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L'exemplaire f llm^--«tinuation fr'^m theTevolut on we that a succmct compression of these Silr;' rr^^ 7^^'' ^^-^^^ ^« po- tion Buff^ T^""' P"^P^^^^« «^«d»ca. t^on. But the design would have been ZT^^''' without I continuatioTto the aSe ofT '/r^' '^""^'^ ^^e author i^ com^o. ^ ^^^'""^'^ responsibility of be' the ^^.r ^"'''"P^^^^^ historian, yet, as ?eavouL r '^' necessary, he has 'en! adeSr ^ '' "^''^^ '"'•" ^"^ ^nJ?^'^^^^^' ^""^ ^^^^« contained in the ' wor^as^£™ "'^ ^^^^"^^« ^^^ «"-h a work as the present ; but they furnish data, from which the student will be able manv^^? • • *""^^^^te and corroborate many details in the text of the History. HI The All inhabi who p netit. 'their g those i lion w troduc ^parts V ■a comi ^^fineme s^ selves lover t or mcr ferocit in orde Howe\ ''I before g quisite «1 ons, b) a great and s.! were c huts th which od tliei I ofphin ■ eiicc 01 ' ^en guid-j having ob- of literary • Smollett lised as a Revolution is reasona- 1 of these Id be pre- of eduea- lave been ion to the author is lity of be- n, yet, as 5 has en- care and ed in the f such a ' furnish 1 be able ons, and roborate istory. THE HISTORY OF ENGLAND. CHAPTER I. ^ The Britom — Romans— Saxoris-^ The Heptarchy. All ancient writers agree in representing the first inhabitants of Britain as a tribe of the Gauls or Celts, who peopled that island from the neighbouring conti- nent. Their language was the same— their manners, Hheir government, their superstition j— varied only by those small differences, which time, >r a communica- tion with the bordering nations, must necessarily in troduce. The inhabitants of Gaul, especially in those7 parts which lie contiguous to Italy, had acquired, from a commerce with their southern neighbours, some re- finement in the arts, which gradually diffused them- selves northwards, and spread only :i very faint light over this island. The Greek and Roman navigators . or merchants, gave the most shocking accounts of the ferocity of the people, which they magnified, as usual, in order to excite tne admiration of their countrymen. However, the south-east parts of Britain had already, before the age of C^sar, made the first and most re- quisite step towards a civil settlement j and the Brit- ons, by tillage and agriculture, had there increased to a great multitude. The other inhabitants of the isl- and s.ill njaintained themselves by pasture. They were c othed with skins of beasts. They dwelt in huts that they reared in the forests and marshes, with Vvhir.h t.ho. miintrv ivae f^nvetroA T'Kov Anallir .^.v«^.. od their habitation, when actuated either by the hopes of plunder, or the fear of an enemy. The conveni euce of feeding their cattle was even a suflicicnt mo- 6 lll.STOUY OK KNCJLAWU. .j|"..r«„. ..lull t|,„ r..,i ,..,i^'fn' ,"",', ^'2.7"; »«niimt llH, 11, lit Z r , , . , ^ "'"l"'^, ;"• "•"""•"i'v iV""". «'»i roA . d w i' ,;^;;i",77 'I",' .<\''i'"- ...X... Ilio |>ft<>|i|o ' ""J"'"' "' '"''l>itioii ni„„„g .•olrJit;:";;.?';;;- 'i[:';r - -" -r ti. .„..„, «t«to«, n« well as Z.0I hI, '="""■"'■<•"'""< ainong tho most Hcver.. no. ultios 'nn.?'^! "'? "J'''*"""' '" i'Tiimont, wliich wnr.. ;„?.;. ll ,' '"*' '""«''' "f ffo». • *«...l turbJlent'poo^ro ^^"S fo rvT "T"* "'"' ™''° •orrors of their .UDtrstuTon ' "^^ corroborated by tho tion was ever moro t,'rr hu .i ^'' fl"""" "f "uporsti- power to indict in tins wor M .1,1, '.' """ '" "'O'f ■lul transmigrntio , 'soT.k »!, ,7 '"F"'*"'*"' the cter- «.'U.ority a»^ far a" tho " .r's o r , "'''^ """"'«'' 'hoif -crificei .vera pr.cti:e 1 'a .0 « U,er'"7r ' "","""' war wore often dcvotnH .„ .1 ■ ,* "■ ' '"' ^P"' » of punished w M e sove,e,t to'r'tl:■^'^'.r""' ' ""'' "'"r to secrete any oartof .h? '"''"fs those who dared treasurer tho^ K in woor?,';7'V'''°««"n8- Tl.eso ..o other guarid tl.Ji tho "rro„ l' l',:?"'' r^"'*-! by this at^^An. ^ . " »-» rrors or their rolinriott . ..-..i K»rdo7a7mor grartlnn'rr -'■■'''■'y -r bo r"^^ vest extraordinary -•' ""sf n^lll^S '"r;.^ i). Tin: UlUTONS. , IIH tiloy worA Ixur waiitN ai)(J Hiti Nriitity. Hiniill nritionc >, whoMo Nolo > it wiiN iinpoH- »r liborty, for y (;cu- l)itioii among <>'' llio inoNt it; ami tijo <1 grout aii- » wufN and »prMidnnt Mlalo, whon <'n*Nar, having overrun all (iaiil by hia victorieM, and being anibitioun of carrying tiui Knnian armn into a new world, then nioitly unknown, took advantage of a Nhort interval in Uiu (iaulie want, and iAvaded Britain. The nativoa, informed of hiM intention, wore NeuMible of the unequal contoHt, ind niiieavoured to appoaNo him by HubmiNMioni *, but the«e n^tardrul not the exeeution oi bin doMign. After tome reHiHtanee,Ca;Mar landed, ?h in NuppoHed, at T)(!al i and having obtained Noverat advuntagCN over the lirilonw, and obliged them to promiue lioHtageM for tlinr future olxMlience, be waa eonitrained, oy the inMU'SHily of bin alfairu, and the ajM)roacb of winter, to %vithdraw hia foreea into (iaul. Tiie Britons, relieved fioni the terror of bia armH, neglected the porform- u\u'v. of their Htipulationu ; and that haughty conquer- or r«'Holved next aununor to cbaatiHu them for thin brrnu-h <»f treaty. lie landed with a greater force j niid tiiougb he found a more regular reaiMtanco from (lie BriloiiH who bad united under Casaivelaunus, one of tlu!ir petty princeR, bo discomfited them in cwery a(*ti(ni. lie advanced into the country ; passed th'^ 'I'hanieH in the face of the enemy; took and burned Mie capital of Cassivelaunus ; eHtablished his ally, iVIaiidubratius, in the sovereignty of tho Trinobantes j and having obliged the inbaoitants to make him new Ntibmiftsions, he again returned with his army into <'aul, and left the authority of tho Romans morenom* Mial than real in this island. The civil wars which ensued saved the Britons from tliat yoke which was ready to be imposed upon them. Augustus, tho successor of Caesar, content with the victory obtained over the liberties of his own country, ^v;iu little ambitious of acquiring fame b^ foreign wars. Tibcriua, zealous of the fame which might be acquir- <^ (I by^iia generals, made this advice of Augustus a pretence tor his inactivity. The mad sallies of Cali- ::ula, in which he nienaced Britain with an invasion^ MM vcd only to expose himself and the empire to ridi- ' ulc ; and the Britons, uurinc almost itury. • Boforc Ohrist. • HISTORY OF ENGLAND. them uwter^ir dfmii?„?'°'ll5?5i"""'' «f educing - Tweption, mad? a^'^vftXl-^^'^ ''*" W« «he submisgiwi of ism^^n ■? ?"?"' "^^ woeiTed 7 ~ath.e.a P^?«Jf tt Sand Tnhi!!:.'h' 'T>"«'' ">« Egress a^r&utsl?;i„^=l?t«^^^^^^^^^ *d mto the country of fte Siln«. . **"!?,"' i P'^'C" •who inliabited theWks of ftp «^~ j''>^ """»" "ctacu. in a areat Se • tn„t v *"' ^«feated Car *im to Rome where hi« 'ml ''•"" P'To^'' »"<« seat -cured Wrfctterueataenl^rHK'''',,''"'''"'"" P™' ibejjowed on captive pS.*"" "'" "*•"»»' """"'y «ho field, bwoed the D^uM.?„^I.*■°''*c'^'' ""'»"» off • S«wt.WpKd fo™ft^^ ^hich the *Tlii. and ti. folWin, d„„, ,„„ ^j^ efw. eigiiorciaii y of reducing Meking an/ ttver an armv able general, B a consider- B. Claudius pared for his ^d received the Cantii, ihabited the Britons, un<- intained an le little pro- as sent over >ra] advanc- pnsj pierc- ike nation feated Car F; and sent iviour pro- ms usually writ of the ^ero, Sue- mand; and flesey, the •ritons off «^hich the nies, and w. Hav- Britons, would be But the 9na, who anner by ' several London, •ny, wtm dangers, THE ROMANS. 81 jisive battle, in which eighty thousand Britons are laid to have perished ; and Boadicea, rath«r than sttb- lit to the victor, put an end to her life by poison. Julius Agricola, who governed Britain in the reigns 7 ,^, of Vespasian, Titus, and Domitian, formed a reg- Ic; '^J ular plan for snbduing this island, and rendering ,ihe acquisition useful to the conquerors. He carried his victorious arms northwards ; defeated the Britons (•in every encounter 5 pierced uie forests and moun- tains of Caledonia 5 and reduced every state to subjec- jtion in the souti^ern parts of the island. Having fix- ed a chain of forts between the friths of Clyde and Forth, he secured the Roman province from the in- cursions of its ferocious neighbours. i During these military enterprises, Agricola did not neglect the arts of peace. He introduced laws and arts among the Britons j taught them to value the con- veniences of life ; reconciled them to the Roman lan- guage and manners ; instructed them in letters and science 5 and endeavoured to render their chains easy. 3y this conduct, the inhabitants gradually acquiesced a the dominion of their masters. To secure the Roman province from the irruptions of the Caledonians, Adrian built a rampart between the river Tyne and i«c frith of Solway 5 this was strengthened with new fortiiicatiuiis by Severus 5 and during the reigns of the other Roman emperors, such a profound tranquillity prevailed in Britain, that little mention is made of the affairs of that island bv any historian. The natives, disarmed, dispirited, and sub- missive, had lost even the idea of their former inde- pendence. But the Roman empire, which had diffused slavery and oppression, together with a knowledge of the arts, over a considerable part of the globe, approached its > dissolution. Italy, and the centre of the empire, re- ^ moved, during so many ages, from all concern in the wars, had entirely lost its military spirit, and were peopled by an enervated race, equailv read^ to submit to a foreign yoke, or to the tyranny of their own rul era. The iiorthern barbarians assailed all the fron- tiers of the Roman empire. Instead of arming the people in their own defence, the emperors recalled all the distant legions, in whom alone they could repost 10 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. confidence* Britain being a remote province, and not much valued by the Romans, the legions that defend- ^oni '^^5l^^®TP^?y^^ '"^ ^^^ protection of Italy and Gaul : and that island, secured by the sea against the mlT- "^nn*^/^ r ^'t?^^' ""'^Z °^ barbarians, found ene! niies on its frontiers, ready to take advantage of its of i^r^f?ii'*"'''°5- ^^^ P[cts,who werlatribe ot the British race driven northwards by the arms of Agricola, and the Scots, who were supposed to have migrated from Ireland, pierced the rampart of Adrian! lo longer defended by tlie Roman armsfand extended tneir ravages over the fairest part of the country. The Romans, reduced to extremities at home, and fatigued with distant expeditions, informed the Britons that they must no longer look to them for succour ; ex- horted them to arm in their own defence : and ureed them to protect by their valour their ancient indepln- dence Accordingly, the Romans took a final adieu ot Britain, after having been masters of the best por- tion of It nearly four centuries. ^ The abject Britons of the south, unaccustomed to 448] ^-^^ P®"^« oj war and the cares of civil govern- -"ment, found themselves incapable of rlsistinj? the incursions of their fierce and savage neighbours^ I he Ficta and Scots now regarded the whole of Brit-' am as their prey j and the ramparts of the northern Tf irTl''"*^ ^ weak defence against the attacks of those barbarians. The Britons in vain implored the assistance of the Romans, in an epistle to Iktius the patrician which was inscribed '^ The Groans of the Britons.^' The tenor of the epistle was suitable to the superscription : " The barbarians," say thev '' on ItL^'lt^*"'^ drive us into the sea, the sea, bi the other, throws us back on the barbarians : and we have only th J hard choice left us of perishing by the sword or by the waves." The Romans, however, at th a time pressed by Attila, the most terrible enemy thi! ever assailed the empire, were unable to attend to the complaints of their allies. The Britons, reduced to despair, and attending only to the suggestions of their own fears, and to the Gonnfi/.l« ^c \7"f#:„ ,u_ - Uo^^felon?"''"'"'"''"*''^ .n'vi'S't'h^'pZro." The Saions had been for some time regarded as out 1 I THE SAXONS. II of the most warlike tribes of Germany, and had *^J become the terror of the neighbouring nations. They had spread themselves from the northern parts of Germany, and had taken possession of all the sea- coast from the mouth of the Rhine to Jutland. Hen- gist and Horsa, two brothers, who were the reputed de- scendants of the god Woden, commanded the Saxons at this period. These leaders easily persuaded their countrymen to accept of the invitation of the Britons, and to embrace an enterprise in whichvthey might display their valour and gratify their desire of plunder. They embarked their troops in three vessels, and transported to the shores of Britain sixteen hundred men, who landed in the isle of Thanet, and attacked with confidence and success the northern invaders. Hengist and Horsa, perceiving, from their easy vie- J, tory over the Scots and Picts, with what facility they I might subdue the Britons themselves, determined to [^ fight and conquer for their own grandeur, and not for the defence of their allies. They sent intelligence to Saxony of the riches and fertility of Britain : and their representations procured for them a reinforce- ment or five thousand men. The Saxons formed an alliance with the Picts and Scots, whom they had been invited to resist, and proceeded to open hostility against the Britons, whom they had engaged to pro- tect. . The Britons, roused to indignation agamst their treacherous allies, took up arms j and having deposed Vortigern, who had become odious for his vices, and for the bad success of his counsels, they put them- selves under the command of his son Vortimer. They ventured to meet their perfidious enemies, and though generally defeated, one battle was distinguished by the death of Horsa, who left the sole command in the hands of his brother Hengist. This active general, reinforced by his countrymen, still advanced to victo- ry J and being chiefly anxious to spread the terror of h's arms, he spared neither age, sex, nor condition. Great numbers of Britons, to avoid his cruelty or ava- rico, deserted their native country, and passed over to the continent, where, in the province of Armorica,-> they were received by a people of the same languagj I and manners, and gave in thequeathed to his posterity. The success of Hengist allured new swarms from the northern coasts of Germany. The southern Brit- ons gradually receded before the invaders into Corn- wa^l and Wales: and ^lla, a Saxon chief, founded the kingdom of |outh Saxony, comprising Sussex and toat portion of Surry which Hengist had not occu- The kingdom of the West Saxons, or of Wessex was founded bv Cerdic, and his^on Kenric, in Hamp.' shire, Dorsetshire, Wiltshire, Berkshire, and theTsfe SLJ^Jf ^^k**"* ''r^ "°' ^*" ^^^^ '"^''^y i Woody con! flict, that these adventurers enjoyed in peace the har- ■7 vest of their toils. They were opposed by ArthUr / TkTS® ^v ^^^ Silures whose heroic valour sispendeci / the declining fate of his country, and whose naine has t^J ^^^f***"^^^!^ ^y Taliesin aid the other BriUs^ bards. The militarv achievements of this prince have been blended with fiction 5 but it appears from incon- testible evidence, that both in personal and menta^ powers, he excelled the generality of mankind. * ' ^ Whilst the Saxons thus established themselwg in we ioutii, m-eat numbers of their countrymen,"Mider •everal leaders, landed on the east coast of Britiiii. In ]U|e year 675, Uffa assumed the title of king -of the East Angles; m 685, Crida, that of Meraaj and V THE HEPTARCHY. is Vortigcm one cause i into this estored to ^engist at nliiy were letained a lently cor- ^as invest* itons, and ns. Hen- tain. He >n8; under bissa, the nberland ; rehending which he rms from lern Brit- ito Corn- founded issex and tot occu- Wessex, n Hamp* 1 the Isle ody con- the har- f Arthur, ispended lame has r British ice have a incon- menta] I. ' lelvfkfi in ■gig about the same time, Erkenwmt, that of the East Sax- on«. This latter kingdom was dismenibered from that of Kent, and comprehended Essex, Middlesex, and part of Hertfordshire 5 that of the East Angles, Cam- bridgeshire, Suffolk, and Norfolk : Mercia was extend- ed over all the middle counties, from the banks of the Severn to the frontiers of those two kingdoms. Though the Saxons had been settled in Northum- berland soon after the landing of Hengist, yet t^ey met with so much opposition from the inhabitants, that none of their princes for a long time assumed the ap- pellation of king. In 547, Ida, a Saxon pnnce who boasted his descent from Woden, and who had brought other reinforcements from Germany, subdued all Nor- thumberland, the bishopric of Durham, and some of the south-east counties of Scotland. About the same time, iEUa, another Saxon prince, having conquered Lancashire, and the greater part of Yorkshire, receiv- ed the appellation of king of Deira. Therfe two king- doms were united in the person of Ethelfrid^grandson of Ida, who married Acca, the daughter of iEll»j and expelling his brother-in-law Edwin, he assumed the title of king of Northumberland. * * r Thus was established, after a violent contest of nearly a hundred and fifty years, the Heptarchv, or seven Saxon kingdoms, in Britain ; under which the whole southern part of the island, except Wales and Cornwall, in a great measure mixed its inhabitants, and changed its language, customs, and political insti- tutions. The Britons, under the Roman dominion had made such progress in the arts and civilization, that they had built twenty -eight considerable cities 5 besides a great number of villages and country-seats il but the Saxons, by whom they were subdued, restored the ancient barbarity, and reduced to thft most abject slavery those few natives who were not either massa- cred, or expelled their habitations. ,, j After the Britons were confined to Cornwall and Wales, and no longer disturbed the conquerors, the alliance between the princes of the Heptarchy was in a great meaBure aissoivea. uissx^uLixuiaf xraasj, «^=-^ revolutions among themselves, were the natural con ■equence. At length, nearly four hundred years afte» the first arrival of the Saxons in Britain, all the king^ i4 ; HISTORY OE EN(JLAND. ^"■"'nn^i^ J^tP'r''? "'^'^ "»"«d in one great state «2^1 edti^A^'^^^'V"""^'""''' <^^ policy effect: iSr"""'^' '«'» '»"«»''ing refineraenrXe'^hu, mJ^U^H ""n *'' P*""** '«=■" not to have much fi^?, k ■ <5erman ancestors in arts civilizV ChristianTl.'^^ J""!" "' °' obedience to the "a^" ni .„k ""^^''?'* "°' •'''he«o banished their iKnoran^' and sile^H.-'"' '^T''^ »'" "•«'' manners j^crSity ^ivedC'l°?K''*'* "o^onjPanied the do'ctrines re^ the reveren.^» f*" corrupted channels of Rome j and mfo. f f ®'"'® towards saints and reliques seems al. K Monay "r ** ""^ '"''"''"°" of thVsuTrem; Joeing^ Monastic observances were esteemed more ?^[l'i«."'"» .than the active virtues; the universal Uo^edV'^f""?''"',' interpositions superseded rte a^ • f« elrf "• ",' '=''"'^' ' ""<» '""■nty to the church 3^ Jbit w^^.i^'"'*?" ??»'""' '""i^'y- The sacer- noWiW Dreferr^Hir'^ "''■'?'" "^ '«=P««'- Hence the tef o fertam,,U .'^^ ?"""'/ "'"^ «'°* of the clois- Mteries „?Th l"^.^'°'y "^ *"• and endowed mon- asteries of wliich they assumed the eovemmpnt EGBERT.-ETHELWOLF. 15 rere carried to the most disgraceful heights, and "ub- litted to with a patience almost incredible. the laws, ignorance, 1 credulity ctrines re- ome 3 and seems ai- 5 Supreme ned more universal eded the he church i^he sacer- ience the the clois- wed mon- ^ernment. ual bene- to bestow retained ent. s corrupt 13 attach- he monks ^ingS; ab- »sport to The suc- iiess and ed every lence of Wilfrid, he Nor- n by an in Eng- n of the 9 sequel CHAPTER II. rom the Union of the kingdoms of the Heptarchy under Egbert, to the Norman Conquest The kingdoms of the Heptarchy appeared to be ;^. 6rmly united in one state under Egbert 5 and l^^ this union promised future tranquillity to the inhabitants of Britain. But these flattering hopes were soon overcast by the appearance of the Danes. 1 ne emperor Charlemagne had been induced to exercise great severities in Germany, and Uie more warlike of the natives, to escape the fury of his persecutions, had retired into Jutland. From that northern exUemi- ty they invaded France, which was exposed by tno diss'entions of the posterity of Charlemagne. Desig- nated by the general name of Normans, which tney received from their northern situation, they became a terror to the maritime, and even to the miana countries. In their predatory excursions they were tempted to visit England, and in their hostilities made „„-,, no distinction between the French and bnglisii ^^' J nations. After an unsuccessful attempt on Nor- thumberland, they landed on the Isle of Shepey, which they plundered with impunity. The next year they disembarked in Dorsetshire from thirty-five ships, and were encountered by Egbert at Charmouth, where the Danes were defeated with great loss. They alter- wards entered into an alliance with the Britons ot CornwaM, and, in conjunction with their allies, made an inroad into Devonshire, where they were met at Hingesdown by Egbert, and overthrown with consid- erable slaughter. The death of Egbert, whose pru- dence and valour had rendered him a terror to his enemies, revived the hopes of the Danes, and prompt- ed them to new efforts. Ethelwolf, the son and successor of Egbert, possess- o,oi ed neither the abilities nor tho bravery of hia "^"j father ; he was better qualified for a cloister 16 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. / than a throne^ He commenced his reign with resign*! ing to his eldest son, Athelstan, the provinces of £s< sex, Kent, and Sussex. The domestic dissentionl which this partition was calculated to occasion was prevented by the terror excited by the Danes, whose inroads were felt through Hampshire, Suffdlk, Norfolk J and Kent. In their course they carried off the goods, the cattle^ and even the wretched inhabitants 3 and then retiring to their vessels, they set sail to some distant quarter which was not prepared for their re< ception. Though oflen repulsed, and sometimes de< feated, yet they could not oe expelled. They estab^, lished themselves in the isles of Thanet and Shepey, whence they constantly harassed and ravaged the ad< jacent coasts. The unsettled state of England did not prevent £th* elwolf from making a pilgrimage to Rome, whither he carried his fourth and favourite son, Alfred, then only six years of age. He passed a twelvemonth at Rome in exercises of devotion, and failed not in liberality to the church. In his return home, he married Judith, the daughter of the emperor Charles the Bald -, but on his landing in England, he met with an opposition which he little expected. Athelstan, his elaest son, had paid the debt of nature ; Ethelbald, his second, who had assumed the government, formed the project of excluding his father from a throne, for which his weakness and superstition little qualified him. Eth- el wolf yielded in a great measure to the pretensions of his son : he retained the eastern, which were the least considerable, and ceded to Ethelbald the sove- reignty of the western districts of the kingdom. Im- niediately after, he summoned the states of the whole kingdom, and, with the same facility of disposition, not only granted to the priesthood a perpetual right to tithes, but exempted it from all imposts and burdens. Ethel wolf lived only two years sSfter conferring this gg,y, important grant to the church. By his wfll he ^ divided England between his two eldest sons, Ethelbald and Ethelbert : the west being assiffhed to the former, and the east to the latter. Ethelbald was a profligate prince, who married Judith, his mother-in- law, and whose reign was short. His death united tiie whole government in the hands of Ethelbert, who, dturing f and beq Thou; 866] 2d in East umberls youngei es again tlic fore feated walls oi bouring ton, in good cc battle y more s died of red his trious / Alfre 871] fr future ( when A ing indi much n ems aw self wii Latin t he was Scarce! obliged who hi roundii first su( ly, he ^ and obi was St only b^ r.ij vwuusu evacua • Tl ▼OL ALFRED. n ^ith resign*! ces of £s« dissentionl sasion wail les, whosel k, Norfolk, the goods.l tants 3 anal il to some I >r their re* e times de- hey estab- id ShepeyJ :ed the aa*| jvent Eth- : vhither he then only 1 at Rome berality to ed Judith, id J but on opposition Idest son, s second; lie project which his im. Eth- retensions I were the the sove- lom. Im- the whole sposition, il rieht to burdens, irring this is will he dest sons, mitnioA fn Ibald was lother-in- inited the 9rt, whO| dluring five years, reigned with iattioe nd prudence, and bequeathed the seeptre to his brother Ethered. Though Ethered defended himself with great brave- Rfifii ^j y**» during the whole of his reign, he eiijoy- ^ ed no tranquillity from the Danes, who landed in East Anglia, penetrated into the kingdom of North- umberland, and seized the city of York. Alfred, his younger brother, assisted Ethered in all his enterpris- es against the enemy. The Danes were attacked by the forces under Ethered and Alfred ; and being de- feated in an action, they sought shelter withiiKthe walls of Reading. Thence they infested the neigh- bouring country. An action soon after ensued at As- lon, in Berkshire, where the English, through the good conduct of Alfred, obtained a victory. Another battle was fought at Basing, where the Danes were successful. Amidst these disorders, Ethered more died of a wound which he had received, and transfer- red his kingdom and the care of its defence to the illus- trious Alfred, who was then twenty-two years od age. Alfred gave early proof of his abilities, by which, in »^in the most dimcult times, he saved his country ^J from ruin. Pope Leo the Third predicted his future greatness, by giving him the royal unction, when Alfred was on a visit to the Roman pontiff. Be- ing indulged in youthful pleasures, his education was much neglected ; but the recital of some Saxon po- ems awakened his native genius 3 and he applied him- self with diligence and success to the study of the Latin tongue. From these elegant pursuits, however, he was early recalled by the danger of his country. Scarcely had he buried his brother, when he was obliged to take the field, in order to oppose the Danes, who had seized Wilton,^ and were ravaging the sur- rounding country. He gave them battle, and was at first successful 3 but pursuing his advantage too eager- ly, he was oppressed by the superiority of numbers, and oblised to relinquish the field. Alfred, however, was still formidable 3 afid tlioush he was supported only by the West Saxons, he obliged his enemies to treaty ...u:*u i.i -.i^.^~i.. tU \VIiI(;ii illKZ] SViCiiiiii j3 YiT VS %* ftA evacuate his territories. The oath was taken and vio- * The real situation of Wilton !m» ^"^n much dtttputed.. f OL. I.. t .%, 18 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. Uted with equal facility ; and the Danes, without seek, iog any pretence, attacked Alfred's army, which they routed, and, inarching westward, took possession of Exeter. Alfred collected new forces, and exerted such vigour, that he fought eight battles in one year and obliged the enemy to engage that titey would set tie in some part of Ergland, and not suffer more of their countrymen to enter the kingdom. Whilst AL fred expected the execution of this treaty, another bo. dy of Danes landed in this island ; and collecting all the scattered troops of their countrymen, they seized Chip. penham, and extended their ravages over Wiltshire. This last event broke the spirits of the Saxons, and reduced them to despair. They believed themselves abandoned by Heaven to destruction. Some left their country, and retired into Wales, or fled beyond the sea; others submitted to the conquerors, in hopes of appeasing their fury by a servile obedience ; and Al- fred was obliged to relinquish the ensigns of royalty. and to seek shelter in the meanest disn woven b with ma tions of prise. Wher sistance semble situatioi harper, for him the tent ness dui Danes, aged by to the n ed them on the I ^propose :^ the des land ; I future tv. Tl the ado AL 19 ,hout8eek«i vhich they isession of id exerted! one year would set T more ofl Whilst Al. inotiier bo. ting all tii(j| iized Chi|>« r^iltshire. ixonij, and! ,hemselvc8 e left th(Mr| aeyond th«) n hopes of B j .ind Al- af royally. 3, from thf! iself under ived in tlx^ jn entrusl- ilinting sit- hierd, igno- l observinij iTiniing his re ofsom*^ employed r-ed, whose the trust; f her cakes raided him to eat. 3d his ene- tainers. In :ed waier« !, he found an habita- tions, and maAti that ;ay, or the nt and un- lit the vig- our of his arm, but knew not from what quarter the olow came. In thit insulated place he was informed that Oddune, earl of Devonshire, had routed and kill- ed Hubba the Dane, who had besieged him in his cas- tle of Kinwith, near the mouth of the river Tau 5 and that he had got possession of the enchanted standard, or rei^fen, so called from containing the figure of a raven, which the Danes believed to have been inter- woven by the three sisters of Hingiiar and Hubba, with magical incantations, and to express by the mo- tions of iU wings the success or failure of any enter- prise. , . i. 1 -*■' When Alfred was informed of this successful re- sistance, he left his retreat : but before he would as- semble his subjects in arms, he resolved to inspect the situation of the enemy. Under the disguise of a harper, he entered their camp j his music obtained for nim a welcome reception, and introduced him into the tent of their prince Guthrum j i.nd he was wit- ness during several days to the supine security of the Danes, and their contempt of the KngUsh. Encour- aged by what he observed, he stmt private emissaries to the most considerable of his friends, and summon-f ed them to meet him with their followers at Brixton 1 on the borders of Selwood Forest. The English hav-V.^ ing experienced that submission o- \y increased the ' insolence and rapacity of their conquerors, repaired to the place of rendezvous with alacrity, and received with snouts of transport a monarch whom they had fondly loved, and whom they had long concluded to , have been dead. Alfred immediately led them against [the Danes, who, surprised to see an army of English, 'fled after a faint resistance, and suffered greatly in the [pursuit: the remnant that escaped, were besieged by the victors in a fortified camp; and being reduced to extremity by hunger, they implored the clemency of [Alfred, whose prudence converted them from mortal enemies into faithful friends and confederates. He proposed to Guthrum and his followers tore-people the desolated parts of East Anglia and Northumber- land ; but he required from them as a pledge of their future sincerity, that they should embrace chriBtiani<* ty. The Danes complied ; and Guthrum received, 9% the adoDted son of Alfred, the ns^me of Athelstaq. , 5H) HISTORY OF ENGLAND. The tmcceti of thii expedient leemed to conte- ^i? with Alfred's hopea : the greater part of the ?2.^e. wttled their new quarters; ho Eorrt.,?buent procured subsistence by ravaging tho Torts of F^nceT and England enjoyed fcr some years «?t«tP of tmnquillity. Alfred employed this perio*i L estabH^^^^^^^ n^iii^^ry institutions and m -^iMrr nr the future defence of the island. He P'^'-iS^tV^riined cities : built castles and fortres- rer'alttSrshed a regular militia. Sensible that. ?he 'best means of defending an island is by a nary, he increased the shipping of his kingdom both .n number and strength, and trained his subjects to mar- Uime coXts. fie stationed his vesseU with such uXment as continually to intercept the Danish ships SeTbefore or after they had landed their troops ; and by this means he repelled several inroads of tho ' ^ Atkncth Hastings, the celebrated Danish chief, ^ having ravaged all the'provinces of France, along the LoVreVnd fhe Seine, appeared off the coast of TCent • wUh three hundred and'^irty sail i^^h^re the greater part of the Danes disembarked, and seized the fort of Wdore Hastings himself, with a fleet of eighty * sa?! entered the thames, and fortifying Milton in icint Boread hip forces over the country, and com- mUtedThe most dreadful ravages. Alfrecf on the first Sarm of th?8 descent, hastened with a chosen band ?o STe defence of his people; and collecting all he armed militia, he appeared in the fie d with a force siperioVto that of tlhe enemy. The invaders instead ofTnc?easing their spoil, were obliged to seek refuge within their fortificatipns. Tired of this situation, The Danes at Apuldore suddenly left their ^-r^- ment, and attempted to march towards the • :.^^, 2id to penetrate^nto the heart of the kinfe....i but Alfred, whose vigilance they could not escape, en- countPted and defeated them at Farnham. They fled to their ships, and escape'' to Mersey m Essex, where they eriu> d new works .r their protection. Has- *i^ '-, ,.<.|£.. «>t«,«/»« ^ After having endured the extremities of [amine, they atUckWe English, and a ^ff "T "n« tJ^e" effected their escape : but most of them being taKen, A% were "ied atVinchester, and hanged as public ""rhis" well-timed severity restored tranquillity to Enrimdwd Tranced security to the government. WlythrELV-AngUanandNUumberlandD>^^^ ■ but reVeUh, acknowledged the authcrily of Alfred. I By prudence, 6y justice, and by va "ur he had now I JtAlished his sovereignty over all the southern jwU M --.-.. 1 .. — *i-^ £agU8h chaniiei lo uiu "«» dern parti of the island, trom me r-uRMou V"""^VC7.*^*L"Md tiers of ScotUd} when, in the vig[our of his age, aj^ Se full posBeesion of his faculties, be expired ^ \ 22 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. tcr a glorious reign of twenty-nine years and a hal^ in wWch he had^eservedly attained the appellation of Great, and the title of founder of the English ™ T^Tcharacter of Alfred, both in private and public life, is almost unrivalled in the annals of any age or nat on. His virtues were so happily tempe ed to- gether, and so justly blended, that each prevented the other from exceeding its proper boundaries He re conciled the most enterprising spirit with he grea est moderation; the most severe justice with the gentle... lenity, the highest capacity and inchn^tion for s c i- ence,with the most sUing talents for action H,s civil and his military virtues are al"^^^^,^^^^:^'^^^^^, obiects of our admiration ; and nature, also, as ;. so br ght a production of her skill should be set in the fairest light, had bestowed on him every personal ^^T^tarUaTe?;^^^^^^^^^^ afford only an imper- feet idea of his merit. His civil institutions many of which still exist, and his encouragement o the ars and sciences, form the most Prominent features of his reiffn. The violence and rapacity of the Danes had sXerted all order throughout England, and introduc ed the greatest anarchy and confusion. To provide a remedy for the evils which their licentiousness nad occasioned, and to render the execution of justice S and Regular, Alfred divided the kingdom into counties; these he subdivided into hundreds and the hundreds into tithings. Ten householders formed a tithing, who were answerable for each other's conduct, and over whom a headborough or borsholder was ap- pointed to preside. Every man was obliged to regis- ter himself m some tithing ; and none could change his habitation without a certificate from the headbor- ough of fae tithing to which he belonged. When any person had been guilty of a crime, the headborough was summoned to answer for him ; and if the headborough was unwilling to be surety for his . ^^. • « ^ ..^.l4^.«%W #yv w\m%t3f\W\ Till appearance, the cniniuai was cuu-.aii.-.^u ^-s, i.z.=^» .... his trial. If the criminal fled, either before or after finding sureties, the headborough and tithmg were exposed to the penalties of the law. Thirty-one days were allowed them for producing the criminal. 11 in* ALFRED- .,me elapsed before they co"W J nd h'm, the head^^r- rranStwo other member of.thc Uth. g ffed to appear, and ™8*'"" tithings, consiating ot igers of three ne'Si^^X^uCng laa free from. all I twelve in all, swear that the t'^mg ^^ « of the crim- oTwitrboth k the crime and oHhe^'P^ ,„ch a iffi If the headborough could no P^^ the tithmg 'l!l,mher of witnesses to^ their ii" ,j,j^ ^ ^^jj,. ' ;r compelled to P^Xf ^-^UJait/toXerve the con- rationobWedeveryman«a'eJuJ^.^_j ^^ ^^^^^ f„, duct of his neighbours, aim tVipir behaviour. , ;,,,f:ce the headborougll *r„ ?he administration of "st'C^^^^^ j„ deciding any .ummoned his tithmg to ass«t ^^^ „embe™. trivial difference which oe=""^ ■ controversies be- S affairs of greater moment or m^^ tween members of d'Berey . • u^cons sted of ten bought before the l'""'»I«^'i,re8 and which waa regu- tfthinsB, or one h"'"!'?'*/''" „!,eC In their method lariy Ssembled once '>• J"" ,7tn „> J""««- V"^'" n ^^^^^ ^ffi^e Mdermen in his judicial tunotion, ^^^ ^ Z consisted '" g-",t"8 f ^,'^8?;„,3. i„ defauU from violation, ""d in '^^^"8 j j^y to the king " of justice in these courts, »» "PP ^^uld be entirely ,«inrU • but finding that nis vm" ».f „j took care Tgro sed in hearing these appe^'. ^Kred^^ ?" correct the. ignorant, o^r wr J^^ .^ letter* and magisUates, njia "'■"V"the administration ot ju«i«' laws. To gn'de. «*«?.'", which, though now lo.t, ?oCrvtd » *« SK'EnBlishWP'-dence, «.* «4 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. is generally deemed the origin of what id now denom inated the common law. To encourage learning among his subjects was no ess the care of this illustrious prince. When h« came to the throne, he found the English sunk into the grossest ignorance. Alfred himself complains that on his accession he did not know one person south of the Thames, who could so much as interpret the Latin service ; and very few even in the northern parts who had reached thit pitch of erudition. To supply this defect, he invited the most celebrated scholars from all parts of Europe ; he established schools ; and he founded, or at least revived, the uni- versity of Oxford, which he endowed with various Erivileges, revenues, and immunities He enjoined y law, all freeholders possessed of two hides, or about two hundred acres of land, to send their children to school for instruction ; and he gave preferment, both in church and state, to such only as had made some proficiency in knowledge. However, the most effectual expedient employed by Alfred for the encouragement of learning, was his own example. He usually divided his time into three equal portions : one was employed in exercise and the refection of his body ; another, in the despatch of business ; and a third, in study and devotion. Sensible that the people were incapable of speculative instruc- tion, he conveyed his morality bj^ apologues, parables, stories, and apothegms, couched in poetry. He trans- lated the Fables of iEsop, the Histories of Orosius and Bede, and Baethius on tne consolation of philosophy ; nor did he deem it derogatory from his high character of sovereign, legislator, warrior, and politician, thus to lead the way in literary pursuits. The prince was also an encourager of the mechanical arts. Hie invited industrious foreigners to repeople his country, which had been desolated by the ravages of the Danes. He introduced and encouraged manu- factures ; he prompted men of activity to engage in navigation ana commerce ; he appropriated a seventh pari Ui 2iiS3 winris iCVCUUC VJ i^^%S.li\i i.ZiC TUiUCU VIUCS, castles, palaces, and monasteries j and such was the impression of his sagacity and virtue, that he was re- garded by foreigners, as well as by his own subjects, ine EDWARD.-ATHELSTAN.-EDMUNP. « „ one of the greatest princes that had appeared on the ihrone of the world. Alfred bv his wife reWerrc^e'edeVtrfe'S^y llieau as well as S'^rthrreTf'fea^^^^^^^^ "Tllferfn^i^KaliU^to the\h«ne pref^^^^^ ^^ItrEdrd'^thelwaWh^^^^^^^^^^ cossant but successful «'™g?l« .^Sa""* »»« ^^ i„ed brians, the E^'-^»g'«^ »r *^^'Td MaW two signal victories at Telm'ford and Ma^a , pelled the Danes to retire '"t" J""=\^"'' Jftg, a tur- feast-Angles to swear =''lf 8^»"?\J,°eS "fouVyears, his httlent but successful reign ot twenty i"uij^ > conspired against him ; '^,^i"'«i^f orconstantine its bnans 5 and *\e deleaiea wim regarded as an the Danes and Welsh. A,^"^?,^f ^^JLl! law which able and active prince i^^nd^^^ '^^^^e thTee long 'Tnt'°He^r.