in a singular manner, and abroad. Whether she had then entertained was said to have administered a soporific a passion for Mortimer must also remain draught to Seagrave constable of the Tower, for ever doubtful; for their apparent intiand to many of the garrison. He broke macy was the inevitable result of their pothrough a wall to a kitchen of the neigh-litical connexion. There is nothing, howboring palace, and, being supplied with a ever, in the known morality of princesses ladder of ropes, he climbed by the chimney in any age which can exempt an alienated to the top, and passed two sentinels without and enraged queen from the suspicion of alarm. With difficulty he escaped observa-seeking consolation in amours. tion till he reached the Thames, where he The queen, after having affianced her found a slight wherry by which he crossed son to Philippa of Hainault, landed with a the river, and hastened to the coast, when small force at Orwell in Suffolk, on the 22d he easily procured a passage to France. of September, 1326, where they were joined "There he long remained," says a contem- by the most potent barons, and welcomed porary writer, "expecting a reconciliation with general applause. In vain the king with the king." Roger, his uncle, worn offered a reward of a thousand pounds for down by the horrors of a five years' jail, the head of Mortimer. He was deserted expired at the end of that rigorous impris- by all: even his brother the earl of Kent onment. Seagrave was prosecuted for the joined the queen. Attended only by young escape; but it appearing that he was duped Spencer and Baldock, he flew into the west by a valet who had administered the opiate, for a short refuge. The queen's army rehe suffered no other punishment than the duced Bristol; and the elder Spencer, then forfeiture of his lands and tenements. His of the age of ninety, the governor of that trial before the king's council bears a cer-city, was hanged, by her command, before tain likeness to a modern impeachment. the castle of Bristol, and within sight of Meanwhile the ministers, the Spencers, and Baldock the chancellor, under pretence of

* Froissart, c. 17.-Hemingford, lib. iii. c. 13. Blandeford apud Palgrave, 362.

+ Walsingham.

§ Omnes fere majores regni occurrerunt eis læti in auxilium propter odium in consiliaros regis.→ Knighton.

the king and of Sir Hugh Spencer the other; and cruelties in civil war ought to younger. Stapleton bishop of Exeter, to have been punished by a tribunal more inwhom London was intrusted, was dragged nocent of such atrocities than his conquerby the citizens into Cheapside, and torn to ors. It is, however, probable, from the unipieces, with those outrages to his remains versal testimony of historians, that if his which often aggravate popular excesses. judges had been at leisure for such inquiThe king, attended only by young Spencer ries, they would have found acts of illegal and Baldock, made his escape from the cas- oppression which would have warranted tle of Bristol, with the hope of refuge in their judgment.

the inaccessible isle of Lundy. But there On the 1st of January, 1327, when the was no longer any asylum for the wretched parliament assembled at Guildhall, under a prince in his late dominions. The little prorogation which Edward was made to vessel, after beating about for eleven days, direct at Ledbury in October, their first act found means to land him in Glamorgan- had been to swear to defend the queen and shire, the lordship of the younger Spencer, the duke of Aquitaine against Sir Hugh le where he spent a short time. The prelates Despenser, Robert Baldock, and their adheand barons of the queen's party, assembled rents. The king continued at Kenilworth at Bristol, meanwhile declared, that as the during the whole month; and it was reportking, accompanied by Hugh Spencer the ed to parliament, by a committee who proyounger, Robert Baldock, and other ene- fessed to have had an audience of him, that mies of the kingdom, had, on the 26th day he had declined to comply with the petition of October, withdrawn from the realm, and of that assembly, that he would be graciousthereby left it without a government, the ly pleased to return to his capital to confer lords there met had with one voice chosen with the three estates on the arduous afEdward duke of Aquitaine to be guardian of fairs of the realm. The parliament apthe kingdom, and that the said duke should, pear not to have regarded the king as dein his father's name and on his behalf, posed till the 24th or 25th of January, rule and govern the realm during the king's when they resolved that Edward the king's absence and that, on the 20th of Novem- son should be crowned, because the king ber following, the said public enemies being was incapable of government, and had altaken, and the king having returned to his ways been misled by evil counsellors; bekingdom, had consented, after some deliber- cause by his cruelty and cowardice he had ation, to surrender the great seal to queen done all that in him lay to ruin his country, Isabella and the duke of Aquitaine, to provide and was notoriously incorrigible and incafor the good government of the monarchy. pable of amendment. Three bishops, two In the interval, the king, after a vain effort earls, two barons, two abbots, and two justo raise an army in South Wales, was obliged tices, and (as some add) knights, citizens, to send envoys, or rather messengers, to im- and burgesses, were sent to announce this plore mercy from Isabella and her son. We determination to the imprisoned king. Wiltrace his footsteps in captivity by writs bear- liam Trussel, as speaker of the whole paring date at Ledbury on the 30th of November, and at Kenilworth on the fifth of December; for it was still thought convenient to use his hand for such purposes.

