ENGLAND. 
remaining troops with ardour and revenge; but being 
artfully amufed by Leicefter with a pretended negocia- 
tion, he quickly found his little army furroiinded, and 
he himfelf obliged to ftibmit to fuch terms as the con¬ 
queror thought fit to impofe. Thefe terms were fhort, 
and immediate: prince Edward, and his coufin Henry 
d’Alrnaine, fon of Richard earl of Cornwall, were to 
furrender themfelves as pledges in the place of the king 
and his brother, who were releafed. The Confutations 
of Oxford were to remain in force, but to be revifed by 
' fix perfons appointed by the king of France, three pre¬ 
lates, and three noblemen, who, with three more of t' sir 
own choofing, were to be inverted with full powers to 
fettle all difputes. This convention was called the Mije 
of Lewes, as having taken place in that town, in 1264. 
Thefe advantages were no fooner gained by Leicefter, 
than he refolved to poffefs himfelf of that power for 
which he had fo long been ftruggling. lnftead of refer¬ 
ring the fubjects in difpute to the parties agreed on, he 
kept Richard earl of Coventry and king of the Romans, 
ftill a prifoner; and though he had confined prince Ed¬ 
ward, and Henry, Richard s fon, in Dover caftle, yet he 
effectually touk care (till to continue the king alfo in 
bondage. To add to his injurtice, he made ule of the 
king’s name for purpofe.-. the'mod inimical to the royal in- 
tcrerts ; and while he every where difarmed the king’s ad¬ 
herents, he kept his own partifans in a porture of defence. 
The king, a poor contemptible fpeCtator of his own de¬ 
gradation, was carried about from place to place, and 
compelled to give his governors directions to deliver 
their caftles into the hands of his enemy. To this ufurpa- 
tion of the king’s authority, Leicefter added the raoft 
rapacious avarice. He feized the eftutes of no lefs than 
eighteen barons, for his fhare of the fpoil in the battle of 
Lewes. He converted to his own ufe the ranfom of all 
the prifoners; he monopolifed the fale of wool to foreign 
markets; and, to fix himfelf completely in authority, he 
ordained that the kingly power fhould be exercifed by a 
council of nine perfons, who were to be chofen by him¬ 
felf, the earl of Gloucefter, and the birtiop of Chicherter. 
To eftablilh or confirm this new-fangled authority, the 
earl of Leicefter was obliged to have recourfe to an aid 
till now unknown in England, namely, that of the body 
of the people. He called a parliament, Jan. 20, 1365, 
where, befides the barons of his own party, the knights 
of 'hires, and feveral ecclefiaftics who were not immedi¬ 
ate tenants of the crown ; he ordered returns to be made 
of deputies from the cities and boroughs, which had been 
hitherto confidered as too inconfiderable to have a voiCe 
in legillation. This is the firft confirmed outline of the 
meeting of a general houfe of commons, recorded in the 
Englith hiftory. 
A parliament, affembled in this multifarious manner, 
was found nor fo compliant, as the earl of Leicefter ex¬ 
pected. Many of the barons who had long adhered to 
his party, appeared difgufted at his unqualified ambition ; 
and many of the people, who found that a change of maf- 
ters was not a change from mifery to happinefs, began to 
vvilh for the re-eftablifhment of the royal family. In this 
exigency, Leicefter finding himfelf unable to oppofe the 
concurring wifhes of the nation, was refolved to make a 
merit of what he could not prevent; and he accordingly 
releafed prince Edward from confinement, and introduced 
him at Weftnrinfter-hall, where his freedom was confirm¬ 
ed by the unanimous voice of the barons. But though 
Leicefter acquired the popularity of reftoring the prince, 
yet he was politic enough to keep him (fill guarded by 
emilfkiies, who watched his motions, and fruftrated his 
defigns. But the prince, who had too much penetration 
not to perceive that he w'as made the tool of Leicefter’s 
ambition, ardently watched an opportunity to, regain that 
freedom of which he then enjoyed but the fhadow : and 
this opportunity foon offered. The earl of Gloucefter, 
one of Leicefter’s party, being dilconcerted, retired in 
difguft, and began to raife an army on the borders of 
Vol. VI. Ho. 374. 
