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CHAP.

XIII.

EDWARD II. furnamed of CAERNARVON.

T

HE pleasure which people generally feel at the acceffion of a new prince, effaces their forrow for the deceased; the faults of the one are known and hated, while the other, from novelty, receives imputed merit. Much, therefore, was expected from the young prince, and all orders haftened to take the oath of allegiance to him. He was now in the twenty-third year of his age, of an agreeable figure, of a mild harmlefs difpofition, and apparently addicted to few vices. But he foon gave fymptoms of his unfitnefs to fucceed fo great a monarch as his father; he was rather fond of the enjoyment of his power, than of securing it; and lulled by the flattery of his courtiers, he thought he had done enough for glory, when he had accepted the crown. Inftead, therefore, of profecuting the war against Scotland, according to the injunctions he had received from his dying father, he took no fteps to check the progrefs of Bruce, his march into that country be ing rather a proceffion of pageantry, than a warlike expedition. Bruce, no longer dreading a great conqueror in the field, boldly iffued from his retreats, and even obtained a confiderable advantage over Aymer de Valence, who commanded the English forces. Young Edward looked tamely on; and, inftead of repreffing the enemy, endeavoured to come to an accommodation. The English barons, who had been kept under during the preceding reign, now faw that the fceptre was fallen

A. D.

fallen into fuch feeble hands that they might re-affert their former indepen1307. dence with impunity.

To confirm the inaufpicious conjectures that were already formed of this reign, Edward recalled. one of his favourites, who was banished during his father's reign, being accused of corrupting the prince's morals. The name of this much-loved youth was Piers Gaveftone, the son of a Gafcon knight, who had been employed in the service of. the late king. This young man foon infinuated himself into the affections of the prince; and in fact, was adorned with every accomplishment of perfon and mind, that were capable of creating affection; but he was utterly deftitute of thofe qualities of heart and understanding that ferve to procure esteem. He was beautiful, witty, brave and active; but then he was vicious, effeminate, debauched and trifling. These were qualities entirely adapted to the tafte of the young monarch, and fuch as he could not think of living without. He therefore took Gaveftone into his particular intimacy, and feemed to think no rewards equal to his deferts. Even before his arrival at court from exile, he endowed him with the whole earldom of Cornwall, which had lately fallen to the crown. He married him foon after to his own niece, and granted him a fum of two and thirty thousand pounds, which the late king had referved for the maintenance of one hundred and forty knights, who had undertaken to carry his heart to Jerufalem.

Thefe accumulated favours did not fail to excite the jealousy and indignation of the barons; and Gavestone was no way folicitous to foften their refentment. Intoxicated with his power, he became haughty and overbearing. He treated the Englifh nobility, from whom it is probable he received

3

marks

marks of contempt, with fcorn and derifion. Whenever there was to be a difplay of pomp or magnificence, Gaveftone was fure to eclipfe all others; and he not only mortified his rivals by his fuperior fplendor, but by his fuperior infolence.

The barons were foon after ftill more provoked to fee this prefumptuous favourite appointed guardian of the realm, during a journey the king was obliged to make to Paris, to espouse the princefs Ifabella, to whom he had been long fince betrothed. They were not remifs, therefore, upon the arrival of this princefs, who was imperious and intriguing, to make her of their party, and to direct her animofity against Gaveltone, which to do him juftice, he took little care to avoid. A confpiracy was foon formed against him, at the head of which queen Ifabella, and the earl of Lancaster, a nobleman of great power, were affociated. They bound themfelves by oaths to expel Gaveftone; and began to throw off all reverence for the royal authority, which they faw wholly in the poffeffion of this overgrown favourite. At length, the king found himself obliged to fubmit to their united clamour; and he fent Gavestone out of the kingdom, by appointing him lord-lieutenant of Ireland. But this compliance was of fhort duration; the weak monarch, long habituated to his favourite, could not live without him; and having obtained a difpenfation from the pope for his breach of faith, he once more recalled Gaveftone, and even went down to Chester to receive him on his first landing from Ireland. A parliament was foon after affembled, where the king had influence fufficient to have his late conduct approved; and this ferved only to encrease his ridiculous affection, and to render Gaveftone ftill more odious. This infatuated creature himself forgetting his paft misfortunes, and unmindful of future danger, refumed

his former oftentation and infolence, and made himself every day fome new enemy.

March 16.

It was eafy to perceive, that a combination of the nobles, while the queen fecretly affitted their defigns, would be too powerful against the efforts of a weak king, and a vain favourite. They were refolved upon the fall of Gavestone, even though that of Edward himself fhould be involved in the fame ruin. They foon, therefore, affembled, in a tumultuous parliament, contrary to the king's express command, attended with a numerous retinue of armed followers; and began their firft ufurpations, by giving laws to the king. They compelled him to fign a commiffion, A. D. 1308. by which the whole authority of government was to be delegated to twelve perfons, to be chosen by themfelves. Thefe were to have the government of the kingdom, and the regulation of the king's houfhold. They were to enact ordinances for the good of the state, and the honour of the king, their commiffion was to continue for fix months, and then they were to lay down their authority Many of their ordinances were immediately put in force, and some of them appeared for the advantage of the nation; fuch as requiring that the sheriffs fhould be men of property; and prohibiting the adulteration of the coin; the excluding foreigners from farming the revenues; and the revoking all the late exorbitant grants of the crown. All these the king, who faw himself entirely ftript of his power, could very patiently fubmit to; but when he learned that Gavestone, was to be banished for ever from his dominions, he no longer was master of his temper; but removing to York, where he was at a small diftance from the immediate terror of the confederated power, he inftantly invited Gavestone back from Flanders, whither the barons had banished him;

and

and declaring his punishment and fentence to be illegal, he openly reinstated him in all his former fplendors. This was fufficient to spread A. D. an alarm over the whole kingdom; all the great barons flew to arms; the earl 1312. of Lancaster put himself at the head of this irrefiftible confederacy; Guy, earl of Warwick, entered into it with fury; the earl of Hereford, the earl of Pembroke, and the earl of Warrenne, all embraced the fame caufe; whilft the Archbishop of Canterbury brought over the majority of the ecclefiaftics, and confequently of the people. The unhappy Edward, inftead of attempting to make refiftance, fought only for fafety ever happy in the company of his favourite, he embarked at Tinmouth, and failed with him to the cattle of Scarborough, where he left Gavestone, as in a place of fafety; and then went back to York himfelf, either to raise an army to oppofe his ene mies; or, by his prefence, to allay their animofity. In the mean time, Gaveftone was befieged in Scarborough by the earl of Pembroke; and had the garrifon been fufficiently fupplied with provifions, that place would have been impregnable. But Gavestone, fenfible of the bad condition of the garrifon, took the earlieft opportunity to of fer terms of capitulation. He ftipulated, that he fhould remain in Pembroke's hands as a prisoner for two months; and that endeavours fhould be ufed, in the mean time, for a general accommodation. But Pembroke had no intention that he fhould escape fo éafily; he ordered him to be conducted to the caftle of Deddington, near Banbury, where, on pretence of other business, he left him with a feeble guard, which the earl of Warwick having notice of, he attacked the caftle in which the unfortunate Gaveftone was confined, and quickly made himself mafter of his perfon.

The

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