^Usedlh'e Nortbumbria,., wh» 9*n .tizedevew opportunity of rebeUing; and he cnqoered CumSri,^^ from 'the Briton., and oonfer- 26 HISTORY OF ENGLAND red it on Malcolm, king of Scotland, on cond tion that he should do him domage for it, and protect the north from the incursions of the Danes He pe"»»?ed by the hand of Leolf, a notorious robber, whom he had Bentencedio banlsUent, and who P^esurned to en er ?he royal apartment. The king, enraged at this inso- fence ordered him to leave the room ; and on his re- S to obey, Edmund, naturally choleric, seized him % the hiir, when the ruffian drew a dagger, and gave him a mortal wound. r^mnnH hiM ^ Edred, the brother and successor of ^^dmund^^^ ^,^, no sooner ascended the throne, than he found it ^^1 necessary to oppose the incursions of the North- umbrian Danei andTo oblige ^-\^'^?^^'^^^^^^^ land to renew his homage for the lands which he held irEngknd Edred, tho^'ugh not destitute of courage, was an abject slave'to superstition 5 and he aband^^^^^^ ed his conscience to Dunstan, abbot of .^^f tonbury^ who, under the appearance of sanctity, veiled the most violent ambition. . ., 4.^«:*„ „n#i nro -7 Dunstan practised the most rigid austerity, and pre- ^tended to have frequent conflicts with the devil ; in ' one of wMch he Seized the devil by the nose with a pair of red-hot pincers, and held him td the whole ieiehbourhood resounded with his bellowings Sup- ported by this affected character, Dunstan obtained Sn?nTir7ascendency over Edred and w pUced thP head of the treasury. Sensible that he owed nis Sitancement to the austerity of his "fe- he beoa-ne a partisan of the rigid monastic rules The cel.bacy of priests was deemed meritorious by the cn>"ch o. feome • and the pope undertook to make al the cler- ilTn t'he wes?e?n^world renounce the privilege of marrvine. In England, Dunstan seconded his efforts, introduced the reformation into the convents of GlitonC and Abingdon.; but the ««" « "l^'fy- who were numerous and rich, defended their priv- ileges against this usurpation. During ^\'^J%'^^"^ »^- casioneS by these religious controverBies, Edred de- " xt 'chiUron of Edred being too joung to hear tl^ , weieht of government, the throne was filled by hi. 9W] 3w Elwy, who was adorned with » gracefui person and possessed the met promising virtue. ^ ecame a EDWY. -EDGAR. ^ hibitedbythe canon ^^^^ /j^^^wfound reason ta^ vectives of the monks 5/"f J/.^ug fneinies. On the repent his creating «"^^, f,^"lYs "obmty were indulge day of his coronation, ^^ii^^J^",^^^^^^ the noisv ing in riot and disorder J^;^^7/Xasures of love witfi revelry ofthe table, to taste the pleasures^^^^ ^^ ^^^ Elgiva. Dunstan, f^J^.^.'^^^^/.^ment^^^ with ev- kinVs retreat, burst mto the apart^^^ ^^ ^^^ ery opprobrious epithet ^J^^couia d pp^^^^^^ ^^ sex, thrust the queen ^f ^ .^^'/c/used Dunstan of avenge this P"^ >«^^J,^;,^ ;,^/7nd^S^^^^^^ him the malversation in the Jreasury a, inactive dur- Uingdom ButDunstan'sy^^^^^^^ ^ ing his absence : they ^\^''^''!^;" g^^ded to still more * of^the king and jee^/^"/ TrSop Odo, with a . outrageous acts of violence /vr r j.^^^ party of soldiers, seized the queen^ burn with a hot iron, and [?'^«^^^^y/,^"'^stst was obliged ta Edwy, finding himself unable to re^ist^ ^^^^^^ ^^^ consent to his divorce. ,^he unnappy | ; ^^^ tempting to return ^o her husband was seiz ^ y^^^_ itifet-nal Odo, who, with the malice oi . ^ ed her to be hamstrung ot ^^ic^^^^^ [ after, at Gloucester, in the ena'^^^^^^ vengeance, the Not satiated ^^^ this horrib^^^^^^^ monks encouraged Edgar; the young .^ wy, to aspire ^o the throne and «^ East-Anglia. session of Mercia, No'^thumberiana, ^^.^ Dunstan returned to England, tojss^^st^^^J.^ ^^^ ^^^ party, and after ^^^^^Xd ' Edwy was excommuni- of Canterbury. The }jnhappy f^i^^^^^ vengeance ; but cated, and pursued with ^"/^^^^"^^^^^^ his death, ^hich happened soon after fr^^^^^^^^ monkish persecution, and gave n^ogar p session of the throne. ^. -i-.tpg :„ the government E''«i';£^r„t!flr:„VSgnTs,o„elf the most preparations for war,T>e «"»"'^^ P^ d'"" 'r'''' ^d equally the fo'^Jf"^ "^i ''Cr'^f Scrtland, th. neighbouring sovereigns, the King «i 28 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. princes of Wales, of the Isle of Man, of the Orkneys, and of Ireland, were reduced to pay him submission but the chief means by which he maintained his au- thority, was his assiduous yet forced respect to the fanatical and inhuman Dunstan and his ki»ndred monks. These repaid his politic concessions by the high- est panegyrics j and Edgar has been represented by them not only as a consummate statesman and a great prince, but as a man of strict virtue, and even a saint. Nothing however could more fully prove, that the praises bestowed on Edgar, with respect to the sanctity of his life, were exaggerated and unmerited, than his immoral and licentious conduct. He broke into a convent, carried off Editha, a nun, by force, and even committed violence on her person. For this crime, Dunstan required him merely to abstain - from wearing his crown during seven years. At An- ••dover, too, Edgar, struck with the beauty of the daughter of a nobleman, in whose house he lodged, unceremoniously went to her mother, and desired that the young lady might pass that very night with him. The mother, knowing the impetuosity of the king^s temper, pretended a submission to his' will: but she secretly ordered a waiting-maid, named Elflede, to steal into the king's bed, after the company had retir- ed to rest. The dawn of light discovered the deceit ; but Edgar, well pleased with his companion, express- ed no displeasure on account of the fraud ; and El- flede became his favourite mistress, until his criminal marriage with Elfrida. This lady was daughter and heir of Olgar, earl of Devonshire, and all England resounded with the prais- es of her beauty. The curiosity of Edgar was excit- ed ; and he resolved to marry her, if he found her charms answerable to the report. He communicated his intentions to Athelwold, his favourite, whom he deputed to bring him an authentic account of her person. Athelwold found that general report had not exaggerated the beauty of Elfrida 3 and being smitten with her charms, he determined to sacrifice to his love for her the fidelity which he owed to his master. He returned to Edgar, and assured him, that the birth and riches of Elfrida had been the cause of the admi- ration paid to her, and that she possessed no charms of WARD. h?rth and riches make him sufficient compensation for :t~X*elwold, and soo^n' after 'pubUcly eepoa*- '"'El'^"'died after a reign of sixteen years and «as „,:, succeeded by Edward, whom he had by his h«t 9751 „„^»„,. with the daughter of Earl Ordmer. This Sewa. anointed and^crowned by Dunstan at inispnnco *%*" , p vpara after his accession. Kth rone'w^'m'roiraSd tragical. Though S. .tep-nwther had opposed his ''<>oce'.«»n ^jnd had • 1 - ««»»v in favftur of her own son Mneirea, yei F^wardh'Sd Sways Zwed her mark, of regard fee ho«e, he desil^d soL liquor to b*>rou^» >"» ^l^^ whilst he was holding the c»P to his ™°"«. 7«'Sr of Elfrida approached, and slabbed him behind. "«e "Lr."?." 1:^.1. i.;™.«lfwonndiBd. set spurs to his horse. I W faint with- the loss ol^mooa - - »- "j; sad> bat faint with the loss oi uiuuu, '^ ;-*• WZZ^v^t, was die, and his foot being entangled ^« ^h^Urm^^^ dragged along until he expired. His yo"t»-^nf J""® wnw obtained for him the appellation of Martyr / r V 90 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. Ethelred, the son of Edgar and Elfrida, reaped the , advantage of his mother's crime, and succeeded ^^^1 to the throne. He was a weak and irresolute monarch, and obtained the appellation of Unready. During his reign the Danes resumed their ravages > and Ethelred exhibited neither courage nor ability suf- ficient to repel so formidable an enemy. A shameful composition was made with Sweyn, king of Denmark ; and the English monarch consented to the disgraceiiil bad^re of tribute. Ethelred, desirous of forming a closer alliance with the pirates of the north, solicited and received in marriage Emma, Sister to Richard the second, duke of Normandy, whose family sprang from the Danish adventurer Rollo. Whilst their sovereign courted the alliance, the English groaned beneath the rapacity and arrogance of the northern invaders. Sensible of the superiority of these hardy warriors, the English princes had been accustomed to retain in their pay bodies of Danish troops. These mercenaries, by their arts and military character, had rendered themselves so agreeable to the fair sex, that they debauched the wives and daugh- ters of the English ; but what most provoked the in- habitants was, that instead of defending them against invaders, they were always ready to join tha foreign foe. This animosity inspired Ethelred with the reso- lution of massacreing the Danes throughout his do- minions. Secret orders were despatched to com- mence the execution every where the same day ; and ^ so well were these orders executed, that the \ rage of the people, sanctioned by authority, '• ^ distinguishecf not between innocence and guilt, and spared neither sex nor age. This barbarous policy, however, did not remain long unrevenged. Sweyn and his Danes, who Want- '""^J ed only a pretence for invading England, ap- peared off the western coast. Exeter first fell into their hands, from the negligence or treachery of Earl Hugh, a Norman, who had been made governor of that city.— Thence they extended their devastations over tjie ?M>untrv. The calamities of the English were aug- mented by" famine ; and they submitted to the infamy of purchasing a nominal peace, by the payment of thirty thousand oounds. The dissentjons of the Engr 1002 fJov.l3 EDMOND. 31 liBh pre vented them from opposing the Danes, who itiU continued their depredations, and from whom thev purchased another peace at the expense of forty- eiiiht thousand pounds. The Danes however, disre- carded all engagements, and extorted new contnbu- tiorM. The English nobility, driven to despair, swore allegiance to Sweyn, and delivered him t^ostages for their fidelity. Ethelred, equally afraid of the v o- lence af the' enemy and the treachery of his own sub- iocts, tfed into Normandy, whither he had sent before liim Emma, and her two sons, Alfred and Edward The king had not been more than six weeks m Nor- ^,,, mandy, when he was informed oi the death of l^l^l Sweyn! The English prelates and nobles sent a deputation into Normandy, and invited Ethelred to Jesume the royal authority. But on his return they Lon perceivedf that adversity had not corrected h.s <^rrors : he displayed the same incapacity, indolence, cowardice, and credulity. In Canute, the son and sue cesser of Sweyn, the English found an enemy no less Widable than his father. After ravaging the eastern nnd southern coasts, he burst into the counties ot Dorset, Wilts, and Somerset j where an army was as- sembled against him under the command of prince Edmond, the eldest son of Ethelred. The English Boldiers 'demanded the presence of their sovereign ; and upon his refusal to take the held they became discouraged, and gradually retired from the camp. Ed- mond, after some fruitless expeditions into the north, retired to London, which he found in confusion, from the death of the king, who had expired after an inglo- rious reign of thirty-five years. He left two sons by his first marriage, Edmond who succeeded him, and Edwy who was murdered by Canute ; and two more by his second marriage, Alfred and Edward, who, up- on the death of Ethelred, were conveyed into Nor- mandy by queen Emma. u* : ^ tv,- Edmond, who from his hardy valour obtained the ,^,., surname of Ironside, was inferior in abilities ^^^^1 only to the difficulties of the t.me. In two bat- tles he encountered the Danes with skiU and courage ; but in both he was defoaten or btitraycu uy t»e enmi- ty or perfidy of Edric, fluko of Mcrcia. The mdefati- gaUo Edmond, however, hud still resources; in ag C HISTORY OE ENGLAND. J ■enabled a new army at Gloucester, and was again pre pared to dispute the field ; when the Danish and Eng- lish nobility, equally harassed, obliged their kinss to submit to a compromise, and to partition the kingdom. Canute reserved to himself the northern part, and re- linquished the southern to Edmond. This prince sur- vived the treaty about a month ; he was murdered at Oxford by two of his chamberlains, accomplices of Edric, who thereby made way for the succession of Canute the Dane to the crown of England. Canute, at the head of a great force, was ready to 10171 ^^^® advantage of the minority of Alfred and -• Edward, the two sons of Edmond. To cover, however, his injustice under plausible pretences, be- fore he seized the dominions of the English princes, he summoned a general assembly of the states, in or- der to fix the succession of the kingdom. He here suborned some nobles to depose, that, in the treaty of Gloucester, it had been verbally agreed, in case of Edmond^s death, to name Canute successor to his do- minions, or tutor to his children j and this evidence, supported by the great pewer of Canute, determined the states to vest in him the government of the king- dom. Jealous of the two princes, he sent them to his ally the king of Sweden, whom he desired to free him by their death from all future anxiety. The Swe- dish monarch was too humane to comply with this cruel request 5 but afraid of a quarrel with Canute if he protected the young princes, he conveyed them to Solomon, king of Hungary. The elder died without issue ; but Edward the younger married Agatha, the ■ister-in-law of Solomon, and daughter of the empe- ror Henry H. by whom he had Edgar Atheling, Mar- garet, afterwards queen of Scotland, and Christina, who became a nun. Canute no sooner found himself confirmed on the throne, than he put to death the nobles, on whose fi- delity he could not rely ; and among these was the traitor Edric, who had presumed to reproach him with his services. But, like a wise prince, he was deter- danfferous leaders, should be reconciled to the Danes by the justice and impartiality of his government. He restoied ike Saioa customs ia the general assembly CANUTE.— HAROLD. » of the states ; he made no distinction between Danes and English in the distribution of justice } and the victors were gradually incorporated with the vanquiih- ed Though the distance of Edinond's children was regarded by Canute as the greatest security to his gov- ernment, yet he dreaded the pretensions of Alfred and Edv ard, who were supported by their uncle, Richard duke of Normandy. To acquire the friendship ot that prince, he paid his addresses to his sister Emma; and the widow of Ethelred consented to bestow her hand on the implacable enemy of her former husband, on condition that the children of their marriage should mount the English throne. After repelling the attacks of the king of Sweden, Canute invaded and subdued Norway, of which he retained possession till his death. At leisure trom war, he cast his view towards that future existence, which it is so natural for the human mind, whether satiated by prosperity, or disgusted with adversity, to make the object of its attention. Instead, "owever, of endeavouring to atone for the crimes which he had committed oy compensation to the injured, it was in building churches, m endowing monasteries, and in a pilgrimage to Rome, that his penitence was dis- played. Some of his courtiers affected to think his power uncontrollable, and that all things would be obedient to his command. Canute, sensible of their adulation, ordered his chair to be placed on the sea- shore while the tide was rising; and as the waters ap- proached, he commanded them to retire, and tc obey the voice of him who was lord of the ocean. But when the sea, still advancing towards him, began to wet his feet, he turned to his courtiers, and remarked to them, that every creature in the universe is feeble and impotent, compared to that Almighty Being m whose hands are all the elements of nature, and who can say to the ocean, '' Thus far shalt thou go, and ho farther." ^ Canute died at Shaftsbury, in the nineteenth year of his reign. Of his two sons by his ^"^ "J*JJ**8«| Sweyn had been crowned king of Norway, aau warOx« succeeded his father on the English throne ; and Hardicanute, who was hia issue by Emma, wa» left m possession of the kingdom of Denmark. ypl.. \. 8 * , Si HISTORY OF ENGLAND. Though Harold euccecdcd to the throne of England ,.• , agreeably to the will of hiR father, who consid- *"^J ered it dangerous to leave a newly-conouered kingdom in the hands of so young a prince as hardi- canute; yet this was a manifest viobition of the trea- tv with the duke of Normandy, by which England wa« assigned to the issue of Canute by Emma. Harold was favoured by the Danes, and Hardicanuto by ih« English. The death of Harold, however, which hap- pened four years after his accession, left the 8ucce«- sionopen to his brother Hardicaiiute. Ho exnircd, little regretted by his subjects, and distinguished only for his agility in running, by which he had gained th« surname of tiarefoot. .• . Hardicanute, upon his arrival from the continent, */M,n-i was received with the most extravagant df^^m- ^"^^J castrations of joy, and wns acknowledged kintj both by the Danes and the English. However, ho soon lost the affections of the nation by his miscoii- duct. At the nuptials of a Danish lord, which he had honoured with his presence, Hardicanute died; and this event once more presented to tlio English a U- vourable opportunity of shaking off the Danish voke. The descendants of Edmond Ironside, th« legiti- *A>iii mate heirs to the crown, were at a distance n. 10*1] Hungary ; and as all delays might be dangerous, the vacant throne was offered to Edward, the son of Ethelred and Emma. His succession might have been opposed by earl Godwin, who had esnoused the daugh- ter of Canute, and whoife power, alliances, and abili- ties, gave him a great influence ; but it was stipulated, thttt Edward should marry Editha, the daughter of Godwin. To this Edward consented, and was crown- ed king of England. , . ^^ j u j The long residence of Edward in Normandy, had attached him to the natives, who repaired to his court H. in great numbers, and who soon rendered their Ian guage, custo..is, and laws, fashionable in the kingdom Their influence soon became disgusting to the Eng- lish ; but above all it excited the jealousy of Godwu). of Wessex, had the counties of Kent and Sussex an- nexed to his government : his eldest son, Sweyn, p^' • «easf*d th« suuie iiuthority m the counties of Ojfy/ii EDWARD. Berki, GlouceitcT, and Hereford : and Harold, hii vecond son; wai Duke of East Anglia, and at the flame time governor of Essex. The king had indeed married the daughter of Godwin j but the amiable qualities of Editha had never won the affection of her husband. It is even pretended that Edward abstained from all commerce of love with her ; and such a for- bearance, though it obtained for the princC; from the monkish historians, the appellation of Saint and Con- fessor, could not but be noticed by the high-spirited Godwin. __ , However, the influence of the Normans was the popular pretence for the disaffection of the duke of Wessex to the king and his government. Godwin raised the standard of rebellion j but finding himself, from the desertion of bis troops, incapable of oppos- ing his sovereign, he fled to Flanders. Returning with a powerful fleet, which the earl of Flanders had permitted him to prepare in his harbours, a new rec- onciliation took place, and the most obnoxious of the Normans were banished. Godwin's death, wtich happened soon after, devolv- ed his government of Wessex, Sussex, Kent, and Es- sex, with his office of steward of the hcusehold, on his son Harold, who was actuated by an ambition equal to that of his father, and was superior to him in virtue and address. Edward, who felt the approach of age and infirmities, and had no issue himself, began to think of appointing a successor to his kingdom ; and, at length, he fixed his choice on his kinsman, William duke of Normandy. ^ t> u This celebrated prince was natural son of Robert, duke of Normandy, by Harlotta, daughter of a tanner in Falaise. The illegitimacy of his birth had not pre- vented him from being acknowledged by the Normans as their duke 5 and the qualities which he displayed in the field and the cabinet, encouraged his friends, and struck terror into his enemies. Having establish- ed tranquillity in his own dominions, he vipited Eng- land ; where he was received in a manner suitable to the reputation he had acquired, and to the obligations which' Edward owed to his family. Soon at\erliis re- turn, he was informed of the king's intentions in his favour J and this first opened the mind of WiUiaro t« HISTORY OF ENGLAND. SO e„terta.« -h ambiUo- h^^^^^^^ JS^E^rbli Dpenly ispired to the ^"^^^'"""l.ijje either for or S" ed by dealt;: in the sixtyfifth ,e« of h., age, Tn/the tweV^h t^-/ ,he Saxon pru,- On the ^''roldfsce'.ded the throne with little op- qaiesce '«»>. elevation 1 he duK^.^^ ^^^ however, f^^^JJ*** '*'* , 'had he proclaimed his intei.- iiHlignation. No *°°?«'''*'i;^.? of England' than he tion of atlerapluig He «°»1"®r°hi "levies, than in lund less f ffi^-'Vn'rerts roos of servi,;g nnder rejecting those w^^u>yver^ desirous ^^^^B^led a him. The dake of ^°f™»""/ ^ ^^ich to transport fleet of three 'housand vessels, mwri r^^^ an army of »«ty'^°Xeourted Ms service. Among from the »?™''«'f^ '*Ch nimes of the most illustri- these were found *e high names o^ ^^^^ „„s nobles «iNT„»f(5Stains William Held ujj rspoM^a^^us«ieP^^^^^ rgknfo^urVe"d^u|MS^^^^ X'e.^appened to stumble and^^^^^^^^ but he had E^Xng aS't^atT had?a"e« possession of tV 2,r wht herecS tke intelligence that the duke fcS had landed w^^^^^^^ Bouth of England. Hf J«^°'*f^ht of the enemy, who •^-B^^tfU^^^STp^P-a reaction, out HAROLD. 31 the English spent the night P'^ vwusW to Ae 1066 fbattle, in riot and jollity 5 whilst the Nor Oct 14. \ Lns 'were occupie'.5lrive and to avoid an en- ,„lved to stand on th« gens'v^. ?»^\, ^„ i„fe,ior self at the head of ^is mtartry, ^ v ^j. resolution to conquer or to die. J;}^ ^^^^-^^^^ ^^h the Normans was desperate, but ^as jec^iv They rallied aga•^»^h°^f„«^^?^i•.^'•'„J'^J;anded hi^ ""^ ""^'MlafeTeinemy fronts position, by the troops to a""!«fl[^^'"'The EnKlish foYlo«red precipi- appearance of flight, i ne E.ngu j. j up^^ Still maintained themselves in firm IJ^^^y' *"?^^g„e. . r^^yrrw^\iur.ha&Veh:2 ■ ii"! on*r.ide;i"«l'the&s.of *« «»8l««»; "buted tn .«« those who had surviTed the emt^ K action ; but B of the battle. 38 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. ThuB was gained bv William, duke of Normandy, valour of the vanquished, as we H ^^"^^^ ^^^j^ was highly conspicuous n this e^^agem fifteen thousand Normans ^^^ ' ^" J J^^tory, however horses killed under h»^^- ^ut the v.ct^^^^^^ dearly purcha^ed^^v^^^^^^^^^^ a kingdom. 1 he Douy oj " , . ^^jjout ransom to liam, who SX'no mararmy gave tha^ to heaven his mother. The No^s^" .^^^^^^^^ forwards to for their success j and their prince pic eecure the prize he had won. \ CHAPTER HI. Tke Reigns of William the Conqueror, William flu- A« snon as William passed the Thames at Walling- ■ ?ord StigShe primate, made submission to 1066] ^^^\ 3 before tie came in sight of London, Sirand knew o? no"one more wort'hy than himself to hold The reins of government. Though William feign- hold me reins ui g • i^ j t^ obtain a more formal ed to ^es^tatVnf Hatil^y^ *^^"'"?';/liv and^^cceptcTor^^ crown wh^ch was fh^Ss^tn^dll-^H^'wasc^^^^^^^^^^^ h^ieen mS^^^^^ i- ^."'^"^?lLd"crand th, ed the liberties and immunities of London, and tht other cities placing eve kvhole adm lawful prin jegan to fla the succes [)f their go Iriendship i^ing took ( tlie°Norma ter. Hereto Icommandi ath Norn By this BO soothec jie though land enjoy JAccordinj [over with I whilst th< |cence, wi Ination. I During [unfavour [ Normans Imitted t< Isirous of [ever, it: land con ; cies wei j ihat eve } disaffeci [ crct coi [day a j I which ) The i plans < ^ their € ■ the ra] ■ lent ai he res bitraril Ut h( WILUAM THE CONQUEROR. ^ .her ciUe. of England af^^Xel^'l UhS" 'f bUcing every thing "" *"'i!,"^e *blance of that of a Khole''admini8tration h*d the «e™bla,^e ^ rf"\'T«aeVXm e?veB tZttheyhad changed only tegan to flatter *"«■"?*'.•. "„^-,p;„„s, -md not the »orm U euecession «' f'«'^„\°3t thi, confidence and k their governrnent »"' ='™'° ^^ t,,e Engliah, the riendsh p which ]>« jxp essea .^^ ^^^ ^^ ling took care to P ''f « »' 'r,/i„ London, Winches.. - ^he°Norman» He thought he might safely ff'^.". j" ^n^ient subiects. P enioy the congratulations of •'^'Jj; \»„d carried lAccordingly, he set out for ^<>™» ; ^ „obles, who, over with him the ^'^'''fff.^feoirt by their magnifi- Pe 'SrrtatyT^ta'ges tr th/f.deUty o? the teng the absence "f JVilliam aj^^ took^^^^^^^^^ unfavourable turn m hn^and^ 1"» PJ''^^ ^..jiy .uU- Notmans, despising » P«°P'? "'re", ,iches, were de- mitted to the yoke, »•'<» ^^^'X mo„ Certain, how- ,irous of PXftlTelarr^^^nce multiplied discontent, ever, It IS, that their arro^a"^ that secret conspira- and 'complaints «;«J,7'';^'„,'uhe government ; and cieswere entered '"'"^fl'/'Jen a revolution. The vbat every th«ngf«™ed to threaten a ^^ ^ ^^ disaffection ol the ^'»8 '^'li'^X to perpetJate in one cretoouspiracvwasenered ntowpep ^.^^ ^^_^^ day a general ^^''IX executed upon the Danes. wilich had been '"™" ^ ",to"eTer d'"""'"*^^ ""^ The return ot the king, ''°"?''^;L confiscation of plan, of the <=°"K^*?:r\?„t sill farther to gratify ?heir estau. f.^'^ *^\„;" though naturally vio- the rapacity ol the Normans in ^ ^^j,^ „ . , lent and severe in his t^fPf'-Jfin" ;» oppression. ■ ..™ed the aopear-ince of justice mnis upi^ ^^^^ - -■ rVstored to their .nheritaucesucr.. -" — ,;^. he bitrari "-•5-tf sS-^'t'S-iS:^.: bot b* impoied on th« people tb« 40 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. which had been abolished by Edward the Confessor^ and which was extremely odious to the nation. The English now clearly foresaw that the king in- tended to rely entirely on the support and afTection of foreigners, and that new forfeitures would be the re- sult of any attempt to maintain their rights. Impress- ed with this dismal prospect, many fled into foreign countries. Several of them settled in Scotland, and founded families which were afterwards illustrious in that country. But whilst the English suffered under these oppressions, the Normans found themselves sur- rounded by an enraged people, and began to wish for tranquillity. However, the rage of the vanquislied English served only to excite the attention of the king and his warlike chiefs to suppress every commence- ment of rebellion. William introduced into England the feudal law, which had some time been established in Nurmandy and France. He divided with very few exceptions, besides the royal demesnes, all the lands of England into baronies ; and he conferred them, with the reser- vation of stated services and payments, on the most considerable of his adventurers. These barons madii a grant of a great part of their lands to other foreign- ers, under the denomination of knights or vassals, who paid their lord the same duty and submission which the chieflaiR paid to their sovereign. Thu whole kingdom contained about 700 chief tenants, and 60,215 knights fees ; and as none of the native Englislt were admitted into the first rank, the few who retained their landed property were glad to be received into the second, under the protection of some powerful Norman. The doctrine which exalted the papacy above all human power, had gradually diffused itself from Home; but, at this time, was more prevalent in the southern, than in the northern kingdoms of Europe. Pope Alexander, who had assisted William in his conquests, naturally expected that he would extend to FiUgland the reverence for this sacred character, and break the spirituai independence of the Saxons. As Roon, therefore, as the Norman prince was establisheii on the throne, Alexarder despatched to him Esmen- froy, bishop of Siam, as his legate: and the king^ mmence- WILMAM THE CONQUEROR. 41 ' § m However, the BuperstitiouB spirit, which became dan— to some of William's successots, was checked by the abilities of that monarch. He proh.b- a^d hU Subjects from acknowledging any one for noe whom he himself had not previously received ; „The woSd not suffer any bills or letters from Rome 10 be produced without the sanction of.'"^»"t'"V''y- But'^the English had the mortification to find tl.at the kng employed himself chiefly. in oppressing the... He even formed a project of extinguishing the Lng- lisl. langu^eTand" for that purpose, he ordered that 1 all schools yoith shoul<=e«din^ should V be d rected°in the same idiom •. hence arises that mix- ture of French which is at present found in the Eng- lish toneue. and particularly in legal torms. _J WUliam^s eldest son, Robert, who was greedy ot^ fanVe impatient of """'^"^'""'/"'^^^tttered'wUh ,„ his friendships or enmities, had bee" flattered with the hope that his father, in possession of England, vould resign to him the independent government of his continental dominions. The king, indeed had declared Robert his successor in Normandy, and had obUged the barons of that duchy to do homage to bin. a, l^eir future sovereign; but when Robert demanded of Ms father the execution of those engagements, Will am refused; Robert openly declared his discon- ^naSd cherished a violent jealousy aga'ns his two surviving brothers, William and Henry. ImUiei by an7magi^nary affroit, he quitted the court, and after au ineffectual attempt to surprise the citadel of Rouen, fled to Hugh de /eufchatel, a powerful Norman baron and openly levied war against his father. Atter a struggTe of several years, a reconciliation was effected betwien the king and Robert, who soon after accom- panied his father to England^ ^.,,._^ ^^^^^^ ed his leisure in an undertaking which does honour to his memory. He appointed commissioners to survey all the lands in the kingdom 5 their extent m each dis 'V 42 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. trict; their proprietors, tenures, value ', and the quan- tity of meadow, pasture, wood, and arable land, which ^ they contained. This monument, called Domesday j Book, was perfected in six years, and is still preserved / in the exchequer. ^ The domestic happiness of William was again inter- 10881 '"P*®*^ ^y ^"® death of his consort Matilda, -• whom he tenderly loved. He was involved- in war with France, on account of the inroads into Nor- mandy by some French barons on the frontiers. The displeasure of William was increased by some raille- ries which Philip of France had thrown out against his person. He was become corpulent, and had been detained in bed some time by sickness, when Philip jocularly expressed his surprise, that his brother of ^ England should be so long in being delivered of his \ bijT belly. This being reported to William, he sent I Philip word, that, as soon as he was up", he would present so many lights at Notre-dame, as perhaps would give little pleasure to the king of France ; allu- ding to the usual practice at that time of women after childbirth. Immediately after his recovery, he led an J army into the Isle of France, which he laid waste /^ and he also took and reduced to ashes the town o{ Mante. But the progress of these hostilities waa stopped by an accident, which put an end to his life. His norse starting, he bruised his belly on the pommel of his saddle ; and being in a bad habit of body, and apprehending the consequences, he ordered himself to be carried to the monastery of St. Gervas. Jn his last moments he was struck with remorse for the cru- elties he had exercised, and endeavoured to make atonemiBnt by presente to churches and monasteries. He left Normandy and Maine to his eldest son Robert : and he wrote to Lanfranc, archbishop of Canterbury desiring him to crown his second sop, William. To Henry, his third son, be bequeathed nothing save the possessions of his mother Matilda i but foretold thai he would one day surpass both his brothers, in power and ODulence. Havinor mnHo ihgiam Aiannml*:^^^ u^ expired, in the sixty-third year of hi* age, and in the twenty-first of his reign over England. Few princes have been more fortunate than William •r were bitter entitled to grandeur and presperitv, WILLIAM RUFUS. 49 from the abilities and vigour of mind which he dis- played in all his conduct. His spirit was bold and enterprising, yet guided by prudence : and his ambi- tion, thouffh exorbitant, generally submitted to the dictates of sound policy. Though not insensible to generosity, he was nardened against compassion ; and his conduct was too austere to render his government popular over a vanquished people, who felt him to be both a master and a tyrant. William, surnamed Ruftis, from the red colour of 10871 ^*® ^^^f ^^^ solemnly crowned king of England J by the primate : and about the same time Rob- ert was acknowledgea successor to Normandy. But the barons, who possessed estates both in England and Normandy, were uneasy at the separation of those territories ; they respected the claim of primogeniture in Robert, and they preferred his open and generous nature to the haughty and tyrannical disposition of his brother. A conspiracy, therefore, was formed against William, who, conscious of his danger, endeavoured to conciliate the affections of the English, by promises of future lenity, and the indulgence of hunting in the royal forests. The English espoused the cause of William, who marched an army into Kent, and reduc- ed the fortresses of Pevensey and Rochester, which h^d been seized by his uncles. This success, together with the iifdolent conduct of Robert, broke all the hopes of the rebels ; some few of whom received a pardon J but the greater part were attainted, and their estates confiscated. But the noise of the petty wars and commotions sunk in the tumult of the crusades, which engrossed the attention and agitated the hearts of the principal Jiations of Europe. Peter the Hermit, a native of Amiens in Picardy, had made the pilgrimage to Jeru* salem, then in possession of the Turks. Deeply affect- ed with the dangers to which that act of piety now exposed the pilgrims, he entertained the design of leading against the Moslems the hardy warriors of the west. By permission of the pope, Martin the Second, he preaolieil the crusade over Europe ; and men of all ranks flew to arms, with the greatest alacrity, for the purpose of rescuing the Holy Land from the infidels. The sigi^^of the cross became the badge of union, and 44 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. was affixed on their right shoulder, by all who enlisted themselves in this sacred warfare. Such was the gen- tiral ardour, that while the youthful and vigorous took up arms, the infirm and aged contributed to the expe> tdition by presents and money. A promiscuous, disor- derly multitude of 300,000, impatient to commence operations, under the conduit of Peter the Hermit, attempted to penetrate through Hungary and Bulgaria to Constantinople, and perished by disease, by famine, »nd the sword. These were followed by more numer- ous and better disciplined armies, which, after passing the streights at Constantinople, were mustered in the "7 plains of Asia, and amounted to the number of 700,000 / combatants. *^ Robert duke of Normandy, impelled by the bravery and mistaken generosity of his spirit, hacl early engag- ed in the crusade j but being destitute of money, he w offered to mortgage, or rather sell his dominions to J his brother William, for the inadequate sum of ten thousand marks. The bargain was soon concluded ; and whilst Robert set out with a magnificent train for the Holy Land, William possessed himself of Norman- •sAly, and thus re-united, beneath his authority, the ex- tensive dominions of his father. The ccfesion of Normandy and Maine extended the dominions, but on account of the unsettled state of those countries, weakened the power of William. The Norman nobles were men of independent minds, and were supported by the French king in all their in- surrections. Helic, lord of le Fleche, a small town in Anjou, obliged William to undertake several expe- ditions, before he could prevail over a petty baron, who had acquired the confidence and afiections of the inhabitants of Maine. However, the king was not less desirous of extend- ing his dominions. William, earl of Poictiers and duke of Guienne, inflamed with the spirit of adventure, determined to join the crusaders ; but wanting money to forward the preparations, he offered to mortgage his dominions to the king of England. This nrnnnsoi »/«« accepted by the king" who had prepared a* fleet and ar' my to escort the money and to take possession of the rich provinces of Poictiers and Guienne, when an ac- eident put an end to all his ambitious projects and HENRY I. u viewi of agerandizement. He was engaged in the New Foreatln hur Jng, accompanied by Walter Tyr- rel, a French gentleman, remarkable for his skill in archery : and as William dismounted after a chace, Tyrrel, impatient of showing his dexterity, let fly an arrow at a slag, which suddenly started before him. The arrow glancing from a tree, struck the king in the breast, and instant'y killed him. Tyrrel, fearful of suspicions which perhaps he was conscious of incur- ring, without inft)i ming the royal attendants, gained the seashore, embarked for France, and joined the crusade in an expedition to Jerusalem, as a penance for this involuntary crime : William was perfidious and oppressive : and the extremes of prodigality and rapacity, which were reconciled in him, had longes- tranged from him the hearts of his subjects. The j chief monuments which perpetuate his name are the Tower, Westminster Hall, and London Bridge. L Prince Henry was hunting with Rufus in the New ^ inni Forest, when that monarch was killed ; and, **""J hastening to Winchester, he extorted by threats the royal treasure from William de Breteuil, the keep er. rursuing his journey to London, and having as sembled some noblemen and prelates, whom his ad- dress or liberality gained to his side, he was saluted king : and in less than three days after his brother's death, he was solemnly crowned by Maurice, bishop of London. To maintain the dignity which he had thus usurped, Henry resolved to court, by fair professions at least, the nivour of his subjects. He passed a charter, which was framed to remedy many of the grievous oppressions that had been complained of during the reigns of his father and brother. He espoused Matil- da, daughter of Malcolm the Third, king of Scotland, and niece to Edgar Athelins ; and his marriage with a Saxon princess, ehdeared him to the English, and tended to establish him on the throne. Robert returned to Normandy about a month after the death of his brother William. After estoblishing iSSS a,V^U\Jiiijf UVCI X** US iiSSUSU J , mC UiSUC picpsussf"::" for posaeseing himself of Enslaiid, of whicn he had been so unjustly defrauded. The two armiea lay in iifht of each other for several days without coming to i6 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. action. It was, however, agreed that Robert, in lieu of his pretensions to England, should receive an an- nual pension of 3000 marks ; that if either of the prin- ces died without issue, the survivor should succeed to his dominions : and that the adherents of each should be pardoned. Alternately plunged into the most dissolute pleas- jres, or abandoned to the most womanish supersti- •.iona, Robert neglected the government of his duchy; and Normandy became a scene of violence and depre- dation. To avail himself of these disorders, Henry raised a numerous army, with which he mvaded Nor- mandy. He took Bayeuk by storm, and was admUted into Caen by the inhabitants. Robert, roused at last from his lethargy, advanced to meet him, with a view of terminating their quarrels in a decisive battle : he resumed hfe wonted spirit ^ he animated his troops by his example, and threw the English into disorder : but when he had the fairest prospect of victory, the treachery and flight of one of his generals occasioned the total defeat of his army. Robert and ten thousand of his followers were made prisoners. Normandy submitted to the victors 5 and the unfortunate prince was carried by Henry into England, and detained in prison during the remainder of his life, in the castle of Cardiff in Glamorganshire. The conquest of Normandy seemed to establish the throne of Henry ; but his prosperity was clouded by a severe domestic calamity. His only son, William, hau reached his eighteenth year; he had been affianc- ed to the daughter of Fulk, count of Anjou ; and he had been acknowledged as successor to the kingdom of England; and the duchy of Normandy. The prince was detained for some hours after his father had set sail from Barfieur to return to England ; and his cap- tain and crew having spent the interval in drinking, when they weighed anchor, in their impatience to overtake the kmg, they struck the ship on a rock, where she immediately foundered. William was in- stantly put into the ]ong-boat, and had got clear of the ■ nin • tirnon riAgrin/T 4no e*tftt%o t\V nia ino^<«i.nl aiatt%m ^V> °^,^"!? '^«^„-„d^^*: over, Alexander, who was pope at that time, conoe°»" edthem in the strongest terms, abrogated, annulled, ""Becief nVsooner learnt the determination of the Roman pontiff, than he expressed the deepest sorrow for his compHance, and endeavoured to e?g»8e ™« other bishoo^ to adhere to their common nghU Tbw eicUed the resentment of Henry, who caused a pros- ecutfon for some land that he held to be 'commenced agaiis"him; and when the primate e:.cu8ed himself ?fom appealing, on account of '"dW°»'t^°',^'>^«J " arraignell as guilty of a contempt of *el"ng» court, and being condemned, his goods and chattel, were confiscated. Henry soon after ^'W^d Becket to eive in the account of his admmistration wlule cnan ^ llo , and estimated the balance due « f -OOO^";"^' for which he demanded sureties. After celeDraiing m si, where he had previously -dered ^at the mtro.t to the communion service should begin with the words Princes sat and spake against me, arrayea n Te sacred vestments, and bearing the cross aloft . a h Jands, he entered the royal ap^tmenU, »d de- clared thit he put himself and his »ee under the pro tection of the supreme pontiff. Having in tarn asked ocrmission to leave Northampton, he vvithdrew se ?rcr?o the sea-coast, and found a vessel which con- veyeS him to France, where he was received with ev- "Uty"i»ueTo;Sers to hi. j"»ti^ciarie. i„ha»tin^' under severe penaiueii, ai. ai-i-^"" ~:^r««,'i„j,, of archbishop ; an^d by discovering f.