584 
ENGLAND. 
The flrfl oppofition made to thefe ufurpations arofe 
out of that very power vvliicli they had fo lately conlli- 
tuted to check the encroachments of the king. The 
knights of the (hire, who for home time had begun to be 
regularly affembled in a leparate houfe, now firft a (railed 
this dangerous hydra. Thefe bold and patriotic men 
ftrongly remondrated againd the proceedings of their 
twenty-four rulers; and, for the firft time, began to fiiow 
that fpirit of juft interference, which has ever fince actu¬ 
ated the commons houfe of parliament. They reprefent- 
ed, that though the king had on his part acceded to the 
conditions required of him, the twenty-four barons had 
too long fwerved from their line of duty, and were only 
intent upon the aggrandifement of themfelves, and the 
oppredion of others. They therefore called upon the 
king’s elded fon, prince Edward, to interpofe his autho¬ 
rity, and fave the (inking nation. The heir apparent was 
at this time about twenty-two years of age, when the 
hopes which were conceived of his abilities and his in¬ 
tegrity, rendered him an important perfonage in the tranf- 
aflions of the times, which in Come meafure atoned for 
his father’s imbecility ; and upon this occafion his con¬ 
duct was evidently calculated to imprefs the people with 
the highed opinion of his piety and judice. He alleged, 
when appealed to, that he had fworn to the Confutations 
of Oxford, which, though contrary to his own private 
fentiments, he yet refolved by no means to infringe. At 
the fame time, however, he fent a medage to the barons, 
requiring them to furrender up their authority to the par¬ 
liament, or otherwife to expeCt the mod vigorous oppo¬ 
fition to their ufurpation. To this the barons replied by 
publifhing a new code of laws, which, though it con¬ 
tained fcarcely any thing material, yet they fuppofed 
would, fora while, dazzle the eyes of the people, until 
they could take meafures to condrin their authority upon 
a firmer foundation. In this manner, and under various 
pretences, they continued in power for three years, while 
the whole nation perceived their drift, and condemned 
their treachery. The pope himfelf beheld them with 
indignation, and abfolved the king and all his fubjefts 
from the oath which they had taken to oblerve the Con- 
ftitutions of Oxford. 
The people now only wanted a leader to enable them 
to abolifb this baronial tyranny. The king himfelf was 
weak, timid, irrefolute, and fuperftitious, and in a manner 
leagued with thofe who oppofed and depreffed him ; the 
clergy, who formerly gave the people redrefs, were be¬ 
come an independent body, and little regretted the com¬ 
motions of tiie (late, which conftantly tended to their 
aggrandifement. In this dilemma they had recourfe to 
prince Edward, who for Come time declined the people’s 
earned application ; but being at lad perfuaded of the 
necefiity, he directed a parliament to be called, in which 
the king refumed his priftine au hority ; and the barons, 
after making one fruitlefs effort more to take him by fur- 
prife at Winchefter, were obliged to fubipit to what they 
couid not oppofe. But in the mean time the earl of Lei- 
cefter fuccefsfully counteracted this m mentary triumph 
of the king’s friends. He formed a powerful confederacy 
with the prince of Wales, who invaded England with an 
army of thirty thou (and mhn ; to which Leicefter foon 
joined his own torces, and the whole kingdom was again 
expofed to all the devaftations of a civil war. The citi¬ 
zens of London alfo (upported his caufe, and under the 
command of their mayor, Thomas Fitz-Riehard, they fell 
upon the inoffenfive Jews, and other wealthy inhabitants, 
pillaging and deltroying wherever they came. 
