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61. Battle of Evesham, 1265.-Prince Edward having escaped from captivity, and being joined by several powerful barons, who had deserted Simon de Montfort, defeated him at the Battle of Evesham, where he was killed. After the battle, the cause of the people being for the time depressed, and Magna Charta trampled under foot, there was much discontent and disorder throughout the kingdom.

62. EDWARD I. (Longshanks), 1272–1307.-Eldest son of Henry III.; married Eleanor of Castile in 1254. He was one of the greatest of English kings, and, on account of his wise legislative enactments, was surnamed "The English Justinian.' During the latter years of his father's life, Edward had fought in the last of the Crusades, where he was wounded by the poisoned dagger of an assassin. His wife Eleanor, so the story goes, saved him by sucking the venom from the wound. The memory of this occurrence has recent been revived by the erection of a second commemorative monument at Charing Cross, upon the exact spot where Edward raised the first one in honour of his chère Reyne,' from which epithet the name of the locality is supposed to be derived.

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In this reign the House of Commons was finally established. Henceforth the power of Parliament grew steadily, until, from having at first little more than the right to petition, it became virtually the greatest power in the realm.

63. Benefit of Clergy, 1274.-Ecclesiastics were exempted from the jurisdiction of secular courts. In Edward's time, to mitigate the severity of the laws by which lay culprits suffered death for the most petty offences, the privilegium clericale was extended to all who could read a verse or two of a Latin book, and offenders who stood this test were only burned in the hand. Henry VII., Henry VIII., and Anne successively restricted this privilege. It was finally abolished in the reign of George IV.

64. Statute of Gloucester, 1278.-Under this enactment inquiries were made into the encroachments of the nobility on the royal demesnes. They gave great dissatisfaction to the nobility, and were not proceeded with.

65. Statute of Mortmain, 1279.-By this no land or tenements could be transferred to the clergy (i.e. in mortuâ manu—the members of ecclesiastical bodies being reckoned dead in law) without the license of the king.

66. Statute of Acton Burnel, 1283.-So called from the place where it was passed. It provided for the more speedy recovery of debts due to traders.

67. Conquest of Wales, 1283.-After a struggle of 800 years, the Welsh princes at length succumbed to the power of the English monarch. Upon the defeat of Llewellyn, their last ruler, at the Battle of the Wye, Wales was erected into a principality for the heir of the English crown. By the Statute of Wales, 1284, it was incorporated with England, and Edward II., who was born at Carnarvon, received the title of Prince of Wales, which the eldest sons of the Kings of England have borne ever since.

68. Statute' Quia Emptores,' 1290.-By this freemen could sell all their lands, provided the purchaser would hold them of the superior tenant, as they had been held by the vendors.

69. The Scotch Succession, 1292.-Margaret, the Maid of Norway, heiress to the Scottish crown, having died, the two chief competitors, Robert Bruce and John Baliol, referred the settlement of their claims to Edward's decision. The decision being in favour of the latter, Baliol proceeded to do him homage as a vassal.

70. Battle of Dunbar, 1296.-Baliol having revolted, Edward's forces entered Scotland and defeated and deposed him at Dunbar, carrying the famous coronation stone of the Scottish kings to England.

71. Battle of Cambuskenneth, 1297.-The Scotch, headed by Sir William Wallace, declared in favour of Robert Bruce, defeated Edward's forces near Stirling, and devastated the north of England.

72. Statute De Tallagio non concedendo,' 1297.-The barons obliged Edward to sign a Confirmation of the Charters (i.e. Magna Charta and the Charter of the Forests) with an additional clause, known by this title. It put an end to the imposition of taxes by the crown without consent of Parliament. From this time the right of raising supplies was vested in the people.

73. Battle of Falkirk, 1298.-This was a severe defeat by Edward of the Scotch under Sir W. Wallace.

74. Execution of Wallace, 1305.-Wallace, after making a bold stand in the Highlands of Scotland, was ultimately betrayed by his friend, Sir John Monteith, carried to London, and executed as a rebel and traitor.

75. EDWARD II., 1307-1327.-Fourth son of Edward I.; married Isabel of France in 1308. A weak monarch, governed by despicable favourites.

76. Battle of Bannockburn, 1314.-Instead of carrying on the war in Scotland, Edward, at his father's death, made a truce with Bruce. Seven years afterwards, he invaded that country, but

received, at Bannockburn, the severest defeat England has ever sustained.

77. Deposition of Edward II., 1327.-Though he defeated the Earl of Lancaster at the Battle of Boroughbridge (1322), and even put him to death, this unfortunate prince was unable in the end to make head against his rebellious barons. They seized and hanged his favourites, and afterwards, by the aid of his Queen Isabella and her favourite, Roger Mortimer, took Edward himself prisoner at Kenilworth Castle. He was then removed to Berkeley Castle and barbarously murdered.

78. EDWARD III. (of Windsor), 1327–1377.-Eldest son of Edward II.; married Philippa of Hainault in 1328. In this reign the armies of both France and Scotland were signally defeated, and their kings made prisoners. King Edward was a wise and valorous sovereign. He encouraged commerce, favoured the settlement in England of Flemish handicraftsmen, and built the Castle of Windsor. But perhaps the most notable fact of this period is the success which crowned the efforts of Parliament in behalf of their country in establishing upon a firm footing three essential principles of our government: (1) the illegality of raising money without consent; (2) the necessity that the two Houses should concur for any alterations in the law; (3) and lastly, the right of the Commons to inquire into public abuses, and to impeach public councillors.''

