XIV. 1307. of the blood, he daily loaded him with new CHA P. honors and riches; married him to his own niece, fifter of the earl of Glocefter; and feemed to enjoy no pleasure in his royal dignity, but as it enabled him to exalt to the highest fplendor this object of his fond affections. of the ba rous. THE haughty barons, offended at the fuperior- Difcontent ity of a minion, whofe birth, though reputable, they defpifed, as much inferior to their own, concealed not their difcontent; and foon found reafons to justify their animofity in the character and conduct of the man they hated. Inftead of difarming envy by the moderation and modesty of his behaviour, Gavaston difplayed his power and influence with the utmost oftentation; and deemed no circumftance of his good fortune fo agreeable as its enabling him to eclipfe and mortify all his rivals. He was vain - glorious, profufe, rapacious, fond of exterior pomp and appearance, giddy with profperity; and as he imagined, that his fortune was now as ftrongly rooted in the kingdom, as his afcendant was uncontrouled over the weak monarch, he was negligent in engaging partifans, who might fupport his fudden and ill-established grandeur. At all tournaments, he took delight in foiling the English nobility, by his fuperior addrefs: In every conversation, he made them the object of his wit and raillery: Every day his enemies multiplied upon him; and naught was wanting CHAP. but a little time to cement their union, and render 4308. Ir behoved the king to take a journey to France, both in order to do homage for the dutchy of Guienne, and to efpouse the princess Ifabella, to whom he had long been affianced, though unexpected accidents had hitherto retarded the completion of the marriage. Edward left Gavafton guardian of the realm, with more ample powers, than had ufually been conferred'; and on his return with his young queen, renewed all the proofs of that fond attachment to the favorite, of which every one fo loudly complained. This princefs was of an imperious and intriguing fpirit; and finding, that her huf band's capacity required, as his temper inclined, him to be governed, fhe thought herself best entitled, on every account, to perform the office, and fhe contracted a mortal hatred against the perfon, who had difappointed her in thefe expectations. She was well pleased, therefore, to see a combination of the nobility forming against Gavafton, who, fenfible of her hatred, wantonly provoked her by new infults and injuries. bad THOMAS, earl of Lancaster, coufin-german to the king, and first prince of the blood, was by 'T. de la More, p. 593. Walfing. p. 97. 4 T. de la More, p. 593. Trivet, cont. p. 3. XIV. 1308. far the most opulent and powerful fubject in CHA P. England, and poffeffed in his own right, and foon after in that of his wife, heirefs of the family of Lincoln, no lefs than fix earldoms with a proportionable eftate in land, attended with all the jurifdictions and power, which commonly in that age were annexed to landed property. He was turbulent and factious in his difpofition; mortally hated the favorite, whofe influence over the king exceeded his own; and he foon became the head of that party among the barons, who defired the depreffion of this infolent ftranger. The confederated nobles bound themselves by oath to expel Gavafton: Both fides began already to put themfelves in a warlike posture: The licentioufnefs of the age broke out in robberies and other disorders, the usual prelude of civil war: And the royal authority, defpifed in the king's own hands, and hated in those of Gavafton, became infufficient for the execution of the laws, and the maintenance of peace in the kingdom. A parliament being fummoned at Westminster, Lancaster and his party came thither with an armed retinue; and were there enabled to impose their own terms on the fovereign. They required the banishment of Gavafton, impofed an oath on him never to return, and engaged the bishops, who never failed to interpofe in all civil concerns, to pronounce him excommunicated, if he remained any longer in the kingdom”, 9 Trivet, cont. p. 5. XIV. 1308. CHA P. Edward was obliged to fubmit '; but even in his compliance, gave proofs of his fond attachment to his favorite. Inftead of removing all umbrage, by fending him to his own country, as was expected, he appointed him lord lieutenant of Ireland', attended him to Bristol on his journey thither, and before his departure conferred on him new lands and riches both in Gafcony and England ". ". Gavaston, who did not want bravery, and poffeffed talents for war acted, during his government, with vigor against fome Irish rebels, whom he fubdued. MEANWHILE, the king, lefs fhocked with the illegal violence which had been impofed upon him, than unhappy in the abfence of his minion, employed every expedient to foften the oppofition of the barons to his return; as if fuccefs in that point were the chief object of his government. The high office of hereditary steward was conferred on Lancaster: His father-in-law, the earl of Lincoln, was bought off by other conceffions: Earl Warrenue was alfo mollified by civilities, grants, or promifes: The infolenee of Gavafton, being no longer before men's eyes, was lefs the object of general indignation: And Edward, deeming matters fufficiently prepared for his purpose, applied to the court of Rome, and obtained for Gavaston a dispensation from that 1 Rymer, vol. iii. p. 80. P. 39. Ibid. p. 92. Murimath, Rymer, vol. iii. p. 87. XIV. 1308. oath, which the barons had compelled him to CHAP. take, that he would for ever abjure the realm' He went down to Chefter, to receive him on his first landing from Ireland; flew into his arms with transports of joy; and having obtained the formal confent of the barons in parliament to his re-establishment, fet no longer any bounds to his extravagant fondnefs and affection. Gavafton himself, forgetting his past misfortunes, and blind to their causes, refumed the fame oftentation and infolence; and became more than ever the object of general deteftation among the nobility. THE barons firft difcovered their animofity by abfenting themfelves from parliament, and finding that this expedient had not been fuccefsful, they began to think of employing fharper and more effectual remedies. Though there had scarcely been any national ground of complaint, except fome diffipation of the public treasure: Though all the acts of mal-adminiftration, objected to the king and his favorite, feemed of a nature more proper to excite heart-burnings in a ball or affembly, than commotions in a great kingdom: Yet fuch was the fituation of the times, that the barons were determined, and were able, to make them the reafons of a total alteration in the conftitution and civil government. Having come 7th Feb. to parliament in defiance of the laws and the king's prohibition, with a numerous retinue of armed followers, they found themselves |