°™e intention. ^ acknowledEini! Pascal UI., the anti-pope at wattiinj, he " nSured to terifv the enterpriung though I 52 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. Drudent pontiff from proceeding to fcxtremities againstl C oS the other hand, Becket not only issued a censure, excommunicating the king's chief mini^^^^^ Sy name, but also abrogated and annulled the Cons tij tutions of Clarendon 5 and he declared that he susJ Tended the spiritual thunder over Henry himself, sole] y that the prince might avoid the blow by a tiineljl '^^TleS a reconciliation was effected between thel king and the primate j and Becket was allowed to re] turn, on conditions which may be esteemed both honj ourable and advantageous to that P^^^t^ He wa> not required to give up any rights of the church or Uian any of those pretensions which had been the oriolnal ground of the controversy. It was agred thai all these questions should be buried in oblivion] but that Becket and his adherents should, vvithout maJ kine further submission, be restored to all their livj ings : and that even the possessors of such benefices a depended on the see of Canterbury and had been fille during the psimate'.s absence, should be expelled and Becket have liberty to supply the vacancies. In re turn for concessions which trenched so deeply on tli honour and dignity of the crown, Henry reaped onl the advantage of seeing his ministers absolved trod the sentence of excommunication pronounced agaim them, and of preventing the interdict with which hi kingdom had been threatened, bo anxious was He id to accommodate all differences, and to reconcile hm self fully with Becket, that on one occasion he humi iated himself so far as to hold the stirrup of thathaugh tv prelate while he mounted his horse. Whilst the king was expecting an interdict to laid on his kingdom, he had associated his son, prind Henry in the royalty, and had caused him to M crowned by the archbishop of York. Becket, elateJ by the victory which he had gained over his sovcreignl oi his arrival in England suspended the archbishop ofl York, and excommunicated the bishops of London and Saliibury. who had assisted at the coronaUon ol| men the suspended and excommunicated prelate arriired at Baieux, where the king then resided, anj informed him of the violent proceedings of Becfeei" HENRY U. 63 ' 1.. «ii vehementiy agitated, and burst forth into jm . SSton a^init his -orvants, whose want °f zed, h^ sXhad so long left him exposed to *« enterpn- . 'JesThat ungrateTul and iraperio^s frBlMe. VowrJ t gentlemen of his household, ^'^fr't.fS^a&I fi»in de Traci, Hugh de Moreville, and Richard B"tOA^ rtekTnrthese passionate expressions to be a h in for AeOTimate's death, immediately communicated the r ^ tughrto each other; and swearing to avenge their Prince's Quarrel, secretly withdrew from court. Ihe „" r assasS, though the'y took different roads to Eng- Z^A arrived nearly at the same trnie at Saltwood, near . SerbTry 5 "nd being there joined by some ass.st- anTs Uiey P oceeded Tn great haste to the archiep.s- . ialpK. They found the ?'■»;'«' -•;»„';"£ LnMrelv to the sacredness of his character, very sien ^P, attended; and though they threw out many meiaoesaSd reproaches against htm, he was so inca- 3e of fear that, without using any precaut ons Snst heUWolenl^e, he immediately P™c«;dedJ^'t St. Benedict's church to hear vespers Jhey follow I cd hun thither, attacked him before the a'l"''.'"'? "* ,, / „g cloven his 'head with many Wows retired "''hou £ experiencing anv opposition. ^'^^'J?^ '"^ 'P,?fty \Ji of Thomas L Becket, a prelate "^ '\« "°'* '""^I intrepid, and inflexible spirit, who ^^^'^le to cover to the world, and probably '^^'mself the enterprises of pride and ambition, under the disguise ot sanctity, anifof zeal for the interests of religion. "The intlUgence of Becket's murder threw he kin^ into the ereatest consternation •, and he was immeai Illy sen^ble of the dangerous consequences which he had to apprehend from so horrible an event. However, th'Jage of Alexander was W/^^^^j^^^^^^^^ ministers'of Henry making oath before t\«J^°„l^^^^^ history of their sovereign's innocence ^"^ engagmg that he would make every submission which snouiD be equirTof h?m. Beck'et was ^^^ervards canoni.^ ed by the pope; and pilgrimages were performed to obtain his intercession with heaven. u,„„«-rroin u««rv fi^A\na himself in no immediate danger trom , ,;::"yi'e UmnSers'of the Vatican ^^^^.'^f^Z^thi '^^^1 dition against Ireland. That island, about th« J dition againstireianu. x..»v .» — ^,- middle of the twelfth century, besides muPy smal I. M HISTORY OF ENGLAND. t tribes, contained five principal sovereignties, Mun 8ter, Leinster, Meath, Ulster, and Connaueht ; and, as it had been usual for one or the other of these to take the lead in their wars, there was commonly some prince, who seemed, for the time, to act as monarch tof Ireland. Roderic O'Connor, king of Connaught, was then advanced to this dignity : but his govern nient, *I1 obeyed even within his own territory, could not unite the people in any measures either for the establishment of order, or for defence against for- eigners. ^ Dermot Macmorrogh, king of Leinster, having ren- / dered himself obnoxious by his licentious tyranny, had Si. been expelled his dominions by a confederacy, of which Connaught was the chief. The exiled prince applied to Henry for succour, who gave Dermot no other assistance than letters patent, by which he em- Eowered all his subjects to aid him in the recovery of is dominions. Dermot formed a treaty with Richard, eurnamed Strongbow, earl of Strigul ; who stipulated, for this assistance, a promise that he should marry his daughter Eva, and be declared heir to all his territo- ries. Dermot also engaged in his service Robert Fitz- -'Stephens, constable of Abertivi, and Maurice Fitz- Gerald, and obtained their promise of invading Ire- land : he himself privately returned to his own state, concealed himself in a monastery which he had found- ed, and prepared every thing for the reception of his English allies. The troops pf Fitz-Stephens were first ready. That gentleman landed in Ireland with thirty knights, sixty esquires, and three hundred archers. The conjunction of Maurice de Pendergast, who, about the same time^ brought over ten knights and sixty archers, enabled Fitz-Stephens to attempt the si3ge of Wexford, a town inhaDited by the Danes ; and after gaining an advan- tage, he made himself master of the place. Soon after Fitz-Gerald 'arrived with ten knights, thirty esquires, and a hundred archers ; and being joined by the former adventurers, composed a force which nothing in Ire- . land was able to withstand. Roderic, the chief mon arch of the island, was fo'led in different actions*, the ;*prince of Ossory was obliged to submit, and giv* hos' •age* for his peaceable bchaviuur} niid Dermot, no* HENRY II. B$ {content with being restored to hia kingdom of Lein. Ler, projected the dethroning of Roderic, and aspired llo the sole dominion of Ireland. In prosecution of these views, he seat over a mei- Ucnger to the earl of Strigul, challenging Uie perform- ance of his promise, and displaying the mighty advmn- Lcres which might now be reaped by a remforcemcnt lAvarlike troops from England. Strongbow first sent Ler Raymond, one of his retinue, with ten knights, nii(i seventy archers ; and as Richard himself, who brouch: over two hundred horse and a body of archers, Lined them a few days after, the English made thera- liclvcs masters of Waterford, and proceeded to Dub- lin which was taken by assault. Richard, marrying I,v'a. became soon after, by the death of Dermot, mas- ter of the kingdom of Leinster, and prepared to extend hifl authority over all Ireland. Henry, jealous of the progress of Ins own subjects. Bent orders to recall all the English ; and that monarch himself landed in Ireland at the head of five hundred knim»ndf>d that Richaro should be crowned king of England, be immediately invested with all his father's transmarine dominions, «nd espQUse Alice, Philip's sister, to whom he had <8 HISTORir OF ENGLAND. been already affianced. Henry refused to accede to these stipulations j but experiencing a reverse of for- tune, he was at length obliged to submit to the rigo- rous terms, which, under the mediation of the duke of Buraundy, were offered to him. The mortification, however, which Henry endured on this occasion, was increased by discovering that his fourth son, John, who had ever been his favourite, had secretly entered into the unnatural confederacy which Richard had formed against him. The unhap- py father, already overloaded with caies and sorrows, fiiidinjr his last disappointment in his domestic tender- ness, broke out into expressions of the utmost despai r. cursed the day on which he received his miserable being, and bestowed on his ungratefu and undutifuJ children a malediction which he could never be pre- vailed on to retract. The agitation of his mmd thrj»w him into a lingering fever, of which he expired at the castle of Chinon, near Saumur, in the hfty -eighth ycai -. his age, and the thirty-fifth of his reign ; and he «va8 bur.cc Jit Fontervrault. ^ , . ,. ^ Henry was the greatest prince of his time lor wis- dom and abilities, and the most powerful, in extent of dominion, of all that had filled the throne of Ln^^ land. His character, in private as we 1 as m public life, is almost without a blemish; and he seems to "have possessed every accomplishment, both ol body and mind, which renders a man either estimable or amiable. He loved peace, but possessed both bravery and abilities in war ; he was provident without timidi- ty ; severe in the execution of justice without rigour ; and temperate without austerity. „,, , . The remorse of Richard for his undutiful behaviour lom towards his father, influenced him m the choice ^^^J of his servants after his succession. Those who had favoured his rebellion were on all occasions treated with disregard and contempt j whilst the faith- tul ministers of Henrv, who had opposed the enter- prises of his sons, were continued in those dffices r»K:«u tUov iiaH hnnniirablv discharged to their former The iove of military glory impelled the king to act, of his reign, as if the B<*le pur from the beginning pose^of his government had been the relief of the RICHARD I. 09 . X A nnA tlic recovery of Jerusalem from the .uincd, contrary to the ordcrB "f j-h« '^'"S' 'j Jg,, and : the hall in which ^^^ZcL(Monlhe\t innocent put to death, and vengeance «eli on in brethren, 'n^r!.'^' *ri„rfthcmseh's slaughtered. llH^ir effects Pl""d='«;^;reUil8 IblTowed the example The inhabitants of other cities o"° g hundred I of the people ?fL,°",'i"'|^to?hec=^tt^ them- \ Jews, who had retireu ||"° "'L,cd their own wive» \ '.KlC r„itlgCrt houses, perished A '"^'ichXV^-.SUXCd-enr^ouJeTtr than the expedition to "•« «°'y V»»''^«»„ erilou. a obtain supplies for the ex gencies o. y war, by every expedient which he """^f^^he crown, put to sale the revenues and manowoi m Ld the offices of Pe'^tf' '^"' ^"^ vCaTage "f ^Scot-^ ed up for ten thousand "ITnZrouXand Berwick-n land, with the fortresses of Roxboroui^^^^^^ .^^^^^ I He even declared, that he wouia ^ i„igtration i^ could he find » P"rehaser He left the aam _ "l** Kn'offit trIc^o"ia"le" "y all tfe champ bishop ot t-iy , •'^"J „ u:._j^m set out for the military and fiery spirits ?f the kingdom^se frontiers of Burgundy, where he had engageu the French king. pi-h^rd and Philip re- in the plains of Ve^elay, Kichard an^ r p viewed their forces, and f°»"f *heiT comom , amount to one hundred thousand men ^^ ana P^''''"? r£crard%llrng a^M"""l««' an wrecked near Aquileia, he put on the disguise of a XimaSd endeavoured to pursue his route through C erSv At Vienna he was arrested by orders of uermany. Av . .- ^nd by him he was sold to as an Sy, on Jcoun^ of an alliance which he hacj contracted with Tancred king of Sicily. Jh^« ^^^^'^^ ard who had filled the world with his renown, wa, confined in a dungeon, and loaded ^ith^irons. The kine of France prepared to avail himseii oi his misfortunes. Philip entered into ne§o la- 1193] ZuT^lih prince John, who stipulated to aeliv- er to the king oY France a great part of Normandv, and received in return, the investiture of all Rich- ard's transmarine dominions. In consequence of this treaty, PWS Normandy, and by the treachery of John's adherents overran a great part of it ; but he was reSulsed from the walls of Rouen, by the gallant- rvofXewl of Leicester. Prince John was not more Successful hi hi. attempt in England: . though he made himself master of the castles of Windsor and Wal- tgfoliTt finding the barons every where ave«e to his cause, ho was obliged to retire again to France^ , .V-' ♦:«.« RinlinrH m Gormanv. sutierea eve y kind of inBult' and indignity ; he was accasea by rienry, before the diet of the emP-'J, <^f ro"*'"! «» alliance with Tancred, the usurper of Sicily , ot al- , 62 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. ft-onting the duke of Austria before Acre ; of obstruct- ing the progress of the CLristian arms by his quar« relt with the king of France -, and of concluding a truce with Saladin, and leaving Jerusalem in the hands of the Saracen emperor. Richard, after deign- ing to apologize for his conduct, burst out into indig- nation at the cruel treatment which he had met with 5 and the emperor finding it impracticable to detain the king of England longer in captivity, agreed to restore him to his freedom for the sum of one hundred and fifty thousand marks, or about three hundred thousand pounds of our present money. The joy of the English was extreme on the appear- ance of their monarch, who was crowned anew at Winchester, as if to wipe off the ignominy of cap- tivity. As soon as Philip heard of the king's deliver- ance, he wrote to his confederate John in these terms : " Take care of yourself—the devil is broken loose." John, however/anxious to disengage himself from an associate whose fortunes seemed declining, threw himself at his brother's feet, and implored his iiiercy. *' I forgive you," said the king, " and hope 1 shall as easily forget your injuries, as you will my pardon." The king of France was the great object of Rich- ard's rcentment and animosity j and during five years after the king's return, the two sovereigns were en- gaged in a series of faithless negotiations and desulto- ry welfare. The cardinal of St. Mary, the pope's le- gate, was employed in changing a truce into a durable peace, when the death of Richard put an end to the negotiation. Vidomer, viscount of Limoges, having found a treas ure, it was clairfied by Richard, as his superior lord ; and that nobleman was besieged by the king in the cas- tle of Chalons. As Richard approached to survey the- works, one Bertrand de Gourdon, an archer, pierced his shoulder with an arrow. The wound was not dan- gerous ', but the unskilfulness of the surgeon rendered It mortal. The king, sensible that his end was ap- proaching, sent for Uourdon, and said, " Wretch, what nave I ever done to you, to induce you to seek my life V* The prisoner coolly replied, " You killed with /oar own hands mv father and my two brothers : I am monarcl embarra braced 1 after be returned against matters intrigui stantia, intend* ces wh secret! the ha had ad duchy Norm! be COT KICHARD .. «., .nrf vou may take revenge, by >n- .ow.in 7°" P°X'™o,/rve"c torments ; but 1 .hjJl flicting on mo'l^* |"°!u,e provided I can tbink that ,„dare them «'»h P>«""^^ ^'d the world from .uch a I "»»« '«;?%?Ue*'*S?^d of Richard wa, .oftened b, nuinance." ^"« ""r° ., ^nd the magnanimity of the near »??/"»«'' "'a him to be set at liberty, and a Gou.don : he o'd"''' ."^"^ Xim ; but Marcadee, one ,um of money to b« 8'™" » ™ '^i^ing the unhappy of Richard's ge""''''' PT.hen hansedhim. man, fl»y?.'» ]"^. »''7j Tn\he "enthjjear of his reign Thus died R'^"''™, in u- ^j^ most shining and the forty-second of h s age. 1 ^^^^^^^^ ^ ^^ parts of his character are ""•"'" . j^ j^e nppellatwn Pp'ersonal courage, «'"^'^, ^f,'"^fo„.h^arted.'' He was. ^f " CoBur de Lion," or "f i-'"' . ^nd some po- however, a P^/rtomnosiSor are ^tiU extant ho etical works of his composition ^.^ ^^ j^. left behind him no issue; « 'i^ dominions, dared his brother John h^' '^ ^^^^^arked for the though by a formal ^««°.7'°J-s "accessor, his neph- Holy Land, he had natned as his sue ^^ ^^^^^^^ :rde»e/o«:.r w^» now only twelve year. ^Te>ro„s of th^ t^-anne^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 1.001 Maine, and Touraine. u ^^^p^^^^^ H991 Arthur, and applied for Msisianc j^„ j„ monarch. PhiUp, 7,'j°.=tSberWs dominions em- embarrass John, and W d'smemo j h„, braced the cause "^ '*'*X"i^^N„rmandy and fengland, after being acknowledged in Korm ^j^^^^ ^^ returned to France, in oraer ^ ^^ against Philip. Nothing e'"'""",'^, the selfish and matters to ahappy issue so mucn ^^^^^ intriguing "i'^Xfof A th«r was jealous that Philip stantia, the mother ot A""'"'jo_,iiio„ of the provin- intended to usurp th« «/»''* ^°'^i^ she, therefore, ce, which had declared for her son-^. ^^ ^^ .ecretly carried "^ »" so ^^^ ,i„ce, which the hands of his uncle, re ^^^ ^^ ^^^^ fo, the rchn'^=.wMc^^^^ :rth';:t ^ HISTORY OF ENGLAND. ed into a treaty with John, in wliich the limits of their territories were adiusted 5 and, to render their union more permanent, the king of England gave hi« niece, Blanche of Castile, in marriage to Prince Louis, Phil, ip's eldest son, and with her the baronies of Issoudun and Gra9ai, and other fiefs in Berri. Thus secure as he imagined, on the side ot trance, i iuatice of his cause, and assert- BDatcnTbut when he found that h.s commandB had Tt been bbeyed, the cruel ^y-^^^^^^l^XTt^y own hands, and fastening a stone to the dead Dooy, ''AUminwere'sSwith horror at this inhuman deed"nd from that moment the king, who was now Sed by his subieets, rft-ined a very precarious authority over both the people and the barons in his dom°nions As John ha!d got into his power his niece ElSrsister to Arthur, the B^e'^"* /c^start a by of Phmp who riceived tlieir appUcetion wHb pleas- : e^suiSioned John to a trial, and on hi. non-appear- ance, declared him to have forfeited to hi» superior '"t1^ tog'of Fr"aneTrerceive4 the opoorf.ity fa- volrable fo'r expelling theEnglish. or rather th^feng^ lish king, and of re-annexing lo t^* »^^'«»'?„^?^" "" many cSisiderable Windages, of which duri^ae^ amusements. Let* ine r reiica 8" !'»j J' will retake in a day what it has cost them y ws to ac- quire "Ye? 'nstead of fulfilling this yaunt, he mean- ?y"applied to'the pope. Innocent HI . who^ ordered Philip to stop the progress «l nis a^™«' «".; ^^^ eluded peace with tKe king of Epg^^"^; J^^^^Ji ^^PJ^ ever, instead of obeying the orders of the pope, laid siege to Chateau Gaillard, the most coneiderabie foi. VOL. I. »^ 66 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 1 tress on the frontiers of Normandy, which was taken by a sudden assault in the night. When the bulwark of Normandy was once subdued, the whole province was open to the inroads of Philip. The French king proceeded to invest Fouen, the inhabitants of which demanded thirty days to advertise their prince of their danger. Upon the expiration of that term iliey open ed their gates ; and Philip, leading his victorious ar- my into the western provinces, soon reduced Anjou, Maine, Touraine, and part of Poictou. John made a feeble attempt to recover his transmiirine dominions, bv landing a considerable army at Rochelle ; but the approach of Philip threw him into a panic, and he deserted his troops, and returned to Kngland with shame and disgrace. The mediation of the pope pro- cured him a truce for two years with the French monarch 3 but almost all the transmarine provinces were wrested from him 5 and the church, which, at that time, declined not a contest with the most pow- erful monarchs, took advantage of John's imbecility. Innocent the Third, a prelate of a lofty and enter- 19A71 P^'ising genius, attempted to convert the superi- ^ J ority yielded him by all the iOuropean princes into a real dominion over them. A dispute respect- ing an election to the see of Canterbury, afforded In- nocent an opportunity of claiming a right to nomin- ate the primate of England. Availing himself of this opportunity, he commanded the monks or canons of Christ-church, who had hitherto possessed that im- portant privilege, to choose, on pain of excommuni- cation, cardinal Langton, an Englishman by birth, but connected by interest and attachment to the see of Home. In vain the monks represented, that an elec- tion, without a previous writ from the king, would be liighly irregular 5 and that they were merely agents for another person, whose right they could not abandon. One only persevered in his opposition j the rest, over- come by the menaces and authority of the pope, complied with his mandate. John was inflamed with the utmost rage when he Heard of this interference of the couit of rtome j ana he immediately vented his passion on the monks 01 Christ-church, whom he expelled the monastery When it was intimated to hm that if he persevered JOHN. er in his disobedience; the sovereign pontiff would be obliged to lay the kingdom under an interdict, the king burst out into violent invectives, and swore if the pope attempted such a measure, that he would send to him all the bishops and clergy in England, and confiscate all their estates. These sallies c ** passion, however, were disregarded by the Roman poniifT, who, sensible that John had lost the confidence of the peo- ple, at length fulminated the sentence of interdict. The execution of this sentence was calculated to strike with awe the minds of a superstitious people. The nation was of a sudden deprived of all exterior exercise of its religiOii j the altars were despoiled of thuir ornaments ; the dead were not interred in con- secrated ground, but were thrown into ditches, or buried in common fields ; marriage was solemnized in the church-yards 5 and every circumstance carried symptoms of tne most immediate apprehension of di- vine vengeance. The king, that he might oppose his temporal to their spiritual terrors, confiscated the estates of all the clergy who obeyed the interdict ; and tre'ifed with the utmost rigour the adherents of the church of Rome. Though some of the clergy, from the dread of punishment, obeyed the orders of John, and cele- brated divine service, yet they complied with the ut- most reluctance, and were regarded, both by them- selves and the people, as men who betrayed their principles, and sacrificed their conscience to their fears or their interest. As the interdict had not reduced the king to obedi- 120Q1 ^"^ce, and the people had not risen in rebellion, ^ the court of Rome determined to proceed ta excommunication. John was now alarmed at his dan- gerous situation. In a conference at Dover, he of- fered to acknowledge Langton as primate, to submit to the pope, and to restore the exiled clergy; but Langton demanding the full reparation for the rent» of their confiscated estates, the king broke off the , conference. Innocent immediately absolved John^B j- declared every one excommunicated who held any in- tcxcourse with him ; deposed him from his throae y and offered the crown of ^>gland to the king of France. es HISTORY OF ENGLAND. Philip was seduced by interest to accept this offftr of the pontiff*. He levied a great army, and collected in the ports of Normandy and Picardy a fleet of one thousand seven hundred vessels. To oppose him John assembled at Dover, an army of sixty thousand men j a force sufficient, nad they been animated with zeal : but the minds of the common people were im- pressed with superstition 5 the barons were all dis gusted with the tyranny of the king ; and the inca pacity and cowardice of John augmented his difficul ties. The obstinacy of the humbled monarch at length gave way, when Pandolf, the pope's legate represented to him the certainty of his ruin, froni the disaffection of his subjects, and the mighty armament ot trance. John now agreed to all the conditions which Pandolf was pleased to impose. He passed a charter, m which he declared he had, for the remis- eion of his own sins, and those of his family, resign- ed England and Ireland to God, to St. Peter and St / li'aul, and to pope Innocent and his successors in the apostolic chair 5 agreeing to hold those dominions as j feudatories of the church of Rome, by the annual I Payjwent of a thousand marks. He did homage to Pan- K r '"i**^"»°s<^ a^J?c<^ manner : he fell on his knees before the legate, who was seated on a throne : swore fealty to the pope ; and paid part of the money which he owed for his kingdom as the patrimony of St. Pe- ter; whilst the legate, elated by the triumph of sa- cerdotal power, trampled on the money which was laid at his feet, aa an earnest of the subjection of the Phmn^?K^%"i°^^J!,*"'*"^'* *** ^'^"c«» he informed Philip that John had returned to obedience under the apostolic see, and even consented to do homage to Hrl^?® ?''' ^'i ^**™»n»ons; and that, as his ling- wn^ldT ^°'"'''* *.P^'^ of St. Peter's' patrimony, ft would be impious m any christian prince to attack ffiim. Fhilip was enraged on receiving this intelli- Zlf^ threatened to execute his enterprise against ngland notwithstanding the inhibitions and menaces ^a^AJT^^ ' ^^l^}\^ *^^-"^h ^««t' "nu^i>^^ S'^*^^' P^'t of their' armaiML WB^eUed Phjli|) to abandon the enterprise. ^ JOHN. 69 u The introduction of the feudal system into England by William the conqueror, had infringed on the liber- ties enjoved by the Anglo-Saxons, and had reduced the people to a state of vassalage, and in some re- spects of real slavery, to the king or barons. The necessity also of entrusting great power in the hands of a prince, who was to maintain military dominion over a vanquished- nation, had engaged the Norman barons to submit to a more severe and absolute prerog- ative, than that to which men of their rank were com- momy subjected 3 and England, during a course of an hundred and fifty years, was governed by an authority unknown in the same degree, to all the kingdoms founded by the northern conquerors. Henry the first, that he might allure the people to exclude his ,^lder brother Robert, had granted them a charter favo»;irable m many particulars to their liberties : Stephen had renewed the grant 3 Henry the second had confirmed It} but the concessions of all these princes had re- mained a dead letter 3 when John, equally odious and contemptible both in public and private life, provok- ed the people to form a general confederacy; and to demand a restoration of their privileges. Nothing forwarded this confederacy so much as the concurrence of Langton, archbishop of Canterbury ; a man whose memory, though he was obtruded on the nation by a palpable encroachment of the see of Kome, ought always to be respected by the English. Ihis prelate formed the plan of*^reforming the govern- raent, and paved the way for it, by inserting a clause in the oath which he administered to the king, before he would absolve him from excommunication " that he would re-establish the good laws of his pedeces- sors, and abolish the wicked ones, and maintain jus- tice and right in all his dominions.'' Soon after he showed to some of the barons a copy of the chartei 0! Henry the first, which, he said, he had found in a monastery, and exhorted them to insist on its renewal. Ihe barons swore they would lose their lives sooner than desist from so reasonable a demand. The confed- -J _j.,,...„. „.„^i J ij„,. ji iiiurtj numerous meei- ng was summoned by Langton at St. Edmund's- Bury, under colour of devotion. The barons, inflamed by ine eloquence of the prelate, and incited by the sense 70 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. of their own wrongs, took an oath before the altar, to adhere to each other, and to make endless war on the king, till he should grant their demands. They agreed that they would prefer in a body their commonpeti- lion; and that, in the mean time, they would enlist men and purchase arms, and supply their castles with necessary provisions. On a day appointed, the barons appeared in London 1215] ^^\ ''equired the king, in consequence of his path before the primate, as well as in deference to their just rights, to renew the charter of Henry and confirm the laws of St. Edward. The king alarm' ed at their zeal and unanimity, as well as their pow- er, asked for a delay, which was granted. The inter- valwas employed by John in appealing to the pope against the violence of the barons. Innocent, who foresaw tiiat if the administration should fall into the bands of a high-spirited nobility, they would vindicate the liberty and independence of the nation, exhorted the prelates to employ their good offices in putting an end to civil discord, expressed his disapprobation of the conduct of the barons, and advised the kinij to grajnt such demands as should appear reasonable. 1 hough the barons perceived that the pope was in- jmical to their interests, yet they I ad ad7anced too m to recede from their pretensions: and thev fore- by the efforts of the English ecclesiastics, would avail ittle against them. At the time, therefore, when they were to expect the king's answer to the^r peti^- tion, they met at Stamford, and assembled their for- ces, consisting of about two thousand knights, besides ZT.V^.u"^^ inferior persons without number Elat- ed with their power, they advanced in a body to Brack- ey, within twenty miles of Oxford, the place where the court then resided 3 and there they received a si: w '"^ \' l^"% ^^^^""g ^« ^^^^ what' those liberties were which thev so zealouslv required from their sovereign. They dfelivered to 'the Sender™ a schedule containing the chief articles of th firT t::^^::^^!^, -^oner shown to Job. , than he , The coaJederated nobles, informed of ... W^; JOHN. 7i proceeded witliout farther ceremony to levy war upon the king. They besieged the castle of Northampton, were admitted into that of Bedford, occupied Ware, and entered London without opposition. They laid waste the royal parks and palaces j and all the barons, who had hitherto appeared to support the king, open- ly joined a cause which they had secretly favoured. So universal was the defection, that the king was left at Odiham, in Hampshire, with a retinue of only sev- en knights ; and after trying several expedients, and offering to refer all difference to the pope, he found himself at last obliged to yield without reserve. A conference between the king and the barons was s held at Runnymede, between Windsor and Staines ; 11 a place which has ever since been celebrated, on ac- [ count of that great event. After a debate of a few/ days, the king, with a facility rather suspicious, sign-/ June J9 ) ^^ ^"^ sealed the famous deed called mao-| 1215 S ^.^ CHARTA, or the great charter, whichl either granted or secured very important ^^ liberties to the clergy, the barons, and the people. The articles of this charter contain such mitigations and explanations of the feudal law as are reasonable and equitable j and also involve all the chief outlines of a legal government, providing for the equal distri- bution of justice aijd the free enjoyment of property. The barons obliged the king to agree that London should remain in their hands, and the Tower be con- signed to the custody of the primate, till the execu- tion of the charter. John also allowed the confede- rates to choose from their own body twenty-five mem- bers, to whose authority no limits were prescribed, either in extent or duration. All men throughout the kingdom were obliged, under the penalty of con- fiscation, to swear obedience to the twenty-five bar- ons; and the freeholders of each county were to choose twelve knights, who should make reports of such evil customs as required redress, conformably to the tenor of the great charter. John apparently submitted to all these regulations, however injurious to majesty ; but he onlv awaited a proper opportunity for annulling his concessions. He retired to the Isle of Wight, where he meditated the most fatal vengeance against his enemies. He so- 72 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. imposed upon him r„U violence which had been ibuVal lorcf of the kini3" ''^•"*' considering himself as ^jnnulJed ?he whoWarter»«^ ' •^""^^^ "^^^^ he •iero^atorv to the dicnitv of fh ""^"'^ I" ^*«^^^' «nd prohrbitedtheharnnol ^ ^^^.^ apostolic see. He h l^e Prohibiterth^^^^^^^ observance o? It 5 and he pronounced a IIp^^i ^^^?^ ^">^ '^^^''^ to inunication against every SneZt^T^?^'' ^^ ^^^^n^' ^Ml uS"thfsrcl?r^? l'°"S -''^ *»^- ^"11 threw off the Lask Thl h" ""^ ^^^ P°P«'« decree >^ security, had ta"en no Tnff.^^T"'' ^"'»^«^ into a fatil Wing tfieir aSmies Th. t- "^ measures for re-assem hie rapaciou" me cenTries wlr^^ ^^^^e field: estates, the tenantethpif^r let loose against the Wlity/nothfnrw^; t%'L^"e1n^^ ^' '^' «- lages, and castles reduced to «,hi k^ ^^™^' ^^ ^'^ and misery of the inhabit«nl ^''/u^^ consternation cised by the floK?jir» ♦ "*^' ^"^ ^^^ tortures ever whole extent ofSa^ fr^^h'""'^^^"?,'^^^ the thejprovinces wfs"f^ eacHi?.'''?!-^ Berwick, laid ere/ every part of tiie coun^rv V^^""' ^"^ eonsid- mediate property as hos^n^^'^'^t'^^^^^ n«t his im- eiecutioS. ^ ^' ''°''*^^' ^"^ the object of military violence of the tyrtnt Th„ 1 ^ °'®*=' 'J'«'» ^om the rendered Philip Carfl^^orff"" "*^ ""=•" »Pri^« c?»rtofRome/wh.W;e„.e^L't? ™«.''?oes o/^iho wction if he attacked a nifnnl *"? "'."' e^eommu- »f.«he holy see; Tut he re& ,""^!'' "'^P'O'ection hoir to the capri'ce of the S-h" l!".'"' 'l" '■°» ""^ -— ;;___«Jiiet^gli8h, unless they would _ _ *o the honrtiir /»r T -.»_^_ .. . " ■ — - — - ** the papal minitr"^'"" ''"*' ^*'"**«' *^« '-«'"«ed to pub JOHN. 73 de iver to him twenty-five of their most illustrious nobles as hostages for their fidelity 3 and having ob- 0U8 army!" '^''"" ^' '*"* '''^' ^'''^'' ""'^^ ^ ""»"«''• In consequence of that young prince's appearance .n England, John's foreign troops, being mostly levied in Flanders and other provinces of France, refused to serve against the heir of their monarchy. Many con- jiderabfe noblemen deserted John's party : his castles ell daily into the hands of the enem>5 a^ni Dover was he only place which resisted the progress of Lewis But the union between the English and French was of short duration j the preference of Lewis to the la^ tqr soon excited the jealousy of the former : and the trench began to apprehend a sudden reverse of for tune. The king was assembling a considerable army with an intention of fighting one great battle for Ihis crown J but passing from Lynne to Lincolnshire' his road lay along the sea-shore, which was overflowed at high-water, and not choosing the proper time for his journey, he lost in the inundation all his carnages treasure, baggage, and regalia. The affliction for this disaster, and vexation from the distracted state of his jii airs, increased an indisposition under which he then laboured: and though he^eached the castle of New" ark, he scfon after died, in the forty-ninth year of his age and the eighteenth of his reign. He left two legitimate sons, Henry and Richard, the eldest of Vr T "*" ^ n»?e years old, and thi other seven. 1 he character of John is a complication of vices equallv mean and odious j cowardke, levity Hcen! t.ousn,3ss, ingratitude, treachery, tyranny, and cruelty rothpf V° Bay whether his co'nWct to^his father! his brother his nephew or his subjects, was most cu'lpa- inL?/F'"°''?u"^"^**^®^**'* the flourishing prov- he subLtPd" v' %^- '".'*^"' patrimony of his family ; nndf^l *^*^ his kingdom to a shameful vassalage under the see of Rome; and he died when in danlei^ of oeing totally expelled by a foreign power and of ^^fiial?^*"?^^^ r i"P"«on,orfns?ekrg^'helt^5 M a fugitive from the pursuit of his enemies. a,. i 74 HISTORY OF mCLAND. CHAPTER V. The reigfu of Henry III, Edward I and Ed ward II. Fortunately for ITenry HI., as well as for the 1216J nation, h^ euiJ of Pembroke was, at the time of h.J ^^K*" ' '^^^>^^' "^areschal of Englind. and Ttho head of the armies. This noblemarT, who had main tallied his oyalty t(5 John, was chosen protector of th«" realm uuring the king's minority, by a general conn cil of the barons. That he ml<^^ I oncile a 1 mp.' to the goyernment of his PupiChe m Je him ira.?t " new charter of liberties, which, though mostly similar wS 7 I ^asjbllowed by a charter of forests • which declared offences committed in the king's for' TJsV::rnl ^^^^^^^' '^^ °"^^ ^-^^^^^^^ ^^ «'« and jvhich tfe French prince mrife^tirohh^fidetrof the English encouraged the general propensity towpr's the king. A large detachment of t^rV.! towar .s were exposed on account of their r.>h.ii -,„ \ Lewie, whose cause was now totdly despe 2 'rZ^ ily consented to conclude a peace o^n hoTurable con" cifi?aLT'wL'htfbeei^"hL'r^ ^""''V> P» dom and Valour; and he was ^^0^1/^'"^.