king had time to interpofe in his favour. In proportion as Mortimer thus got rid of his enemies, he was careful to enrich himself with their spoils. The eftate of the unfortunate earl was feized upon for the use of the favourite's youngest fon; the immenfe fortunes of the Spenfers were in like manner converted to his ufe. Thus his power became invidious, and his corrupt morals made it ftill more formidable. It was in this pofture of affairs, that Edward refolved to shake off an authority that was odious to the nation, and particularly reftrictive upon him. But fuch was the power of the favourite, that it required as much precaution to overturn the ufurper, as to establifh the throne. The queen and Mortimer had for fome time chofen the caftle of Nottingham for the place of their refidence; it was ftrictly guarded, the gates locked every evening, and the keys carried to the queen. It was, therefore, agreed between the king and fome of his barons, who fecretly entered into his defigns, to feize upon them in this fortrefs; and for that purpofe, Sir William Eland, the governor, was induced to admit them by a fecret fubterraneous paffage, which had been formerly contrived for an outlet, but was now hidden with rubbish, and known only to one or two. It was by this, there. fore, the noblemen in the king's interefts entered the caftle in the night; and Mortimer, without having it in his power to make any refiftance, was feized in an apartment adjoining that of the queen's. It was in vain that the endeavoured to protect him; in vain fhe entreated them to spare her "gentle Mortimer;" the barons, deaf to her éntreaties, denied her that pity, which fhe had fo often refused to others. Her paramour was condemned by the parliament, which was then fitting, without being permitted to make his de fence, fence, or even examining a witnefs againft him. He was hanged on a gibbet at a place called Elmes, about a mile from London, where his body was left hanging for two days after. A fimilar fentence paffed against fome of his adherents, particularly Gournay, and Montravers, the murderers of the Jate king; but these had time to elude punishment, by efcaping to the Continent. The queen, who was certainly the most culpable, was fhielded by the dignity of her fituation; fhe was only dif carded from all fhare of power, and confined for life to the caftle of Rifings, with a penfion of three thousand pounds a year. From this confinement, fhe was never after set free; and though the king annually paid her a vifit of decent ceremony, yet the found herself abandoned to univerfal contempt and deteftation; and continued for about twentyfive years after, a miferable monument of blafted ambition. Edward being thus freed from the control of ufurped authority, refolved to become popular, by an expedient which feldom failed to gain the affections of the English. He knew that a conquering monarch was the fitteft to please a warlike people. The weakness of the Scottish government, which was at that time under a minority, gave him a favourable opportunity of renewing hoftilities; and the turbulent fpirit of the nobles of that country ftill more contributed to promote his aims. A new pretender alfo started up to that throne, namely, Edward Baliol, whofe father John had been crowned king of Scotland, and Edward refolved to affift him in his pretenfions. He therefore gave him permiffion to levy what forces he was able in England; and with not above three thoufand adventurers, thus fortuitously united, Baliol gained a confiderable victory over his his countrymen, in which twelve thoufand of their men were flain. This victory, which was followed by fome others, fo intimidated the Scotch, that their armies difperfed, and the kingdom feemed as if fubdued by an handful of men. Baliol, by one of thofe unexpected turns of fortune, common enough in barbarous times, was crowned king at Scone; and every nobleman, who was moft expofed to danger, fubmitted to his authority. But he did not long enjoy his fuperiority; by another turn equally fudden, he was attacked and defeated by Sir Archibald Douglas, and obliged to take refuge in England once more, in a miferable condition. An attempt thus unfuccefsfully made by Baliol, only ferved to enflame the ardour of Edward, who very joyfully accepted of that offer of homage and fuperiority, which it was Baliol's prefent intereft to make. He therefore prepared, with all his force, to reinstate the depofed king of Scotland, in a government which would ever after be fubordinate to his own. He accordingly prevailed upon his parliament to give him a fupply, which they reluctantly did; and with a well-difciplined army, he laid fiege to Berwick, which capitulated after a vigorous defence. It was in attempting to relieve this city, that a general engagement enfued between the Scotch and the English. It was fought at Hollidown hill, a little north of Berwick, with great obftinacy on both fides; but the fortune of Edward prevailed. Douglas, the Scottifh general, was flain, and foon after the whole army put to the rout. This victory was, in a great measure, obtained by the expertnefs of the English archers, who now began to be famous over Europe for their peculiar fkill. All the Scottish nobles of chief diftinction were either flain, or taken prifoners; near thirty thoufand of A. D. their men fell in the action, while the lofs of the English only amounted to about fifteen men; an inequality almoft incredible. 1333 This important victory decided the fate. July 9 of Scotland; Baliol, with very little trouble, made himself mafter of the country; and Edward returned in triumph to England, having previously fecured many of the principal towns of Scotland, which were declared to be annexed to the English monarchy. Thefe victories, however, were rather splendid than ferviceable; the Scotch feemed, about this time, to have conceived an unfurmountable averfion to the English government; and no fooner were Edward's forces withdrawn, than they revolted againft Baliol, and well nigh expelled him the kingdom. Edward's appearance a fecond time ferved to bring them to fubjection; but they quickly renewed their animofities upon his retiring. It was in vain, therefore, that he employed all the arts of perfuafion, and all the terrors of war, to induce them to fubmiffion; they perfevered in their reluctance to obey; and they were daily kept in hopes, by promifes of fuccour from France. This kingdom, which had for a long time difcontinued its animofities against England, began to be an object of Edward's jealousy and ambition. A new scene began to be opened in France, which operated for more than a century, in fubjecting that country to all the miferies of war, till Europe at last began to doubt, whether it was nexed to England by right of arms, or of fucceffi on. an France, at that period, was neither the extenfive, nor the powerful kingdom we fee it at this day. Many great provinces have been added to it fince that period, particularly Dauphiny, Provence, and Franche Comté; and the govern ment ment was still more feeble, by thefe neighbouring princes, who were pretended fubjects to the king, but, in reality, formidable rivals of his power. At the time we are speaking of, that kingdom was particularly unfortunate; and the king fhared in the general calamity. The three fons of Philip the Fair, in full parliament, accufed their wives of adultery; and, in confequence of this accufation, they were condemned and imprifoned for life. Lewis Hutin, the fucceffor to the crown of France, caufed his wife to be ftrangled, and her lovers to be flayed alive. After his death, as he left only a daughter, his next brother, Philip the Tall, affumed the crown, in prejudice of the daughter; and vindicated the title by the Salic law, which laid it down, that no female fhould fucceed to the crown. This law, however, was not univerfally acknowledged, nor fufficiently confirmed by precedents, to procure an eafy fubmiffion. They had hitherto enquired but flightly in France, whether a female could fucceed to the kingdom; and as laws are only made to regulate what may happen by what has happened already, there were no facts upon which to ground the opinions on either fide of the queftion. There were, in reality, precedents to countenance both claims, and thus to keep mankind in fufpence. The parliament of France had often adjudged the fucceffion to women, as Artois was formerly given to a female, in prejudice of the male heir. The fucceffion of Champagne had been, on fome occafions, given to the daughters; while on others, they were judged unqualified to fucceed. We thus fee that right changed with power; and justice in fuch a cafe, was unknown, or difregarded. In the present inftance, the younger brother of the late |