luring to a young mind to be fuddenly relinquifhed he was even tempted to exhibit proofs of his bravery in a tournament, to which he was invited by the count de Chalons, who defied him to a trial of his fkill. Impreffed with high ideas of the chivalry of the times, he accepted the challenge; and proposed, with his knights, to hold the field against all that would enter the lifts. His ufual good fortune attended him; and his fuccess had like to have converted a trial of fkill into a matter of bloody contention. The count de Chalons, being enraged at being foiled, made a serious attack upon the English, in which fome blood was idly fpilt; but Edward and his knights ftill maintained the fuperiority. From Chalons Edward proceeded to Paris, where he was magnificently entertained by Philip, king of France, to whom he did homage for the territories the kings of England had poffeffed in that kingdom. From Paris he fet out for Gafcony, to curb the infolence of Gafton, count Bearne, who had rebelled in his abfence. From thence he paffed through Montreuil, where he accommodated fome differences between the English and Flemings. At length, after various battles, dangers, and fatigues, he arrived in his native dominions,

amidft

amidst the loud acclamations of his people, and was folemnly crowned at Westminster by the archbishop of Canterbury. The joy of all ranks upon this occafion was inexpreffible; the feasting continued a whole fortnight, at the king's expence; five hundred horfes were turned loofe, as the property of those who could catch them. The king of Scotland, with several other princes, graced the folemnity; and did homage for those territories they held under the English crown. Nothing, therefore, remained to complete the felicity of the people but the continuance of such profperity; and this they had every reason to expect from the king's juftice, his ceconomy, and his prudence.

As Edward was now come to an undifputed throne, the oppofite interests were proportionably feeble. The barons were exhausted by long mutual diffenfions: the clergy were divided in their interefts, and agreed only in one point, to hate the pope, who had for fome time drained them, with impunity: the people, by fome infurrections against the convents, appear to have hated the clergy with equal animofity. These difagreeing orders only concurred in one point, that of esteeming and reverencing the king. In fuch a conjuncture, B 4

there

A. D.1274.

therefore, few measures could be taken by the crown that would be deemed oppreffive; and we accordingly find the prefent monarch often, from his own authority alone, raifing those taxes that would have been peremptorily refused to his predeceffor. However, Edward was naturally prudent; and, though capable of becoming abfolute, he satisfied himself with moderate power, and laboured only to be terrible to his enemies.

His first care was to correct thofe diforders which had crept in, under the last part of his father's feeble adminiftration. He propofed, by an exact diftribution of juftice, to give equal protection and redrefs to all the orders of the ftate. He took every opportunity to inspect the conduct of all his magiftrates and judges, and to displace fuch as were negligent, or corrupt. In fhort; a fyftem of ftrict justice, marked with an air of feverity, was pursued throughout his reign; formidable to the people, indeed, but yet adapted to the ungovernable licentiousness of the times. The Jews were the only part of his fubjects who were refused that equal juftice which the king made boast of diftributing. As Edward had been bred up in prejudices against them, and as these were still more confirmed by his expedition to the Holy

Land,

Land, he seemed to have no compassion upon their fufferings. Many were the arbitrary taxes levied upon them; two hundred and eighty of them were hanged at once, upon a charge of adulterating the coin of the kingdom; the goods of the reft were confifcated, and all of that religion utterly banished the kingdom. This severity was very grateful to the people, who hated the Jews, not only for their tenets, but for their method of living, which was by ufury and extortion.

But Edward had too noble a spirit to be content with the applause this petty oppreffion acquired; he refolved to march against Lewellyn, prince of North Wales, who had refufed to do homage for his dominions, and seemed bent upon renouncing all dependence upon the crown of England. The Welsh had for many ages enjoyed their own laws, language, customs, and opinions. They were the remains of the ancient Britons, who had escaped the Roman and Saxon invafions, and ftill preferved their freedom and their country, uncontaminated by the admiffion of foreign conquerors. But as they were, from their number, incapable of withstanding their more powerful neighbours on the plain, their chief defence lay in their inacceffible mountains, those natural

bulwarks

A.D. 1276. bulwarks of the country. Whenever England

was diftreffed by factions at home, or its forces called off to wars abroad, the Welsh made it a conftant practice to pour in their irregular troops, and lay the open country wafte whereever they came. Nothing could be more pernicious to a country than feveral neighbouring independent principalities, under different commanders, and purfuing different interefts; the mutual jealoufies of fuch were fure to harrafs the people; and wherever victory was purchased, it was always at the expence of the general welfare. Senfible of this, Edward had long wished to reduce that incurfive people, and had ordered Lewellyn to do homage for his territories; which fummons the Welsh prince refused to obey, unless the king's own fon should be delivered as an hoftage for his fafe return. The king was not displeased at this refufal, as it ferved to give him a pretext for his intended invafion. He therefore levied an army against Lewellyn, and marched into his country with certain affurance of fuccefs. Upon the approach of Edward, the Welsh prince took refuge among the inacceffible mountains of Snowdon, and there refolved to maintain his ground, without trusting to the chance of a battle. These were the fteep retreats, that had for

many