^ ^'^ ""'■ ment by Peter ssessed be eve- lous n#< blcraan. But the licentious and powerful barons, having once broken the reins of subjection to Uieir prince, could ill be restrained by laws under a minor- jty ', and the people, no less than the king, suffered* from their outrages. They retained by force the royal- castles ; they usurped the king's demesnes 3 they op- pressed their vassals ; and thny protected the worst kind of banditti, in their robberies and extortions, in defiance of legal government. As Henry approached to man's estate, his character J2271 ^®*^^"*® every day better known, and he was ■' found incapable of maintaining a proper author- ity over the turbulent barons. Gentle, humane, and merciful, even to a fault, he seems to have been steady in nothing else, but to have received every impression from those who surrounded him. Without activity or vigour, he was unfit to conduct war ; without policy or art, he was ill calculated to maintain peace. His resentments, though hasty and violent, were not dreaded, wiiile he was found to drop them with such facility j his friendships were little valued, because they were neither derived from choice, nor maintain- ed with constancy. That able and "^faithful minister, Hubert de Burgh, was in a sudden fit of caprice dismissed by Henry, and exposed to the most violent persecutions. Among other frivolous crimes objected to him, he was accus- ed of gaining the king's affections by enchantments. Hubert was expelled the kingdom, and was again re- ceived into favour, and recovered a great share of the king's confidence ; but he never showed any inclina- tion to reinstate himself in power or authority. Hubert was succeeded in the government of the J 2231 ^*"S and kingdom by Peter, bishop of Winches- " J ter, a Poictev t by birth, no less distinguished by his arbitrary principles, and violent conduct, than by his courage and abilities. Through his advice, Henry invited over a great number of Poictevins, and other foreigners, who, he believed, could be more safely trusted than the English. Every ofl[ice was „^.^„^„ .j.„ s,jivi3\; snoiigvjis, yTiiU CAliilUiSlUU lii« rtJVe- riues of the crown, and invaded the rights of the peo- ple. A combination of the nobles formed against this odious ministry, was broken by the address of Peter 76 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. the estatea of the more obnoxious barons were confis- cated without a lega sentence or trial by their pecr« r iel?to^i«^'"'^']'^ "^ '^" Great Charter wK: ^jected to the king Henry was wont to reply, « Whv should I observe this charter, which is neglected by all my grandees, both prelates and nobility ?" To L So violent an administration as tliat of the bishop of Winchester could not be of long duration ; vet its fill proceeded from the church, notVrom the efforts of [he ."r^r!i ,^'^"'°'"^' "'^ P."'"'""'' ''"^"''ed by many oth! er prelates, represented to the king the pernicious measures of Peter, and required the dismissfon o? ^ hI^v V'"i!?"'°, ";"'''"u P?'" "f" e«commu«ication Henry was obliged to submit; but the English werl. not long free from the dominion of forefgnl™ Th^: 1236] """S- having married Eleanor, daughter of the _ count of Provence, was surrounded by a treat number of strangers from that country, whom he en- riched by the most arbitrary exactions upon his sub- The foreign enterorises of Henry were equally dis- Si^r ' "'Iv ■"? *""«'"<= government. \«l tl him ofTn'i..^' V"' "^''PP?*^ "f "hat remained to him of Poiclou. His want of economy and in ill judged liberality, obliged him to sell a7his p1a?e and lewels. When this expedient was first proposed to A Jiini, he asked where be should find purchasers ? It was replied the citizens of London. ° On my word " Tal '^r K*^'^ clowns who assume to themTe^l^sl'o name of barons, abound in every thing, while we are J reduced to necessities." *" ^° ^ The grievances under which the Enelish lahniir»H from the faults of the king, were consfdeTably inc "as^ ed by the usurpations and exactions of the court of l^/'™*'- About 1229, pope Honorius demanded and ^ t^'yltix^t^f ,t ecclesiastical ^vS " n I r '.t ■ ' """^ ">* 'egate wrested larire sums the adulteration of the coin of the realm being imputed chiefly to the Jews, he let loose on them the whole ~1 rigours of his justice. In London alone, two hundred I and eighty of them were hanged at once for this I crime 5 fifteen thousand were robbed of their effects, / and banished the kingdom 5 and since that period they I have never been so numerous in England. Llewellyn, prince of Wales, had entered into all the I a /--I conspiracies of the Montfort faction against the J crown, and refusing to do homage to the nev» king, Edward levied an army to reduce him to obedi- ence. Llewellyn retired among the hills of Snowdon ; but Edward pierced into the heart of the country, and obliged him to submit at discretion. He did homage, tod permitted hit barons to swear fealty to the crowo of Engla twecn CI insolence ants of th tion of 1 advanced be resist two thou after beii ed to til Shrewsbi all the [ firince t iberties submitte were est The k 1284] l\ ordered ward pre man by I his son ] Caernar crown J of the ki Edwai 1291] IJ but this of that] both by two clai order tc mit the land. 1 of Edw£ opportu feudal I great ar the Sc( him m t the Tw thither EDWARD I. of England ; and he also relinquished the country be- tween Chesnire and the river Conway. However, the insolence of the English, who oppressed the inhabit- ants of the districts ceded to them, raised the indigna- tion of the Welsh, who again took to arms. Edward advanced into Wales with an army which could rot be resisted. Llewellyn was surprised and slain, with two thousand of his followers ; and his brother David, after being chased from hill to hill, was at last betray- ed to the enemy. Edward sent him in chains to Shrewsbury ; and bringing him to a formal trial before all the peers of England, he ordered this sovereign firince to be hanged as a traitor, for defending the iberties of his native country. The Welsh nobility submitted to the conqueror ; and the laws of England were established throughout the principality. v> The king, sensible that nothing cherished military i9fid,l S^'^^y ^"^ valour so much as traditional poetry, * *^ J collected all the Welsh bards, and barbarously ordered them to be put to death. It is said that Ed- ) ward promised to give the Welsh a prince, a Welsh-j^ man by birth ; and that he invested in the principality his son Edward, then an infant, who had been born at v Caernarvon. Thus Wales was fully annexed to the-^£ crown ; and henceforth gives a title to the eldest son >^ of the kings of England. Edward had contracted his son to Margaret, the heir iluntary banishment to France, where he died in a private station. Edwaril was not ^equally successful in his attempt to recover CKiienne-:; and, at length, Philip and he agreed to eubn^it their diffi^rences to the arbitration 12981 **f ^^P® Boniface. This was the last of the ■' sovereign pontiffs that .exerqised aik authority over the temporal jurisdiction of princes; and these ^exorbitant pretensions, which he had been tempted to ussurne from the successful example of his predeces- «or8,:but of which the season was now passed, involv- ed him in so many calamities, and .were attended with so jLinfortunate a catastrophe, that they. have been se- cretly abandoned, though never openly relinquished, by his successors in the apostolic «chair. Edward ana Philip, equally jealous of papal claims, took. care to a::=^.-i i. iii i,ti^ii 4)f their differences by their consent, as a private .per- j*on, not by any right of his poiititicutc j and ithe p9pe, ^vithout seeming !• be olFended at this mor'*" EDWARD I. m the prince o* T;'*^ likewise willing to restore Gui- r:e"toth?En l^s"'n7Ed«ardaJ^eed.oaba„^^- r• "ally the earl of Fl»nf;;..«" =-fe^*^^ L'l'! S't-; c? of^c^AlT & two Countries, «rose si Sation made them »o commod^us an «cqu j Hf;^rcSe^^r;.t^;?e:^^^^^^^^ ^""War'renne retiring into England, on account of his bad state of health, left the administration of Scot- S entUly in the hands of Ormesby the justicia y, Sc7e3am the treasurer. The ormer d^^^^^^^^ .ruished himself by his seventy ; the Matter had no other obiect than the amassing of money by rapine and Uiiustfce. They treated the Scots as a conquered Teop^i ; S, in coLequence, the bravest anS most cenerois spints of the nation were exasperated to the Whest degree against the English government. ^ ^ imong these las William WaUa^ ed fTom an ancient family, whose courage prompted A /a ^- V] »»<*»- by his friend Sir John Monteith ; , and the king, whose natural bravery and ma<7 nanimity, should have induced him to respec?siS qualities in an enemy, resolved to overawe the "cots by an example of severity. He ordered the hero to be carried in chains to London ; to be tried as a rebe° and a traitor though he had Aever sworn fealty to Kngland; and to be executed on Tower-hil guch was the unworthy fate of Wallace, who, throuah the Sf of "^veral years, with signal conduct, itre! pidity, and perseverance, defended, against a publfc cSunur"'"'* """"' ""^ '"•"'««» of his Satiy^ The barbarous policy of Edward failed of the ob- '^1 in*; J»7il";'j. "-^ '^^"•«o'o 3071 ^^^ ^^^ preparing to enter the frontiers, when he' J unexpectedly sickened and died near Carlisle m the sixiy-ninthyear of his age and the thirty-fifth of his reign. With his last breath he enjoined his son and successor to prosecute the enterprise, and never tode- sist till he had finall;r subdued the kingdom of Scotland Edward II. was in the twenty-third year of his age when he ascended the throne. He was of an agreea- ble figure, and of a mild and gentle disposition : but the first act of his reign blasted the hopes which the English had entertained of him. Equally incapable of, and averse to business, he entered Scotland only Rr.I'pi'fln'^ K l'^*"^«^ *»i« army, without attacking S * !i: "^•t^ ^^'^ conduct, he convinced the barons that the authority of the crown was no longer to be dreaded, and that they were at liberty to practise er ery insolence with impunity. Piers Gaveston, the son of a Gascon knight, by hi^ insinuating address, his elegance of form, and his live- I iV wu, naa gained an entire ascendant over the younir h Edward ; and the late king, apprehensive of the con-/ 1- jequences, had banished himThe kingdom, and m^e "^ bis son promise never to recall him. No sooner. H HISTORY OF ENGLAND. I however, did the young Edward ascend the thione. than he recalled Gaveston, gave him the whole earl- dom ot Cornwall, married him to his own niece, and seemed to enjoy no pleasure in his royal dignity, but as It enabled him to exalt this object of his fond af- tections. The haughty barons were offended at the superiority of a minion, whose birth they despised and who eclipsed them in pomp and splendour. In a journey to France, to espouse the princess Isabella. £.clward left Gaveston guardian of the realm : but on his return with the young queen, Isabella, who was ot an imperious and intriguing disposition, finding her husband s capacity required to be governed, thought herself best entitled to perform the office, and was wen pleased to see a combination of the nobility termed against the favourite. ^ Thomas earl of Lancaster, cousin-german to the 13081 r"^' ^^^^r^?* ^^® ^^^'^ ^^ th® party among the barons. That nobleman entering the parlia- ment with his adherents in arms, required the banish- ment of Gaveston 5 and Edward was obliged to sub- mit 3 but instead of sending him to his own country "® Wointed him lord-lieutenant of Ireland. Ihe king, unhappy in the absence of his minion, employed e ven^ expedient to soften the opposition o^ the barons to his return ; and deeming matters suffi- ciently prepared for his purpose, he ventured to re- call Gaveston, and went to Chester to receive him on his first landing from Ireland. However, in defi- ance of the laws and the king's prohibition, the bar- ons, with a numerous retinue of armed followers compelled Edward to devolve on a chosen junto the whole authority both of the crown and the parirament : and among other regulations sanctioned by this com- mittee, Gaveston was forever banished the king^a do- minions. " *» "s .« «*« *iin^r^°*i"L'''''^^^®J*'*^ Edward, by removing to York. *hadfresd himself from the barons' power,le recdl- ed Gaveston from Flanders j and the barins, highly provoked at this measure, flew to arms, with the VaA «U ^ : - 1 ■ Edward left his iavour* ite in the castle of Scarborough, which was obliged to surrender to the earl of Pembroke. FrSL Se Gaveston was conducted to the castle of Dedinglon, EDWARD 11. 95 he throne, vhole earl- ciece, and lignity, but is fond af- led at the despised, ndour. In s Isabella, m ; but on ., who was inding her d; thought e, and was e nobility m to the imong the le parlia- le banish- id to sub- I country, B minion, osition of ers suffi- ed to re- eive him •, in defi- I the bar- bllowers, unto the 'liapoent 3 lihisconi- ing^s do> to York, e recall- 8, highly the earl 3 favour* obliged I thence dington, near Banbury, where, being left with a small guard, he was surprised by the earl of Warwick ; and, with^ / y out any regard to the laws, the head of the unhappy// favourite was struck off by the hands of the execu Ct 13131 *»o/-er. When the king was informed of Gav- ^ ^ eston's murder, he threatened vengeance on all those who had been active in that bloody scene ; but being less constant in his enmities than in his Iriendships he listened to terms of accommodation and granted the barons a pardon of all offences. ' Immediately aaer Edward's retreat from Scotland Robert Bruce left his fastnesses ; and in a short time nearly the whole kingdom acknowledged his authority! The castle of Stirling, the only fortress in Scotland which remained in the hands of the English, was closely pressed 5 and to relieve this place. Edward summoned his forces from all quarters, and marched^ with an army of an hundred thousand men. At Barf- 1 nockourn, about two miles from Stirling, Bruce with thirty thousand hardy warriors, inured to all the vari- II eties of fortune, and inflamed with the love of indc pendence awaited the charge of the enemy. A hill covered his right flank, and a morass his left : and along the banks of a rivulet in his front he dug deep pits : planted them with stakes, and covered the whole with turf. The English, confident in their superior numbers, rushed to the attack without precaution. Iheir cavalry, entangled in the pits, were thrown in- to disorder ; and the Scottish horse, allowing them no tinje to rally, attacked them, and drove them off tho held with considerable loss. While the English for- ces were alarmed at this unfortunate eventfan armv appeared on the heights toward the left, marching to surround them. This was composed of wagoners and sumpter-boys, whom Robert had supplied with milita- ry standards. The stratagem took effect : a nanic seized the English who threw down their arms! and tied, and were pursued to the gates of Berwick. Be- sides an inestimable booty, the Scots took many per- sons of quality prisoners, and above four hundred i«n. Uemen, wiiose ransom was a new accession of strength to the victors. ° This great and decisive battle secured the indepen- dence of Scotland; and fixed tne throne of Bruce > 96 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. J, I :'. : I f -^••~A 1 131*51 ^^^^^^ ^^ shook that of Edward, whose defeat -' encouraged the nobility to insist on the renew- al of their ordinances. After the death of Gaveston, the king's chief favourite was Hugh le Despenser, or Spenser, a young man of high rank, and noble family. He possessed all the exterior accomplishments of per- eon and address, but was not endowed either with moderation or prudence. His father^ who was of the same name, was a nobleman venerable from his years, and qualified, by his talents and experience, to have supplied the defects both of the king and his minion ; but Edward's attachment rendered the name of Spen- ser odious; and the turbulent Lancaster, and most of the great barons, formed plans for his destruction. The claim of Spenser to an estate, which had been settled on the illustrious family of Mowbray, was the signal for civil war. The earls of Lancaster and Her- eford flew to arms j and by menaces and violence they extorted from the king an act of attainder against the Spensers, and of indemnity for themselves. This be- jng effected, they disbanded their army, and separated, in security, as they imagined, to their respective cas- tles. Edward, however, having assembled an army, dropped the mask, and recalled the Spensers, whose sentence ne declared to be illegal and unjust. Lan- caster, who had hastily collected thirty thousand men, fled with his forces towards the north j but being in- tercepted at Boroughbridge, after a slight action, he was taken prisoner, and brought to the king. Edward, thoueh gentle by nature, remembered on this occasion the fate of Gaveston ; and Lancaster, mounted upon a lean horse, and exposed to the derision of the people was conducted to an eminence near Pomfret, one of his own castles, where he suffered decapitation. Edward, after another fruitless attempt on Scotland, concluded a truce for thirteen years with Bruce, whose title to the crown was thus virtually, though not tacitly, acknowledged. He was, however, still embar- rassed by the demands of his brother-in-law, Charles the Fair, who required him to appear and do homage for the fees which he held in France. The queen had been permitted to go to Paris, and endeavour to adjust in an amicable manner the differences with her brother. On her arrival in France, Isabella was sur- ^hose defbat i the renew, of Gaveston, ^espenser, or loble family, nents of per- either with was of the im his years, ice, to have his minion; me of Spen- r, and most iestruction. eh had been ray, was the :er and Her- iolence they r against the s. This he- ld separated, pective cas- ed an army, isers, whose njust. Lan- ousand men, }ut being in- it action, he g. Edward, liis occasion inted upon a the people ifret, one of ation. >n Scotland, vith Bruce, , though not still embar- aw, Charles 1 do homage The queen ndeavour to :e8 with her ilia wa8 8ur- EDWARD. H. in aUMt'triumphed o;ertrt«rr"'^'he* ki„rfna ed of these circumstances, required her sSUdniT^ wY.i'Sir"^.?"' yo-Lng.Prin'ce i:dward7wh?wt C wito his mother in Paris; but instead of obeviS»W« X"celd""co„„iil!!""'" "■" ""°°^«'' '•™'» ^ This declaration procured Isabella great popularity ,326j '» E»glan« garrisin mi! linied against him, and he was delivered into the hmL Iv ?e'ach"eThf.'- • ™» venerable noble, whohiS n?*' Jem„.H .„ 5 JL'"u"'^ y*"' "»» "'*<>«" trial cw- h.n^% ° '*"'?iJt ""y "■• rebellious barons. He ma hanged on a gibbet ; his body was cat in pieces ^ to e«.„« .^ I*? P^"'«««: EdwaVdhimseH-attempt^ 'L*'"?!{.^".*»» discovered, and committed to thoMl Z^' "4S""' *" i^«'cester, in the castle of Kenil- r^l inTo S.^^ "^r ¥:'•■"' *•" '■"""rite, who .1- ifk. hi. f«ri.« ^^I'i?' ."'^ '■'' ^ne-nies, was 4iecuted Ilk. his father, without any appearance of a legal trial. ^ HISTORY OF ENGLAND. The diabolical Isabella, in order to avail he-self tif ^ JSf71 '**® Prevailing delusion, summoned in the king'g ^ name a parliament at Westminster. A charge was drawn up against Edward, in which, though fram- ed by his inveterate enemies, nothing but his want of capacity, or his misfortunes, could be objected against """• The deposition of the king, however, was vot- ed by parliament 5 and tlie prince his son was placed on the throne. But it was impossible that the character and con- duct of Isabella could loncf be mistaken. The crross violation ot every duty and every tie soon estranL'ed from her the minds of men j the proofs which daily broke out of her criminal commerce with Mortimer increased the general abhorrence against her : and her hypocrisy m publicly bewailing the king's unhappy late, was not able to deceive even the most stupid ami most prejudiced of her adherents. In proportion as the queen became the object of public hatred, the de- throned monarch, who had been the victim of her crimes and her ambition, was regarded with pity and veneration) and men became sensible, that all his misconduct, which faction had so much exaggerated had been owing to the natural imbecility, not to any voluntary depravity, of his character. The earl of Leicester, now earl of Lancaster, to whose custody Jie had been committed, was soon touched with those generous sentiments 5 and besides treating his priso- ner with gentleness and humanity, he was susDected to have entertained still more honourable intentions ' hl^hL^''^"^ J^^ king, therefore, was taken from 1 his bands, and delivered over to lord Berkeley, and I Mautravers and Gournay, who were entrusted alter- ' K— ^\?.l^? ^""/^ '"'*"^^' ^^^^ ^he charge of guardinff him. While he was in the custody of Berkeley hf was still treated with the gentleness due to hir/ank and his misfortunes ; but when the turn of Mautra- ■vers and C^ournay came, every species of indicnitv hZ^T'^^ ""^"^T him,as'if fheir intentiThiJ been to break entirely the prince's spirit, ana to em Ploy hi9 sorrows and afflictions, instead of more vi^. jeilC and tnnrA HannAwmio #>~ 1: ^- i» .1 menta of his murder. But as this method of destnic- tiOB appeared too slow to the iipjpatient Mortimer'h, ). ail he-«clf uf i in the king'tf Br., A charge though fram- it his want of jected against 5ver, was vot- m was placed cter and con- 1. The gross )on estranged B which daily th Mortimer, her J nnd her Qg's unhappy •St stupid and proportion as itred, the de- ctim of her vith pity and that ail hia exaggerated, y, not to any rhe earl of ose custody d with those ng ills priso- 18 suspected le intentions taken from erkeley, and rusted alter- of guarding Berkeley, ho ! to his rank of Mautra- of indignity itention had ana to em f more ?io- the instru of destine* ortimor, h* EDWARD III. 99 fecretly sent orders to the two keepers, who were at his devotion instantly to despatch him TakinTad- vantage of Berkeley's «ckness, in whose custLcfy he 1327] ;"®" was and who was thereby incapacitated Ipv oZT *"/"^'"? ^'^ t^""'^^' '^^y ^^'"e to Berke. til ifin ' ' ''"'* P"u'"^ themselves in possession of , the king's person they threw him on a bed, and hold- i"?.rh^r" ""^'tV'^^i"' *^^"«^ i«'<> hisfucdament a red hot iron, which they inserted through a hm that no external marks of violence might be seenTn ^linr^il t?' ^^«,^^^"»^«d. howeve?^ was dTsco? ered to all the guards und attendants by the screams Nvitn which the agonizing king filled the castle' whUe nis bowels were consu.ning. ' im'2r.'^'^'^ ^'^'^•''^ "- ***^" ^'^^^ ** « not easy to imagine a more innocent and inoffensive man, nor a prince less capable of governing a fierce and turbu* lent people Obliged to devolved others the wSi hi w.niH' had neither ability nor inclination to S?„! aLTaTiL'dr ^^^^^^^ "*-^- -^ ^-ur: 4, CHAPTER. VI. The Reign of Edward TIL The party which had deposed the unfortunate mon- arch, deemed it requisite for their security, to obta°n fn^s ATtM'^P^^^r^"* ^^' ^" the^i; proceeT hf ;„r ^J* V"^»n^ers, also which had passeS against r.L A ,°^^ancaster and his adherent^, were easily reversed during the triumph of their party. A qoun^ cil of regencv was likewise appointed by Darliament consisting o/ five prelates an^cf sev^ l^CsTani^ the earl of Lancaster was nominated jraidian of the young king, Edward III. g«araian oi coe J Mortimer, though not included in the reoencv ren- dered that council entirely useless, by SSg to himself the whole sovereian au*>.-ViJ SL™°?.:: m^vTJ'^Z'^'' prineel of-the biiod o/thr^o^ *ility on any public measure j and he afiected a state and dignity equal or superior to those of royaJty. Ed! 100 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 1 ward, who had attained his eighteenth year, repined at the fetters in which he was held by this insolent minister ; but so much was he surrounded by the emis- saries of Mortimer, that he was objiffed to conduct the project for subverting him with Uie greatest se- crecy and precaution. The queen-dowager, and Mor- timer lodged in the castle of NotUngham j the king also was admitted, though with a few only of his at- tendants 3 and as the castle was strictly guarded, it becanie necessary to communicate the design to Sir William Eland, tht governor, who zealously took part in it. By his direction, the king's associates were ad- mitted through a subterraneous passage 3 and Morti- mer, without having it in hi« power to make resist* ance, was sudden! v seized in an apartment adjoining to the queen's. A parliament was immediately sum- m moned for his condemnation ; and such was the noto- / riety Of his infamous conduct, that without trial, or examining a witness, he was sentenced to be hanged on a gibbet at the Elms, in the neighbourhood of Lon- don. The queen was confined to her own house at "ysings : and though the king, during the remainder of her life, paid her a visit once or twice a year, she never regained any credit or influence. Edward, having now assumed the reigns of govern- 13321 ™®"*> applied himself to redress all those griev- ■■ ances which had proceeded from the late abuse of authority. The severity with which he caused jus- tice to be administered, soon restored the kingdom to internal tranquillity -, and in proportion as th« govern- inent acquired stability at home, it became formida- ble lo its iieighbours. Edward made a sncceasful ir- ruption into Scotland, for the purpose of reinstating Edward Balio! in possession of the crown of thai L Kingdom 5 and rn an engagement at Halidown-hill, j» little north of Berwick, the Scots were defeated ynth the loss of nearly thirty thousand men. ' It had long been a prevailing opinion, that the crown EDWARD III. 101 to that of Philip de Valoii, the couain german, who had been UBanimously placed on the throne of France. UM own claim, however, was ao unreasonable, and so thoroujjbly disavowed by the whole French nation, that It IS probable Edward would never have prosecut- ed It, had not some jealousies and misunderstandinir arisen between the two monarcht . Determined to engage in this chimerical attempt the king began with opening his intentions to the count 01 Hainault, his father-in-law ; and having encaffed him in his interests, he employed the good offices Jnd counsels of that prince in drawing into his alliance the other sovereigns of that neighbourhood. The duke of Brabant was induced, by his mediation, and by lange remittances of money from England, to prom- ise his concurrence j the archbishop o? Cologne, the duke of Gue dres, the marquis of Juliers, the count ot Namur, the lords of Fauquemont -^nd Baquen were engaged by like motives to embrace the English alliance. These sovereign princes could supply, eith- er from their own states, or from the borderini coun- tries, great numbers of warlike troops : and nothini? was wanting to make the force on that quarter very lorraiaable, but the accession of Flanders ^ which Ed- iTsual P'^^"^®^ ^^ "*®^"^ '^^^^^ extraordinary and un- After consulting his parliament and obtaining ita consent, Edward, accompanied by a body of English forces, and bv several of his nobility, pLsed ovir to Handers. The Flemings, as vassals'^ of France, pre- tending some scruples with regard to the invasion of their liege lord, Edward assumed the title of king of J ranee 5 but he did not venture on this step without hesitation and reluctance, and a presage oT the ca- bJ3! c'c^ntie'.*" ^" "'• *'""' *^ ^"^^^' "^^ ^"^^^ •" The first attempts of the king were unsuccessful ; naii*!"^!!! * J^'i"*^ 9^ *^^ °'"*^*» «P»"t to be discour- aged by the difficulties of an undertaking. By con- hrming the ancient charters, and the privileges of borougha, he obtained from 4e parliament ^^ZJa. tort; sail, he again embarked for the continent. Off 5»lui8e he was encountered by a French fleet ronsist 102 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. ing of four hundred vessels. The inferiority of th« Lnglish in number, was compensated by their nauti- cal skill, and the presence of their monarch.. The engagement was fierce and bloody ; and the Flemines, near whose coast the action took place, issued from ^ their harbours, and reinforced the English. Two hun- 1 dred and thirty French ships were taken : and thirty / thousand of their men perished. Numbers now flock- t^ ed to the standard of Edward 5 and with an army of ^^bove an hundred thrnsand men, he invested Tour- /nay^. That place had been provided with a garrison of fourteen thousand men 3 but after the "ege had J^ continued ten weeks, the city was reduced to istress : aad Phihp advanced towards the English cam , at the head of a mighty host, with the intention of avoiding a decisive action, but of throwing succours into the place. Both armies continued in sight of each other without engaging J and, whilst in this situation, Jane, countess dowager of Hainault, interposed her good of- fices in order to prevent the effusion of blood. This princess was mother-in-law to Edward, and sister to l^hilip 5 and her pious efforts prevailed on them both though they could not lay aside, at least to suspend their animosities, by subscribing a truce for twelve months. Edward returned to England, deeply chagrined at the unfortunate issue of his military operations : and he vented his ill humour on the officers of the reve- nue and collectors of taxes. In order to obtain a new supply from the parliament, the king had been oblii?. ed to subscribe to nearly the same restrictions as had been imposed on Henry III. and Edward II. No sooner, however, was he possessed of the necessary supply, than he revoked and annulled his concessions ; • and he afterwards obtained from his parliament a legal repeal of the obnoxious statute, which imposed those restrictions. Edward had experienced so many mor- tifications in his war with France, that he would pr^ably have dropped his claim, had not a revolution in Brittany opened to him more promising views. John III., duke of Rritlsmv hnviniT t\r^ {»».» .».. iolicitous to prevent those disorders to which, on the event of his demise, a disputed succession might ex pose his subjects. For that purpose, he bestowed hit EDWARD III. iOI mecc, whom ho deemed his heir, in marriatfe ob Charles of Blow, nephew of the king of France : and all hi» vassals, and among the rest the count of MonU fort, IMS brother by a second marriage, swore fealty to Charles and to his consort as to their future «ove- '^'§1®* ^ "^ ^" ^^® ^^^^^ "^ **»e aged duke, the count of Montfort made a voyage to England ; ana offerinir to do homage to Edward as king of France, for the •liichy of Brittany, he proposed a strict alliance for the support of their mutual pretensions. Edward im- inediatejy saw the advantages attending this treaty ; and It required a very short negotiation to concludi na alliance between two men, who, though their pleaa with regard to the preference of male or female sue cession were directly opposite, were intimately con- nected by their immediate interests. Soon after, however, Montfort fell into the hands of 15i21 J\»8. enemies. Was conducted as a prisoner to Fans, and shut up in the Louvre. This event seemed to put an end to his pretensions : but his con- eort assembled the inhabitants of Rennes, deplored to t hem the calamity of their sovereign, and entreated- them to resist an usurper, who had been imposed on tnem by the arms of France. Inspirited by the noble conduct of the princess, the states of Brittany vowed to live and die with her in defending the rights of her familv. The countess shut herself up in Hennebon- ue, which was invested by Charles of Blois, who af- ter several reiterated attacks, was compelled t« aban- don the siege on the arrival of succours from Enir- land. * After the death of Robert of Artois, whom the kins of England had despatched to Brittany with a consid- erable reinforcement, Edward undertook in person the J L ^^® countess of Montfort. The king land- ed at Morbian, near Vannes, with an army of twelve thousand men, and commenced the three important ^ sieges of Vannes, of Rennes, and of Nantz : but by I undertaking too much, he failed of success in all hi< / onterprises. The duke of Normandy, eldest son of *-- I,. ,... „ ,,, ^ ,^jjj.^ -jpp^j^^gQ .„ iifiij^ny at the head ot an army of thirty thousand infantry and four thousand cavalry. Edward was .obliged to concen- --^ trate hia fordesi j^id tci pntreijch hiifltJQlf before Van* / m HISTORY Olj^ ENGLAND. fe> B«iv wJ»« Ae duke of Normaody toon after ;trrivcd dZijr '^^^' '1^9^^^ tlw besiegers. The English HF«^!rl.*S ^l^'?^ sometimes to those which arow from the fleet of the enemy : and, in this dan- ZZ nf^th*^* ^f^?"* willingl/^ccepted the me. fTtZ.2^J^^ P*^u " 1^»****^ *"^ concluded a truce £r^««^''T* ?^ '^*^ ^r? *" prisoners were to tL^^ ^\^^ P*^®^ *" Brittany to remain with n..t.JIS'®"* P^^«°"7 and Vannes was to be se- questwed into the hands of the legates, to be after. *Wd8 disposed of according to their pleasure. Ihe trace, however, was of very short duration; ^^ !S: c ™<*»ai<^h endeavoured to inculpate the VaJJ^J ^?' J*' infraction. The parliament, whom t^e Wn/S^'.n^hl'* consult on all occasions, idvised «™S?l«. r** H *™u'®^ ^y ^ fraudulent truce, and |raiited eapolies for the renewal of the war. The «aH of Derby, with an English army, was sent into *^J Z?1""V ^"u. ?dward, informed of the great frmi* 4»1 TJ ^^^?»^*» that province was exposed IS tto ^® f Normandy, prepared a force for it« the L^ oTw'^^ at Southampton, with his son b»t J^J^^A ^*?^'' """"^ ^^^ ^^^^^'^ «f his nobility : bBt the winds proving contrary, he was prevailed on tJ change the destination of his enterprise : and orderino hiB ffces at fi tt" """"'rS''^ ^'^^'^^ Ie£S fhlJ^l 1 *^ ^* ^^°."®- Edward spread his armv over cl^^^iT'"'*'* *** "•« *■'«"«''' intended to in »-3^ » ?^ '" **"■ *""""■> 5 »"<* therefore, by a secret le™ ' S°a1 ^T*""* ""y '»1.'*'f """'''esitiw^.rdB Fl™! *?m.«if • lu" ''* approached the Somme, he fouTd timselfin the same Jifflculty as before ; all tiebS. oa that nverwere either broken down or .?"3l ? C!: "".* Pron"«e of « reward induced a n^»^> W k.Uvtbe intereat, of hi, country and ,?S after ;trnv€d The English d, exposed to ' those which I, in this dan- pted the me* iuded a truce ^ners were to remain with 'as to be se- , to be after- sure. rt duration; nculpate the ment, whom ons, advised it truce, and war. Tlie as sent into of the great ^as exposed orce for its /ith his son lis nobility j vailed on to nd ordering isembarked i army over ►ps that had id took and xt towards sine broken 1 the oppo- isand men. nded to in- hy a secret massed the ^ards Flan- * he found He bridges r ctmnnrlw "^'j e opposite • a peasant ta inform EDWARD III. lift Edward ^^ invited t'h'e khig of Navarre, and other noblemen of the partv to an entertainment at Rouen, where they were bSed into the hands of John. Some of the^latter were [m mediately led to execution; and the k^^g of Na^^^^^^^ kZ'nf'^r >"*V"««"- I^hilip, the brUer of the ect^on ^ev"V A *°/'»"«v^nd implored the pro! tection of England 3 and as the truce was expired lents. VV hilst the king himself ravaged Picardv the ^'rvLf r„^ •"^'""•'^" "^ ^''' ^»^««»' «• collected a^ army for an incursion against England. Edward therefore, returned to defend that ki4dom againsTthe threatened invasion ; and after burning and destroy ng <|the whole country from Berwick to Edinburgh he in? iS ?'**"^ '""-r'^^ the crown of ScotSlnto h?, tend prnds'"^"^" ^' ^ ^""^ P^-- -^ two In the mean time young Edward, accompanied by '^1 ?n1h?r °^ WarwicE and Salisbury, hkd arrived in« •!• " i^t ^5!*''""^' V^^ ^'ee hundred saiL Be SS IT^^ ^^ ^ ""^'^^^ °^ ^^^°»y> ^^ reduced aU In Jir*^5 ^"** ^^^^'*^ ***^°« of Lai^edoc to ashes In a second compaign, at the head of twelve thouM^d men, he peneti-atef into the heart of France -Xr he was mfermed that the French king w^^p^oach' mg with an army of sixty thousand min. ^P'**"^** , v..^;,ici3, pruice n^Qwara prepared for battU i^did military qualities could «ot have extricated him. EDWARD IIL 109 tf the French had .availed themselvefl of their simeri- orwinbers, and contented themselves with intercept- nlJTnf '?''T"'- ^** ^riBMe, indeed, was L prince of his desperate condition, that he offered to purchase his retreat by ceding all 'his conquests, and by stipulating not to serve against Franc2 for seven Jfm?Jr "*• •'''*'" '^i''*'^^ .^^** ^« ^«»^d surrender himself prisoner with one hundred of his attendants. J 1 P"i*?f rejected this proposal with disdain, and declared thatfingland should never be obliged ti Zy the price of his ransom. ^ *^^ All hopes of accommodation being at an end the fhi"^ ? Wales strengthened by new entrenchments the post which he had before so judiciously chosen : and contrived an ambush of three hundred men at arms, and as many archers, whom he put under the command of the Capul d4 Buche, anVordered to ^tjf^'JT^' *^^ ^^^^ ™.*»**^ ^'^^ «» ^« «ank or rear of the French army during the engagement. The van ot his army was commanded by the earl of War- r« ^ -^l 'J^w'*^ l^"" ®*'*' **^ Salisbury and Suffolk, ihe mam body by the prince himself. *k cJ?.*'^***"*"^®^ **'" ^«>»'ces in three divisions; .he farst was commanded by the duke of Orleans the king 8 brother 5 the second by the dauphin, atte/ided by hii two younger brothers; the third by the kintr hsmseJf, who hadlv his side Philip, his fourth and fa- vourite son, then about fourteen years of age There was no reaching the English army but through a nar- row lane, covered on each side by hedges : and in ^n^rw^'P^? '*''' passage the mareschals Andrehen and CJermonl were ordered to advance with a separate fl!^^>n* **^ "^u"/* ?""'• While they maVcbed SlrfclJ;L^'*?L5 .t^y ""^ *^»?*>«** archers, who lined the hedges, plied them on eaci side with their arrows ; and being very near them, yet placed in perfect safe- IlJS2^^}1 *®***^.*^».' «nn «gain«t the enemy, and Sr^!^^ ^'^t"!'^**** ^"'P""*^^- TheFrencVde- tachment,inuch discouraged by the unequal co»bat, wid dimimshed in their number, arrived 2t th« i^A^r Gifle iane, where they met on the open fWHind ^e ince •f Wales himself, at Ihe h^d iTcb«sen Aiil' ?^^ *^' i^'^ rec^tion. 'niey were discom. Ated and overthrown; one of the maraschals waa itO HISTORY OF ENGLAND. II I itt ■lam, the other taken prisoner, and the remainder of .he dotachment, who were still in the lane, and expos- «eing able to 11 army, and ical moment l;andattack- some con- to whom the s had been or for their set the ex- whole divi- like panic, jer of fight- reat, which under king English ar- hy was by i fell with ced in the 1 that body self expos- ranks were nobles fell rcelv four- st fighting ig himself numbers, iglish gen- prisoner, surrender, impted to still cried Wales ?" any per- ;he prince ntlet, and >ennis de this occa- ed at the f his ret- i refused to b6 seated. All his father's pretensions to the crown of France were buried in oblivion j and Joha received when a captive, those honours which had been denied him when on a throne. The prince of Wales concluded a truce of twp yearb 13571 ^*^^ France, that he might conduct the captivo J king with safety into England. He landed at .*>outhwark, and was met by a great concourse of peopio of all ranks. The prisoner was clad in royal apparel, and mounted on a white steed, distinguished by its size and beauty, and by the richness of its furniture. The conqueror rode by his side in a meaner attire, on a black palfry. In this situation he passed through the streets of London, and presented the king of France to his father, who advanced to meet him, and received 111 in with the same courtesy as if he had voluntarily p:iid him a visit. The captivity of John produced in France the most horrible anarchy. Every man was thrown loose and independent of his fellows : and licentiouoness reigned without control. At length, in a conference between the English and French commissioners at Bretigni, a peace between the two nations was concluded on the following conditions. It was stipulated that king John . should be restored to his liberty, and should pay as his ransom three millions of crowns of gold ;* that the king of England should forever renounce aH claim to the crown of France, and to the provinces of Norman- dy, Maine, Touraine, and Anjou, possessed by his an-, coitors, and should receive in exchange the provinces of Poictou, Xaintonge, PAgenois, Perigort, the Li- mousin, Quercy, Rovergue, I'Angoumois, and otherj districts in that quarter, together with Calais, Guisnes/ Montreuil, and the county of Ponthieu, on the othei side of France 3 that Edward should renounce his con- federacy with the Flemings, and John his connexj ions with the Scots -, and that forty hostages should be sent to England as a security for the execution of these conditions. John no sooner regained his liberty, than he Drepar- 13601 ^^ ^^ execute the terms with that fidelity and ■* honour by which he was characterized. How- ■ - - - * About % million and a half of our proiftut stef Ua|; money. 112 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. ^ J ever, notwithttandinff his cndeavourti, many aifficul- tiet occurred in fulfilling his purposes : and, Iherefbrc, in order to adjust some disputes, he rormed a resolu- tion of coming over to England. His council endeav- oured to dissuade him from this design ; but he replied, ''that though good faith were banished from the rest of the earth, she ought still to retain her habitation in the breast of princes.'