In this adverfe (fate of the nation, nothing could be 
fought for but an accommodation with the infurgent 
barons ; and, after lome debate, a treaty was concluded, 
but upon the moll difadvantageous terms to the king and 
his party. 1 he Conftitutions of* Oxford were again en- 
lotced, A. D. 1263, and the barons were re-eftablithed in 
the fovereignty ot the kingdom. They immediately took 
poliedion of all the royal callles and fortreffes j they named 
1 
the officers even of the king’s houfehold ; and fummoned 
a parliament to meet at Weftminfter, in order more fully 
to fettle the plan of their government. By this aflembly 
it was refolved, that the authority of the twenty-four 
barons (liould continue, not only during the reign of the 
king, but alio during that of prince Edward. But tliefe 
conditions, though fubmitted toby the king, were refilled 
with fpirit and dignity by the young prince, who was now 
determined to allert his father’s prerogative, and defend 
his own right of inheritance. He appealed to the king 
of France, to whom he offered to refer all matters of ani- 
molity and difpute: and to which, after fome previous 
explanation, the earl of Leicefter, in the name of the 
twenty-four barons, readily agreed. Louis IX. who for 
his great wifdom and virtue w'as afterwards canonized, 
undertook with alacrity and candour the kindly office of 
peace-maker ; and for that purpofe fummoned the dates 
of France to meet at Amiens, on the 23d of January, 
1264, to hear and difeufs the merits, in prefence of all 
the parties. On the 3d of February following, Louis 
publidied h.ts award, as follows : “ That the Conftitutions 
of Oxford Hi011 Id be annulled, as fubverfive of the ancient 
conflitution : that the king be reftored to the poffeffion of 
his callles, lands, and revenues; to the nomination of the 
great officers of (late, and of his houfehold ; and to all the 
inherent rights and privileges of the crown : and that a 
general amnefly mould be granted for all paft offences ; 
and the people reftored to their ancient liberties.” The 
earl of Leicefter rejefted this award with contempt ; on 
which prince Edward refolved to have recourfe to arms. 
Accordingly, fummoning the king’s military vaffals from 
all quarters, and being reinforced by many of the more 
equitable barons, he took the field. His firft attempts 
were fuccefsful ; Northampton, Leicefter, and Notting¬ 
ham, fubmitted to his power; and lie proceeded into the 
county of Derby, in order to ravage the ellates of thofe 
who had efpoufed the oppofite caufe. O11 the other (ide, 
the earl of Leicefter was befieging Rochefter, when lie 
was informed of the king’s fuccefs ; upon which he raifed 
the (iege, and retreated to London, where he was joined 
by a body of the citizens, amounting to fifteen thoufand 
men. Both armies being refolved to come to an engage¬ 
ment, Leicefter halted within about two miles of Lewes 
in SuTTex ; offering, at the fame time, terms of accom¬ 
modation, which he well knew the king could not ac¬ 
cept. Upon the reftifal of thefe, both lides prepared for 
a battle. The royal army was formed in three diviliotis : 
prince Edward commanded on the right; Richard, the 
king’s bro her, who had been fome time before made 
king of the Romans, was polled on the left wing.; and 
Henry himfelf occupied the centre. The earl’s army was 
divided into four bodies : the firft was conduced by Henry 
de Montfort, (on of the general; the fecond was com¬ 
manded by the earl of Gloucefter; the third was under 
the command of Leicefter himfelf; and the fourth, con¬ 
fiding of Londoners, was under the direction of Nicholas 
Seagrave. To encourage'the infurgents, the bilhop of 
Chichefter gave a general abfolution to their party, ac¬ 
companied with affurances, on the principles of Mahomet, 
that if any of them fell in the atlion, they would infill- 
bly be received into heaven, as a reward for their differ¬ 
ing in (0 meritorious a caufe. The battle was begun by 
prince Edward, who ruffed upon the Londoners with 
inch impetuofity, that they were unable to luflain the 
charge, and fled with great precipitation. The prince 
tranfporred with this gleam of victory, purfued them far 
beyond the field of battle, cauling a terrible (laughter. 
In the mean while the earl of Leicefter, who was a (kilful 
commander, pufhed with all his forces againd the ene¬ 
mies’. left wing, foon put them to the rout, and took 
both the king and his brother prifoners. It was a dread¬ 
ful reverfe of vittory, therefore, when the young prince 
returned, to find that his father and his uncle were de¬ 
feated and taken. In this conflift of the filial feelings 
and paflions, Edward at firft endeavoured to infpire his 
remaining 
