in his way towards Scotland by Sir Andrew Harcla, who repulfed his forces in a fkirmifh in which the earl of Hereford was flain, and Lancaster himfelf taken prifoner. As he had formerly fhewn little mercy to Gavefton, there was very little extended to him upon this occafion. He was condemned by a court martial; and led, mounted on a lean horse, to an eminence near Pomfret, in circumstances of the greateft indignity, where he was beheaded by a Londoner. The people, with whom he had once been a favourite, feemed to have quite forfaken him in his difgrace; they reviled him, as he was led to execution, with every kind of reproach; and even his own vaffals feemed cager to remove fufpicion by their being foremost to infult his diftrefs. About eighteen more of the principal infurgents were afterwards condemned and executed in a more legal manner, while others found fafety by escaping to the continent.

A rebellion, thus crushed, ferved only to encrease the pride and rapacity of young Spenfer; most of the forfeitures were feized for his ufe; and in his promptitude to hurt the delinquents, he was found guilty of feveral acts of rapine and injuftice. He himself laid the train for his own future misfortunes, and an occafion foon offered for

putting it into effect against him. The A. D. king of France, taking the advantage of Edward's weakness, refolved to confif- 1324. cate all his foreign dominions. After a fruitless embaffy from Edward, to diffuade that monarch from his purpose, the queen of England herself defired permiffion to go over to the court of France, to endeavour to avert the ftorm. The French king, though he gave her the kindeft reception, was refolved to liften to no accommodation, unless Edward in perfon fhould appear, and do him hoVOL. II.

C

mage

mage for the dominions he held under him. This was reckoned a very dangerous ftep; and what the king of England could not think of complying with, nor what his favourite Spenfer was willing to permit. In this exigence, the queen started a new expedient which feemed calculated to get rid of all difficulties. It was, that Edward should refign the dominion of Guienne to his fon, now thirteen years of age; and that the young prince fhould go to Paris, to pay that homage which had been required of the father. With this propofal all parties agreed; young Edward was fent to Paris; and the queen, an haughty and ambitious woman, having thus got her fon in her power, refolved to detain him till her own aims were complied with. Among the number of these was the expulfion of the Spenfers, against whom the had conceived a violent hatred, from their great influence over the king.

In confequence of this refolution, she protracted the negotiation for fome time, and being at laft required by the king to return, the replied, that he would never again appear in England, till Spenfer was removed from the royal prefence and banished the kingdom. By this reply, the gained two very confiderable advantages; the became popular in England, where Spencer was univerfally difliked; and fhe had the pleasure of enjoying the company of a young nobleman, whose name was Mortimer, upon whom he had lately placed her affections. This youth had, in fome former infurrection been condemned for high treafon, but had the fentence commuted into perpetual imprisonment in the Tower. From thence, however, he had the good fortune to escape into France, and foon became diftinguished among his party for his violent animofity to Spenfer. The graces of his perfon and address, but particularly

his

his diflike to the favourite, rendered him very acceptable to the queen; fo that from being a partizan, he became a lover, and was indulged with all the familiarities that her criminal paffion could confer. The queen's court now, therefore, became a fanc-* tuary for all the malecontents who were banished their own country, or who chose to come over., A correfpondence was fecretly carried on with the difcontented at home; and nothing now was aimed at, but to deftroy the favourites, and dethrone the king.

To fecond the queen's efforts, many of the principal nobles prepared their vaffals, A. D.: and loudly declared against the favour

ite. The king's brother, the earl of 1325. Kent, was led in to engage among the reft; the earl of Norfolk was prevailed upon, to enter fecretly into the confpiracy. The brother and heir to the earl of Lancaster, was from principle attached to the caufe; the archbishop of Canterbury expreffed his approbation of the queen's meafures; and the minds of the people were enflamed by all thofe arts, which the defigning practife upon the weak and ignorant. In this univerfal difpofition to rebel, the queen prepared for her expedition; and, accompanied by three thousand men at arms, fet out from Dort harbour, and landed fafely without oppofition, on the coaft of Suffolk. She no fooner appeared, than there feemed a general revolt in her favour; three prelates, the bifhops of Ely, Lincoln, and Hereford, brought her all their vaffals; and Robert de Watteville, who had been fent to oppofe her progrefs, deferted to her with all his forces.

In this exigence the unfortunate Edward vainly attempted to collect his friends, and bring the malecontents to their duty; he was obliged to leave the capital to the refentment of the prevail

C 2

ing

ing party; and the populace, immediately upon his defertion, flew out into those exceffes which are the confequence of brutality unrestrained by fear, They feized the bishop of Exeter, as he was paffing through the city, beheaded him without any form of trial, and threw his body into the Thames. They also feized upon the Tower, and agreed to fhew no mercy to any who fhould oppose their at tempts. In the mean time the king found the fpirit of difloyalty was not confined to the capital alone, but diffused over the whole kingdom. He had placed fome dependence upon the garrison which was ftationed in the caftle of Briftol, under the command of the elder Spenfer; but they mutinied against their governor, and that unfortunate favourite was delivered up, and condemned by the tumultuous barons to the moft ignominious death. He was hanged on a gibbet in his armour, his body was cut in pieces, and thrown to the dogs, and his head was fent to Winchester, where it was fet on a pole, and exposed to the infults of the populace. Thus died the elder Spenfer, in his nineticth year, whofe character even the malevolence of party could not tarnish. He had paffed a youth of tranquil lity and reputation; but his fond compliance with his fon's ambition, at length involved his age in ruin, though not difgrace.

Young Spenfer, the unhappy fon, did not long furvive the father; he was taken with fome others who had followed the fortunes of the wretched king, in an obfcure convent in Wales, and the merciless victors refolved to glut their revenge, in adding infult to cruelty. The queen had not patience to wait the formality of a trial; but ordered him immediately to be led forth before the infulting populace, and feemed to take a favage

pleasure

pleafure in feafting her eyes with his diftreffes. The gibbet erected for his execution was fifty feet high; his head was fent to London, where the citizens received it in brutal triumph, and fixed it on the bridge. Several other lords alfo fhared his fate; all deferving pity indeed, had they not themselves formerly juftified the prefent inhumanity, by fetting a cruel example.

In the mean time, the king, who hoped to find refuge in Wales, was quickly discovered, and clofely purfued by his triumphant enemies. Find ing no hopes of fuccour in that part of the country he took thipping for Ireland; but even there his wretched fortune feemed willing to perfecute him; he was driven back by contrary winds, and delivered up to his adverfaries, who expreffed their fatisfaction in the groffness of their treatment. He was conducted to the capital, amidst the infults and reproaches of the people, and confined in the Tower. A charge was foon after exhibited againft him; in which no other crimes but his incapacity to govern, his indolence, his love of pleasure and his being fwayed by evil counsellors, were objected against him. His depofition was quickly voted by parliament; he was affigned a penfion for his fupport, his fon Edward a youth of fourteen, was fixed upon to fucceed him, and the queen was appointed regent during the minority.

A. D.

The depofed monarch but a fhort time survived his misfortunes; he was fent from prison to prifon, a wretched outcaft, and the fport of his inhuman keepers. He had 1327. been at first confined to the cuftody of the earl of Lancaster, but this nobleman, fhewing fome marks of respect and pity, he was taken out of his hands, and delivered over to lord Berkeley, Montravers, and Gournay, who were entrusted with

the