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with Edward Bruce. They are induced to submit before the end of the year P.

The king proposes a fresh invasion of Scotland in August; but the earl of Lancaster and his partisans refuse to join the royal army, and it is abandoned.

The Irish are defeated with vast slaughter at Athenree, in the west, by the English, Aug. 10.

Robert Bruce passes into Ireland, to the assistance of his brother, September.

A.D. 1317.

The Scots traverse Ireland, as far as Limerick, early in the year, but lose many men in their return to the north; Robert Bruce retires.

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The pope (John XXII.) attempts to negotiate a peace between England and Scotland. Bruce being only styled governor of Scotland," refuses to treat, or to admit the papal legates; he is excommunicated a second time, March 28, and his kingdom placed under an interdict.

The Irish appeal to the pope against the tyranny of the English settlers, and desire either to be left independent, or to hold their lands immediately of the king. The pope expostulates with the king, and procures a promise of better government for the future.

The earl of Lancaster's power shaken by a quarrel with the earl Warrenne.

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The earl of Lancaster was at its head, and soon after (October 22) a formal treaty was proposed between him and the king for the pardon of their adherents, but the earl refused to include Warrenne.

By authority of parliament a treaty was concluded with the Flemings, for the redress of various grievances of which they had complained; in the proceedings it is stated on both sides that the king is "lord of the sea" between England and Britanny.

He received in marriage Eleanor, one of the co-heiresses of the earl of Gloucester (who had been killed at Bannockburn); a great part of South Wales thus fell to his share, but he was soon embroiled with his neighbours, the marchers, among whom the Mortimers were the most formidable. His great-grandfather, Hugh le Despenser, was keeper of the castle of Bridgnorth in the early part

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of the reign of Henry III.; his grandfather was in the service of Richard, king of the Romans, but afterwards joined the barons, became their justiciary, and was killed on their side at Evesham; his father served with great reputation in all the wars of Edward I., and was one of his commis

Arms of Despenser.

sioners to conclude a peace with France. In consequence of the favour of his son the elder Despenser was created earl of Winchester, in 1322, and he was involved in his fall.

The younger Despenser turned pirate, and seized many rich vessels, particularly two large ships at Sandwich.

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Great Seal of Edward III

EDWARD III.

eidest son of Edward II. of France, born at Wind13, 1312, succeeded to the .: the deposition of his father

first few years of the reign thus iciously commenced were passed kind of tutelage, all real power ng in the hands of Queen Isabella her paramour, Roger Mortimer. hey concluded a peace with Scotand, which acknowledged the independence of that kingdom, put the deposed king to death, and publicly executed his brother, the earl of Kent; but at length Edward made himself independent of them, when Mortimer was hanged, and the queen-mother put under restraint for the remainder of her life".

She is usually said to have been imprisoned at Castle Rising until her death; but her Household Book has been recently brought to light, and it shews that, in the latter years of her life at least, she was allowed to move about freely, and her son paid her occasional visits.

Truces were frequent! made, but they were

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Soon after this the attack on Scotland was renewed, by Edward Balliol, the son of the former king, which, though at first successful, eventually failed; and a little later commenced a contest for the crown of France, which forms the great distinguishing feature of Edward's reign. His claim was contrary to the French law, and was unanimously rejected by the states of France, yet he persisted in it, and thus involved the countries in a war of nearly thirty years' duration b. The French were signally defeated at Sluys, Crecy, Poitiers, and elsewhere, their country was ravaged up to the gates of Paris, and their king taken prisoner; their councils were distracted by the rivalry of the princes of the blood, and the peasantry

ill-observed, especially in the remote provinces of Britanny and Guienne; such was also the case under his successors. French historians, indeed, speak of the whole period, from Edward's claim until the expulsion of the English by Charles VII., as the Hundred Years' War.

Yose une nsurrection; yet they stered eventually in fouling their ass. L., and when the contest came to a ond, by the peace of Bretigny, be accepted, instead of the whole kingGem, comparatively small part, which Se occted into a principality for his excest seat; but much of this was lost beere his death, in consequence of dew War. In fact, his only permanot gain was Calais.

Beside attacking France, Edward endicavoured to gain possession of Panders, and his son, Edward the

Black Prince, interfered in the affairs of Spain. These ceaseless foreign expeditions obliged the king to have very frequent recourse to his parliaments, and in return for their liberal aid they gained many concessions, by which the power of the crown was limited in several important particulars.

