ately sent out, which apprehends the heads of this increasing mischief, and delivers them over to the hands of justice. They which confessed themselves out of the protection of the law, and glory in their being so, fall under his rigour.

Those, that duly examined the truth of this action, believed the pretence to be but a mask, that hid a more perilous intention. The king, by his untemperate and undiscreet actions, had lost the hearts of his people, and there was a general face of discontent throughout the whole kingdom. The ulcers festered daily, more and more, which seemed to presage and threaten, without some speedy prevention, a dangerous issue. All men discover their ill affections, expecting but a patron that durst declare himself, and adventure to hang the bell about the cat's neck. If this disorderly attempt, which was but to taste the people's inclinations, had succeeded, the king, as it was to be feared, had much sooner felt the general loss, and revolt of his whole kingdom. But this work was reserved to future time, and the operation of those who had the time to effect it with more power and pretence of justice. The crying maladies of this climate were such, that the Divine Power sent down, at one and the self-same instant, his three fatal executioners, plague, dearth, and famine, to call upon us for a repentant reformation. No part of the kingdom is free, but was grievously afflicted by the unmerciful prosecution of one, or all these fatal angry sisters. So great a misery was too much, but it is seconded with a sudden invasion of the hungry Scots, who apprehending the advantage of the present visitation, and ill-estate of their neighbours, like a land-flood, over-run the naked and unprovided borders.

The archbishop of York, a grave and wise prelate in his element, but as far from the nature as name of a soldier, resolves to oppose this over-daring and insolent eruption. He levies in haste an army, in number hopeful; but it was composed of men, fitter to pray for the success of a battle than to fight it. With these, and an undaunted hoping spirit, he affronts the Scots, and gives them battle, makeing Mitton upon Swale, that honoured his enemies with the glory of a second triumph, the place of his disaster. Many religious churchmen, with the purchase of their lives, begin their first apprentiship in arms; whose loss christened this overthrow, The White Battle.

The intent of this grave prelate was, questionless, worthy of a great and singuler commendation; but the act was wholly inconsiderate, weak, and unadvised. It was not proper for his calling to undertake a military function, in which he had no experience; neither did it agree with his wisdom, or piety, to be an actor in blood, though the occasion were so great and weighty. Too much care and confidence, improperly expressed, doth many times overthrow and ruin the cause it seeks to strengthen and advantage. There ought to be, in all considerations of this nature, a mature deliberation, before we come to action; else we lose the glory of our aims, and commit all to the uncertain hazard of time and fortune. The cardinals are now returned out of Scotland, by whom the king truly understands, that the hopes of peace are desperate. Their leave taken, and losses fairly repaired, they return to Rome, acquainting his holiness with the success of their employment.

The Pope being truly informed that the Scots were neither conformable to his will, or the general good, excommunicates both that usurping king and kingdom.

The king, nearly touched with the loss of Berwick, inflamed with the insolency of his barbarous enemies, and grieved with so great a loss of his people, resolves no more to suffer, but to transport the war into the very bowels of Scotland. To this effect, with speed he hastens out his directions, and gives present order for the levying of men, arms, and money, to begin the war, and continue it. The royal command, and desire of revenge, gives wings to this resolution. An army is ready, and attends the king's pleasure, before he conceits his will truly understood, or bruited. Nothing is wanting but his own person, or a fit commander to lead them; he loseth no time, but appears in the head of his army, before his enemies had the least knowledge of this assembly. With a hopeful expectation he leads them on, and makes Berwick the rendezvous, that should make his number compleat and perfect. Before this strength that had the warranty of art and nature, he makes the first experiment of this expedition.. The town, begirt, was not more confident of their own strength, than assured of a speedy supply or rescue. This gave the king a longer delay than he believed, and his enemies leisure to raise and enable their provisions. They saw it a work too full of danger and hazard, to venture the breach of the body of so great an army, that in worth and number so far exceeded. The memory of former passages and trials taught them how to understand their present condition; this begets in them a resolution more solid and hopeful. They leave the road-way, and war rather by discretion than valour? which succeeds so fortunately, that they surprise all the English provisions, and enforce the king to a second return, more fortunate, yet much less honourable. It is true, he retreated, and brought back his army in safety; but he had quitted the siege, which he had vowed to continue against the united power of Scotland, and lost wholly all that wealth and luggage he had carried with him.