79. Battle of Halidon Hill, 1333.-The Scotch, under the Earl of Douglas, Regent during the minority of David Bruce, made an inroad upon the North of England. In revenge, Edward marched into Scotland, and gained a victory at Halidon Hill, which in a measure compensated for the defeat at Bannockburn.

80. Battle of Sluys, 1340.-Upon the death of Charles IV., King of France, Edward claimed the crown of that kingdom in right of his mother, Isabella, Charles's sister. The claim was untenable (1) because a nearer male heir existed in the person of Philip of Valois, and (2) because the Salic law excluded females from the succession. In the year 1337, however, Edward adopted

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the title of King of France, quartered the French lilies with the English lions (where they remained till the Peace of Amiens, 1802), and commenced war with Philip by a great victory over his fleet at Sluys.

81. The Invention of Gunpowder, 1320, by one Schwartz, took place in this reign. It was first used at the Battle of Cressy.

82. Battle of Cressy, 1346.-This was a famous victory gained over Philip of France, and chiefly owing to the skill and valour of Edward's eldest son, afterwards called 'The Black Prince,' from the armour worn by him on this occasion. The English forces of 30,000 men were opposed to 130,000 French.

83. Battle of Neville's Cross, 1346.-During Edward's absence in France, David Bruce, King of Scotland, invaded England, but was met, defeated, and taken prisoner at Neville's Cross, by an army raised by Queen Philippa.

84. Siege of Calais, 1347.-Calais, held for eleven months against Edward by John de Vienne, surrendered. Edward, according to Froissart, accepted the terms of the besieged on condition that six of the most considerable burgesses should present themselves for execution. Their lives were spared at Queen Philippa's entreaties.

85. Institution of the Order of the Garter, 1349.-The popular story of this is well known, but the real origin of the Order is obscure. Edward the Black Prince was the first Knight of the Garter.

86. Statute of Provisors, 1353.-Under this, presentation by the Pope to vacant benefices in England was prohibited.

87. Battle of Poictiers, 1356.--Another great victory gained by the Black Prince over John, King of France, whom he took prisoner.

88. Treaty of Bretigny, 1360.-Between England and France. Edward resigned his claim to the crown of France, renounced his pretensions to certain French provinces, and received others in exchange. His prisoner, King John, was to pay a ransom. The ransom could not however be raised, and John died in England.

89. Death of Edward the Black Prince, 1376.-Having gone to Spain to assist Pedro the Cruel, King of Castile, in his wars, the Black Prince was greatly instrumental in defeating Du Guesclin at Najara, in 1367. The expenses of this expedition obliged him to heavily tax his French subjects (the people of Aquitaine). The inhabitants of Limoges in consequence revolted, and on recapturing the town he had them all put to death. His health had been long breaking up, and not long after this cruel act he died.

90. RICHARD II. (of Bordeaux), 1377-1399.-Son of Edward the Black Prince, and grandson of Edward III.; married (1) Anne of Bohemia in 1382; (2) Isabella of France in 1396. The extremes of weakness and impetuosity met in this prince. His first queen, however, induced him by her influence to lend some aid to the growing spirit of resistance to the encroachments of the Papacy.

91. Wat Tyler's Insurrection, 1381.-This was the first marked insurrection of the lower orders since the Conquest, and showed that they were escaping from the serfdom to which they had been so long subjected. It was occasioned by a poll-tax levied upon all persons above fifteen years of age, and was headed by Wat Tyler, Jack Straw, and others. After committing great outrages in various parts of the country, the rioters came to London, where the king met them at Smithfield. Wat Tyler assuming a menacing attitude, was killed by William Walworth, the Mayor of London. The king made pretence of granting their demands, but revoked his promises afterwards, and the poor were treated worse than before.

92. Battle of Otterburn (Chevy Chase), 1388.-The Scotch continued to make inroads into the north of England. In one of these the Scottish leader, Douglas, defeated the Percies, and took young Percy, surnamed Hotspur, prisoner.

93. Statute of Præmunire, 1392.-Another Statute against Provisors (see p. 24, s. 86), passed to check the Papal power in England. It enacted 'that whoever procures at Rome, or elsewhere, any translations, processes, excommunications, bulls, instruments, or other things, which touch the king, against him, his crown and realm, and all persons aiding and assisting therein, shall be put out of the king's protection, their lands and goods forfeited to the king's use, and they shall be attached by their bodies to answer to the king and his council.' In Henry VIII.'s time the penalties of præmunire were further extended.

94. Rebellion of the Earl of Hereford, 1398.-Henry, Earl of Hereford, called Bolingbroke, son of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, by his first wife, Blanche of Lancaster, having challenged the Duke of Norfolk to a duel, was, with his opponent, banished by the king. On John of Gaunt's death, Richard seized the estates. Bolingbroke accordingly landed in England, and being joined by the Percies and other powerful barons, dethroned Richard, who was confined in Pontefract Castle, where he died. Some say that he was murdered, others that he escaped to Scotland.

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