^ John therefore came to Lon- don, and was lodged in the Savoy, where he fell sick and died. John was succeeded in the throne by Charles the 13641 P»"P**i"» who immediately directed his atten- J tion to the internal disorders which afflicted his kingdom. His chief obstacle proceeded from large bands of military adventurers, who had followed tho standard of Edward, but who, on the conclusion of P.«^*«' refused to lay down their arms, persevered in a life of rapine, and associating themselves under the hame of ''companions," were a terror to the country. At length, they enlisted under the standard of Du Guesclin, who led them against Peter the Cruel, kin«r of Castile. Peter fled from his dominions, sought ref^ age in Guienne, and craved the protection of tho •7 prince of Wales, whom his father had invested with f ?.? sovereignty of these conquered countries, by the ^ title of the principality of Aouitoine. That prince promised his assistance to the dethroned monarch, and recalled the eompanioru from the service of Henry of Transtamare, whom they had placed on the throne of l^astile. Henry encountered the English prince at Wajara, and was defeated with the loss of more than twenty thousand men. Peter was restored to the throne; but the ungrateful tyrant refused the stipulated pay to the English forces: and Edward returned to Cluieiine, vnth a diminished army, and his constitution fatally impaired by the climate. The barbarities exer- cised by Peter over his subjects, revived all the ani- mosity of the Castilians : and the tyrant was asain de- throned, and put to death. Prince Edward, by this rash expediUon, had involv- ed liimielf in so much debt, that he found it nece->«t^v u" **? "^ m?' *** impose on Aquitaine a new tax oii Jieuths. The people, discusted by this measure, car- ried their complaints to Charles, their ancient sovc EDWARD III. 11, »ion. of the English government. By the treaty ?r t^'*.hf "h'^"" >"»Kof f„„ce had renoinced aU cSim. to the homage and fealty due for Guienne, and the other province, ceded to the English • but on thi! rToHord"'„? th""" '"^^'?'«'' '» con^ili'Si'mse"'/ ^^^^l nor lord of those provinces, and summoned Edward to appear at his court at Paris, and jusUfy his conduct to his vassals The prince brieHy replied, that ho would come to Paris, but that it sUfi beat ihe be"d of sixty thousand men. Charles fell upon Ponthieu, while his brothers the fnt? "i ^"' ""^ *"i?^ '"*'«'«'' »he southern prov! mces. In one action, Chandos, the constable of Gui- enne was slam 5 and in another, the Captal de Buche was taken prisoner. The stale of the prince of Wa"e.'° health rendered him unable to mount on horaeUcV t?«. .l'"M"i"'i""=""'y ' '""^ •"» increasing infiVmU ties compelled him to resign the commwiS of Af, army, and return to his native country. Edward, ft«m 1370] »»e necessity of his affairs, was obliged t^ con „™, J ■•" Sr"=«' ""*'■''*«'"?»'■»«>»» all h" ancient S«f.t"'?5'° '^'""* '''^''''«<' f""" him, except Bou?- Th„'5^ B?yonne,and all his conquests.'except Calail. w.r.Kl*"'"'/"'* '''"8'' power corVespondednoi Ti. ^„ *? preceding parts of it. Besides tie Iom of .. ..t'*" ''»'»'°'»n», he felt the decay of his author cliX^T ?r"« **« rB"" »•■ "ee, he b«i bee, chiefly occupied by war and ambition ; but, in his lat- ter years, he bemn to indulge himsdf in ple»ure After a lingering TUne.;, the prince of Wale.'dild^Tn llustrioL*'!-!!?!.^'" ''^■^" »?«'>ea"ng « charaiti? anv h Ci/h ' u'^ en»nent virtue, and unstained by any blemish. His valour and military talenU formed tv »ffl-?V P"' °f his merits his generosity, humw- SL^f*" 1"^' ""* "Jleration, gaiSed him the iS"™ t« „„f *' ""^".1 '""^l'^ *"" l^^'ified to throw ,lu.- Jhl mL?'l "■ ""* "'^^^' '" "'''«»' he Mved. but on WstoT ThT'k^ Penod either of ancient or moderS S^i?'Klf^l-«."i''/. •:>?-'«"> anrf the p/opl then sensible which though too la««i, of th« irreparable loM vol., I they had susiained a 114 HISTQRY OF KNGLAND. flOM irr' The £o|flish are opt to consider with peculiar fond« .JM tlie hwtory of Edward the Third, And to esteem his reign, as it was one of the longest,* the most glori- ous also iji the annals of their nation. The ascendan- cy which thev then began to acquire over France, their rival and natural enemy, makes them cast thinr eyes on this period with creat complacency, and sanr- tifies every measure which Edward embraced for that end, But the domestic government of this prince is really more admirable than his foreife'n victories; (ui.l England enjoyed, by the prudence and vigour of hin government, a longer interval of domestic peace and tranquillity than she had been blest with in mv tbniif r period, or than she experienced for many ages after. He gained the affections of the great, yet curbed their licentiousness : his affable and obliging lujhaviour, his munificence and generosity, induced them to submit with pleasure to his dominion; and his valour and con-J duct rendered them successful in most of their enter- prises. His foreign wars were neither founded in justice, nor directed to any salutary purpose ; but the glory of a conqueror is so dazzling to the vulgar, tho aniinofiity of nations is so violent, that the fruitless desolation of so fine a part of Europe as France, is totally disregarded by us, and is never considered as n blemish in the character or conduct of lliis prince. ??wwd had a numerous posterity by his queen, rhilippa of Hainault. His eldest son was the heroic li.dward, usually denominated the Black Prince, from the colour of his armour. This prince espoused his cousin Joan, commonly called the ''Fair Maid of Kent, daughter and heir of his uncle, the earl of Kent," who WS8 beheaded in the beginning of this reign. By lier, the prince of Wales had a son, Richard, who suc- ceeded his grandfather The oecond son of : » , ward v ^p Lionel, duke of Clarence, who, d....^ while still young, left only one daughter, married to Edward Mortimer, earl of Jtoche. Of all the family, he resembled most his rather and elder brother in his noble qualities r yard's third sort was John of Gaunt, so called />*r **f*^V'r'T* '•cijrn ill Efij^lish hiiitory,o.vce|)ting thnt^f ' D. peculiar fond* And to esteem the most glori* riic asccndan' over France, lie in cast their ucy, and sanr- »raced for tlcit lliis prince is ictoriesj (m,! vigour of liifi tic peace and in inv tbnn«»r iny ages after. I curbed their vohaviour, his im to submit lour and con-' f their enter- r founded in >o8e ; but the e vulgar, tho the fruitlesa as France, is considered as tliis prince. / his queen, as the neroic Prince, from espoused his air Maid of arl of Kent," is reign. By ird, who suc- Lionel, duke ing, left only mer, earl of ed most his ties nt, so called opting thni «f EDWARD III. „^ duke of Gloucester BviiJrn.? '^"^^i!?^ ^^ ^»^^« of four daughtersriilbella^oan'X^^^ all of whom arrived at years of' mai.^:*. ^ Margaret, During the reiffn of fidwnr^ maturity, and married. greater conside 5Ln tha„ t iild^xT^^^ ^°^« ^^ fi>-mer time : and even ihl hi.. ^^P^nenced in any during turbuC^7d"facttr;yi'odr^^^^^ depressed by the greater newer of thi^ naturally CHAPTER VII. The reign, of Riehard IT., Henry IV., „nd Henry V. Richard II., the son of Edward the Rln-w P,- ,377j was only eleven years ofl^Zlen^t,^^'^' noritv of hisTSndst^f rh^ZTJhet'i?* *^^ "•'• '"ppjy the direct, dn thTsocca-iontE- '"""'"' *• took the lead • and it thJ!. °*"=*» °."> the commons lords appo nte.f a couScil^f n'^l"'.*"'"." *« house of authority for a year tTdi«^f,K"\^? 'i''*"" ""ey gave inspect [he edJcatUVofXto»n,''i^S^""T!iJ^ '» ernment was conducted entlmwfJT.^- V" «°'- ^Kho'^ty of'?i;e^rg4rcl^r,rs,;^^^ «erou. wars. The pretens.ons of the duke of Unew. 116 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. IT ^ ter to the crown of Castile made that kingdom perse- vere in hostilities against England. Scotland main- tained such close connections with France, that war with one crown almost inevitably produced hostilities with the other. Charles the Fifth, indeed, was dead, and his son Charles the Sixth was a minor. The duke of Lancaster conducted an army into Brittany j and the duke of Gloucester, with only two thousand cav- alry, and eight thousand infantry, penetrated into the heart of France ; but, though the French were over- awed by the former successes of the English, these enterprises proved in the issue unsuccessful. The expenses of these armaments greatly exhaust- ed the English treasury ; and the parliament imposed a tax' of three groats on every person above hfteen years of age. Thip ^npost produced a most serious revolt A spirit of incependence had been excited among the people, who had this distich frequently in their mouths : «* When Adam delv*d and Eve span, •• Where was then the gentleman ?" At this time the taz-gai^therers demanded of a black- smith of Essex, payment for his daughter, whom he w^ asserted to be under the age assigned by the statute. / One of the collectors offered to produce a very inde- cent proof to the contrary, and laid hold of the maid ; which the father resenting, immediately knocked out the ruffian's brains with his hammer. The spectators applauded the action, and exclaimed that it was time to take vengeance on their tyrants, and to vindicate their liberty. The people flew to arms j and the se- dition spread from the county of Essex into that of Kent, of Hertford, Surry, Sussex, Suflblk, Norfolk, Cambridge, and Lincoln. The leaders, assuming the feigned names of Wat Tyler, Jack Straw, Hob Car- ter, and Tom Miller, committed the most outrageous violence on the gentry and nobility that had the mis- fortune to fall into their hands. The mutinous popu- lace, amounting to one hundred thousand men, assem- bled on Blackheath, under their leaders, Tyler and Straw, broke into the city, and required of the king "^ Ihe abolition of slavery, f i jeedPm of conamerce in 1 RICHARD 11. 117 market-towns without toll or impost, and a fixed rent / of lands, instead of the services of villanage. / These requisitions Were complied with; and char-^ ters to that purpose were granted to them. A party of the insurgents, however, broke into the tower, mur- dered several persons of distinction, and continued their ravages in the city. The king, passing along Sraithfield, very slenderly guarded, met with Wat Ty- ler, at the head of the mob, and entered into a confer- ence with him. Tyler having ordered his companions to retire till he should give them a signal, when they were to murder all the company, except the king him- self, whom they were to detain prisoner, fearlessly came into the midst ot the royal retinue. He there behaved himself in such a manner, that Walworth, the *7 mayor of London, unable to bear his insolence, drew 7 his sword, and struck him to the ground, where he was instantly despatched by others of the king's at- tendants. The mutineers, seeing their leader fall, prepared themselves for revenge ; and this whole com- pany, with the king himself, had undoubtedly perished on the spot, had it not been for an extraordinary prea- <" ence of mind which Richard displayed on the occasion. Ordering his company to stop, he advanced alone against the enraged multitude; and accosting them with an affable and intrepid countenance, he asked "T them, " What is the meaning of this disorder, my good f people ? Are ye angry that ye have lost your leader ? / 1 am your king : I will be your leader f" The popu- C lace, overawed by his presence, implicitly followed him : he led them into the fields, to prevent any dis- order which might have arisen by their continuing in the city, and peaceably dismissed them with the same charter which had been granted to their fellows. Soon after, the nobility and gentry, hearing of the king^s danger, in which they were all involved, flocked to London with their adherents and retainers ; and Rich- ard took the field at the head of an army forty Uiou- sand strong. The rebels were obliged to submit; th« charters of enfranchisenient and nardnn wAr^ v^rrrt^aA by parliament ; and several of the ringleaders were •everely punished. The suojection in which Richard was held by his UBclos, particularly by the Duke of Gloucester, « 118 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. ) prince of genius and ambition^ was extremely disa* greeable to his disposition 3 and he soon attempted to «hake off the yoke. Gloucester and his associates, however, framed a commission which was ratified by parliament, and by which the sovereign power was transferred to a council of fourteen persons for a twelve month. The king, who had now reached the twenty-first year of his age, was in reality dethroned j and though the term of the commission was limited, it was easy to perceive that it was the intention of the party to render it perpetual. However, in less than a twelve month, Richard, who was in his twenty- third year, declared in council, that, as he had now attained the full age which entitled him to govern the 13891 ^^^g^^^"* ^y his own authority, he was resolved ■' to exorcise his right of sovereignty. By what means the king regained his authority is unknown ; but he exercised it with moderation, and appeared reconciled to his uncles. However, the personal conduct of Richard brought him into contempt, even whilst his government seem- ;ed, in a great measure, unexceptionable. Indolent, profuse, and addicted to low pleasures, he spent his time in feasting, and dissipated in idle show, or in bounties to worthless favourites, the revenue which should have been employed in enterprises directed to public honour and advantage. He forgot his rank, and admitted all men to his familiarity. The little regard which the people felt for his person, disposed them to murmur agamst his government, and to re- ceive with readiness every complaint suggested to them by the discontented or ambitious nobles. Gloucester soon perceived the advantages afforded him by the king's dissolute conduct ; and he determin- ed tocultivate the favour of the nation. He inveighed with indecent boldness against every measure pursued 13^1 ^y. ^^® ^*^8; and particularly against the truce ■* with France. His imprudence revived the re- sentment which his former violence had kindled ; the I»eeipitate temper of Richard admitted of no delibera- tion y Hud he Otdered Gloucester io be unexpectedly arrested, and carried over to Calais, where alone, by rcMoii of hie namerous partisans, he could safely be detained IB custody. In a parliament which was vm > KICHARD II. 119 mediately eummoned, an accusation was presented against the duke of Gloucester, and the earls of Arun- del and Warwick, who had appeared against their sovereign; in an hostile manner, at Haringay Park. The earl of Arundel was executed, and the earl of Warwick banished, though the crime for which they were condemned had been obliterated by time, and by repeated pardons. A warrant was issued to the earl mareschal, governor of Calais, to bring over the duke of Gloucester, in order to his trial ; but the gov- ' ernor returned for answer, that the duke had died sud- denly of an apoplexy; though it afterwards appeared, that he had been suffocated by the order of Richard. After the destruction of the duke of Gloucester and the heads of that party, a misunderstanding arose among the noblemen who had joined in the prosecu- tion. The duke of Hereford, son of the duke of Lan- caster, accused the duke of Norfolk of having private- ly spoken many slanderous words of the king. Nor folk denied the charge, and offered to prove his own in- nocence by duel. The challenge was accepted ; but when the two champions appeared in the field, the king interposed, and ordered both the combatants to quit the kingdom ; assigning one country for the place of Norfolk's exile, which he declared perpetual and another for that of Hereford, which he limited to ten years. Hereford conducted himself with so much submis- sion, that the king shortened the term of his exile four years ; and he also granted him letters patent, by which he was empowered, in case any inheritance snould in the interval accrue to him. to enter immedi- ately into possession, and to postpone the doing of homage till his return. However, the king's jealousy was awakened by being informed that Hereford had entered into a treaty of marriage with the daughter of the duke of Berry, uncle to the French king: and on the death of the duke of Lancaster, which happea- /^ ed soon after, Richard revoked his letters patent, and / seized the estate of Lancaster. Henry, the new duke ^ VI ijaiiCttSter, had acquired, by his conduct and abili- ' ties, the esteem of the public; and he had joined to his other praises those of piety and valour. His mis- fortunes were lamented ; the injustiee which he had 120 HISTORY OF ENGI.AND. fulTered was complained of; and all men turned their eyes towards him, as the only person that could re- trieve the lost honour of the nation, or redress the supposed abuses of the government. While such were the dispositions of the people, Richard had the imprudence to embark for Ireland, in order to revenge the death of his cousin, Roger, earl of Marche, the presumptive heir of the crown, who had lately been slain in a skirmish with the natives ; and he thereby left the kingdom of England open to the attempts of his provoked and ambitious enemy. Henry, embarking at Nantz with a retinue of sixty persons, among whom were the archbishop of Canter- Durv, and the young earl of Arundel, nephew to that prelate, landed at Ravenspur in. Yorkshire, and was immediately joined by the earls of Northumberland and Westmoreland, two of the most potent barons in England. Every place was in commotion : the maU contents in all quarters flew to arms 3 and Henry^s ar- my, increasing on every day's march, soon amounted to the number of sixty thousand men. This army was farther increased by the accession of that assembled by the duke of York, who had been left guardian of the realm ; and the duke of Lancaster, thus reinforced, was now entirely master of the kingdom. The king, receiving information of this invasion and insurrection, hastened over from Ireland, and landed in Milford Haven with a body of twenty thousand men ; but even this army, so much inferior to the en- c™y> gradually deserted'him, till he found that be had not above six thousand men who followed his stand- ard. Sensible of his danger, he privately fled to the isle of Anglesea, where the earl of Northumberland, by treachery and false oaths, made himself master of tne king's person, and carried him to his enemy at Flint castle. Richard was conducted to London by the duko of Lancaster, who was there received by the acclamations of the mutinous populace. The duke first extorted a resignation from Richard; but as he ^knew the result of this deed would appear the result M M^C C^^^^ 1 _i J l: *_ 1 J I i_ j r vz svr: w, Hc aisu prucuruu niii* ivj iic ucpusea in par* ' liament for his pretended tyranny and misconduct. The throne being now declared vacant, the duke of Lancaster stepped forth, and having made the sigi of 1 3. HENRY IV. 121 turned their tat could re- r redress the ' the people, >r Ireland, in Roger, earl crown, who the natives ; land open to ious enemy, nue of sixty p of Canter- ahew to that re, and was Lhumberland nt barons in n : the maU Henry^s ar- n amounted lis army was t assembled guardian of I reinforced, nvasion and and landed ty thousand T to the en- that he had i his stand* ' fled to the tumberland, f master of s enemy at London by lived by the The duke 1 ; but as he ' the result lied in par* nisconduet. iie duke of the sign y»J which he had assumed, and the obstacles which he would meet with in governing an unruly aristocra- cy, always divided by faction, and at present inflamed J with the resentments consequent on such recent con- ^ yulsions. The peers, on their assembling, broke out into violent animosities against each other; forty gauntlets, the pledges of furious battle, were thrown on the floor of the house, by noblemen who g^ye mu- tual challenges ; and liar and traitor resounded from Jail quarters. The king had so much authority with these doughty champions, as to prevent all the com- bats which they threatened ; but he was not able to bring them to a proper composure, or to an amicable disposition towards each other. The utmost prudence of Henry could not shield him from those numerous inquietudes which assailed him from every quarter. The connexion of Richard with the royal family of France, made that court exert its activity to recover his authority, or revenge his death ; but the confusions which the French experienced at home, obliged them to accommodate matters, and to conclude a truce between the two kingdoms. The revolution in England proved also the occasion ^ of an insurrection in Wales. Owen Glendour, de- scended from the ancient princes of that country, had become obnoxious on account of his attachment to 7 Richard, in consequence of which Reginald lord Grey of Ruthyn, who was connected with the new king, had i seized his estate. Glendour recovered possession by ^ the sword ; the Welsh armed oa his side ; and a long and troublesome war was kindled. As Glendour com- mitted devastations on the estate of the earl of Marche, Sir Edmund Mortimer, uncle to that nobleman, led out the retainers of the family, and gave battle to the Welsh chieflain. Mortimer's troops were routed 3 and the earl himself, still in his minority, was made pris- oner ; and Henry, though he owed his crown t) the Piercies, to whom the young nobleman was nearly re- Iftted. refVised to th9 6S?1 of ^orthumberlajid oermi? ■ion to treat for his ransom with Glendour. The eriticd situation of Henry had induced thv Scots to make incursions into England ; and Henry ttENRY IV. 129 desirous of taking revenge, conducted his followers to Edinburgh j but finding the Scots would neither sub- mit nor give him battle, he returned in three weeks, and disbanded his army. In the following year, Arch- ibald earl of Douglas, at the head of twelve thousand men, and attended by many of the principal nobility of Scotland, made an irruption*into England, and com- mitted devastations on the northern counties. On his return home, he was overtaken by the Piercies at Homeldon, on the borders of England, and a fierce bat- tle ensued, in which the Scots were totally routed. Douglas himself was taken prisoner, as was Mordack earl of Fife, son of the duke of Albany, with many oth- ers of the gentry and nobility. The obligations which Henry had owed to North- umberland were of a kind the most likely to produce ingratitude on one side, and discpntent on the other. The sovereign naturally became jealous of that power which had advanced him to the throne ; and the subject was not easily satisfied in the returns which he thought so great a favour had merited. Though Hen- ry, on his accession, had bestowed the office of con- stable on Northumberland for life, and conferred oth- er gifts on that family, yet these favours were consid- ered as their due • the refusal of any other request, was deemed an injury. The impatient spirit of Harry Piercy, and the factious disposition of the earl of Wor- cester, younger brother of Northumberland, inflamed the discontents of that nobleman ; and the precarious title of Henry tempted him to seek revenge, by over- turning that throne which he had at first established. He entered into a correspondence with Glcndour ; he gave liberty to the earl of Douglas, and made an alii ance with that martial chief; he roused up all his par- tisans to arms : and such unlimited authority at that time belonged to the great families, that the same men, whom a few years before he had conducted against Richard, now followed his standard in opposi- tion to Henrv. When hostilities were ready to com mence, Northumberland was seized with a sudden ill Titus as, £i€rWic& j ttuu youDg Fiefcy, taking the com mand of the troops, marched towards Shrewsbury, in ord«r to join his forces with those of Glendour. The king had fortunately a small army on foot. He ap> 12^1 HISTORY OF ENGLAxND. ^ / proached Piercy near Shrewsbury, before that noble- man waa joined by Glendour; and the policy of one leader, and impatience of the other, made them has- ten to a general engagement. We shall scarcely find any battle in those agei 14031 ^^®'® ^^® shock was more terrible and more constant. Henry exposed his person in the thickest of the fight : his gallant son, whose military achievements were afterwards so renowned, and who here performed his noviciate in arms, signalized himself in the highest degree ; and even a wound, which he received in the face with an arrow, could not oblige him to quit the field.- Piercy supported that fame which he had acquired in many a bloody combat; and Douglas, his ancient enemy, and now hi8 friend, still appeared his rival, amidst the hor- ror and confusion of the day. While the armies were contending in this furious manner, the death of Pier- cy, by an unknown hand, decided the victory, and the royalists prevailed. There are said to have fallen that day, on both sides, near two thousand three hun- dred gentlemen; but the persons of greatest dis- tinction that were killed, belonged to the king's party. About SIX thousand private men perished, of whom two thirds were of Piercy's army. The earls of Wor- cester and Douglas were taken prisoners : the former was beheaded at Shrewsbury; the latter was treated with the courtesy due to his rank and valour. The earl of Northumberland, having recovered from his sickness, had levied afresh army, and was on his march to join his son ; but being opposed by the earl of Westmoreland, and hearing of the defeat at Shrewsbury, he dismissed his forces, and came with a^small retinue to the king at York. He pretended mat his sole object in arming was to mediate be- tween the parties: Henry thought proper to ac- cept of the apology, and even granted him a pardon tor his offence. Most of the other insurgents were treated with equal lenity. Northumberland, however, liavir.g formed anew conspiracy against the king, was Killed in an enaracement at Br>imh.im in Vnfir.ki*^ Ihw success, joined to the death of Glendour, which toappcned soon after, freed Henry from all his domei- •icenemier: and this prince, who bad mounted th« HENRY IV. 125 throne by such unjustifiable means and held it bv ■uch an exceptionable title, by his valour, prudence, and address, had obtained a great ascendency over his Though Henry entertained a well-grounded jealousy ofthefamilyof Mortimer, yet he allowed not their name to be once mentioned in parliament : and as none of the rebels had ventured to declare the earl of Marche king, he never attempted to procure an ex- press declaration against the claim of that nobleman However with a design of weakening the pretensions of the earl of Marche, he procured a settlement of the crown on himself and his heirs-male; but the loiiff . contest with France had displayed the injustice of thi-fl Salic law; and the parliament, apprehensive that / > they had destroyed the foundations of the English L/ government, applied with such earnestness for a new settlement ofthe crown, that Henry yielded to their ofllis famil ^^^®** *** ***® succession of the princesses .^^"/ It^'l^^ ^^^. commons, during this reign, show- ed a laudable zeal for liberty in their transactlois with the crown, their efforts against the church was still more extraordinary. In the sixth of Henry, being re. quired to grant supplies they proposed in plain tirms to the king, that he should seize all the temporalities ot the church, and employ them as a perpetual fund to serve the exigencies ofthe state. The king, how- ^''f iu^'^f *'*1,"''*S?'* ^^? application of the commons ; and the lords rejected the bill which the lower house had framed for stripping the church of her revenues. 1 he commons were not discouraged by this repulse • m the eleventh of the king, they returned to the charge with more zeal than before : they made a cal- culation of all the ecclesiastical revenues, which bv their account, amounted to four hundred and eightv- five thousand marks a-year, and contained eighteen thousand ploughs of land. They proposed to divide this property among fifteen new earls, fifteen hundred knights, SIX thousand esquires, and one hundred hoe- pitals J besides twenty thousand Dounda a-v*»ar wK;«k ^IT it!"?*u°**^*\* ^^^. ^r ^'^ «^° use rand -they' i'n'sTs't" ed, that the clerical functions would be better per- formed than at present, by fifteep thousand parish* 126 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. -^ priests, paid after the rate of seven marks a piece of H yearly stipend. This application was accompanied J^ with an address for mitisating the statutes enacted against the Lollards, which shows from what source the address came. To this unjust and chimerical proDosal, the king gave the commons a severe reply. The king was so much employed in defending his crown, that he had little leisure to look abroad. His health declined some months before his death : and though he was in the flower of his age, his end was visibly approaching. He expired at Westminster 14131 ^^^^^ March,) in the forty-sixth year of his age, •• and the thirteenth of his reign. The prudence, vigilance and foresight of Henry IV. in maintaining his power, were admirable j his command of temper was remarkable ; his courage, both military and polit- ical, without blemish : and he possessed many quali- ties which fitted him for his high station, and which rendered his usurpation, though pernicious in after- times, rather salutary, during his own reign, to the English nation. He left four sons, Henry his succes- sor, Thomas duke of Clarence, John duke of Bedford, and Humphrey duke of Gloucester ; and two daugh- ters, Blanche and Philippa, the former married to tfea duke of Bavaria, the latter to the king of Denmark. The jealousies to which the deceased monarch's situation naturally exposed him, had so infected his temper, that he regarded with distrust even his eldest son, whom, during the latter years of his life, he had excluded from public business. The active spirit of / young Henry, restrained from its proper exercise, broke out into extravagancies of every kind, v There remains a tradition, that, when heated with liquor and jollity, he scrupled not to accompany his riotous a^iociates in attacking and plundering the passengers in the streets and highways. This extreme dissolute- ness was not more agreeable to the father, than would have been his application to business j and Henry famsied he saw, in his son's behaviour, the same neg- lect of decency, -which bad degraded the character of Rrehard. But the nation regarded the young prince with more indulgence : they observed in him the seeds of generosify, spirit and magnanimity j artd an ^ncideiUwIiich happened, afforded occasion for iavou'* HENRY V. m ible reflectioni. A riotous companion of the prince's had been indicted before Gascoigne, the chiefjuitice, ior 8ome disorders j and Henry was not ashamed to appear at the bar with the criminal, in order to give him countenance and protection. Finding that his presence did not overawe the chief-justice, he pro- ceeded to insult that magistrate on his tribunal : but Gascoigne, mindful of his own character, and tho majesty of the sovereign and of the laws, which ho Bostained, ordered the prince to be carried to prisoii for his rude behaviour ; and the spectators were agree- ably disappointed when they saw the heir of tho crown submit peaceably to this sentence, and ma'ie reparation of his error by acknowledging it. The memory of this incident, and of many others of a like nature, rendered the prospect of the future reigg nowise disagreeable to the nation j and the first steps taken by the young prince, confirmed all those prepossessions entertained in his favour. He called together his former companions, acquainted th m with m intended reformation, exhorted them to imitate his example, but strictly inhibited them, till they had given proofs of iheir sincerity in this particular, from appearing any more in his presence j and he thus dis- missed them with liberal presents. The wise minis- ters of his father, who had checked his riots, were re- ceived with all the marks of favour and confidence • and the chief-justice himself, who trembled to ap- proach the royal presence, met with praises instead ot reproaches for his past conduct, and was exhorted to persevere in the same rigorous and impartial exe- cution of the laws. The surprise of those who ex- pected an opposite behaviour, augmented their satia- taction : and the character of the young king appear- ed brighter thart if it had never been shaded by any errors. J •/ At this time, the Lollards were every day increas- t"I*"A^! kingdom. The head of this sect yvas sir John Oldcastle, lord Cobham, a nobleman who had . distinguished himself by his valour and military tal- ' ents, and had acquired the esteem both of *hJ Ut^ and of the present king. His high character and zeal tor the new sect pointed him out to Arundel, arch- Pj^hop of Canterbury, as the proper victim of ecqlesj- .28 HISTORY OK ENGLAND. tttii^al severity. The archbishop applied to Henry for pcrmisiion to indict lord Cobnam ; but the prince, averse to sanguinary methods of conversion, endeav- oured, by a conversation with Cobham, to reconcile him to the Catholic faith. But he found that noble- man firm in his opinions ; and Henry's principles of toleration could carry him no farther. The primate indicted Cobham, and, with the assistance of hissuf^ fragans, condemned him to the flames for his errone-^ ous opinions. Cobham escaped from the Tower ; and his daring spirit, provoked by persecution and stimu- lated by zeal, prompted him to attempt the most crimi- nal enterprises, tie appointed a general rendezvous of his party, in order to seize the person of the king, and put their religious enemies to the sword} but Henry, apprized of their intentions, apprehended such of the conspirators as appeared, and rendered the de- sign ineffectual. It appeared that a few only were in the secret of the conspiracy : of these some were execut'^d ; and Cobham himself, who had fled, was not brought to justice till four years after, when be was hanged as a traitor, and his body burnt upon the gibbet. Charles the Sixth, king of France, after assuming the reins of government, had discovered symptoms of genius and spirit ; but the unhappy prince being seiz- ed with an epileptic disorder, his judgment was gradu- ally but sensibly impaired ; and the administration of affairs was disputed between his brother, Lewis duke of Orleans, and his cousin-gennan, John duke of Bur- gundy. The latter procured his rival to be assas- sinated in the streets of Paris. The princes of the blood, combining with the young duke of Orleans and his brothers, with all the violence of party rage, made war on the duke of Burgundy ; and the unhappy king, seized sometimes by one party, sometimes by the other, transferred alternately to each of them the appearance of legal authority. These circumstances concurred to favour an enter- prise of the English against France. Henry, therefore, assembled a great fleet and army at Southampton ; and s'sjjjaijg -.'n -Jilt.- tts-j vi s,Tx« uunc vri Si3\il'^\xiHiJ . iiU pUt 1*5 sea, and landed near Harfleur, with six thousand men «t arms, and twepty-four thousand foot. He obliged HKNRV V. m that city to capitulatfj after a gallant defence. The fa tigues of this siege and the unusual heat of the aea- «oii, had 80 wasted the English array, that Henry could enter on no other enterprise j and as he had dismissed IIS transports, he was under the necessity of raarchincr by land to Calais, before he could reach a place o? hiilety. ay this time a numerous French army of ourteen thousand men at arms, and forty thoucand I ^M'fu ^«^6™b*e^ i" Normandy, under the consta- ble d A bert. Henry, therefore, offered to purchase a safe retreat at the expense of his new conquest of Harfleur; but his proposals being rejected, he march- ed slowly and defiberately to the Somme, which he purposed to pass at the same ford that had proved so auspicious to his predecessor Edward. The ford how- ever, was rendered impassable, by the precaution of ine French ; but he was so fortunate as to surprise a passage near St. Quentin, over which he safely carried His force. After passing the small river of Ternois. at blangi, he observed the whole French army drawn up in the plains of Agincourt, and so posted that an engagement was inevitable. The enemy was four times more numerous than the English, and was head- ed by the dauphin, and all the princes of the blood. Henry s situation was exactly similar to that of Ed- ward at Crecy, and of the Black Prince at Poictiers. ine King drew up his army on a narrow ground be- vveen two woods, which guarded his flank, and pa- tiently awaited the attack of the enemy. The French archers on horseback, and their men at arms, crowded wKo t^^T^'i' advanced against the English archers. Who had fixed palisadoes in their front to break the impression of the enemy, and who, from behind that detence, safely plied them with a shower of arrows Which nothing could resist. The heavy ground hin- dered the force of the French cavalry : the whole ar- ihl v^^v Vc^i? «.^ confusion, terror, and dismay : and the English fel. with their battle-axes upon the French. Who being unable to flee or defend themselves, were si^aughtered without resistance. Among the slain were dn1«*''!!r n^^^t ^"™,«eir, the count of Nevers, and th^ duke of Brabant, both brothers to the duke of Bur- gundy, the count of Vaudemont, the dukes of Alen- Son and Barre, and the count of Marie 3 and among 190 HISTORY OF ENGLAJ1D. the prisoners were the dukes of Orleans and Bourbon^ Iho counts d'Eu, Vendonic, and Richmont, and the mareschal of Bousicaul. Tlie killed, on the side of the French, are computed to have amounted to tea thousand men j and the prisoners to fourteen thousand. 14151 "^^'^ Person of chief note, wlio fell among tho ;• English, was the duke of York ; and their whole loss is said not to have exceeded forty men. During the interruption of hostilities which follow- ed this engagement, France was exposed to all the fu- ries of civil war. The count of Armagnac, created constable of France, prevailed on the king to send the queen to Tours, and coniine her under a guardj and her sun, the dauphin Charles, was entirely governed by the faction of Armagnac. In concert with her, the duke of Burgundy entered France at the head of a powerful army, and at last liberated the queen, who fixed her independent residence at Troves, and openly declared against the ministers, who, she asserted, de- tained her royal consort in captivity. In the mean time, the partisans of Burgundy raised a commotion in Paris. Lisle Adam, one of the duke's captains, was received into the city, and headed the insurrec- tion ; the person of the king was seized -, the dauphin escaped with difliculty ; and the count of Armagnac, the chancellor, and the principal adherents of the Or- leans party, were inhumanly put to death. Henry the Fifth again landed in i\ormandy, at the head of twenty-live thousand men. Having subdued all the lower Normandy, he formed the siege of Rou- en, of which, at length, he made himself master. The duke of Burgundy was assassinated by the treachery of the dauphin j and his son thought himself bound to revenge the murder of his father. A league was con- cluded at Arras between Henry and the young duke of Burgundy, who agreed to every d&mand made by that monarch. By this treaty, which was concluded at Troyes, ia the names of the kings of France and Eng- land, and the duke of Burgundy, it was stipulated, that 14201 ^^*''^®8^ during his life, should enjoy the titU J and dignity of king of France : that Henrv •houid be declared heir of the monarcliy. and imme- diat«ly tntrusted with the reins of government, and Ikat kingdom should pate to h'w heiri general ; that HENRY V. 131 France md England should for ever be united under one king, but should still retain their several usaires customs, and privileges 5 and that Henry should join his arms to those of king Charles and the duke of Bur- gundy, for the purpose of subduing the adherenti of Charles the Dauphin. To push Ws present advantages, Henry a few dava af er espoused the princess Catherine, carried his / father.in.law to Paris and put himself in possession ^ of that capital. He then turned his arms with suc- cess against the dauphin, who, as soon as he heard of the reaty of Troyes, had assumed the title of Regent ^ 1 hat pnnce, chased beyond the Loire, almost entirely deserted by the northern provinces, and pursued into the south by the English and Burgundians, prepared meet with fortitude the destruction which seemed inevitable lo crown the prosperity of Henry, big qMcen Catherine was delivered of a son, who was call- ed by his father's name, and whose birth was celebrat- ed by equal rejoicings in Paris and in London. Ine glory of Henry, however, had now reached its S!' I, ^® "^^^ "'^'^''.