liament, appeared at the head of the deputation, and addressed Edward in these words :-"I William Trussel, on behalf of the whole people of England, and authorSpencer the younger held out the castle ized by the parliament, do hereby withdraw of Caerphilly, but was, in no long time, the fealty and homage sworn to you. I no made prisoner and brought to a sort of trial longer am bound in faith to you, and I deat Hereford, where the queen" then kept prive you of all royal power and dignity. the festival of All-Saints with much roy- We claim and hold nothing from you as alty." He was charged with returning king; and in all time to come declare you to the kingdom after he had been banished to be a mere private person."||

EDWARD III., 1327-1377.

in parliament; with having caused the earl of Lancaster and the most illustrious of the nobility at Pomfret castle to be put to death; with having favored the king of Scots, and occasioned the defeat of Bannockburn; with UNDER this fair semblance of popular having excited differences between the king principles and parliamentary order, crimes and queen, and by bribes procured her be- of a black and base sort were meditated, ing sent out of France. Most of these which have justly disposed posterity to disaccusations were common railing, some regard the forms of liberty under color of incredible, others inconsistent with each which they were perpetrated. No expe

Rym. ii. Pars. i. 646. † Dugd. Baron. i. 395.

Palgrave, Chronol. Abst. E. ii. 457. § Walsingham. Fœd. i. Pars i. 650.