This filled all men's mouths with a complaining grief, and made foreign nations think the English had lost their former lustre, and renowned valour. It was wondered that an enemy, so weak and contemptible, should, three several times successively, bear away the garland from those that had so often, and knew the way so well, to win and wear it.

But now begins a second fire of a higher nature, that made the kingdom a theatre stained with the noblest blood, that within her confines had or life or being. The king, discouraged with his foreign fortune, lays aside the thoughts of arms, and recalls into his wanton heart the bewitching vanities of his youth, that had formerly bred him such distemper. He was royally attended; but it was by those that made their tongues rather the orators of a pleasing falshood, than a true sincerity. These were fit instruments for such an ear that would not hear, unless the musick answered in an even correspondency. The infidelity of the servant is, in a true construction, the misery of the master; which is more or less dangerous, as is the weight or measure of his employment. It is in the election of a crown a principal consideration,

to chuse such attendants whose integrity may be the inducement, as well as the ability; else the imaginary help proves rather a danger than assistance. Neither is it safe or honourable, for the majesty of a king, to seem to depend solely on the wisdom, care, or fidelity of one parti. cular servant. Multiplicity of able men is the glory and safety of a crown; which falls by degrees into confusion, when one man alone acts all parts, whence proceeds a world of error and confusion.

The king was not ignorant, that such a course would make such as were his but at second hand; yet he resolves to make a new choice of one to supply the room of his lost beloved Gaveston. Though his diseased court was furnished with a large variety, yet his eye fixeth on Hugh, the younger of the Spencers, who was always tractable and conformable to the king's will and pleasure. This man was in show smooth and humble, of an insinuating spirit, one that knew his master's ways, and was ever careful to observe them. He had applied himself wholly to Edward's will, and fed his wanton pleasures with the strains of their own' affection. Heat of spirit, and height of blood, consult more with passion than reason, and a short deliberation may serve, where the subject was so pleasing, and to each side agrecable.

The king, to make his resolutions eminent, with more haste than advisement, makes him his lord chamberlain, and lets the world know, it was his love and will that thus advanced him. Scarcely is this new great officer warm in his unbefitting authority, but he exactly follows his predecessor-precedent to the life, making all things lawful that were agreeable to his master's will, or his fantastical humour.

The peers of the kingdom, that saw this sudden and hasty growth of this undeserving canker, resolve to lop or root it up, before it should overtop their lustre. Spencer, that in the precedent story of Gaveston, beheld the danger of his own condition, begins, in time, to provide and strengthen a party. His aged father, fitter for his beads than action, he makes a young courtier, and wins the king to give him power and assistance. He labours to remove from his master's ear all such as might endanger him, and supplies their places with such as were his creatures. Those that were too high for such a surprisal, by persuasion, money, or alliance, he seeks to engage, and make the parties of this his coming faction. The body of the court thus assured, his actions in the state went in an even correspondency. Those that held him at a distance, valuing their fidelity and honour before so base an advantage, saw themselves disgracefully cashiered, and others installed in their rooms, that had neither worth, birth, or merit. The factious entertainers of his proffered amity, not only enjoy their own, but are advanced higher, which made them but the instruments to act and further the corruptions of his will and wicked nature.

This foundation laid, they now seem to contemn all fear of danger; and in that assurance, express their contempt and scorn against the nobility, who, they knew, would never entertain their society or friendship. While thus the rule and manage of all the royal affairs, in their power, was daily more and more abused, the incensed barons met at Sherborough, where the Earl of Lancaster, the prime agent, lays before them, in a short and grave discourse, the iniquity and danger that

seemed eminently to threaten both them and the whole kingdom, if such a resolution were not taken, as might assure a speedy prevention The fore-knowledge of their sovereign's behaviour, which would observe no rule or proportion in his immodest affections, gave them small hope to prevail by persuasion or entreaty. They too well understood, that Spencer's pride was too great and haughty to go less without compulsion; and they must sink a key, or neither the kingdom or themselves, against so inveterate a hatred, could expect in reason, safety, or assurance. Hertford, Mowbray, and Clifford, soar a higher pitch, and, in plain terms, affirm, That all other resolutions were vain and hopeless, it was only arms that must right the time and state so much disordered. Benningfield and Mortimer approve this resolution, and as soon give it life and action. They enter furiously on the possessions of their enemies, spoiling and wasting like professed enemies.

