ESSAY VIH.

The Reign of EDWARD III., from his Accession to the Battle of Crecy.

A. D. 1327-1346.

THE tender age of prince Edward when called to succeed his unhappy father, rendered it necessary, that a regency should be appointed; and the parliament, which was then sitting, nominated a council for this purpose, consisting of five prelates and eight peers, at the head of whom was the young duke of Lancaster. Yet, notwithstanding this appointment, the whole direction of public affairs remained for some time with the queen and her paramour. Edward was crowned previously to his father's death, but did not attempt to perform the functions of royalty till nearly three years after that tragical event had taken place. In order to amuse the public mind, an expedition to Scotland was set on foot, for which great preparations were made; but which ended disgracefully, through the misconduct of Mortimer, to the great mortification of the young monarch, who already discovered an immoderate passion for war. After a few months, consumed in useless marches and unsuccessful skirmishes, a peace was concluded with the Scottish monarch, on terms as advantageous as he could desire. By one article of this treaty, the king of England" renounced for himself and his successors for ever, all claims to superiority over the kingdom of Scotland, or the allegiance of its sovereign; on condition that 30,000 marks were paid to the crown of England."

The young sovereign determined to avoid the error into which his father had been betrayed by the natural pliability of his temper, and, instead of continuing to be governed by others, began at an earlier age than usual to act for himself. He was not ignorant of the hatred of the whole English nation to Mortimer, and the impa

tience with which they submitted to so disgraceful a yoke. He perceived that the principal barons were confederating together as aforetime, to hurl this new favourite from his eminence, and that the evils of a civil war were likely to be renewed. He felt himself injured and insulted by the public execution of his uncle, the earl of Kent, whom Mortimer and the queen had prevailed on the parliament most unjustly to condemn to death. Influenced by these considerations, Edward determined to adopt vigorous measures, which were planned with prudence and secrecy, and executed with promptitude and decision. While the queen and her gallant were carrying on their guilty revels at Nottingham castle, the king obtained admission for himself and an armed band, through a subterraneous passage, and seized the wretched Mortimer in his mother's apartments, who earnestly pleaded for his life. But he who had shewn no mercy, found none in the day of his adversity. He was hastily tried, condemned as a traitor, and hung at Tyburn on the 29th of November, 1330. The queen-mother, though equally criminal, was spared; but despoiled of her treasures, and imprisoned in Rising castle to the end of her life.

The commencement of Edward's reign was calculated to inspire a hope that he would cultivate the arts of peace, which the exhausted state of the country rendered peculiarly necessary. He began with imitating the legislative character of his grandfather, Edward I.; but, unhappily, he imitated him afterwards yet more closely in his martial enterprises and insatiable ambition. In the early part of this reign several important changes were made in the constitution and laws, all of which tended to give additional privileges to the commoners, who were now become, in consequence of the increase of commerce, an opulent and powerful body. Nor is it unworthy of remark, that Edward the Third, though capable of ruling with absolute authority, summoned his parliament together more frequently than any other sovereign of England, and consulted them on all occasions. It is ascertained by documents still in existence, that this monarch convened his parliaments not less than seventy times during his reign. At this period, the separation took place between

the lords and commons, who had previously met in one great council, though on very unequal terms. For the purpose of encouraging a more unbiassed discussion of the interests of their constituents, the representatives of the people were now directed to meet as a distinct body. Frequently during this reign were the Magna Charta and other charters of liberty confirmed and ratified anew: from which circumstance it may be inferred that frequent attempts were made to violate the rights they were intended to secure. Among many other important statutes of this reign, were those which prohibited the imprisonment, disinheritance, or execution of any person, without a legal trial; and which defined the nature and extent of the crime of high treason.

It had been happy for England, if the monarch who then filled the throne had continued through life thus to consolidate and perfect his administration. But the spirit of ambition by which he was enslaved, soon involved both himself and his kingdom in wars, which were accounted glorious, but were ultimately productive of incalculable evils. The first of these wars was carried on in Scotland, to the sovereignty of which Edward still laid claim, notwithstanding the treaty which had been concluded in his name during his minority. In one year, Scotland had been deprived by death of three of her greatest generals, Bruce, Douglas, and Murray. This encouraged Edward Baliol, son of the late king, to prosecute his claim, and solicit the aid of king Edward, without which he could not hope to succeed. The English sovereign was not backward to espouse his cause, furnished him both with troops and money for the enterprise, and thus enabled the Scottish prince to obtain possession of the coveted

crown.