dient had yet been suggested for recon-ferings so dreadful cannot be disregarded ciling an inviolable king with an account- in the estimate of his character.* able government. The terrible revenge Edward was only fourteen when "his of victors in civil wars was generally most peace was proclaimed at Westminster," in signalized by the monarch, who began to consequence, as it was said, of the volunbe intoxicated by dreams of the divine tary abdication or self-exclusion of his origin of his authority. Any mode of father. Isabella and Mortimer reigned death, however barbarous and agonizing, under his name. Their connexion had was inflicted on a vanquished king, which, doubtless made more advances towards ilby leaving no outward marks of violence, licit intimacy; the leader of the victorious gave the regicides more reasonable hopes insurgents became rather the master than of impunity in all the changes and chances the counsellor of the frail princess, and the of political affairs. union between them was cemented by those Edward II. remained at Kenilworth du- common interests and dangers which had ring the spring of 1327; probably with led both parties beyond the limits of safe some suitable degree of regal dignity, separation. Isabella was now too much in though that noble residence was then far the power of Mortimer not to connive at from the magnificence which it afterwards his deeds, and therefore justly to incur a attained. He entreated Isabella to return large share of their obloquy. An open asto his society; on all suppositions a most sumption of regal authority mortified the singular request, and, whatever degree of vanity of those barons whose ambition blame she had incurred, almost equally might have been easily lulled by more desure of rejection. He was then committed cent pretexts. The administration, which to the custody of Gournay and Mautravers, continued about four years, became unpopsufferers in the cause of the earl of Lan- ular by their concessions to the Scots, and caster, and not likely to be scrupulous in by the renunciation of superiority over that the means of avenging his death. They kingdom, which were really commendable are said to have first tried the effect of irri- acts of moderation. How far the licentious tation and insult in breaking his heart or manners of the queen and her paramour turning his head; but ignorant as they rendered their government more generally were, they must have known that such a unacceptable, may perhaps be doubted in mode of murder was the most uncertain an age when such vices must have been and the most liable to interruption of any scarcely known to an ignorant people, and that could be devised. If they were brutal, could not be sincerely blamed by a profliit was more from nature, and prejudice and gate nobility. Henry earl of Lancaster, revenge, than as the means of destruction. the nephew of Edward I., together with He was carried about to Corfe, Bristol, and Edmund earl of Kent, and Thomas of Berkeley castles, as if Mortimer or Isa- Brotherton, earl marshal, the king's uncles, bella had not entirely vanquished the fears, began to betray an indignation against the if they had no compunctions, with which encroaching spirit of Mortimer, which had they contemplated his fate. On the night slumbered during the perpetration of that of the 20th of September, 1327, he is said chieftain's crimes. These three princes, to have been murdered by his ruthless who had been nominated members of the keepers at Berkeley castle, which still regency established during the minority, continues, perhaps, the finest specimen of saw their power reduced to a vain formality the smaller castellated architecture, and by the dictatorship of Isabella and Mortiwhere the apartment, with its original fur-mer. Lancaster was with difficulty preniture, believed to be the scene of the as- vented from striking a blow against Morsassination, may yet be seen. It has ever timer, now raised to the dignity of earl of since been believed that the assassins in- March. Edmund of Woodstock and Thomas troduced a red-hot iron into his bowels of Brotherton, alarmed at the sound of apthrough a pipe, which prevented any ex-proaching war, made their peace with ternal signs appearing to betray the dread- Mortimer. Lancaster was obliged to be ful agonies which they had inflicted. By a

* Warrant for payment of two hundred pounds

benevolent establishment of nature, these to T. de Berkeley and John Mautravers for the exmodes of death are often more terrible to penses of "the lord Edward, late king of England, those who see or hear of them than pain- our father." July 5. 1327.-Fadera, ii. 708. new edition. ful to the sufferers, who are commonly Gloucester for the expense in the burial of the late Grant to the abbot and monastery of St. Peter at more rapidly relieved by death than enter-king and for masses to be celebrated by him. Febed into the contemplation of the murderer.ruary 28. 1328.-Rym. ii. 729. Pardon of John de Mautravers of all offences against the peace of the He was buried in the abbey church of late king 13th of April, 1329.-Rymer, ii. 760. Gloucester, without any tribute of pity or "Le Sire Edward n'adgi roi d'Ingleterre, s'en est regret from the people, whose unrelenting 684. ouste del governement." Jan. 24. 1327.-Rymer, ii. indifference to such a fall and to royal suf- Dugdale, i. 778.