Edward's latter days were embittered by the deaths of his queen and eldest son, and the loss of most of his French acquisitions, and he died at Shene (now Richmond), June 21, 1377; he was buried at Westminster.

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Edward III.

Philippa of Hainault.

From their Monuments, Westminster Abbey. Edward married Philippa, daughter William, count of Holland and Fakult, in January, 1328. She acnied him on some of his foreign ons, at other times defended 5. in his absence, and died Lamented, at Windsor, Aug. 15, Their children were seven sons

*me daughters --

Edward, usually styled the Black Pricey born at Woodstock, June 15, Ices became one of the most re

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patrimony the English conquests in the south of France, and was created duke of Aquitaine July 19, 1362. He was unfortunately induced to undertake an expedition into Spain, in favour of Peter the Cruel, but ruined his health there, and so impaired his finances that he was obliged to tax his Gascon subjects too heavily; they resisted, and appealed to the king of France, who soon overran the province, and the prince retired to England, where he died June 8, 1376, leaving by his wife, Joan of Kent, a son, Richard, who became king.

2. Lionel, born at Antwerp, Nov. 29, 1338, was created duke of Clarence; he was made lieutenant of Ireland, and also aspired to the Scottish crown. He married, first, Elizabeth, the heiress of William de Burgh, earl of Ulster, and had by her a daughter, Philippa, (born at Eltham Aug. 16, 1355,) who married Edmund Mortimer, earl of March; and secondly Violante, daughter of Galeazzo, duke of Milan, by whom he had no issue. He died in Italy Oct. 17, 1368.

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youth
of Fmund, earl of consequence. Her two sons, Thomas and John,
Yemeni to Sir Thomas were greatly favoured by their half-brother, Rich-
wedded the tide of Earl of Kent in ard II.

The queen is refused admission | west marches, is detected in correinto Leeds castle, in Kent; the king spondence with the Scots, and exemarches against it, and having cap- cuted, Feb. 27. tured it, hangs the governor, Oct. 31. He recalls the Despensers, Dec. 8, and ravages the lands of the barons.

The earl of Lancaster forms an alliance with the Scots, and draws together his partisans in the north of England.

A.D. 1322.

The king marches against the barons, but offers them pardon, March 3. Lancaster retreats before him; is defeated at Boroughbridge, March 16, and taken prisoner next day, tried by a military council, and executed at Pontefract, March 22. Many of his adherents are slain', others taken, (among the latter, Roger Mortimer and lord Badlesmere). Many of the forfeited estates are given to Hugh le Despenser.

The king invades Scotland, but without effecting anything, and his forces are greatly harassed on their

retreat.

A.D. 1323.

A truce for thirteen years concluded with Scotland, May 30.

Roger Mortimer escapes to France, early in August. Others of the Lancastrian party ravage Hugh le Despenser's lands.

The king is summoned to France to do homage to the new king, Charles IV.

A.D. 1324.

The French attempt the conquest of Gascony.

A.D. 1325.

The queen, being sent to France in March, arranges a treaty on the affairs of Gascony, May 31.

The king, falling ill at Dover, transfers his foreign possessions to his son Edward, and sends him to do the homage agreed on for them, September 12.

The queen forms an intrigue with Roger Mortimer, and refuses to return to England unless the Despensers are banished; the earl of Kent (the king's

Sir Andrew Harcla", warden of the brother) joins her.

This castle, which was part of her dower, had been placed in the keeping of Bartholomew, Lord Badlesmere, who was also warden of the Cinque Ports, and the king's steward. He, however, had joined the earl of Lancaster, and had directed the governor, Thomas Colepeper, to admit no one except by order from himself. The queen, being on a pilgrimage to Canterbury, wished to lodge in the castle, but this was refused, and several of her attendants were killed by volleys of arrows from the gate. Badlesmere being captured a few months later at Boroughbridge, was sent into Kent, and though a noble, was hanged like any ordinary malefactor, at Blean, near Canterbury. His wife and family also were imprisoned in the Tower.