Such an outrage flics with a nimble wing to the ears of the owner, who as soon makes the king the sharer of his intelligence, and increaseth it to his own advantage. The king, sensible of so great an affront and as tender of the one, as cruel to the other, publisheth, by proclamation, the sentence of his royal will and pleasure. The actors of this misdemeanor must appear and justify themselves, or presently forsake the kingdom.

The lords that saw their interest at stake, as they had begun, resolve to maintain the quarrel. New levies and preparations are daily made, to make good the succeeding issue. Yet the more to justify those arms, that in the best construction were deemed rebellious, they send to the king a fair and humble message. The tenor whereof lets him know, their intentions were fair and honest, and the arms, thus levied, were rather to defend, than offend his person; only they, in all humility desire, he would be graciously pleased to remove and punish those vipers, which had too near a room in his royal heart, whereby they had overthrown and undone the peace and tranquillity of the kingdom.

The king, that fears, is enforced to believe. He knew their informations were just, and he had no power to deny, or withstand them. He assures a reformation; to make it more real, he adjourns it to the ensuing parliament, which is immediately summoned to appear at London. The jealous lords, that too well knew the cunning and hatred of their malicious adversarics, appear like themselves, bravely attended with a crew of lusty yeomen well armed, which stiled this The Parliament of White Bands. The mayor, seeing such a confluence from all parts of the kingdom, so ill inclined and well appointed, with a careful providence reinforceth the city guards, and planteth a strong watch throughout all the strengths and parts of his jurisdiction.

This great assembly being now met, the complaining barons find in both houses a ready belief, and as sudden a censure. A solemn declaration gives the king knowledge of their sentence, which commands both the Spencers, father and son, into perpetual exile. The king, as weak in his disability, as wilful in the least advantage, gives a sad and unwilling consent; which, being known, gives the Spencers no time of imparleance; their judgment is immediately put in execution, and they find more servants than they desire to attend them to Dover, where they are

immediately shipped to go and seek a new fortune. The elder, whose snowy age, and more innocence, deserved pity, makes his tears witness his true sorrow, and his tongue unfold them. He taxeth his son's vanity and ambition, and his own weakness, that had so easily consented to his ruin He laments his misfortune, that in the winter of his age had cast him from his inheritance, and had made him the sea-mark and scorn of a whole kingdom. He confesseth the folly that led him, by indirect means, to the preservation of his high and ill-acquired greatness. He wisheth his carriage had been such, that, in this so sad change of fortune, he might have found either pity or assistance. But it is the inseparable companion of greatness that is gotten in the by-way, and not by a just desert or virtue. It labours to support itself more by cunning and falshood, than by a sweet and winning temper, when it is of all others the most erroneous maxim, that believes, affections can be in a subordinate way gotten or assured. They are the proper functions of the soul, which move alone in their own course, without force, or the least impulsion. All other ways are but temporary provisions, that serve the present advantage; but he, that by a just desert wins the love and belief of his worth, hath laid a sure foundation, making his honour his own, and the succession hereditary and permanent, to his everlasting glory.

These imperious servants thus removed, the father, in obedience to his doom, betakes himself to a foreign quietness. The son, of a more turbulent and revengeful spirit, keeps still a sea-board in the skirts of the kingdom, and falling short in power, to requite the authors of his disgrace, he expresseth his malice to the whole nation. The merchants, free from all suspicion, in their voyages and returns, are pillaged and rifled, and he the principal actor.

Such a domestick piracy begets a general terror and exclamation, which fills the king's ears, and presseth, as it required, a speedy prevention or remedy. He knew the action was foul, but it was one of his own that had done it; and such a one that was too dearly valued, to be either persecuted or punished. He studies first to satisfy his own passion, before he right this injurious carriage against the subject. This makes him reject the wholesome admonition of friends, the validity of his laws, and those fearful apparitions that present him with the danger of so foul an enterprise, while, with an example, new, and full of assured hazard, he repeals the sentence of their exile. This act gave him, too large a time of repentance, and may be a befitting instance to all ensuing posterity. The actions of a crown are exemplary, and should be clean, pure, and innocent; the stains of their errors die not with them, but are registered in the story of their lives, either with honour or infamy.

But to proceed in this historical relation: The Spencers thus recalled, and reinvested in their former favour, they express themselves in another kind; and now, by a strong hand, strive to crush, by degrees, all those of the adverse faction. Sir Bartholomew Baldsmer was the first that tasted their fury and injustice. His castle of Leedes in Kent, under a pretended and feigned title, is surprised and taken from him, without a due form, or any legal proceeding. Their return, and the abro