^ "^'^^ ^ fi^^u^a^ a complaint which the igno.-ance of the age rendered mortal. Sen- BiWe of his approaching end, he devoted the few re- maining moments of life to the concerns of his kinir- dom and family, and to the pious duties of rel^ion To the duke of Bedford, his elder brother, he lei! the regency of France ; to the duke of Gloucester, his younger brother, he committed that of England : and to the earl of Warwick he entrusted the care of his 14221 ***."'^ person and education. He expired in the J thirty.fourth year of his age, and the tenth of nis reign. Henry the Fif\h possessed many eminent virtues. Which were unstained by any other blemish than am- bition and the love of glory. His talents were equal- y distinguished in the field and the cabinet: and Whilst we admire the boldness of his enterprises, wo cannot refuse our praise to the prudence and valour t)y which they were conducted. His affability attanh- ea jus friends to his service ; and his address and Clemency vanquished his enemies. His unceasing tt- jention to the administration of justice, and his nmin* wnance of discipline in the armies, alleviated both M 132 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 1* ranee and England the calamities inseparable from those wars in which his short and splendid reign was almost entirely occupied. The exterior figure of this great prince, as well as his deportment, was engaging. His stature was somewhat above the middle size 5 his countenance beautiful j his limbs were genteel, and Hiender, but full of vigour 5 and he excelled in all war like and manly exercises. He left by his queen, Cath erine of France, only one son, not full nine months old ; whose misfortunes, in the course of his life, sur- passed all the glories and successes of his father. Catherine of France, Henry's widow, married, soon | after his death, a Welsh gentleman, Sir Owen Tudor, said to be descended from the ancient princes of that country : she bore him two sons, Edmund and Jasper, of whom the eldest was created earl of Richmond ; the second, earl of Pembroke. The family of Tudor, first raised to distinction by **iifc alliance^ mounted afterwards the throne of England. CHAPTER Vni. The Reigns of Henry VI., Edward IV., and Ed- ward V. During the reign of the princes of the house of Lancaster, the authority of parliament had been more confirmed, and the privileges of the people more re- garded, than in any former period. Without attending to the strict letter of the deceased monarch's recom- /i mendation, the lords and commons appointed the duke of Bedford protector or guardian of the kingdom ; they I invested the duke of Gloucester with the same dignity -J during the absence of his elder brother ; and, in order to limit the power of both these princes, they ap- pointed a Council, without whose advice and appro* bation no measure of importance could be determined. _ The person and education cf the infant prince were I hit great uncle, who, as his family could never have my pr< thought 'etensions intrusted the crown, might safely, they with that important charge. D. separable from indid reign was ar figure of this ;, was engaging, liddle size ) his re genteel, and tiled in all war lis queen, Cath 1 nine months of his life, sur- his father. , married, soon r Owen Tudor, princes of that ind and Jasper, of Richmond; mily of Tudor, ance, mounted HENRY VI. Ids IV,, and Ed- f the house of had been more eople more re- ;hout attending larch's recom- tinted the duke kingdom ; they e same dignity ; and, in order nces, they ap« ce and appro- be determined, nt prince were e 111? i-_^_A__ I W iilCiitsBtcr, lid never have t safely, th«y it charge. The conquest of France was the first object of the TtZ ?rnT™^"'' *"^'.°" * superficial v/ew of the state of ^airs, every advantage seemed to be on the t^duLnfl^^'^f'f' ^^'^Sh Heniy was an infa^, the duke of Bedford was the most accomplished prince of his age 5 and the whole power of England was at his command. He was at the heod of armies accustomed to VIC ory : he was seconded by the most renowned generals of the age ; and besides Guienne, the ancient inheritance of England, he was master of Paris, and of almost all the northern provinces But Charles, notwithstandiiiff his present inferiority, possessed some advantages which promised him suc- cess. He was the true and undoubted heir of the monarchy ; and all Frenchmen, who knew the interest! or desired the independence of their country, turned their eyes towards him as their sole resource. Thoueh only ,n his twentieth year, he was of the most friendly and benign disposition, of easy and familiar mannertL fnf nl J^^' though not a very vigorous understand- ing. The love of pleasure often seduced him into indolence ; but, amidst all ]ns irregularities, the good- ness of his heart still shone forth 3 and by exerting at intervals his courage and activity, he proved that his remissness did not proceed from the want of ambition or personal valour. »"yi"uii The resentment of the duke of Burgundy against Charles, still continued ; and the duke of Bedford that he might corroborate national connexions by private j ties, concluded his own marriage with the princess of /? burgundy, which had been stipulated by the treaty of / But the Duke of Bedford was not so much employed ^ in negotiations as to neglect the operations oT war. hi^thf K ?.?^Vo''^"^''*S^'^^' S^^"^** o^er the French, n the battle of Crevant, by the united forces of Eng- land and Burgundy In the mean time, the duke of dv I'liH thf ^"^^^^^ «" ^i'* ''^^^ ^^ Yvri in Norman- aLfi V g^^^^rn^^ finding his resources exhausted, tlth P'^'^?' informed of these conditions, de- InTrnut . '"''^'' ^" ^^}T^^ ^""^ «*^'ng the plice j whn« i I"?/" *'"™^ °*^ fourteen thousand men, of Whom one half were Scot«^ he entrusted it to the e^ 184 11 l! 11 1 t HISTORY OF ENGLAND. of Buchan, constable of France. When the eonstable lu'rived within a few leagues of Yvri, he found that the place had already surrendered ; but he immediate ly invested Verneuil, which he carried without diffi culty. On the approach of the duke of Bedford, Bu- chan called a council of war, in order to deliberate on the conduct necessary to be pursued. The wiser part of the council declared for a retreat; but a vain point of honour determined the assembly to await the arri- val of the duke of Bedford. In this action, the numbers of the contending armies were nearly equal ; and the battle was fierce and well disputed. At length, the duke of Bedford, at the head of the men at arms, broke the ranks of the French, chased them off the field, and rendered the victory complete and decisive. Verneuil was surrendered next day by capitulation. The fortunes of Charles now appeared almost des- g irate, when an incident happened which lost the nglish an opportunity of completing their conquests. Jaqueline, countess of Hainault and Holland, and ^^eiress of these provinces, had espoused John, duke bf Brabant, cousin-german to the duke of Burgundy. The marriage had been dictated by motives of policy ; but the duke of Brabant^s weakness, both of body aiid mind, inspired the countess with conteinpt, which soon proceeded to antipathy. Impatient of eflfecting her purpose, she escaped into England, and solicited the protection of the duke of Gloucester. The impetuous passions of that prince, and the prospect of inheritin^r her rich inheritance, induced him to ofl^er himself t% her as a husband ; and he entered into a contract of marriage with Jaqueline, and immediatelv attempted to render himself master of her dominions.' The duke of Burgundy resented the injury offered to the duke of Brabant, his near relation, and marched troops to his support; the quarrel, which was at first political, soon became personal ; and the protector, instead of improving the victory gained at Vemeuil, found him- eclr obliged to return to England, that he might try,bv his councils and authority, to moderate the'meas'ure's of the duke of Gloucester. The pope annulled Jaf|uelinc's contract with the ^ke of Gloucester; mid Flumphrey, despairing of HENRY VI. m Umr"th*"hiS**.f v"°'*?'' ^'^^^^ ^^° ^^^ lived some ble impression on the mind of Phi in, and excited »n extreme jealousy of thfl PnirU^v. ^au * f^ ° *° I mcrwith t^li^i ^?^ withdrew himself from the h' r oflnTh n h^ .l"^ 5 '''" defection was followed by h.ir ot IMS brother, the count of Richemont : and both these princes joined the standard of their lelitimata f^t.vereign, Charles the Seventh iegiiimate .ndignant at the conduct ofthe duke of Brittanv th,* ^>.ikc of Bedford, on his arrival in France seSv al nie province ot Brittany, compelled its soverpiim S r^tHii :;rfo; ird4 ""'h^ -dVTeidTom! .u"^ '''* '^"'^^^y- ^«»ng thus freed from a ,428] ^angerous enemy, the Englilh prince resoWed nted b'trer^h^; city of Orleans, wh^ch was rsYtu- n.H M! ^^"^ provinces commanded by Henry ^ t.nce1„t^o ''fth '^ ^L ^''''^''> ^' '^ «ff«'d an e Jf entrance into either. He commi-tted the conduct of ne enterprise to the earl of Salisbury, who had ffreat?; hstinguished himself by his militarV talente duAnJ the present war. 0„ the other hand/the French knf Z'''!f ^l'«.Sarrison, and replenished the ma«? a bra^nn^PP^'"'"^ as governor the lord of Ga^cS n ^rave and experienced officer. armv o^Jin^^^''*'''7 approached the place with an no7shn, in *^^"«*»^ "len; and was killed by a can" Thetar o? Suffnfk''"^"^ T.^^ ^" ^^« forti/cation". beiL rp nli f i^ succeeded to the command : and JSnXn hp . ^'Vf f ^^^^^^ ^^ ^^"gl»«h and Bur- Epnl; ^f,.«'''»PJetely invested Orleans. The in- clemency ot the season, and the rigour of the winter vl' sel'eTST ^'/ P-«— -e of tLTesTegTrs': :''" seemed daily advanrino- tr, *u^ ^^ i-*:_° J FronVh f T *• '". '■■'**'■ ^ '•'»«'«" the enemy, tl.a roumlL, '•r*8«"l «?<1 exhausted the whole'^'.ur! Irawh^i, "['"'' '■ ""^ *.''* "^^nS^'h were compelled t* 'lu« tl.eir subsistence from a coii.iderablo Sistane" Id6 HISTORY OF KNGLAND tA convov of previsions was escorted by Sir John Fal •toffie, with a detachment of two thousand five hundred «uen. Falstoffe, being attaclicd by a body of four thousand French, under the command of the counts of Clermont and Dunois, drew up his men behind the wagons; when the French were defeated by their own impetuosity, and five hundred of them perished on the Aeld. Charles had now only one expedient left for pre- «erving this city. The duke of Orleans, still a prison- er in England, had prevailed on the duke of Glouces- ter and his council to consent to a neutrality in his demesnes, which ^ould be sequestered during the war into the hands of the duke of Burgundy; but this proposal was rejected by the duke of Bedford, who "^ replied, that " he was not in a humour to beat the I bushes, whilst others >raa away with the game/' This ^ answer disgusted the duke of Burgundy, who separated his forces from those of the English; but the latter pressed thie «iiege with ^increased ardour ; and scarcity was already «xpepenced by the garrison and inhab itants. Chaa;}-e£l, nlmost seduced to despair, entertained thoughts of retiring with the remains of his army into , Dauphin^ and Languedoc ; but he was diverted from ^ his purpose by the intreaties of his queen, Mary of Anjou, a princess of prudence and spirit, and by the ^remonstrances of his beautiful mistress, the celebrated Agnes Sorele. In the village of Domremi, near Vaucouleurs, on ?the borders of Lorraine, lived a country girl, called Joan ,4'Arc, who was a servant in a small inn, and who,'having been accustomed to ride the horses of her master's guests to water, had acquired a degree of ^hardihood, which enabled her to^endure the fatigues of war. The present situation of France was the •common topic of conversation. Joan, inflamed by the general sentiment, fancied that she was destined by heaven to re-establish the throne of her sovereign ; and the intrepidity of her mind led her to despise the dangers which would naturally attend such an attempt She procured admission to Baudricourt, the governor of Vaucouieurs ; and declared la hiin, that she had .pe^n eihortcd by visions and voices to jaqhi'?ve th,9 HENRY VI. 157 deliverance of her country. Baudricourt; either equally credulous himself; or sufficiently penetrating to foresee the effect such an enthusiast might have on the minds of the vulgar, gave her an escort to the French court, which at that time resided at Chinon. On her arrival, she is said to have distinguished Charles, though he purposely remained in the crowd of his courtiers, and had devested himself of every ensign of royalty ; to have offered him to raise the siege of Orleans, and to conduct him to Rheiras,theEe to be crowned and anointed : and to have demanded, as the instrument of her future victories, a sword which was kept in the church of St. Catherine of Fire- bois, and which, though she had never seen it, she described by its particular marks. Charles and his min- isters pretended to examine her claims with scrupu- lous exactness ; and her mission was pronounced au- thentic and supernatural by an assemblage of doctors and theologians, and by the parliament of France, then residing at Poictiers. To essay the power of Joan, she was sent to Blois, where a convoy was already provided for the relief of Orleans, and an army of ten thousand men were as- sembled to escort it. The holy maid marched at the^ , head of the troops, and displayed in her hand a con- / secrated banner, on which was represented the Su-/ preme Being holding the globe of the earth, '^^^L English affected to deride the maid and her heavenl/^ commission ; but the common soldier« were insensibly impressed with horror, and waited with anxious dread the issue of these extraordinary preparations. In this state of the public mind, the earl of Suffolk durst not venture an attack ; and the French army returned to Blois without interruption. The maid entered the city of Orleans arrayed in her military garb, and dis- playing her consecrated standard, and was received by the inhabitants as a celestial deliverer. A second con- voy approached the city, on the side of Bausse ; and the wagons and troops passed without interruption be- tween the redoubts of the English, who, formerly elated with victory, and tmpatieui for action, beheld the enterprises of their enemies in silent astonishment and religious awe. The maid seized the critical mo- ment^ and exhorting the garrison to attack tho enemy 138 HISTORY OF KNGLAND. f in their intrench menta, the English were succeiB •ively chased from their posts with the loss of aboT« six thousand men. In vain did the English generali oppose the prevailing opinion of supernatural inHu- ence : the English had lost their wonted courage and conBdence, and were seized with amazement and despair. , ^ „;»♦„ Unable to remain longer in the presence of a victo- rious enemy, the earl of Suffolk raised the sieee, and retired to Jergeau, which was attacked by the trench, under the command of Joan. On this occasion, the maid displayed her usual intrepidity, and led the at- tack. The place was obstinately defended : but the Endish were at length overpowered, and Suffolk was obliged to Yield himself prisoner. The remainder ot the English army, commanded by Falstoffe, Scales and Talbot, were pressed by the constable Richemont. They were overtaken at the village of Patay j and op- pressed by their fears, they immediately fled. 1 wo thousand of the English were slaughtered j and both Scales and Talbot were made prisoners. The maid had fulfilled one part ot herpromise j and she now strongly insisted that the king should be crowned at Rheims. The city itself lay la a d,stant part of the kingdom, and was in the hands of the Lng- lish ; and the whole road which led to it was occupied by their garrisons. However, Charles resolved to fol- low the exhortations of his warlike prophetess ; and he set out for Rheims, at the head of twelve thousand men Troyes and Chalons opened their gates to him : and he was admitted into Rheims, where the ceremo- ny of his coronation was performed, trom this act, as from a heavenly commission, Charles seemed to derive an additional title to the crown, and many towns in the neighbourhood immediately submitted to his authority. , « „ ,^ , j: The abilities of the duke of Bedford were never dis 1 .Ini piaveTto more advantage than on this occasion ^^''J He' put all the English garrisons in a posture - - - ^ - . • _- J ^L- parisirins m obcdience by alternately employing caresses and menaces ; and he had the address to renew, in this dangerous crisis, his alliance with the dukfj of Burgundy, who had begun td wavef in his fidelity. The French army, which con HENRY VI. m e suceeis IS of aboT« ah general! tural influ- ourage and ement and of a victo- j siege, and the Brench, casion, the. led the at- id 5 but the Suffolk was jraainder of iffe, Scales Richemont. ay ; and op- fled. Two d ] and both ■omise j and r should be in a distant ( of the Eng- ^as occupied lolved tofol- )hetess; and Ive thousand jates to him ; the ceren»o- om this act, 8 seemed to 1, and many submitted tt> jre never di» this occasion in a posture obedience by Lces ; and he >U8 crisis, his had begun t« I h which con BiBted chiefly of volunteers, soon afler disbanded , and Charles, after having possessedhimself of Laval, Lag- ni, and St. Denys, retired to Bourges. Bedford caus- ed Henry the Sixth to be crowned and anointed at Pa- ris, and exacted an oath of allegiance from all who liv- ed kn the provinces still possessed by England. After the coronation of Charles at Rheims, the maid of Orleans declared that her mission was now fulfil- led j but the count of Dunois exhorted her to perse vere till the English should be finally expelled. Over- come by his importunities; she had thrown herselt in- to the town of Compiegne, which was at that time be- sieged by the duke of Bedford; assisted by the earls of Arundel and Suffolk. In a sally, she was deserted by, her friends, probably out of envy 5 and being surround- ed by the enemy, she was taken prisoner. The duke of "Bedford purchased the captive from John of Lux- emburg, into whose hands she had fallen, and com- nenced a prosecution against her, which, whether un- 'ertaken from policy or revenge, was equally barba- ous and dishonourable. She was tried for sorcery, mpiety, idolatry, and magic 5 and though harassed by interrogatOHies for the space of four hours, she betray- ed no weakness or womanish submission, but answer- ed with firmness and intrepidity. However, she was convicted of all the crimes of which she had been ac-^ cused, aggravated by heresy ; her revelations were de-J" clared to be the inventions of the devil to delude the! people ; and she was sentenced to be burnt in the! market-place of Rouen. The inhuman sentence was I accordingly executed ; and the unhappy victim expi-l . ated by her death the signal services which she had^*- lendered to her prince and her country. The afi'airs of the English, instead of being advanced oy this inhuman act, became every day wore ruinous ; and the abilities of Bedford were unable to prevent the French from returning under the obedience of their legitimate sovereign. The duke of Burgundy determined to unite himself to the royal family of - ._ Frnnco frnm wrViir.h hin own hitd Hp.arftnnftfl i -' and a congress was appointed at Arras, in which were adjusted the mutual pretensions of Charles and Fhilip. Soon nfter this transaction, the Duke of Bed ford •xpired; a prince of grcit abilities and many vir 140 fllSTORY OF ENGLAND. tues, and whose memory is chiefly taraished by the execution of the maid of Orleans. After his death, the court of Henry was distracted by the rival parties of the duke of Gloucester and the cardinal of Win- chester : and it was seven months before the duke oi York, son to the earl of Cambridge, who had been ex- ecuted in the beginning of the last reign, was appoint- ed successor to the duke of Bedford. On h:a arrival in France, the new governor found the capital already lost The Parisians were attached to the house of Burgundy ; and after the conclusion of the treaty of Arras, they returned to their allegiance under their native sovereign. Lord Willoughby, with an Endieh carrison of fifteen hundred men, retired into the Bas- lile ; but his valour and skill only served to procure him a capitulation, by which he was allowed with his troops a safe retreat into Normandy. The cardinal of Winchester had aiwa^s encouraged every proposal of accommodation with \f ranee, and had represented the utter impossibility of pushing farther the conquests in that kingdom ; but the duke of GIou cester, high-spirited and haughty, and educated in the lofty pretensions which the first successes of his two brothers had rendered familiar to him, could not be induced to relinquish all hopes of subduing France However, the earl of Suffolk, who adhered to the car- ^nal's party, was despatched to Tours to negotiate with the French ministers. As it was found ^'^^J impossible to adjust the termf of a lasting peace, a truce for twenty-two months Was concluded ; and Suffolk proceeded to the execution of jftiother busi- ness, which seems to have been rather implied than expressed in the powers granted to him. As Henry advanced in years, his character became fully known. He was found to be of the most harni- -f less, simple manners, but of the most slender capaci- ty ; and hence it was easy to foresee that his reign %vould prove a perpetual minority. As he had novy, however, reached the twenty-third year of his age, it was natural to think of choosing him a queen. The duke of Gloucester proposed u daughter of the count of Armagnac, but the cardinal and his friends cast their eyes on Margaret of Anjou, daughter of Regnier, tit tilar king of Sicily, Naples, and Jerusalem j a princcet HENRY VI. 141 accomplished both in person and mind, of a masculine spirit, and an enterprizing temper, which she had not been able to conceal even in the privacy of her fa- ther's family. The earl of Suffolk, in concert with his associates of the English council, made proposals of marriage to Margaret, which were accepted. Though Margaret brought no dowry with her, this no- bleman ventured of himself, without any direct author ity from the council, but probably with the approba tion of the cardinal and tne ruling members, to en- gage, by a secret article, that the province of Maine, which was at that time in the hands of the English, should be ceded to Charles of Anjou, her uncle, who wa3 prime minister and favourite of the French king, and who had already received from his master the grunt of that province as his appanage. The treaty of marriage was ratified in England : Suffolk obtained first the title of marquis, then that of duke 'f and even received the thanks of parliament for his services in concluding it. The princess immedi- ately fell into close connexions with the cardinal and his party, who, fortified by her powerful patronage, re- solved on the final ruin of the duke of Gloucester. This generous prince, ill-suited to court intrigues, but possessing in a high degree the favour of the pub- lic, had received from his rivals a cruel mortification, which he had hitherto borne without violating the pub- lic peace, but which it was impossible that i^ person of his spirit and humanity could ever forgive. His duchess, the daughter of Reginald lord Cobham, had been accused of the crime of witchcraft ; and it was pretended that the'-e was found in her possession a waxen figure of the king, which she and her associ- ates, sir Roger Bolingbroke, apriest, and one Margery Jordan of Eye, melted in a magical manner before a slow fire, with an intention of making Henry's force and vigour waste away, by like insensible degrees. The accusation was well calculated to affect the weak and credulous mind of the king, and to gain belief ia an ignorant age ; and the duchess was brought to trial with her confederates. A charge of this ridiculous nature seems always to exempt the accusers from ob- ■erving the rules of common sense in their evidence : the prisoners were pronounced guilty; the duchesa (1 142 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. B wae condemned to do public penance, and to suflTttr perpetual imprisonment; ; and the others were execut- ed. As these violent proceedings were ascribed sole- ly to the malice of the duke's enemies, the people, contrary to their usual practice in such trials, acquit- ted the unhappy sufferers, and increased their esteem and affection towards a prince who was thus exposed to mortal injuries. These sentiments of the public made the cardinal and his party sensible that it was necessary to destroy a man whom they had so deeply injured. In order to effect their purpose, a parliament was summoned to meet, not at London, which was supposed to be too well affected to the duke, but at St. Edmondsbury. As *AAn^ soon as Gloucester appeared, he was accused J of treason, and thrown into prison : he was soon after found dead in his bed j and though it was pre- tended that his death was natural, and his body bore no marks of outward violence, no one doubted but he had fallen a victim to the vengeance of his enemies. The cardinal of Winchester died six weeks after his nephew, whose murder was universally ascribed to him as well as to the duke of Suffolk, and which, it is ■aid, gave him more remorse in his last moments, than could be naturally expected from a man hardened, dur- ing the course of a long life, in falsehood and m poli- tics. What share the queen had in this guilt is un- certain : her usual activity and spirit made the people conclude, with some reason, that the duke's enemies durst not have ventured on such a deed without her privity. But there happened, soon after, an event of which she and her favourite, the duke of Suffolk, bore incontestibly the whole odium. The article of the marriage treaty, by which the province of Maine was to be ceded to Charles of An- tou, the queen's uncle, had been hitherto kept secret ; ►ut as the court of France strenuously insisted on its performance, orders were now despatched, under Hen- ry's hand, to Sir Frances Surienne, governor of Mans, to surrender that place. Surienne, questioning the authenticity of the order, refused to comply 3 but a French army, under the count of Dunois, obliged him to surrender not only Mans, but all the other for- tresses, in that province. Surienne, at the bead of hii uUl & IE HENRY VI. 14S farrisoni, retired into Normandv ; but the duke of Somerset, who wn« governor of ttat Province refuted to admit him ; and this adventurer marched Into Brit- any aid st.bsiited his troons by the ravages which he ^e'xerrised. The duke «t Brfttany cpmplamed of ?hi8 violence to the king of France, his fiege lord: and Charles remonstrated with Somerset, who replied tl.at the injury was done without his P"^;^^' ™«^^ ),,, had no authority over Sunenne. Charles refused ': admit of this apology, and inBisted that repa^^^^^^ should be made to the duke ^f P"""»y.^°^,T,^* damages which he had sustained; and, in order to reader an accommodation absolutely impracticable, he estimated the loss at no less a sum than one mil- lion six hundred thousand crowns. Sensible of the superiority which the present state ofhis affairs gave him over England, he was deter- mined to take advantage of it ; and, accordingly, Nor- Indy was at once invaded by four powerful amies ; ,,Jthe first commanded by the kmg of France ^^^^ himself; the second, by the duke of Brittany ; the third, by the duke of Alen9on ; and the fourth by the count of Dunois. The conquest of Normandy 7 was speedily finished by Charles. A like rapid sue- / cess attended the French arms m Guienne ; and theS English vvere expelled from a province which they had held for three centuries. The palpable weakness of Henry the Sixth had en- couraged a pretender to the crown of England; and the Frnglisl/ were doomed to pay, though late the penalty of their turbulence under Richard the Second, iind of their levity in violating, without any necessity the lineal succession of their monarchs. All ine males of the house of Mortimer were extinct : but Anne, the sister of the last earl of Marche having espoused the earl of Cambridge, beheaded in the reign of Henry V., had transmitted her latent, but not yet forgotten, claim to her son, Richard duKe of York. This pnnce, thus descended by his mother from Phi- lippa, only daughter of the duke of Clarence, second cession before the king, who derived his descent from the duke of Lancaster, third son of that monarcn , •od Uiat claim could not, in many respects have tai^ 144 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. len into more dangerous hands than those of the duke I of York. Richard was a man of valoui and abihtiCB, I of a prudent conduct and mild disposition : he had I enjoyed an opportunity of displaying these virtues in I his government of France ; and though recalled by I the intrigues and superior interest of the duke ot fc)om- I erset, he had been sent to suopress a rebellion in Ire- | !and : and had even been able to attach to^his person I and family the whole Irish nation, whom he was sent 1 to subdue. In the right of his father, he bore the rank 1 of first prince of the blood j and by this station he I gave a lustre to his title derived from the family of I Mortimer, which, however, had been eclipsed by the I royal descent of the house of Lancaster. He possess- I ed an immense fortune from the union of so many I successions, those of Cambridge and York on the one | hand with those of Mortimer on the other : which I last inheritance had before been augraented by an union of the estates of Clarence and Ulster, with the I patrimonial possessions of the family of Marche. I The alliance too of Richard, by his marrying the I daughter of Ralph Nevil, earl of Westmoreland, had I widlly extended his interest among the nobility, and had procured him many connexions m that formidable order. Among the rest he was nearly allied to the earl of Warwick, commonly known, from the subse- f quent events, by the appellation of the King-maker. This nobleman had distinguished himselt by ln8 gallantry in the field, by the hospitality of his table, | by the magnificence, and still more by the generosity i of his expense, and by the spirited and bold manner I which attended him in all his actions. The undesign- Ing frankness and openness of his character rendered his conquest overmen's affections the more certain. No less than thirty thousand persons are said to have daily lived at his expense in the different manors and castles which he possessed j and he was the greatest, as well as the last, of those mighty barons, who for] merly overawed the crown. « . r The humours of the people, set afloat by a parlia mentary impeachment, and by the fall of the dune oi Suffolk, broke out in various commotions, which were eoon suppressed; but an insurrection in Kent was at- tended with more dan«erou8 consequences. One John HENRY VI. 146 Cade, a native of Ireland, a man of low condition^ / who had been obliged to fly into France for crimes, I observed, on his return to England, the discontents of «L^ the people, and assumed the name of John Mortimer. On the first mention of that popular name, the com- mon people of Kent, to the number of twenty thou^ sand, flocked to Cade's standard ; and he inflamed their zeal by publishing complaints against the numer- ous abuses in government, and demanding a redress of grievances. Cade advanced with his followers to- wards London, and encamped on Blackheath; and transmitting to the court a plausible list of grievan- '^ oes, he promised that when these should be redressed, and Lord Say the treasurer, and Cromer sheriff of Kent, should be punished for their malversations, he would immediately lay down his arms. The council, perceiving the reluctance of the people to fight against men so reasonable in their pretensions, carried the king, for present safety, to Kenilworth ; and the city immediately opened its gates to Cade, who maintain- ed, during some time, great order and discipline among his followers. But being obliged, in order to gratify their malevolence against Say and Cromer, to put these men to death without a legal trial, he found that after the commission of this crime, he was no longer able to control their riotous disposition, and that all his orders were disobeyed. Proceeding to acts of plunder and violence, the citizens became alarm ed, and shut their gates against them ; and, being sec • ended by a detachment of soldiers sent them by Lord Scales, governor of tiie tower, they repulsed the reb- els with great slaughter. The Kentishmen were so discouraged by the blow, that upon receiving a gener- al pardon from the primate, then chancellor, they re- treated towards Rochester, and there dispersed. The pardon, however, was soon after annulled, as extorted by violence : a price was set on Cade's head, who was killed by one Iden, a gentleman of Sussex ; and many of his followers were punished with death. The court suspected that the duke of York had se* ^.— 4.1.. : A.1 A.- ^ 4-1- J- A^ aI.:— -A.A. A. A. .^.._J aL^ •siix:i.ij iiioLigaiea v^aae lu inio ai,i.uuipi., us suuuu uiv dispositions of the people towards his title and family ; ana fearing that ho intended to return from Ireland >Kith an arm^d force, the ruling party issued ord^ra VOL. I. 10 . t46 HISTORY OF ENOLAND. 4eWriDglilm entrance into England. The duke n. futed his enemies by coining attended with only hit ordinary retinue ; but finding himself an object ofjeal- ouiiv he saw the impossibility of remaining a quiet ■ubiect, and the necessity of proceeding forwards m •uoDort Of his important claim. His partisans, thero- fore were instructed to maintain \m right by succe?^. «iin' and by the established constitution of the king. W; and the arguments adduced by his adherenti «ad those of the reigning family divided and distract- •4 the people. The noblemen of greatest influenco «tt>0iised the part of the duke of York ; but the earl or¥orthumberland adhered to the present govern^ milt • and the earl of Westmoreland, though head of the family of Nevil, was prevailed on to support the J' ^^^^/^ had passed h« bro"k f aUsbury buO J ^ ^^^ them, and put them 1° t^^'.""'' „eral rendezvous of plete victory, he reached the gener^l^ ^^^^ ^^^^ the Yorkists at Ludlow lo Veterans from "^^if ™of whoT i w slou'gh? the fortune of the Z^'^'oZ much^depend ; but when the '0|;al ar- approached, ?"<» » 8-^;^ .^f ":hr coml«de"d the pected, sir Andrew J'f°^' ^\^ „; ^t time, ad veterans, deserted to the King '" "'" . > instance ot •Ko Vnrkists were 80 dismayed at this insiance .« "Tftpr meetina with some success at sea, Warwick uTilTS, with the earl of SaUsbory and , ^f ' "Arble^ nin* b'aule^'^ rl!i oriK,Pw«hurv. the lords Beaumont and EgreJ HENRY VI. 149 ed him the tender regard of the people, he was UjA" ed with abundant respect. A parliament was summoned in the king^s name at Westminster, where the duke of York soon after ap- peared from Ireland. This prince stated to the house ofpeershis own claim to the crown, and exhorted ihein to do justice to the lineal successor. The lords remained in some suspense, but at length declared in favour of the duke of York. They determined, how- ever, that Henry should possess the dignity during the remainder of his life 3 that the administration of the government should in the mean while remain with Richard ; and that he should be acknowledged the true and lawful heir of the monarchy. But Margaret, whose high spirit spurned at the com- pact, was not remiss in defending' the rights of her family. After the b«'*tle of Northampton, she had fled with her infant son to the north, where he^ trlability, insinuation, and address, among the north?' t biirons, raised her an army twenty thousand strong, with a ce- lerity which was neither expected by her friends, nor apprehended by her enemies. The duke of York, in- formed of her appearance in the north, hastened thith- er with a body of five thousand men ; but on his arri- val at Wakefield, finding himself so much outnumber- ed by the enemy, he threw himself into Sandal castle ; niid was adv)sed by the earl of Salisbury and other prudent counsellors, to remain in that fortress, till his BOO, the earl of Marche, who was levying forces in the borders of Wales, could advance to his assistance. But the duke, who possessed personal bravery in au eminent degree, thought that he should be forever disgraced, it, by taking shelter behind walls, he should for a moment resign the victory to a woman. He therefore descended into the plain, and offered battle to the enemy, which was instantly accepted. The great inequality of numbers was alone sufficient to de- cide the victory j but the queen, by sending a detach- ment, who fell on the back of the duke's army, ren- \ dered her advantage still more certain and undisputed. xiw QUKe niaiseii was Kiiieu in me aciion j ana nia head, by Margaret's orders, was fixed on the i^&tes of York, with a paper crown, in derision of his pretend- f«d title. There fell near three thousand Yorkists in IdO HISTORY OF ENGLAND. thii battle ; the duke himself was greatly and juatl; lamented by hie own party. He perished m the fifti- «th year oY his age, and left three sons, Edward, George, and Richard, with three daughters, Anne, Eliiabcth, and Margaret. . , The quien, after this important victory, divided her army She ient the smaller division, under Jasper tX, earl of Pembroke, half brother to the k.ng agains Edward, the new duk6 of York. She herself marched with the larger division towards London Xre the earl of Warwick had been left with h^ rommand of the Yorkists. Pembroke was defeated by Edward at Mortimer's Cross, in Herefordshire, with the loss of near four thousand men ; but Marga- ret compensated this defeat by a victory which she obtained^over the earl of Warwick at St. Alban's ; and the person of the king fell again into the hands of his "'rhrqueen, however, reaped no great advantaga from this victiry. Young Edward advanced upon her from the other side; and collecting the remains of Warwick's army, he was soon in a condition ot giv- K^her battle with superior force. Sensible of her danger, she found it necessary to retreat with her ar- my to the north j and Edward entered the capital Amidst the acclamations of the f »^«"«- ^"^h "^^ confining himself to the narrow limits to which h * falher had submitted, he determined to avail hi rnsef of his popularity, and to assume the namo and dignity of kinff His army was ordered to assemble in bt. John's^Fields; great numbers of people Burrounded them • an harangue was pronounced to this nitxed muUitude, setting forth the title of Edward, and in- ^ekh ng against the lyranny and usurpation of the n- vSTamilyl and the people were then asked whether Jhey would accept oi fiSward, eldest son of the late duke of York, fo? their king 1 They expressed the.r assent by loud and joyful acclamations. A great num- Ser of bishops, lor^s, magistrates, and other person, o? dUtinction. Vere ^ext^ssembled at Baynard's cas- ,.r,i tie, who ratified tiie popular eieciion i anu uj^ 1^*1 new king was on the subsequent day proclaim •d in London, by the title of Edward the Fourth. In this manner ended the reign of Henry V I » EDWARD TV. IM monarch who, while in his cradle, had beeu proclaim- !S^k?Je both if France and England, and wto began hf» Hfe with the most splendid prospects that imy n nee in Europe had ever enjoyed. Hi. weakness and [disputed title were the cfiief causes of the public ilamities : but whether his queen, and l.is mm.sters, vere notalso guilty of some great abuses of power, t is not easy for u/at this distance of time to deter- ■ine The scaffold, as well as the field incessantly earned with the noblest blood of England, spit u. he rarrel between the two contending fam.ies I hose animosity was now become implacable. The rtonsof id house "f L*"?"