The success of Baliol proved, however, but temporary. The attachment of the great body of the people to. the family of Bruce was so strong, that they soon expelled the pretender, (for such they considered Baliol,) and followed up their successes by an invasion of England, the northern provinces of which they ravaged without mercy. Edward hastened to retaliate, and took signal vengeance in a sanguinary battle fought at Halidon-hill.

This victory again restored Baliol to the throne; but his restoration was clogged with the degrading conditions, that he should do homage in person to the king of England, and that he should cede to that sovereign seven bordering counties, with all their cities and fortresses. The accession of Baliol to this treaty completely ruined him in the esteem of his Scottish subjects. Repeatedly did they drive him from a throne which they deemed him unworthy to occupy, and as often he was replaced by the military prowess of Edward and his veteran troops.

The war between England and Scotland was thus protracted several years, and would probably have continued much longer, but that the ambition of Edward prompted him to try his success in another quarter. The king of France was well known to have secretly fomented the contentions in Scotland, and was preparing to render more effectual aid to the party which supported the family of Bruce. The provinces of the French empire presented a more tempting prize to the ambition of Edward, than the desolated plains of Scotland. He therefore resolved to transfer the seat of war to that country, and, as an excuse for doing so, determined to lay claim to the crown of France itself. It is not necessary to state circumstantially the grounds on which this claim rested, yet it is a question too intimately connected with the history of this period to be wholly passed over in silence.

The French monarchy had existed upwards of nine hundred years, during the whole of which period, no female had sat on the throne; but the line of succession had frequently been interrupted, that male heirs, remotely related to the last sovereign, might succeed in preference to those of the female lines. Ancient custom seemed, therefore, to have fully established the exclusion of the female branches of the royal family from the right of succession. At the period to which this essay refers, Philip de Valois, who was nephew to the late king, Philip the Fair, and the nearest male heir of that monarch, had just succeeded to the throne. But Edward was grandson to Philip, by his daughter Isabella, and as he contended that there was no express law which excluded the female

line, he affirmed that the sceptre of that kingdom was his, both by natural and legal rights. In an assembly of the states of France, the right of succession had been determined in favour of Philip de Valois, and Edward had conceded the point so far as to do homage to Philip for the province of Guienne. But his resolution was now fixed to revoke that concession, and renew the claim he had previously abandoned. Several circumstances concurred to strengthen this resolution, and measures were promptly taken to carry it into effect.

An enterprise of such magnitude could not be undertaken with any hope of success, without powerful allies and ample resources. The latter were readily granted by the English parliaments, who seemed at this time to have been inspired with the same martial enthusiasm which actuated the sovereign. Nor was it difficult, when furnished with these pecuniary supplies, to obtain the alliance of foreign states, so long as subsidies were granted them. Bavaria, Brabant, Cologne, Hainault, Namur, and many other states, engaged to furnish him with auxiliary forces.

Many interruptions and vexatious disappointments were, however, encountered by king Edward, before he could take the field with sufficient strength. Sometimes his allies deserted him; sometimes his resources were exhausted, and new supplies must be obtained; and at other times he found himself under the necessity of accepting the proffered mediation of the pope, the countess of Hainault and others, who advised him to conclude a truce for one or more years. Still, however, the object was kept steadily in view, and no opportunity was lost of making suitable preparations for a struggle, which must prove arduous, whenever it should be seriously attempted. It was in one of these years of preparatory warfare, (A. D. 1340,) that Edward encountered a French fleet far superior in numbers to his own, over which he obtained a complete victory. The historians of that age affirm, that not less than 30,000 of the French were either killed in the action, or perished in attempting to reach the shore, whilst the loss on the side of the English was comparatively trifling.

After having made partial attempts in Brittany, Flan