.583 
Wales. Leicefter was not flow in purfuing him ; and to 
give greater authority to his arms, he took the king and 
the prince of Wales with him. This afforded the happy 
opportunity fo long coveted by young Edward for effect¬ 
ing his efcape. Being furniflied with a horfe of extraor¬ 
dinary fwiftnefs, under a pretence of taking the air with 
fome of Leicefter’s retinue, who were in reality appointed 
to guard him, he propofed that they fhould run their 
horfes one againft the other. When he perceived that 
his horfe had completely the advantage, he politely bid 
his attendants farewel. They followed him for fome 
time ; but the appearance of a body of troops belonging 
to the earl of Gloucefter, foon put an end to the purfuit. 
This event feemed the fignal for the whole body of the 
royalifts to rife. The well-known valour of the young 
prince, the long train of grievances which the people en¬ 
dured, and the countenance of the earkjjf Gloucefter, a 
man of great power, all combined to.inerfeafe their num 
bers, and infpire their activity. An army was quickly 
affembled, which Leicefter had no power to withftand. 
His fon, Henry Montford, attempting to bring a rein¬ 
forcement of troops from London, was, by a vigorous 
march of prince Edward, furprifed near Eveffiam, and 
his army cut to pieces. Not long after, the earl himfelf, 
ignorant of his Ion’s fate, paired the Severn, in expecta¬ 
tion of the London army ; but inftead of the troops he 
expeCted, he foon perceived that the indefatigable prince 
was coming up to give him battle. He did not, however, 
abandon all hopes of victory ; but drew up his men in a 
compaCt circle, and exhorted them to fight like men who 
had all to gain, or all to lofe. At the fame time he 
obliged poor old king Henry to put on armour, and take 
his ftation in front of the army. The battle foon began ; 
but the earl’s army, exhaufted by famine and fatigue, 
were but ill able to fuftain the impetuofity of young Ed¬ 
ward’s attack, who affailed them with incredible fury. 
During this terrible day, Leicefter behaved with aftonilh- 
ing intrepidity, and kept up the fpirit of the aCtion from 
two o’clock in the afternoon till nine at night. At laft, 
his horfe being killed under him, he was compelled to 
fight on foot; and though he demanded quarter, the ad- 
verfe party refilled it, with an inhumanity too common 
in thole barbarous times. The king had been wounded 
in the fhoulder; and, not being known by his friends, 
was on the point of being killed by a foldier, when he 
cried out, “ I am Henry of Winchefter, the king!” Prince 
Edward, hearing the voice of his father, flew to the lpot 
rvhere he lay, and had him conducted to a place of fafety. 
The body of Leicefter being found among the dead, was 
lhamefully mangled by Roger Mortimer; and then, with 
an accumulation of brutality, lent to the wretched wi¬ 
dow, as a teftimony of the royal party’s fuccefs. 
This victory proved decifive ; and, to the ftiame of the 
victors, thofe who were formerly perfecuted, now became 
opprelfors in their turn. “The king, who was grown vin¬ 
dictive from his fufferings, refolved to take a (ignal ven¬ 
geance on the citizens of London, who had long encou¬ 
raged the inveteracy of his opponents. In this exigence, 
fubmiffion was their only refource ; and Henry was hardly 
reftrained from totally deftroying the city. The rebels 
every where fubmilted, or were purfued with rigour; 
and their ca/tles were taken and demolifhed. Among the 
few who ftill continued refraCtory, was Adam Gordon, 
formerly governor of Dunfter caftle, and much celebrated 
for his prodigious ftrength and great bravery. This vin¬ 
dictive baron maintained himfelf for fome time in the fo- 
relts of Hamplhire, and ravaged the counties of Berks 
and Surrey. Prince Edward was obliged to lead a body 
of troops into that part of the country, to force his camp. 
Urged by the natural impetuofity of youth, he leapt over 
the trench by which it was defended, attended only by a 
few followers; and thus found himfelf unexpectedly cut 
off from the reft of his.army. Gordon foon diftinguirtied 
him from his attendants; and a fingle combat took p ace 
between thefe two celebrated champions, which, fora 
7 K long 
