ENGLAND 
5C,Q 
of hiftory. He reftored permanent authority to the go- 
veifn'ment, which had been difordered by the weaknefs 
of his father; he maintained the laws a gain ft all the ef¬ 
forts of his turbulent barons ; he fully annexed to the 
crown the principality of Wales ; he took the wifeft and 
mod effectual meafures for reducing Scotland to a like 
condition ; and though the equity of this latter enterpvife 
may reafonably be queftioned, the circumftances of the 
two kingdoms promifed fuch fnecefs, and the advantage 
was fo vifible, of uniting the whole ifland undergone head, 
that thofe who give great indulgence to reafons of date 
in the meafures of princes, will not be apt to regard this 
part of his conduct with much feverity. But Edward, 
however exceptionable his character may appear on the 
.head of juftice, is the model of a politic and warlike 
king. He poflelfed indnfiry, penetration, courage, vi¬ 
gour, and enterprife. He was frugal in all expences that 
were not neceftary ; he knew how to open the .public 
treafureson proper occafions ; he punifhed criminals with 
feverity ; he was gracious and affable to his iervant;v and 
courtiers; and was as well qualified to captivate the po¬ 
pulace by his exterior demeanour, as to gain the appro¬ 
bation of men of fenfe by his more folid virtues. Me 
poffeffed a very dignified appearance, tall in ifature ; re¬ 
gular and comely in his features ; with'keen piercing eyes, 
and of an afpedt that commanded refpeff and efieem. His 
confutation vysV robuft; his ftrength and dexterity per¬ 
haps unequalled in his kingdom; and his fltape was per¬ 
fect in all other refpects except that of his legs, which 
are faid to have been too long in proportion to his body, 
whence he derived the epithet of Longjfranks. In mental 
endowments he has been juftly celebrated. He was cool, 
fagacious, and circumfpedl. The remoteft corners of the 
earth refounded with the fame of his courage ; and all 
over Europe he was confidered as the flower of chivalry. 
Nor was he lefs confummate in his legiflative capacity, 
than eminent for his protvefs. He may be (filed the Eng- 
lifli Juftinian : for, befides the excellent ftatutes that were 
enadted in his reign, he new-modelled the adminiftration 
of juftice, fo as to render it more fare and fummary ; he 
fixed proper bounds to the courts of jurifdidtion; fettled 
a new and eafy method of colledting the revenue, and 
eflablifhed wife and effectual methods of preferving peace 
and order among his fubjedts. Yet, with all thefe good 
qualities, he cherifhed a dangerous ambition, to which he 
did not fcruple to facrifice the good of his country, when¬ 
ever it (food in the way of his private views. Though 
celebrated for his chaftity and regular deportment, there 
is not, in the whole' cotirfe of his reign, one inftance on 
record of his public liberality and munificence. 
King Edward was firft married to the princefs Eleanor 
of Caftille, by whom he had four fons and eleven daugh¬ 
ters. The three elded of thefe fons, John, Henry, and 
Alphonfo, died unmarried, long before their father; the 
younged, Edward, furvived, and fucceeded him. Four 
of the daughters of this marriage, Eleanor, Joan of Acres, 
Margaret, and Elizabeth, were married to the earls of Bar 
and Gloucefter, the duke of Brabant, and earl of Hol¬ 
land; fix of them died in their infancy; one of them, 
Mary, was a nun, and furvived her father. Edward’s (e- 
cond queen was Margaret of France, by whom he had 
two fons, Thomas' of Brotherton earl of Norfolk, and 
Edmund of Woodftock earl of Kent, and one daughter, 
Eleanor, who died in her infancy. 
Edward II. was in the twenty-third year of his age 
when he afeended the throne of his father. He was of an 
agreeable figure, of a mild harmlefs difpofition, and ap¬ 
parently additted to few vices. But he foon gave fymp- 
tonis of his unfitnefs to fucceed fo great a monarch as 
Edward I. The young king appeared more fond of the 
enjoyment of his power, than of the art of fecuring it; 
and, lulled by the flattery of his courtiers, he thought 
he had done enough for glory, when he had put on the 
crown. Inftead, therefore, of profecuting the war againft: 
Scotland, according to the injunctions laid upon him by 
bis dying father, lie took no fteps to check the progrefs 
of Robert Bruce ; his march into that country being ra¬ 
ther a proceflion of pageantry than a military expedition. 