satisfied with a vague promise of redress | This potent baron was executed at Lonof his wrongs in parliament. The earl of don on the 29th of November. It is said, Kent, who had with equal levity espoused in the rolls of a subsequent parliament, and deserted the cause of the barons, de-"that he had acknowledged his share in ceived by a report that his brother Edward the murder of the king before his own exeII. was still alive, wrote a letter to that cution;"-a very vague statement, which prince, which the governor of Corfe castle, seems chiefly valuable as a strong prewho had undertaken to deliver it, immedi-sumption that no witnesses were produced diately betrayed into the hands of the earl against Mortimer. The historical evidence, of March. He without delay assembled a however, against Mortimer chiefly depends parliament, to which he inveigled the on the improbability that the murder should young prince, who was convicted of treason then have been committed without his comon the 16th of March, and executed on the mand or consent, without the privity of 19th of March, 1330. Tales of the escape others, and without being really notorious of princes thought to be murdered have al- in the space of five years. His criminality ways been greedily swallowed when a na- and that of Isabella, even if the latter was sion, uninformed respecting all facts, is suspected of being no more than conniprone to receive all rumors. The destruc-vance, throws the darkest shade over their tion of Kent was probably intended to show former conduct. The allotment of a due that there was no one too high to be struck share of guilt to each party becomes one down by Mortimer. But the spring was of the most arduous duties of an historian, strained beyond its strength, and the earl especially relating to an age when the eviof March fell a victim to his daring experi- dence is so scanty, and, where the depravity ment. A parliament was holden at Not- is so general that he is little helped by a tingham, to which the queen and Morti- comparative estimate of character. mer repaired with guards both for state The queen-mother was saved from death and safety. They occupied the castle, of only by a regard to royal blood. She was which he himself received the keys every adjudged to have forfeited her lands. She evening after the gates were shut. The remained under a respectful custody at enemies of Mortimer, however, who pro- Risings for the remaining twenty-seven fessed to deliver the young king from bon-years of her life, with no other appendage dage, found means to gain admission by a of her station than a yearly visit of ceresubterranean passage into the fortress, and mony from her son.

presenting themselves at midnight to the The six years which succeeded the bitter culprits, brought Roger de Mortimer pris- produce of minority and civil war, were oner to London, where he was impeached chiefly occupied by Edward in an attempt for having "accroached" or assumed the to restore the house of Baliol to the throne royal authority, which the parliament had of Scotland, and to re-establish the vassalcommitted to ten lay lords, and four prelates; age of that monarchy. In spite of the long that he had placed and displaced ministers minority and degenerate feebleness of at his pleasure, and set John Wyard to be David Bruce, the Scots preserved their a spy on all the words and acts of the king; national existence; an event which was for having removed the late king, for whom scarcely possible, had not the power of the estates of the realm had provided a Edward been diverted from Scotland to princely retirement in the castle of Kenil-more vast and alluring objects of ambition. worth, to Berkeley castle, where Mortimer On the extinction of the male descendants caused that royal person to be traitorously of Philip the Fair, the crown of France murdered; for having inveigled, by false became the object of contest between Edrumors of the life of the murdered mon- ward the son of Philip's daughter Isabella, arch, the young earl of Kent into a pre- and Philip of Valois the son of the brother tended treason, for which, by his usurpa- of Philip. The question between them tions of regal authority, he procured the parliament of Winchester to put to death ation of regal power, is to be found in the Rolls of that unfortunate prince. The lords found deserves attention that Mautravers, one of the regiParliament, ii. 52. &c. Knighton is less exact. these articles of impeachment, especially cides, was condemned and executed for having misthose relating to the assassination of Edward led Edmund of Woodstock by false reports of the late king's life, whom "Mautravers knew to be II., to be "notoriously true, and known to alive." Rot. Parl. ii. 53. Gournay, the other, was them and all the people," which seems to surrendered in Spain to messengers who had inpurport that their judgment proceeded on case of any risk of escape or rescue. Rymer, ii. part structions of suspicious and alarming import in common notoriety, without the testimony 2. p. 820. Nov. edit. In the next year (1331) it apof witnesses.*

It

pears that Gournay was then alive, "who fully knew how the king's murder was committed." No man was executed for this crime, which renders it *The most exact account of the articles against difficult to suppress a suspicion that some persons to Mortimer, in which the crimes are in most instances whom silence on this subject was convenient still charged as committed by the accroachment or usurp- Iretained their influence in the councils of Edward.