*" ,,1°" o York rn.!e as their mark of distinction; those ot York were denom nated from the white; and these civil wars were Thus known over Europe, by the name or ihe quarrel between the two roses. > Oieen Margaret assembled an army in Yorkshire : and ?he k?Bg Sd the earl of Warwick hastened w^^th forty thousand mea to check her progress. In a skir- msh for the passage of Ferrybridge over the river Tire the YorkUts were chased back with great slsugh- ter'The earl of Warwick, dreading the consequen- ces of this disaster, at a time when a decisive action was every hour eipectcd, immediately ordered his lorselo 6e brought'him, which he stabbed before the whde army ; ani kissing the hilt of his sword swore •hat he was determined to share the fate of the mean* ;.,r soldTe?. And, to show the greatest security, a .rlcamation was' at the ^^^^ 'r^^Zc'TtX overv one full liberty to retire ; but menacing the se- vererpunishment to those who should discover any Bvmotoms of cowardice in the ensuing battle. • X hosti e armies met at Teuton ; and a fierce and bloodv b«tle ensued, which ended in a totM^victo^ on the side of the Yorkists. Edward issued orders to gWe no qu«ter. The routed army was pursued to ^'adcaste?with great bloodshed and "onf-^.'"" 5 »°^ above thirtv-six thousand men are "on^f "'e^Jo have fallen in the battle and pursuit : among these were the 1 »<• w«.t.««,»l,.,d and his brother, sir John JNevil, Tl^;' eari of Northumberland the lords !>»'='«? »nf_ Welles, and sir Andrew Trol op. J'-e earl of Dev. onshire who wrvs now enjaged in Henry's party, was t d'i HISTOllV Ov ENGLAND. brought a prisoner to Edward •, and was, soon after, baheaded by martial law at York. Henry and Marga- ret had remained at York during the action 5 but learning the defeat of their army., and being sensible that no place in England could now afford them shel- ter, they fled with great precipitation into Scotland , and on Margaret's offering to the Scottish council to deliver to them immediately the important fortress (.f Berwick, and to contract her son in marriage with n sister of king James, the Scots promised the assist- ance of their arms to reinstate her family upon the throne. , But as the danger from that quarter seemed not ve- ry urgent to Edward, he did not pursue the fugitiv*: king and queen into their retreat; but returned to London, where a parliament was summoned for set- tling the government. That assembly no longer hesi- tated between the two families ; they recognised the title of Edward, and passed an act of attainder against Henry and Margaret, against their infant son Edward, and their principal adherents. However, Lewis the eleventh of France, a prince of an intriguing and politic genius, sent a body of two thousand men at arms to the assistance of Ilenrv. These enabled Margaret to take the field ; but though reinforced by a numerous train of adventurers from Scotland, and by many partisans of the family of Lan- caster, she received a check at Hedgley-moor from lord Montague, brother to the earl of Warwick, wlio was so encouraged with this success, that, while a numerous reinforcement was on their march to j(»iii him by order ; from Edward, he ventured, with his own troops alone, to attack the Lancastrians at Hex- ham ; and obtained a complete victory over tliem. All those who were spared in the field suffered on the scaffold ; and the utter extermination of their adver- saries was now become the plain object of the York The fate of the unfortunate royal family, after thib defeat, was singular. Margaret, fleeing with her son into a loresi, w^as dcbcu uumig "»= uaiaw^cst -u^t »»- night, by robbers, who despoiled her of her rings and jewels, and treated her with the utmost indignity. The partition of this rich booty raised a quarrel among EDWARD IV. 163 them; and while their attention was thus engaged ihe Uok an opportunity of plunging with her son into the depths of tL tbrest. While in this wretched con- U tion, she saw a robber approach with his naked sword ; iVd fiiiding that she had no means of escape, she sud- dcnlfadv^^^^^^^ towards him 5 and presenting to h„n tl^ young prince, called out to him, - Here, my friend, ico^nmit to your care the safety of your km£s son/ The man, whose humanity and generous spirit had been obscured, not entirely lost, by his vicious course of life, was charmed with the confidence reposed in him and vowed not only to abstain from all injury Sns the princess, but to devote himself entirely to htr "e vice.^ By hiJ means she dwelt some i me con- cealed in the forest, and was at last conducted to the hea-coast. whence she mado her escape into Man- detr She passed thence to her father's court, where she lived several years in privacy and retirement. Her husband was not so fortunate nor so dexterous in find- ng the means of escape. Some of his fiends took hi.n under their protection, and conveyed him into Lancashire, where he remained concealed during a vcar : but he was at last detected, delivered up to bd- • ' ' ward, and thrown into the Tower. The preser- ^^^"^^ vatioi of his life was owing less ^o^he generosi- ty of his enemies than to the contempt which they had entertained of his courage and ""^^erstanding. The imprisonment of Henry, the expulsion of Mar- Karat, and the execution and confiscation of all the most eminent Lancastrians, seemed to give tall becu- rityto Edward's government; but the amorous tern- pcV of the prince led him into an act M^^ich proved fa lal to his repose, and to the stability ot h»s tW^^ El zabeth Grey, daughter of the duchess of Bedford, by her second niarrilge with Sir Richard Woodvllle aiid widow of sir John Grey of Groby who had been slain in the second battle of St. Albans, fighting on the Kide of Lancaster, and whose estate had been conhs- cated, seized the opportunity, when the king was on a visit to the duchess of Belford, of throwing herself at !■ « .1 ^ ^!-^ u:« r.:tu Tot* ViAT imnnverisiieu and distressed children. The sight of so much beau ty in affliction strongly affected Edward; and he wm feduc3d, in his turn, to the posture of a aupplicant al 11 'tSi 1 1 Inii 11 ill mil BU 1 IM HISTORY OK KNGLAND. the feet of Elizabeth. But the lady «»»«'*" 'r'^llS to di.honour.ble love, or '"A^^f "''^""^'nimTa- Sl'xibll"v"fue':"H?spVsio„, hfcrcased by op|o«t>o„ carried him beyond all bounds ; »"'' .f. °""* t, ° Lre with her 'his throne us "«'' f» mfton and the •n.rfiaffP waB orivatelv celebrated at Uration , anu mo rrrwascarS kipt for some time ^0";^;^'^- of policy, which at that time renoered this proceed ' Vhf »aSTM^Se"t^t his eye on Bona of Savoy^-iste; of the queen of *>-'=«'. ff;'i',„'i« Kfit't'ott wS'X' ^^'^ ri clinVd to gWe support and assistance 'o l"" "val To render thi negol.ation "O/t/rto Par s where th« Warwick had been despatched to 1 aiis, ""'-''-"''' mhfcTss then resided, this nobleman had demand- ed Bona i" marriage for the king ;. his propof » W .been accepted; and ""'h'^B «™/«^ ^^^^j^^/X, ^ ««ti/^« nf the terms acreed on, and the onnging "v^ I himself affronted, returned to Kngland, mtlamea wiiu of that name ; but the kmg <)«f«»'«'* '^ "dered Ira rebels, took their leader prisoner, and ordered nira '■■SfSl'alVntlSd so little jealousy of the earl of W«" ick orduke of Clarence the king's second broth" who had married the earl's eldest daughter th^t he Tent ^em with commissions of array to levy that he sent inem wi malcontents, a« ^^nlsXy left the cotrt', r»Ued troops in their o.,n X^st&ra^^^^^^ f.3'TheuXrcteTdef7aroTwelle.di,con^^^^^^^ "f Siir mtasurS i and they were obliged to disband the* iJ.^, and t,! fly into'Deronshire, whence thef •mtarked wd made tail towards Calais. -r EDWARD IV. Id5 The king of France, jealous of the alliance entered into between Edward and the duke of Burgandy, re- ceived Warwick with the greatest demonstrations of reeard, and hoped to make him his instrument for re- establishing the house of Lancaster. Margaret being sent for f-om Angers, where she then resided, an affreeraent dictated by mutual interest was soon con- cluded between them. Edward, however, foresaw that it would be easy to dissolve an alliance compos- ed of such discordant materials. He employed a lady in the train of the duchess of Clarence, to represent to the duke that he had unwarily become the instru- ment of Warwick's vengeance, and had formed a con- nexion with the murderers of his father, and the im- placable enemies of his family. Clarence, stnick with the force of these arguments, on a promise of forgive- ness. secretly engaged to abandon the Lancastrian par ty Warwick also was secretly carrying on a corres- pondence of the same nature with his brother, the marquis of Montague, who was entirely trusted by lj.d- ward : and like motives produced a like resolution in that nobleman. Warwick availed himself of a storm to cross the channel, and with a small body of French troops, landed at Dartmouth, accompanied by the duke of Clarence, and the earls of Oxford and Pembroke. Edward though brave and active, had little fore- sight. He had made no preparations for this event j , .«ni and he had even said, that he wished for noth- ^'**^^ ing more than to see Warwick on English ground. However, the prodigious popularity of that nobleman, the zeal of the Lancastrian party, and the spirit of discontent with which many were infected, drew such multitudes to his standard, that in a few days his army amounted to sixty thousand men, and was continually increasing. Edward, who had been employed in suppressing an insurrection in the north, now hastened southwards to encounter him 5 and the two armies approached each other near Nottingham. The rapidity of Warwick's progress had incapacitated the duke of Clarence from executing his plan of treacherv : but the marquis of Montague, having com- municated the design to his adherents, took to arms in the night-time, and hastened with loud acclamatione to Edward's quarters. The king had just time to get 156 HISTORY OF liiNGLAND. Immediately ^^r/r ""1^1 Henrv from his confine- ed to London •.-dd«Uver.ng Henry from^ inent in the lower, "^V' oromise a full great ."le«»n.tyi »»d e «ry th.n^ nowj^^ ^^ KetUeinent of the t-n?'"" ,*=5°; " assisted by the duke caster. However, Edward bemg a^?^^^**" "f ^„,g,, of Burgu-vly, h'«b;o';'*J:'"jl"':;d impatient to take way, he set ««' f"' "t"!, he ""^de an attempt to venpance on his enem.es he ^^ exceed twotUu- land with his lorces, wnicn "' „ ,, . .^ ^eing there "'"•^'"!."'he" slued °no tSwa'^d t J disembarlced at repulsed, he ??"e°. !'°""Vi;„,,ii„,h3tthe new raagis- Uavenspur in Yorkshire, i 'Pf '"? '""u " ^^i of wfar- trates, "who had l^eu JP-"„f,,^/f ^^'^S^ him. r"^' V/„rfeS and even mJde oath, that L came not ^^ l^tnte the crowS, but only the inheritance of kingdom. His Pa";'*"^^Tr„7n the citv of Yark ; and standard; he was »t'"'"utatiln^3 eave him hopes of 1,« was soon m such %«'*"'i''°",*f„8sand pretensions. ^^r;.ae^rdan^^^^^^^ "■"''°E f EWd%"faktae», ast'd^m my ; but Ed"afd 7 „^n, ^^^^ ^^^ "?? I'd™ ' nts Cmerous friends facilitated his ad- ;i^ro"n"lnto ^h'e ca";?tal ; and his entrance into Lon- don made him master not ""lyf.*''^' "f ^ d«s- . .fill oitv but also of the person of Henry, wno, ue» lined to^be the perpetual sport of fortune, again fell "ThK-on Ld"hrself in acondition to face thJ~ri'7warwick,who.beingreinforcedbyh^,^on^ in-Uw, the duke of Clarence, an"«» "'V""-/ ""I v-^^y n lis o^ Montaaue, took post at Barnet, in the ''«'""y 2f Lomlon X brothefMontague seem, to have »• i miU "atuched to the interests of hi. family, but In. I EDWARD IV. W •on-in-law, though bound to him bv every tie of hon onr and gratitude, resolved to fulfil the aecret engage- ments which he had formerly taken with his brother, and deserted to the king in the night time, carrving owr a body of twelve thousand men along with hi ui. Warwick was now too far advanced to retreat ; and at he reiectei with disdain all terms of accommodation offered him by Edward and Clarence, he was obliged ,^,, to hazard a general engagement. 7 he battle *'*''i was fouSfe m lowever, simulation, prevailed on the queen to deliver up the prinr.ef that he might be present at the coronation of his brother. The council, without waiting for the consent of par- liament, had sdready invested the duke of Gloucester with the high dignity of protector ; and haviuj^ so far succeeded in ) s views, he no longer hesitated in re- moving the other obstructions which lay between him and the throne. The death of the earl of Rivers, and of the other prisoners r^etained in Pomfret, was first determined j and he easily obtained the consent of the duke of Buckingham, as well as of lord Hastings to this violent and sanguinary measiire, which was promptly executed. The protector then assailed the fidelitv of Bucking- ham, by specious arguments, and offers of great private advantages, and obtained from him a promise of sup- porting him in all his enterprises. Knowing the im- portance.of gaining lord Hastings, he sounded him at \ distance ; but finding him impregnable in his allegi- ance and fidelity to the children of Edward, he deter- mined on his destruction. Having summoned a coun- cil in the Tow,"r, whither that nobleman, suspecting no design against him, repaired without hesitation, the protector asked them, what punishment those deserv- ed that had plotted against his life, who was so nearly related to the king, and was entrusted with the admin-^- istration of government ? Hastings replied, that thev merited the punishment of traitors. " These traitors,^' cried the protector, " are the sorceress, my brother[s wife, and Jane Shore, his mistress, with others their associates : see to what a condition they have reduced^ rae. by their incantations and witchcraft ;" upon whicr he laid bare his arm, ail shrivelled and decayed. Th^ counsellors, who knew that this infirmity had attende< him from his birth, looked on each other with amaze- ment}, and above all lord Hastings, who, as he had since Edward's death engaged in an intrigue with Jane Shore, was naturally anxious concerning the issue of these extraordinary proceedings. " Certainly, my lord," said he, " if they be guilty of these crimes, they deserve the severest punishment.'' " And do you reply to me," exclaimed the protector, '' with your iftf and your ands ? You arc the chief abettor of thatl^ "VOL. I, Li 162 HISTOBY OF ENGLAND. witch Shore; you are yourself a traitor ; and I swea? bv St Paul, that I will not dine before your head be brouffht me." He struck the table with his hand:- armed u.in rushed in at the signal :— the counsellors were thrown into the utmost consternation ; and Has- tings being seized, was hurried away, and instantly be- headed on a timber-log, which lay in the co.irt of the nPnwQr \fter the murder of Hastings, the protector no lon- ire'r made a secret of his intentions to usurp the crown. A report W{»8 industriously circulated, that bdward, before- espousing the lady Elizabeth Gray, had been privately married to the lady Eleanor Talbot, and that consequently the offspring of the last marriage were illegitimate. In an assembly of the citizens convoked for the purpose, the duke of Buckinghaati harangued the people on the protector's title to the crown 5 when, after several useless efforts, some of the meanest ap- prentices raised a feeble cry of " God save King Rich- ard'" This was deemed sufficient; and the crown was formally tendered to Richard, who pretended to refuse it, but was at length prevailed on to accept the offer This ridiculous farce was soon after followed by a scene truly tragical : the murder of the two young princes, who were smothered by hired ruffians m the Tower, and whose bodies were buried at the foot of the stairs, deep in the ground, under a heap of stones. CHAPTER IX. The RHgna qf Richard III. and Henry VIl The first acts of Richard were to bestow rewarda on those who had aesidted him in usurping the crown -, »^it the person, who, from the greatness of his services, was best entitled to favours under the new govern- iv>. EIGHARD III. 16t mtmit ^u the duke of Buckingham ; and Riehaid seemed determined to spare no pains or oountj in se- curiaff'him to his interests. That nobleman was in- vested with the office of constable, and received a grant of the forfeited estate of Bohun, earl of Here- ford. It was, however, impossible, that friendship could long remain inviolate between two men of sucii" corrupt minds as Richard and the duke ot' Buckings ham. Certain it is, that the duke, soon afler Rich- ard's accession, began to form a conspiracy against the government. By the exhortations of Morton, bishop of Ely, a zedous Lancastrian, the duke cast his eye toward the young earl of Richmond, as the only person capable of opposing an usurper, whose murder of the youn|^ princes had rendered him the object of general detes- tation. Henry earl of Richmond was at this time de- tained in a kind of honourable custody by the duke of Brittany ) and his descent, which seemed to give him some pretensions to the crown, had been for some time a great object of jealousy. He was descend >»d from John of Gaunt, and was nearly allied to Hen- ry VI. As all the descendants of the house of York were now either women or minors, it was suggested by Mor- ton, that the only means of overturning the present usurpation, was to unite the opposite factions, by con- tracting a marriage between the earl of Richmond and the princess Elizabeth, eldest daughter or Edward IV.^ and the queen-dowager, finding in this proposal the, probable means of revenge for the murder of her broth- er and her three sons, gave lier approbation to the project. But this conspiracy could not escape the lealous and vigilant eye of Richard; he immediately levied troops, and summoning Buckingham to appear at court, that nobleman replied only by taking arms in Wales. At that very time, however, there, happened to fall such heavy rains, so incesnant and tvr^tinued. as exceeded any known in the memory of -ui^mi i anNt the Severn, with the other rivers in that aeighbcmif- hood, swelled to a heisht which* reodtfred them ii*i!!^^<^ sable, and prevented Buckingham from iitarchiiigp into the heart of England to join his associstes. The Welshmen, partly moved by superstition at this vs* i 164 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. vl of hU fam'ly But being detected in his retreat, hew"» b^oight?"** king It Salisbury, «.d was .n- "'rhetorfortified by this unsuccessful attempt to ^.Irooehfm ventured at last to summon a parliament in which his right to the crown was acknowl- im 'eVed; andhis^nlyaon Kdward, then a youth „ftwplve years of age, was created prince of Wales. Srtth those of the U8wp«r, that .he wrote to aU her SiraSSdo;-, ^ Richard thought &.t he «»;J* ^y defend Wmiell 4aring *• mtervd tiU it am RICHARD III. 16d Ted when he had the prospect of a full and secure ■ettlement. But the crimes of Richard were so shocking to hu- manity, that every person of probity and honour was earnest to prevent the sceptre from being any longer polluted by his bloody and faithless hand. All the ex- iles flocked to the earl of Richmond in Brittany, who, dreading treachery, made his escape to the court of France. The ministers of Charles VIII. gave him as- sistance and protection 5 and he sailed from Harfleur in Normandy with a small army of about two thou- sand men, and landed without opposition at Milford- haven in Wales. But the danger to which Richard was chiefly expo- sed, proceeded not so much from the zeal of his open enemies, as from the infidelity of his pretended friends. Except the duke of Norfolk, scarcely any nobleman was attached to his cause ; but the persons of whom he entertained the greatest suspicion, were lord Stan- ley and his brother sir William. When he employ- ed lord Stanley to levy forces, he still retained his eldest son lord Strange, as a pledge for his fidelity j and that nobleman was, on this account, obliged to employ great caution and reserve in his proceedings. He raised a powerful body of his friends and retainers in Cheshire and Lancashire, but without openly declar- ing himself; and though Henry had received secret assurances of his friendly intentions, the armies on both sides knew not what to infer from his equivocal behaviour. , . n The two rivals at last approached each other at Bos- worth, near Leicester ; Henry, at the head of six thou- sand men, Richard with an army of above double that number. Stanley, who commanded above seven thou- sand men, took care to post himself at Ather8tone,not far from the hostile camps ; and he made such a dis- position as enabled him on occasion to join either party. Soon after the battle began, lord Stanley, whose conduct in this whole aflletir discovers great precaution and abilities, appeared in the field, and de- clared for the earl of Richmond. The intrepid tyrant, seasible of his desperate situation, cast his eye axoond the field, and doscrving his rival at no great distance, be drofe against him with fury, in hopes that either 166 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. of Richmond h.mrelf, ,«'''° ""J; ";"„ with his troops when sir WUUam Stanley breaking. nw^ ^j^^ »«61 ?rroln?.'t*a^^overwhlln.e3 by numbers ' lasi »»°»"*'"''V„._ tno mild and honourable tor ;;?.'ruU&''U resUb.e""Lormities. Hi, n.en Sllrv where soueht for safety by flight. high rank. The loss «a8 .^ ^^ „^^ found in !%•'«« covered with deil enemies, and all besmear- the neia covereu wiwi . rnrelesslv across a ed with b!ood;.tw.B thrown caeUis^ horse } carired to L^'^e'™' *™T :. .Ke Grey-Friar. 'rWCtXe " AU hru«s"ag«e,thjt Kich- »rf^M read/ to iommit the most horrid cnme, 'St^^i'Z ^f »m^rst:tuta-bacUod a„a Pi '^ i«,«H Hiaaffreeable countenance ; so thai his ftV.rSl''ety'partular no less deformed thaa ''"Th^°Wctory at Bosworth was entirely decisive ; and ing hiB claim to tne .'^"""'^ "" . ii^,^ it to be dis- HENRY VII. 167 title by the house of Lancaster. In order to height- en the splendour of the coronation, he bestowed the rank of knight-banneret en twelve persons j and he conferred peerages on three. J^perv earl of Pem 7 broke, his uncle, was created duke of Bedford j 1 horn- / as lori Stanley, his father-in-law, earl of Derby 5 and\ Edward Courtney, earl of Devonshire. At the coro- nation, likewise, there appeared a new institution, which the king had established for security as welH^ as pomp, a band of fifty archers, who were termed | ve6men of the guard. But lest the people should take ( umbrage at this unusual symptom of jealousy in the v^ orinceTasif it implied a personal diftidence of hia subjects, he declared the institution to be perpetual. The parliament assembled at Westminster, and pro ceeded to settle the entail of the crown. JNo men tionwas made of the princess Elizabeth : it was vo- ted " that the inheritance of the crown bhould rest, remain, and abide, in the king and "that the succes- sion should be secured to the heirs of his body •, but Henry pretended not, in case of their failure, to ej- clude the house of York, or give the preference to that of Ioner did Simnel present himself to liildare, the deputy and 0^ his protection as the unfortunate Warwick than that credulous nobleman acknowledg- ^hTm; the people of Dublin tendered their allegi- anceToiiim, a^s to^he true Plantagenet j andthe whole ifilind followed the example of the capital. Hen y perplexed by t"he news oj* t^isrevol, first seized ti,? q^ieen.dowager whom he confined „ the nunnery of Bermondsey, where she ended her life m Sovert/ and solitude. 'He neni exposed Warwick through the streets of London j but tdough this meas- ure had its eff^ect in England, the people of Ireland retorted on the king the reproach of having shown a "Hen^tKl" rfason to apprehend that the design agSim was not laid on slight ^oundaUons. John earl of Lincoln, son of the duke of Suffolk, and ol ElfzaSeth eWest sister of Edward IV was enga^^^^ to take part in the conspiracy ; and *?ay»ng established 1 secret correspondence in Lan^/'Vlfi' k J.i him Flanders wh^re Lovel had arrived a little before him ,• and he lived in the court of his aunt the duchess of ^ TfTatftncess, the widow of P^rl^s the Bold a^^^^ consultinir with Lincoln and Lovcl, hired a body of To t&^d veteran Germans, under the co^nmand of Martin Swart, a b ive and experienced officer , and tent them over, together with these two noblemen, to join Simnel in Ireland. The countenance given by persons of such high rank, and the »c««»«^.^f, ^"i'' militery force, much raised the cowagej>nhe Irirt^^ and made them entertain the reeoluUon of intading 170 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. England; aa well from the hopes of plunder as oi* re- ^^BeiiiK informed that S.nmel was landed at Foudrey in Lanca^irc, Henry drew together his forces, and advanced towards the enemy as far as Coventry. Ihe rebels had entertained hopes that the disaffected coun- ties in the north would rise in their favour j but the people in general, averse to join Irish and German m- Vaders. convinced of Lambert's imposture, and kept in awe by the king's reputation for success and con- duct eiWr remained in tranquillity, or gave assist- ance to ihe royal army. The hostile armies met at Stoke in the county of Nottingham, and fought a bat tie which was bloody and obstinately disnuted. Ihc their followers j and as Level was never more ^488] jjgjy.^ of t,e was believed to have undergone the same fate.* Simnel, with his tutor Simon, was taken prisoner. Simon, being a priest was only com- niitted to close custody ; and Simnel being too con- tempUble to be an object either of apprehension or resentment, was pardoned, and made a scullion in the king's kitchen; whence he was afterwards advanced to uie rank of a falconer. » ♦ r The duchess of Burgundy, full of resentment for the depression of her family, and rather irritated than discouraged by the ill-success of her past enterprise, propag ated a report that her nephew, tlichard Flanta- ♦Doctor Mavor.in his History of Ewoland, gives the following probable account of the death ot Uiw di8t.n|uishe(l nobrmii on the authority of the late Mr. Thomas War ton, who Sved his informatfon, as well as could be recollected, ftom Dr. Dennison, a witness of what is related :-" Th wSis of this nobleman's once magnificent seat at Minste li,veU Oxfordshire, of which some ruins still renriain, bein I«U^ down^^^^ the sake of the materials, early m the last E?n^ry7a se^^^^^^^ chamber was discovered with a traMc«r, S.d in It a skeleton of a person in complete armour was found •"°i Jl!:«« ;t «,*■ -unnosed. and on probable grounds, that thU WMthe body oflo/d Lov'el, who, after escaping from im tottte of StokMook refuge in this place, and from some cause, SSi^«»w to te .^oSTunted for. was left to perish in his coneenl- Bwnt." HENRY VII. Ill Muni duke of York, had escaped from the Tower, and 5^ still alive j and finding this rumour greedily re- TeWed by the people, she sought for some young man nroper to personate that unfortunate prince . ^ Tarbeck. a renegade Jew of Tournay, who had visited London in thl reign of Edward iV.^ad there Tson born to him. Having had opportunities of be- Lff known to the king, and obtaining his favour, he r^lvailed with that prince, whose manners were very Ele to stand go5-father to his son, to whom he gaJeIhe name of^Peter, corrupted, after the Flemish manner?into Peterkin, oV Perkln. It was by some be-l Ueved hat Edward, imong his amorous adventures ad a secret commerce with Warbeck's wife : and)^ people thence accounted for that resemblance which C afterwards remarked between young Perkin and that monarch. Some years after the brrth of this child, Warbeck returned to Tournay, whence Perkin Ms son; by different accidents was carried from p ace to Place, and his birth and fortunes became thereby unknown and difficult to be traced. The variety of hs adventures Sad happily favoured the natural versa- tility and sagacity of fits genius ; and he seemed to be a YOUth perfectly fitted to act any part, or assume any Site? In Ls light he,»^-Jb«-itrto exceed the duchess of Burgundy, who found him to exceed her most sanguine expectations ; so comely did he appear in his person, so graceful in his air so court- wrhis address, so full of docility and good sense in his behaviour and conversation. The lessons iie- cessiry to be taught him, in order to his^personatin^ the duke of York, were soon learned ^^y^^ yo«\^^^^^ such quick apprehension j and Margaret m order the better'to conceal him sent V«»' "»^^^^ ^i*^ J„\'5 of lady Brampton, into Portugal, where he remained a year, unknown to all the world. , ^ . , ^. . ^ W war, which was then '«»'»y to break out be- tween France and England, aeemea to affo'^ a P~P" opportunity for this impostor to try his success , and Ireland, wlich still retained itsjittachment to the hnase of York, was chosen as the proper place tor hisTrstap^arince. He l«n*«4»'*^°*J,»™'^S,t diat«ly JEi'iming the name of Richard P»ant»B«»f^ drew to him pMtisans among that credulous people N 172 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. The news soon reached France ; and Charles, prompt, ed by the secret solicitations of the duchess of Bur ffundv.sent Perkin an invitation to repair to him at Paris He received him with all the marks of regard due to the duke of York. The French courtiers readi- ly embraced a fiction which their sovereign thought it his interest to adopt; and Perkin, both by his deport- nient and personal qualities, supported the prepos- session which was spread abroad of his royal pedigree From France the admiration and credulity dWused themselves into England : sir George Nevil, sir John Taylor and above a hundred gentlemen more, came to Paris in order to offer their services to the suppos. cd duke of York, and to share his fortunes ; and the impostor had now the appearance of a court attending him, and began to entertain hopes of final success. When peace was concluded between France and England, Charles consented to dismiss Perkin, who retired to the duchess of Burgundy. Tnat princess put on the appearance of distrust ; and it was not nil kfter a long and severe scrutiny, that she pretended to burst out into joy and admiration, and embraced Fer- kii as the true image of Edward, and the sole heir of , ,«o. the Plantagenets. Not the populace alone of ^'^^'^J England gave credit to Perkin's pretensions ; 2xe« of the highest birth and quality turned their eyes towards the new claimant ; and sir Robert Cliltord and William Barley made him a tender of their servicee. The king, informed of these particulars, proceeded deliberately, though steadily, in counter-working the proiects of his enemies. His first object was to ascer- tain the death of the real duke of York and to con- firm the opinion that had always prevoilcd with regard to that catastrophe; but as only two of the persons employed by Richard, in the murder of his nephews, were now alive, and as the bodies were supposed to have been removed by Richard's crders. from the place where they were first interred, and could not now be found, it was not in Henry's power to estab- lish the fact beyond all doubt and controversy. He wan' however, more successful in detecting who uns wonderful person was, who thus advanced pretenBiom to his crown. He engaged Clifford, by the hope of f«wArdg and pardon, to betray tho secret* •ntrusted t« HENRY VII. 173 him • and such was the diligence of his spies, that m the issue the whole plan of the conspiracy was clearly laid before him, witli the pedigree, adventures, life, and conversation, of the pretended duke of York: and this latter part of the story was immediately published for the satisfaction of the nation. Several of the conspirators w§re immediately arrest- ed Some of inferior rank were rapidly arraigned, convicted, and condemned for high treason ; but more solemnity was deemed necessary m the trial of sir William Stanley, one of the most opulent subjects m 1 the kingdom. Aaer six weeks delay, which was in- ! terposed to show that the king was restrained by . doubts and scruples, the prisoner was ^/^"FJ' ^ „• * trial, condemned, and presently after beheaded. His- torians, however, are not agreed as to the precise na- ture of the crime for which he suffered. ^ „ , . The fate of Stanley struck the adherents of ferkin with the greatest dismay 5 and as the impostor found that his pretensions were becoming obsolete, he re- solved to attempt something which might revive the hopes and expectations of his partisans. Having col- lected a band of outlaws, pirated, robbers, and neces- sitous persons of all nations, to the number of six hun- dred men, he put to sea, with a resolution of niaking I a descent in England. Information being broucht him \ that the king had made a progress to the north, he cast anchor on the coast of Kent, and sent some of his re- tainers ashore, who invited the country to join him. The gentlemen of Kent assembled some troops to op- pose him : but they purposed to do more essential ser- vice than by srepelling the invasion : they carried the semblance of friendship to Perkin, and invited him to come himself ashore, in order to take the command over them. But the wary youth, observing that they had more order and regularity in their movementa than could be supposed in new-levied forces who had taken arms against the established authority, refused to entrust himself into their hands 5 and the Kenti"*; troops, despairing of success in their stratagem, feU -^-5 '..-I. -<* ^•'- -£>*~:«A»a ao wore alreadv landed : and killing some, they took a hundred and fifty ?"■<>"- ers, who were tried and condei&nea» and eiccuttrt oy orders from the king. m HISTORY OF ENGLAND. This yetr a parliament was summoned in Enriand^ Q . and another in Ireland : and some remarkable I4yoJ jjj^g ^g,g passed in both countries. The Eng- lish parliament passed an act, empowering the king to levy, by course of law, all the sums which any per son had agreed to pay by way of benevolence ; a stat ute by which that arbitrary method of taxation was in* directly authorized and justified. The king's authority appeared equally prevalent and uncontrolled in Ireland. Sir Edward Poynings, vi^bo liad been sent over to that country, with an intention of quelling the partisans of the house of York, and of reducing the natives to subjection, summoned a parlia- ment at Dublin, and obtained the passing of that memorable statute, which still bears his name, and which, during three centuries, established the para- mount authority of the English government in Ireland. Uy this statute all the former lav^s of England were made to be in force in Ireland ; and no bill could be introduced into the Irish parliament, unless it had pre- viously received the sanction of the council of Eng- land.* After being repulsed from the coast of Kent, Perkin retired to Ireland j but tired of the wandering life he was compelled to lead in that country, he passed over into Scotland, where he was favourably received by James IV. who gave him in marriage the lady Catha- nne Gordon, daughter of the earl of Huntley. The jealousy which subsisted between England and Scot- land, induced James to espouse the cause of the ira- poster, and to make an inroad into England ; but Per- kin's pretensions were now become stale even in the eves of the populace j and James perceiving that, w'hile Perkin remained in Scotland, he should never enjoy a solid peace with Henry, privately desired him to depart. After quitting Scotland, Perkin concealed himself in the wilds and fastnesses of Ireland. Impatient, however, of a retreat which was both disagreeable and dangerous, he held consultations with his folkivreTS, mmitmX-m^/>m * Bv the act of union between Great Britain and Ireland, these rogulationei, which had long been the object of jealousy find contention, were Imppily rendered olwoleie. HENRY Vn. m Heme, Skelton, and Astley; three broken tradesmen j and by their advice he resolved to try the affections of the Cornish, whose mutinous disposition had beesi lately manifested, in resisting the levy of a tax im- posed for the purpose of repelling the inroads of the Scots. No sooner did he appear at Bodmin, in Corn- wall, than the populace, to tne number of three thou- sand, flocked to his standard ; and Perkin, elated with Ithis appearance of success, took on him, for the first- time, the appellation of Richard the Fourth, kins of England. Not to suffer the expectations of his follow- ers to lauguish, he presented himself before Exeter ; and finding that the inhabitants shut their gales against him, he laid siege to the place ; but being unprovided with artillery, ammunition, and every thing requisite for the attempt, he made no progress in his uncfertak- When Henry was informed that Perkin had landed in England, he expressed great joy at his being so near, and prepared himself with alacrity to attack him. The lords Daubeny and Broke, with sir Rice ap Thomas, hastened forward with a small body of troops to the relief of Exeter, and the king himself prepared |to follow with a considerable army. Perkin, informed of these great preparations, inimc- "iately raised the siege of Exeter, and reured to Taan- ,.on. Though his followers seemed stil: resolute to |ma?.ntain his cause, he himself despaired of success, and secretly withdrew to the sanctuary of Beaulieu in the new forest. The Cornish rebels submiUed to the ing*s mercy. Except a few persons of dv«f^aaxe for- [tunes who were executed, and some others who were leverely fined, all the rest were dismissed with im-v mnity. Loidy Catharine Gordon, wife to Perkin, fell Dto the hands of the victor, and was treated with a [generosity which does him honour. He soothed her Bind with many marks €»f regard, placed her in a repu- able station about the queen, and assigned her a pen- ision, which she enjoyed even under his successor. Perkin being perswaded, under promise of pardon, to ^loliuAr Viiirrvssir !!itr> tK^ kipcr'^ Klt&ds. W3.S con- ducted, in a species of mock triumph, to Lon- Idon. His confession of his life and adven*.ures was [published 3 bi^t though his life wtvsi grantod him, ha ?1 ,#' 176 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. was still detained in custody. Impatient of confine- mcnt, he broke from his keepers, and fled to the sane- *.uary of Shyne. He was then imprisoned in the Tow- er, where his habits of restless intrigue and enterprise followed him. He insinuated himself into the intima- cy of four servants of sir John Digby, lieutenant of the Tower: and, by their means, opened a correspon- dence with the earl of Warwick, who was confined in the same prison. This unfortunate prince, who had, from his earliest youth, been shut up from the com- merce of men, and who was ignorant even of the most common affairs of life, had fallen into a fatuity, which made him susceptible of any impression. The con- tinued dread also of the more violent effects of Hen- ry's tyranny, joined to the natural love of liberty, en- gagedf him to embrace a project for his escape, by the murder of the lieutenant j and Perkin offered to con- duct the whole enterprise. The conspiracy escaped not the king's vigilance. Perkin, by this new attempt, had rendered himself totally unworthy of mercy : and he was accordingly arraigned, condemned, and soon after hanged at Tyburn, acknowledging his imposture to the last. It happened about that very time, that one Wilford, a cordwainer's son, encouraged by the surprising credit given to other impostures, had undertaken to person- ate the earl of Warwick j and a priest had even ven tured fron: the pulpit to recommend his cause to the people. This incident served Henry as a pretence for his severity towards that prince. He was brought to trial, and accused of forming designs to disturb the government, and raise an insurrection among the peo- ple. Warwick confessed the indictment, was con- demned, and the sentence was executed upon him. This act of tyranny, the capital blemish of Henry's reign, occasioned great discontent; and though he en- deavoured to alleviate the odium of this guilt, by sharing it with his ally, Ferdinand of Arvagon, who, he said, had scrupled to give his daughter Catherine in marriage to Arthur, while any male descendant of the house of York reiriaiuea j tniB oniy incrcaiScii iwS indignation of the people, at seeing a young prince iacrlficed to the jealous politics of two subtle tyranti. There was a remarkable similarity of character be- HENRY VII. 177 tween these two monardis : both were fViU of craft, intrigue, and design : and though a resemblance of this nature be a slender foundation for confidenoe and amity, such was the situation of Henry and Ferdinand,, that no jealousy ever arose between them. The kini completed a marriage, which had been projected and negotiated during the course of seven years, between Arthur prince of Wales, and the infanta Catherine, fourth daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella ; but this marriage proved in the issue unprosperous. The young prince a few months after sickened and died, much regretted by the nation. Henry, desirous to continue his alliance with Spain, and also unwilling to restore Catherine's dowry, which was two hundred thousand (lucais, obliged his second son Henry, whom he cre- ated prince of Wales, to be contracted to the infanta, by virtue of a dispensation from the pope. This mar- riage was, in the event, attended with the most im- portant consequences. In the same year, another marriage was celebrated, which was also in the next age productive of great events ; the marriage of Mar- garet, the king's eldest daughter, with James king of Scotland. Amidst these prosperous incidents the queen died in child-bed ; and the infant did not long survive her. This princess was deservedly a favour- ite of the nation ; and the general affection for her was afugmented by the harsh treatment which it was thought she experienced from her consort. Uncontrolled by apprehension or opposition of any jKQ«, kind, Henry now gave full scope to his natural »ou«5J propensity; and his avarice, which had ever been the ruling passion of his mind, broke through all restraints. He nad found two ministers, Empson and Dudley, perfectly qualified to second his rapacious and tyrannical inclinations. These instrumr « of oppression were both lawyers. By their knowlfcdge7 in law ihese mi ^ were qualified to pervert the forms / of jttRtice to thfj jppression of the innocent j and the j foimidable authority of the iing supported them m all\ their iniouities. In vain did the people look fbr pro- overawed, that during the greatest rage of Henry's oppressions, the commons chose Dudley their speak- er, and gi-anted him the subsidies which he demand- VOL. I. 12 -■^''^ J 178 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. «d Bv the arts of accumulation, this monarch n fifl^d hi cofferT. that he is said to have posseMed S ''one' time" uTe' sum of one ™i"[o» -gl^^i'j-f : rtoasand pounds ; a treasure a''n»f^ '»"?