Bruce, no longer dreading the great conqueror by whom 
he had been oppofed, boldly ilfued from his retreat, and 
even obtained a confiderable advantage over Aymer de 
Valence, who commanded the Englilh forces. Young 
Edward looked tamely on, and, inftead of chaftifing the 
enemy, endeavoured to come to an accommodation."The 
Englifh barons, who had been kept in check daring the 
preceding reign, now faw that the iceptre was fallen into 
fuch feeble hands, that they might refume their forme? 
power and independence. 
To confirm the inaufpicious conje6tures already formed 
of this reign; Edward recalled one of his favourites, who 
had been baniflied by his father for corrupting the prince’s 
morals. The name of this diffipated youth was Piers 
Gaveftone, the fon of a Gal'con knight, who had been em¬ 
ployed in the fervice of the late king. This young man 
was of an inlinuating exterior ; but was utterly deftitute of 
thofe amiable qualities of heart and underftanding which 
are calculated to procure efieem. Yet he was witty, 
brave, and adlive; but then he was vicious, effeminate, 
debauched,, and trifling. Thefe were qualities entirely 
adapted to the tafte of the young monarch’s mind. He 
therefore took Gaveftone into his particular favour, and 
thought no rewards equal to his deferts. He endowed 
him with the earldom of Cornwall, and married him to 
his own niece, giving him the fum of thirty-two thoufand 
pounds, which the late king had fnperffitioufly referved 
for the maintenance of one.hundred and Forty knights, 
who had undertaken to carry his heart to Jerufalem, 
Thefe unbounded favours could not fail to excite the in¬ 
dignation of the barons ; and Gaveftone wa? no way foil- 
Gitous to foften their refentment. Intoxicated with power, 
he became haughty and extravagant. Whenever there 
w^ts a difplay of pomp and magnificence, Gaveftone was 
lure to eclipfe the Englifh nobility, not only by his fnpe- 
rior fplendour, but by his fuperior infolence. 
This prefumptuous favourite was appointed regent of 
England, during a journey the king made to Paris, to 
efpoufe the princefs lffibella, to whom he had been long 
betrothed. The barons, extremely provoked at this ele¬ 
vation of the favourite, concerted meafures, previous to 
the arrival of the princefs, who was imperious and in¬ 
triguing, to make her of their party, by atfedling to give 
‘her a timely caution againft the intrigues of Gaveftone. 
A confpiracy was foon formed againft him, at the head 
of which queen Ifabella, and the earl of Lancafter, were 
affociated. They reciprocally bound themfelves to expel 
Gaveftone; and began to throw oft’all reverence for the 
royal authority, which they faw wholly ingroffed by this 
overgrown favourite. At length, the king found himfelf 
obliged to fubmit to their united clamour; and he re¬ 
moved Gaveftone, by appointing him lord-lieutenant of 
Ireland. But his abfence was of very Jhort duration ; for 
the weak monarch, long habituated to his company, could 
not live w ithout him ; and having obtained a difpenfation 
from the pope for his breach of faith, he once more re¬ 
called Gaveftone, and even went down to 'Chaffer to meet 
him on his firft landing. A parliament was affembled, 
wherein the king had influence fufficien't to have his late 
conduit approved; but this ferved only to increafe his 
ridiculous attachment, and to render Gaveftone (till more 
odious. It was eafy to perceive that a combination of 
the nobles, while the queen fecretly affifted their defigns, 
would be too powerful'for the efforts of a weak king and 
a vain courtier. They were bent upon the fall of Gave¬ 
ftone, even though that of Edward himfelf ftiould be in¬ 
volved in the fame ruin. They foon, therefore, affem- 
bled, in a tumultuary parliament, contrary to the king’s 
exprefs command, attended with a numerous retinue' of 
•armed followers; and begun a barefaced ufurpation, by 
giving laws to the king. They compelled him, March 16, 
1308, to lign a eommiffion, by which the whole authority 
of 