was, whether the crown was descendible | fabricators were executed, and Robert flew only through males, or whether it might to England, where he labored to excite the be claimed by the nearest male, although hopes of Edward, and to extract from the his descent was by females. No female ambition of that monarch the means of had reigned in France since the invasion gratifying his own revenge against Philip. of Clovis. But no regular order of suc- France was surrounded by a number of cession was established. The open usurp-secondary princes, always engaged in terations of Pepin and Hugh Capet were ritorial or feudal litigation with France, greater breaches of the hereditary prin- and easily moved by their fears or resentciple, than a pretension to the crown by a ment to take up arms against that great and male through a female. A passage from growing power. The emperor, the dukes the laws of the Salian franks, relating of Brabant and Guelderland, the archbishop manifestly to private land, was cited as a of Cologne, the marquis of Juliers, the fundamental law against female succession. counts of Hainault and Namur,* espoused Reason was appealed to by Edward, as ex- the cause of Edward. James Von Artacluding females themselves on account of veldt, the famous brewer of Ghent, and the supposed weakness of the sex, which who was the leader of the democratical had no reference to their male descendants; party in the prosperous cities of Flanders, and by Philip, as pronouncing the exclusion had a greater share than the earl in the for the purpose of protecting the kingdom government of that flourishing province; from alien sovereigns or a foreign ascen- and "to speak properly," says Froissart, dency. It was impossible to decide the "there never was in Flanders, nor in none question on grounds of law; the laws of other country, prince, duke, nor other, that that and of more improved ages have made ruled a country so peaceably and so long as no provision for cases of at least equal im- d'Artaveldt." As these great cities formed portance: defects which lawyers have ofter the emporium of western Europe, as they vainly toiled to hide under the disguise of continued into it the trade of the Italian faint analogies and cumbrous fictions. republics brought to them by the Rhine, The most formidable objection to Ed- they were naturally led by a similar proward's claim was that, on his own prin-gress of wealth and cultivation of intelliciples, the last three kings of France were gence to the establishment of governments, usurpers, or at least that the male descend- often rudely and irregularly, sometimes inants of their daughters had a preferable conveniently popular; but of which the pretension to him. The son of the count happy effects on the spirit of the people, d'Evreux who married the daughter of the industry of the towns, and the agriculLouis X., and became afterwards in her tural prosperity of the country, sufficiently right king of Navarre, seems to be the attest their immeasurable superiority to candidate of the best pretensions, accord- the best of unbounded monarchies or uning to the doctrine maintained by the king mixed oligarchy. Like the republics of of England. But it would be needless to Greece and Italy, they were exposed to devise arguments, at best very doubtful, on the occasional risk of arbitrary rule in the a question which was to be determined by persons of men who, having risen to exother weapons. tensive and ill-defined power by the blind Edward gained time for preparation by favor of the multitude, gradually procured doing homage to Philip for the duchy of new authorities and additional means of Guienne; an act which, for what reason execution, until they were at length enadoes not appear, he did not consider as a bled to govern dictatorially, by the unscrurecognition of Philip's title. The kind pulous employment of force against their reception of the unfortunate David Bruce opponents, by the seasonable excitement in France, and the aid furnished to his of jealousy, by skilful court to the passions followers, incensed Edward against the of the multitude, and by promptly crushing Freach monarch. A powerful ally arose those malcontents in the conquering party in the Netherlands. Robert of Artois, the who were fewer or more fearful, or more son of the last count's only son, was exclu- irreconcilable with each other. The most ded from the government on that prince's celebrated of these adventurers, though it death, as more distant in blood than his should seem one of the best of them, was aunt Matilda, who for some time ruled the James von Artaveldt, who now received county; but on her demise he seized on it; Edward's ambassadors with open arms, and though deprived of it by Philip V., agreed to admit that prince into Flanders, who had wedded Matilda's daughter, sued which opened the entrance for him into for a revision of this determination before France. The king of France was the his brother-in-law Philip of Valois. In natural enemy of the democratic party, this suit he produced in evidence writings which the court held to be forgeries. The

* Froissart, xXV.