This was now openly done, but a secret understanding had long existed between them. Humphrey de Bohun, earl of Hereford and

Seal of Bohun, earl of Hereford. Essex, was among them. He was the son of the earl of Hereford already mentioned (see A.D. 1297), and in 1302 he married Elizabeth, daughter to the

king, and widow of John, count of Holland. Like his father he held the office of constable, and served in the Scottish wars, and being taken at Bannockburn was exchanged for the wife of Robert Bruce. He vehemently opposed the favourites of his brother-in-law, was one of the peers appointed to regulate his household, and in every way supported the earl of Lancaster, being at last killed in his cause, March 16, 1322. His wife died in May, 1316, and was buried at Walden, and in his will, made at Gosforth, 11th August, 1319, he desires to be buried beside her, but his wish was neglected, and he was interred in the church of

the Friars Preachers at York.

Roger Mortimer, lord of Wigmore, was born in 1287. He was the grandson of the chief opponent of De Montfort. He served in Scotland, had also the office of great justiciary of Wales, and in 1317 was appointed lieutenant of Ireland. He supported the earl of Lancaster, and when taken prisoner was committed to the Tower; he was sentenced to death, Aug. 2, 1322, but this was the next day commuted to perpetual imprisonment. After a time he escaped and repaired to France, when his wife and daughters were seized and imprisoned in his stead. He shortly after returned to England, and in concert with the queen governed the kingdom at his pleasure, being created earl of March, and enriched by vast grants, but was suddenly seized by order of the young king, hurriedly condemned, and hung at Tyburn, Nov. 29, 1330. After remaining some days on the gibbet, his body was buried in his castle of Ludlow, in a chapel which he had erected and dedicated to St. Peter ad Vincula to commemorate his own es cape from the Tower in the time of Edward II.

He had been but recently created earl of Carlisle for his services against the earl of Lancaster.

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broke out into insurrection; yet they succeeded eventually in foiling their assailant, and when the contest came to an end, by the peace of Bretigny, he accepted, instead of the whole kingdom, a comparatively small part, which he erected into a principality for his eldest son; but much of this was lost before his death, in consequence of a new war. In fact, his only permanent gain was Calais.

Beside attacking France, Edward endeavoured to gain possession of Flanders, and his son, Edward the

Black Prince, interfered in the affairs of Spain. These ceaseless foreign expeditions obliged the king to have very frequent recourse to his parliaments, and in return for their liberal aid they gained many concessions, by which the power of the crown was limited in several important particulars.

Edward's latter days were embittered by the deaths of his queen and eldest son, and the loss of most of his French acquisitions, and he died at Shene (now Richmond), June 21, 1377; he was buried at Westminster.

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Edward III.

Philippa of Hainault.

From their Monuments, Westminster Abbey. Edward married Philippa, daughter | of William, count of Holland and Hainault, in January, 1328. She accompanied him on some of his foreign expeditions, at other times defended his realm in his absence, and died much lamented, at Windsor, Aug. 15, 1369. Their children were seven sons and five daughters :

1. Edward, usually styled the Black Prince, born at Woodstock, June 15, 1330, became one of the most re

Edward the Black Prince, from
his Tomb at Canterbury.

nowned warriors of his time. He
served at Crecy, and gained the vic-
tory of Poitiers; he received as his

She was the daughter of Edmund, earl of Kent, and had been before married to Sir Thomas Holland, who received the title of Earl of Kent in

patrimony the English conquests in the south of France, and was created duke of Aquitaine July 19, 1362. He was unfortunately induced to undertake an expedition into Spain, in favour of Peter the Cruel, but ruined his health there, and so impaired his finances that he was obliged to tax his Gascon subjects too heavily; they resisted, and appealed to the king of France, who soon overran the province, and the prince retired to England, where he died June 8, 1376, leaving by his wife, Joan of Kent, a son, Richard, who became king.

2. Lionel, born at Antwerp, Nov. 29, 1338, was created duke of Clarence; he was made lieutenant of Ireland, and also aspired to the Scottish crown. He married, first, Elizabeth, the heiress of William de Burgh, earl of Ulster, and had by her a daughter, Philippa, (born at Eltham Aug. 16, 1355,) who married Edmund Mortimer, earl of March; and secondly Violante, daughter of Galeazzo, duke of Milan, by whom he had no issue. He died in Italy Oct. 17, 1368.

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consequence. Her two sons, Thomas and John, were greatly favoured by their half-brother, Richard II.

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