°,'°'*' '* ** intquiues aiiu "^'f^ , . rp ||„y *hQ terrors under S hTKur d ' "• e„^d°eatu'red, by distributing r^m 'and founding 'religious houses to make a ^e- ment for his crimes, and to purchase, by the sacrince S- Sa-t of his ill-gotten treasures, a reconciliation witriiis offended iflaker. Remorse even seized h.ro, Tt intervals for the abuse of his authority by Empson :'„d Du'dlev' ' but not sufficiently to niake h™ s^ th, rapacious hand of those oppressors However deaui. bv its nearer approaches, impressed new terrors upon hW and he tSen ordered, by a general clause in h« wiTl 'that restitution should be made to M those whom will, inai re ^.^^ ^^ ^ consumption, at 1S09] Ms favou ite palace of Richmond after a reign of twenty-three years and eight months, and m the '*"««?'» Wenr'^thTseventh was, on the whoU fortunal^-for his people ''t home, and honou able ■broad He loved peace without fea'ing war, ana ?his acquired him the regard and 'consideration of fcr- cim princes. His capacity was excellent though Xwhat contracted by the narrowness of his heart Avarice was his rulingi= passion ; and to gratity it, ne '^ sacrificed every honourable principle. This prince, though be eialted his prerogaW. above Lris celebrated for many good la7.«>|'<='> 1^ Slished for the government o? his subjects : bot Si mostTmport""' law in its consequences which w» enacted duri'lig the reign of Henry, w" that by wh«h the nobility and gentry acquired i^^R"''" «[ »>«»»^^^ the ancier.t entails, and of alienating their esim^<^ S^r!ir„f this law. joined to the bejsinmng luinry TOd'refinement of theage, the great •"'»;•===; "^ barons were gradually dil'PS.'^^ »nd the PJ-W^ iha commons increased in England. It «» proinBi. iw KfoAsaw and intended this ooB..qoene.i 1 J ence, ai HENRY VII. m because the constant scheme of his policy consisted in depressing the great, and exalting churchmen, law- yers and men of new families, who would be more obsequious. , It was during this reign, that Christopher Columbus discovered America; and Vasquez de Gama passed the Cape of Good Hope, and opened a new passage to the East Indies. It was by accident only that Hen- ry had not a considerable share in those great naval discoveries. However, he fitted out Sebastian Cabot, a Venetian, settled in Bristol j and sent him west- ward, in 1498, in search of new countries. Cabot dis- covered the main land of America, towards the six- tieth degree of northern latitude, Newfoundland, and many other countries ; but returned to England with- out making any conquest or settlement. Elliot, and other merchants in Bristol, made a like attempt in 1502. The king expended fourteen thousand pounds in building one ship, called the " Great Harry ;" which was, properly speaking, the first ship in the English naw. In 1463, Constantinople was taken by the Turks ; and'^the Greeks, among whom some remains of learn- ing were still preserved, being scattered by these bar barians, took shelter in Italy, and imported, togethe. with their admirable language, a tincture of their sci- ence, and of their refined taste in poetry and elo- quencfi. About the same time, the purity c ' the Latin was revived ; and the art of printing, invented about that time, extremely facilitated the progress of all these improvements. The invention of gunpowder chang- ed the whole art of war ; and mighty innovations were soon after made in religion. Thus a general revcju- tion was produced in human affairs throughout this part of the world ; and man graduaUy entered on that career of commerce, arts, science, government, and police, in which, with the exception of some prases, they have ever since been persevering. I ^ 180 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. CHAPTER X. The Reign qf Henry VIIL The acceaeion of Henry the Eighth epread unive^ sal ioy and satisfaction. Instead of a monarch jeal* OU8. severe, and avaricious, a young prince of eigh- teen had succeeded to the throne, who, even ^^^1 in the eyes of men of sense, gave promisina hopes of his future conduct, much more in those of the people, always enchanted with novelty, youth, and royal dignity. Hitherto he had been occupied entirely in manly exercises and the pursuits of litera- turfe ; and the proficiency which he made in each, gave no bad prognostic of his parts and capacity. Even the vices of vehemence, ardour, and impatience, to which he was subject, and which afterwards degen- erated into tyranny, were considered only as laults of unguarded youth, which would be corrected by time. The chief competitors for favour were the earl of Surrey, and Fox, bishop of Winchester. The former was a dexterous courtier, and promoted that taste for pleasure and magnificence, which began to prevail under the young monarch. The vast treasures amass- ed by the late king, were gradually dissipated in the giddy expenses of Henry 5 or if he intermitted the course of his festivity, he chiefly employed himself in an application to music and literature, which were his fafourite pursuits, and which were well adapted to his genius. And though he was so unfortunate as to be seduced into a study of the barren controversies of the schools, which were then fashionable, and had chosen Thomas Aquinas for his favourite author, he etill discovered a capacity for Jiore useful and inter- eiting acquirements. , Epsom and Dudley were sent to the Tower, and ■oon after brought to trials and their execution wai tess an act of justice, than for the purpose of gratify- ing the people. Henry, however, while he punished the instrumenU of past tyranny, paid supn aeiereacs to former engagements, as to celebrate his m&rnage with the infanta Catherine, though her former mar- riage with his brother was urged by the prim&te as an important obioction. HENRY Vni. 181 UOiClVMCt! At this time, when the situation of tho several pow- erful states of Europe promised, by balancing each other, a lon^ tranquillity, the flames of war were kin- dled by Julius II. an ambitious and enterprising pon- tiff, who determined to expel all foreigners from Italy, and drew over Ferdinand to his pj^rty. He solicited the favour of England, by sendmg Henry a sacred rose, perfumed with musk, and anointed with chrism ; and he also gave him hopes, that the title of ^' Most Christian King," v^rhich had hitherto been annexed to the crown of France, should, in reward of his servi- ces, be transferred to that of England. Impatient al- so of acquiring distinction in Europe, Henry joined the alliance, which the pope, in conjunction with Spain and Venice, had formed against the French monarch. Henry's intended invasion of France roused the jealousy of the Scottish nation. The ancient league, which subsisted between France and Scotland, was conceived to be the strongest band of connexion ; and the Scots universally believed, that were it not for the countenance which they received from this for- eign alliance, they had never been able so long to • maintain their independence against a people so much superior. James was farther incited to take part in the quarrel by the invitations of Anne queen of France, whose knight he had ever in all tournaments professed himself, and who summoned him, according to the ideas of romantic gallantry, prevalent in that age, to take the field in her defence, and to prove himself her true and valorous champion. He first sent a squadron of ships to the assistance of France, the only fleet which Scotland seems ever to have possessed ; and though he si;ill made professions of maintaining a neu- trality, the English ambassador easily foresaw, that a war would in the end prove inevitable, and gave warn- ing of the danger to his master. Henry, ardent for military fame, was little discour- aged by this appearance of a diversion from the north. He had now got a minister who flattered him in every scheme to which his impetuous temper inclined. / king, surpassed in favour all his ministers, and was / fast advancing towards that unrivalled grandeur which C^ he afterwards attaiined. This man was bob of a butch m HISTORY OF ENGLAND. y 3 er at Ipswich ; but having got a learned education, and being endowed with an excellent capacity, he wai admitted into the marquis of Dorset's family as tutor to that nobleman's children, and soon gained the fa- vour and countenance of his patron. He was recom- mended to be chaplain to Henry VII. 5 and being em- ployed by that monarch in a secret negotiation, he acquitted himself to the king's satisfaction, and was considered at court as a rising man. The death of Henry retarded his advancement 5 but Fox bishop of Winchester cast his eye upon him, as one who micht be serviceable to 'aim in his present situation. This prelate, observing that the earl of Surrey had totally eclipsed him in favour, resolved to introduce Wolsey to the young prince's familiarity, and hoped that he might rival Surrey in his insinuating arts, and yet be content to act in the cabinet a part subordinate to Fox himself, who had promoted him. In a little time Wolsey gained so much on the king, that he supplant- ed both Surrey in his favour, and Fox in his trust and t^onfidence. Being admitted to Henry's parties of pleasure, he took the lead in every jovial conversation, and promoted all that frolic and entertainment which he found suitable to the age and inclination of the ^oung monarch. Neither his own years, whi**.h were near forty, nor his character of a clergyman, were any restraint upon him, or engaged him to check, by any useless severity, the gayetyin which Henry passed his careless hours. The king soon advanced his favourite, from being the companion of his pleasures, to be a member of his council } and from bemg a member of his council, U> be his sole and absolute minister. By this rapid ad- vancement and uncontrolled authority, the character and genius of Wolsey had full opportunity to display themselves. Insatiable in his acquisitions, but still more magnificent in his expense ; of extensive capaci- ty, but still more unbounded enterprise j ambitious of power, but still more desirous of glory j insinuating, engaging, persuasive 5 and, by turns, lofty, elevated, couiiuanQing ^ naugfliy to nis cquais, uUv {aiamM !■--- isi-? dependants j oppressive to the people, but liberal W his friends ; more generous than grateful 5 less moved by injuries than by contempt; he was framed to taki the ascend exerted th tion as ei willing to tion. A consi( Henry pre of the arm kingdom ( by the duh nobility; I lied, the S invaded F reinforcini had prom German a position c glory thai service, a one of his directed a Terouai dy, was k provisions men, eacl hind him. irruption i in the tc without I prise. B lor the ir the appro lo protec ordered s of opposii consisted great gal were, on countabh llight, an of Longi many otr era. Th the batth HENRY VIII. 18» the ascendant in. every intercourse with othert, but exerted this superiority of nature with such ostenta- tion as exposed him to envy, and made every one willing to recall the original inferiority of hia condi- '^A considerable force having sailed over to Calais, * - Henry prepared to follow with the main body and rear of the army ; and he appointed the queen regent of the kingdom during his absence. He was accompauiod by the duke of Buckingham, and many others ot the nobility ; but of the allies, on whose assistance he re- lied, the Swiss alone performed their engagements, and invaded France. The emperor Maxmnhan, instead ot reinforcing the Swiss with eight, thousand mo.n, as he had promised, joined the English army with a few Gernian and Flemish soldiers 5 and observing the dis- position of the English monarch to be more bent on fflory than on interest, he enlisted himself into his service, and received one hundred crowns a-day, as one of his subjects and captains, though, in reality, he directed all the operations of the English army. Terouane, a town situated on the frontiers ot 1 icar-^ dy, was reduced to the last extremity from want ot / provisions and ammunition, when eight hundred horse- / men, each of whom carried a sack of gunpowder be X hind him, and two quarters of bacon, made a sudden irruption into the English camp, deposited their burden in the town, and again broke through the English without suffering any loss in this dangerous enter- prise. But the English had, soon after, full revenge for the insult. Henry had received intelligence of the approach of the French horse, who had advanced to protect another incursion of Fontrailles j and he ordered some troops to pass the Lis, for the purpose of opposing him. The cavalry of France , though they consisted chiefly of gentlemen who had behaved with great gallantry in many desperate actions m Italy, were, on sight of the enemy, seized with so unac- countable a panic, that they immediately took to llight, and were pursued by the English. The duke of Longueville, who commanded the Fre^nch, and many other oitifiers of distinction, were maue P"^"^" era. This actiSn, or rather rout, is sometimes called the battle of Guinegate, from the place where it ww IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) i/u fA 1.0 I.I 2.8 m 1^ "= Ui 2.2 2.0 1.8 1.25 1.4 1.6 ■• 6" ► Photographic Sciences Corporation 33 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 ^ '' »., 6^ ^V >> ^^. ^1> S°^fi f/. ^ o \ %9% HISTORY OF ENGLAND. J fought 5 but more commonly the " Battle of Spurt • Ncauee the French, that day, made more use of^theif ™r8, than of their swords or military weapons. » After the capture of Terouane and Tournay, the king returned to England, and carried with him the greater part of his army. 'Success had atteBde?him in every enterprise ; but all men of judgment were fn^rj^r/'^^'f ^^'^ campaign was, in reality, both ru- inous and inglorious to him. The success which attended Henry's arms in the ^A^ 7^ ™" u^ ?^J^ decisive. The king of Scot- Jand had assembled th^ whole force of his kingdom; and a.ter passing the Tweed with an army of fifty thousand men, he ravaged the parts of Northumber- land nearest to that river, and employed himself in taking several castles of small importance. . The earl of burrey, having collected a force of twenty-six thou- sand men, marched to the defence of the country, and approached the Scots, who had encamped on some high ground near the hills of Cheviot, &^lrrey feigned a march towards Berwick ; and the Scottish army hav- . ing descended the hill, an engagement became inevi- table. A furious action commenced, and was contin- ued till night separated the combatants. The victorv seemed yet undecided, and the numbers that fell on each side were nearly equal, amounting to above five thousand men j but the morning discovered where the advantage lav. The English had lost only persons of small note ; but the Scottish nobility had fallen in bat- tie, and their king himself, after the most diligent in- quiry, could no where be found. "1 K ■ I^Jng of Scotland, and most of his chief nobles, J being 8lain,in the field of Flouden, an inviting oppor- •^ tunity was offered to Henry of reducing that tingaom to subjection; but he discovered on tliis occasion a mind truly great and generous. When the queen of bcotljuid, Marearet, who was created regent during the infancy of her son, applied for peace, he readily granted it; and compassionated the helpless <^ondition of his sister and nephew. The earl of Surrey, who nad gamed him so creat a victorv. wxh rmmtMaA tr> *k« liUeot duke of Norfolk, which had been forfeited by Ills father for engaging on ihe side of Richard the inirdj and Wolssy, who was both his favourite and ua mimBtci; ww created bishop of Lincoln. 1 HENRY VIII. I8S Peace with Scotland enabled Henry to proseeuta ., hi0 enterprise against France, yet several inci- *^'*J dents opened his eyes to the rashness of the undertaking) and the duke of Longueville, who had been made prisoner at the battle of Guinegate, wa< ready to take advantage of this disposition. He rep- resented, that as Lewis was a widower without male children, no marriage could be more suitable to him than that with the princess Mary, the sister of Henry. The king seemed to hearken to this discourse with willing ears J and Longueville received full powers from his master for negotiating the treaty. The ar- ticles were easily adjusted between the monarchs. The espousals of Mary and Lewis were soon after^T celebrated at Abbeville ; but th j monarch was seduced A into a course'of gayety and pleasure, very unsuitable/ j to the declining state of his health, and died in lesi^ , ...1 than three months after the marriage. He was '^'^J succeeded by Francis, duke of Angouleme, who had married the eldest daughter of Lewis. The numerous enemies whom Wolsey^s sudden elevation and haughty deportment had raised him, tjerved only to rivet him faster in Henry's confidence. He preferred him to the archbishopric of York, and al-«»v lowed him to unite with it the sees of Durham and of fi Winchester ; while the pope, observing his ^eat in-^. fluence over the king, and desirous of engagmg him in his interests, created him a cardinal. His train"^ consisted of eight hundred servants, of whom maiiy were knights and gentlemen. Whoever was distin- I guished by any art or science, paid court to the cardi- ^^ nai ; and none paid court in vain. Literature, which was then in its infancy, found in him a generous pa- tron 5 and both by his public institutions and private bounty, he gave encouragement to every branch of erudition. Not content, however, with this munifi- cence, which gained him the approbation of the wise, he strove to dazzle the eyes of the ]>opulace, by the splendour of his equipage and furniture, the costly embroidery of his liveries, and the richness of his ap pare!. Warham, chancellor and archbishop of Canterbury, A man of a moderate temper, and averse to all dis- putes, <5ho8e rather to retire from public employment^ 186 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. than maintain an uneoual contest with the haughty car dinal. He resi^fned his office of chancellor } and the great seal was immediately delivered to Wolsey. If this new accumulation of dignity increased his ene- mies, it also served to exalt his personal character, and prove the extent of his capacity. A strict admin- istration of justice took place during the time he filled this high office ; and no chancellor ever discovered greater impartiality in his decisions, deeper penetra- tion of judgment, or more enlarged knowledge of law and equity. The title of legate, which was afterwards conferred on Wolsey, brought with it a great accession of pow- er and dignity. He erected an office, which he called the legatine court, and on which he conferred a kind of inquisitorial and censorial power, even over the laity ; and directed it j;o inquire into all actions, which, though they escaped the law, might appear contrary lo good morals. The abuse, however, of this court, at length reached the king's ears ; and he expressed such displeasure to the cardinal, as made him ever af- ter more cautious in exerting his authority. While Henry, indulging himself in pleasure and 15191 ^''^UB^''^^"^; intrusted the government of his ^ kingdom to this imperious minister, an incident happened abroad, which excited his attention. Maxi- milian, the emperor, died; a man who, of himself, was indeed of little consequence ; but as his death left vacant the first station among Christian princes, it set the passions of men in agitation, and proved a kind of era in the general system of Europe. The kings of France and Spain immediately declared them- selves candidates for the imperial crown, and employ- ed every expedient of money or intrigue, which prom- ised them success in so great a point of ambition. Henry also was encouraged to advance his preten- sions ; but hifa minister, Pace, who was despatched to the electors, found that he began to canvass too late. Francis and Charles professed from the beginning to carry on this rivalship without enmity } but all men perceived that this moderation would not be of lon^ duration; and when Charles at length prevailed, the French monarch could not suppress his indignation at being disappointed in so in: portent a pretension Both HENRY VIII. 197 of Xham were princes endowed with talents and abili- ties} brave, aspiring^ active, warlike; beloved by their servants and subiects, dreaded by their enemies, and respected by all the world : Francis, open, frank, liberal, munificent, carrying these virtues to an excess which prejudiced his affairs : Charles, political, close, artful, frugal ; better qualified to obtain success in wars and in negotiations, especially the latter. The one the more amiable man ; the other the greater mon- arch. Charles reaped the succession of Castile, of Arra- gon, of Austria, of the Netherlands : he inherited Uie conquest of Naples, of Grenada : election entitled him to the empire : even the bounds of the globe seemed to be enlarged a little before his time, that he might possess the whole treasure, as yet entire and unrifled, of the new world. But though the concurrence of all these advantages formed an empire, greater and more extensive than any known in Europe since that of the Romans, the kingdom of France alone, beins close, compact, united, rich, populous, and interposed between the provinces of th - emperor's dominions, was able to make a vigorous opposition to his progress, and maintain the contest against him. Henry posseased the felicity of being able, both by the native force of his kingdom and its situation, to hold the balance between those two powers ; but he was heedless, inconsiderate, capricious, and impolitic. Francis, well acquainted with his character, solicited an interview near Calais, in hopes of beinc able, by familiar conversation, to gain upon his friendship and confidence. Wolsey earnestly seconded this propo- sal ; and, as Henry himself loved show and magnifi- cence, he cheerfully adjusted the preliminaries of the^ interview. The two monarchs met in a field within the English pale, between Guisnes and Andres ; and 1 Mm such was their profusion of expense, as pro- ^^''"J cured to the place the name of the Field oftne Cloih qf Gold. A defiance had been sent by the two kings to each other's court, and through all the chief cities of Eu- rope, importing, that Henry and Francis, with four- teen'aids, would be ready in the plains of Picardy, t» answer all comers that were gentlemen, at tilt ai^ tournament. The monarchs, in order to fulfil thw 168 HISTORY OP ENGLAND. -^ ehallengei adyanced into the field on boriebaekj Francis, aurrounded with Henry'a guards, and Henry with those of Francis. They were gorgeously appa- relled ; and were both of them the most comely pe^ ■onages of their age, as well as the most expert in every military exercise. They carried away the priie at all trials in those dangerous pastimes. The ladies were the judges in these feats of chivalry, and put an end to the rencounter whenever they deemed it expe> dient. Henry afterwards paid a visit to the emperor and Margaret of Savoy at Gravelines; and tne artfui Charles effaced all the friendship te which the frank and generous nature of Francis had given birth. He eecured Wolsey in his interests, by assuring him of his assistance in obtaining the papacy, and by putting him in immediate possession or the revenues belong- ing to the sees of Badajox and Placentia. The violent emulation between the emperor and the French king soon broke out in hontilities. Henry, who pretended to be neutral, engaged them to send their ambassadors to Calais, there to negotiate a peace under the mediation of Wolsey and the pope^s nuncio. The emperor was well apprized of the partiality of these mediators ; and his demands in the conference were so unreasonable as plainly proved him conscious of the advantage. On Francis rejecting the terms pro- posed, the congress of Calais broke up, and Wolsey, soon after, took a journey to Bruges, where he met with the emperor. He was received with the same state, magnificence, and respect, as if he had been the king of England himself; and he concluded, in his ^ master's name, aa offensive alliance with the pope and the emperor, the result of the private views and am- bitious projects of the cardinal. An event of the greatest importance engrossed at this time the attention of all Europe. Leo X., by his eenerous and enterprising temper, having exhaust- ed his treasury, in order to support his liberalities, had recourse to the sale of indulgences. The produce partiCuiariy a1 <. sfose ifOu* ^^axony and the countries bordering on the Baltic, was farmea out to a merchant of Genoa. The scandal of this transaction, with the licentious lives which the HENRY Vm. coUeetorf ar« reported to have led, routed Martin La- ther a professor of the university of Wittemberff who' not only preached against these abuses in the saio of indulgences, but even decried indulgences them- eelves.and was thence carried, by the heat of dispute, to question the authority of the pope. Finding hie opinions greedily hearkened to, he promulgated them by writing and discourse ; and in a short time, all Eu- rope was filled with the voice of this daring innovator. As there subsisted in Endand great remains of the Lollards, the doctrines of Luther secretly gained ma- ny partisans j but Henry had been educated in a strict attachment to the church of Rome, and therefore op- posed the progress of the Lutheran tenets, by all the influence which his extensive and almost absolute au- thority conferred upon him. He even wrote a book in Latin, against the principles of Luther 5 a perform- ance which, if allowance be made for the subject and the age, does no discredit to his capacity. He sent a copy to Leo, who received so magnificent a present with great testimony of regard : and conferred on him the title of Defender of the Faith ; an appellation still retained by the kings of England. Henry having declared war against France, Surrey , .o„T landed some troops at Cherbourg in Normandy } *^ J and after laying waste the country, he sailed to Morlaix, a rich town in Brittany, which he took and plundered. The war with France, however, proceed- ed slowly for want of money. Henry had caused a general survey to be made of his kingdom, and had is- sued his privy seal to the most wealthy, demanding loans of particular sums : he soon after published an edict for a general tax upon his subjects, which he still called a loan j and he levied five shillings in the pound upon the clergy, and two upon the laity. The parliament, which was summoned about this time, wa« &r from complaining of these illegal transactions : but the commons, more tenacious of their money than their national privileges, refused a grant of eight hun- dred thousand pounds, divided into four yearl;jr pay- ineiitfi I a sum eomnntAd to be eaual to four shillinga in the' pound of one yearns revenue 5 and they only voted an imposition of three shillinga in the pound oa all possessed of fifty pounds a-year and upwardf , of 1. I, I I HISTORY OF ENGLAND. * two Bhillings in the pound on all who enjoyed twenty pounds a-year and upwards, one shillinff on all who possessed between twenty pounds and forty shillings a-year, and on the other subjects above sixteen years of age, a groat a-head. The king was dissatisfied with this saving disposition of the commons 5 and on pre- tence of necessity, he levied in one year, from all who were worth forty pounds, what the parliament had granted him payable in four years. These irregularities were commonly ascribed to Wolsey's counsels, who, trotting to the protection afforded him by his eccleii- asticsl character, was the less scrupulous in his en- , croachments on the civil rights of the nation. A new treaty was concluded between Henry and „ Charles for the invasion of France; but the *^^J duke of Bourbon to whom Charles confided a powerful army, in order to conquer Provence and Dau- phiny, was obliged, after an ineffectual attempt on Mar8eilles,^to lead his forces, weakened, baffled, and disheartened, into Italy. Francis might now have /enjoyed, in safety, the glor>' of repulsing all his ene- mies : but, ardent for the conquest of Milan, he pasfl- ^ ed the Alps, and laid siege to Pavia, a town of con- siderable strength, and defended by Leyva, one of the bravest officers in the Spanish service. Every attempt which the French king made to gain this important I KOK1 place proved fruitless. Fatigue and unfavoura- ^^'^J ble weather had wasted the French army, when the imperial army, commanded by Pescara, Lannoy, and Bourbon, advanced to raise the siege. The im- perial generals, after cannonading the French camo for several days, at last made a general assault, ana broke into the intrenchments. Francis's forces were put to the rout, and himself, surrounded by his ene- mies, after fighting with heroic valour, and killing sev- en men with his own hand, was obliged at last to sur- render himself prisoner. Almost the whole army, full ' of nobility and brave oflacers, either perished by the iword, or were drowned in the river. The few who es- caped with their lives fell into the hands of the «nemy. tienry was startled at this inipoftant event, snu a^- eame sensible of his own danger, from the loss of a pfoper counterpoise to the power of Charles. Instead of taking advantage, therefore) of the distressed con HENRY VIII. m Ma Merest Ve heS^ed t^e lee. in embra. cL these new measures. He concluded an alliance witS the regent of France, and engaged to Drocjire her son his liberty on reasonable conditions, ^harlet dreading a g'^neral combination «ga>nft him, was at length prevailed on to sign the treaty of Madrid. The principal condition was the restoring of Francis's lib- Erty, and the delivery of his two e^f * s<>n« as hos- tages to the emperor for the cession of Burgundy. The more to cement the union between Henry and Francis, a new treaty was some time after concluded at London ; in which the former agreed finally to re- noance all claims to the crown oT France 5 claims which might now indeed be deemed chimerical, but which often served as a pretence for disturbing the tranquillity of the two nations. As a return for thia - , concession, Francis bound himself and his successors /, to pay for ever fifty thousand crowns a year to Henry U and his successors ; and that greater solemnity might be given to this treaty, it was agreed that the parlia- ments and great nobility of both kingdoms should give their assent to it. Thus, the terror of the empc ror's greatness had extinguished the ancient animos- ity between the nations; and Spain, during more than a century, became thfe object of jealousy to the ^he marriage of Henry with Catherine of Arragon,*! his brother's widow, had not passed without muchX^ scruple and difficulty 5 the prejudices of the people were in general bent against a conjugal union between such near relations ; and with some doubts that natur- ally arose in Henry's mind, there concurred other caus- es, which tended much to increase his remorse. The queen was older than the king by no less than six years ; and the decay of her beauty, together witti particular infirmities and diseases, had contributed^ notwithstanding her blameless character and jie^O][|J- ment, to render her peiBon unaeeeptabiS to .asn* Though she had born^ nim several children, they wl died in early infancy, except one daughter j and he was the more struck with this misfortune, because the 1^ HISTORY OF ENGLAND. coarie of being childleis is the very threatening con- tained in the Mosaical law against those who espouse their brother's widow. The succession too of the crown was a consideration that occurred to every one, when- ever the lawfulness of Henry's marriage was called in question 5 and it was apprehended, that if doubts cC Mary's legitimacy concurred with the weakness of her sex, the king of Scots, the next heir, would ad- vance his pretensions, and might throw the kingdom into confusion. Thus the king was impelled, both by his private passions, and by motives of public interest to seek the dissolution of his inauspicious, and, as it was esteemed, unlawful marriage with Catherine. Anne Boleyn, who lately appeared at court, had been appointed maid of honour to the queen, and had acquired an entire ascendant over Henry's affections. Tms young lady^ whose grandeur and misfortunes have rendered her so celebrated, was daughter of sir Thomas Boleyn, who had been employed bv the king in several embassies, and who was allied to all the principal nobilitv in the kingdom. Henry's scruples or aversion had made him break off all conjugal com- merce with the queen ; but as he still supported an intercourse of civility and friendship with her, he ha(» occasion, in the frequent visits which he paid her, to observe the beauty, the youth, the charms of Anne Boleyn. Finding the accomplishments of her mind no wise inferior to her exterior graces, he even enter- tained the design of raising her to the throne : and as every motive of inclination and policy seemed thus to concur in making the king desirous of ^divorce from ' Catherine, he resolved to make application to pope Clement, and sent Knight, his secretary, to Rome for that purpose. Clement was then a prisoner in the hands of the emperor; and when the English secreta- tcAoi ry solicited him in private, he received a verjr *^^^ favoura^e answer. After Clement had recov- lered his liberty, he granted a commission, to try the - validity of the king°8 marriage, in which cardinal Campeirno was joined with Wolsey ; but in confor- mity Wiia me pope's vicws a«u 4Jsj.wiis.&v"so, ----• a-.-.— -- deferred the decision by the most artful delays. At length, the^business seemed to be drawing near toa penod : and the king wai every d^ in expecUtion of f HENRY VIII. 195 a sentence in his favour, when the roenacei and promises of Charles proved successful j and Clement suspending the commission of the legates, adjourned the cause to his own personal judgment at Rome. Wolsey had long foreseen the failure of this meas- ure as the sure forerunner of his ruin. The dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk were sent to require from him the great seal, which was delivered by the king to sir Thomas More. All his furniture and plate were seiz- ed ; and the cardinal was ordered to retire to Esher, a country seat which he possessed near Hampton court. Dr. Thomas Cranmer, fellow of Jesus College in Cambridge, a man remarkable for his learning, and still more for th« candour and disinterestedness of hia temper, falling one evening by accident into company with Gardiner, now secretary of state, and Fox, the king's almoner, the business of the divorce became the subject of conversation. Cranmer observed that the readiest way, either to quiet Henry's conscience, or extort the pope's consent, would be to consult all the universities of Europe with regard to this contro- verted point. When the king was informed of the proposal, he was delighted with it, and immediately, in prosecution of the scheme proposed, employed his agents to collect the judgments of all the universities in Europe. The universities of France, of Venice, Ferrara, Padua, and Boloffna, with those of Oxford and 15301 ^'^'"^"^Ige; gave tlicir opinion in the king's fa- ■• vour 5 and the convocations both of Canterbu- ry and York pronounced Henry's marriage invalid. But Clement, who was still under the influence of the emperor, continued to summon the king to ap- pear, either by himself or proxy, before hi^ tjribunal at Rome. After Wolsey had remained some time at Ksher, he was allowed to remove to Richmond ; but the cour- tiers, dreading still his vicinity to the king, procured an order fo*- him to remove to his see of York. The cardinal, therefore, took up his residence at CuwooA m Yorkshire ; but he was not allowed to remain long unmolested in this retreat. The earl of Northumber- land received orders, without regard to Wolsey't eccle- siastical character te arrest him for high tteaeoB, and VOL. 1. IS o ♦ > IH HISTORY OF ENGLAND. J -♦ u;«» tft T nndon in order to lake hii trial. Diuvftom thragitation of his anxioas mind, wa..e.i. S with t"i8order which turned into a dysentery, and he was able, with some difficulty, to reach Leice-ter- •" "''nt^hrex^ssions he u ed Z following Lrdi n?\?fcKTngsC constable of the Tov^er, who .had him t custody': "Had I but ««'-d„ «»*r ha « •^gently as I have served 'ny,>"."S'„*'%r"'°^S",^hisfi,- Siven me over in my gray hairs.' ^/''"''.f'*^ "■'''' mous cardinal, whose character seems to have cnn- Tned as Tngilar a variety as the fortune to which he "" neCsession of parliament was held, together with ^convocation ) and from the latter a confession »S3n was extorted, that " the king was the protector nnd the supreme head of the church and clergy of Endand " "^In the next session, an act was passed «a?nst levying the annates or first-fruits ; and it was agamsi levyiiib pe„g„re8 which should be passed rthrctrtffKe on" amount of that law, should •"HafinfproceXd t far to recede Henry private- Iv celebrated his marriage with Anne Boleyn, '»33] X-n he had previously created "'"ch.onesa of Pembroke. Anne became pregnant soon after her marrire i and this event gave great satisfaction to the kins An act was made against all appeals to Rome in causes of matrimony and divorces ; and Henry find- i,I» th« new Queen's pregnancy to advance, puwiciy owned his mSrrUge, aSd informed Catherine that she w» here^r to 1^ treated only as princess-dowager "^KartUment enacted 1»T'* ^^ch w~e toUlly «iifcv«rM»e- of the papal authority in England, Bn- Se mortVpPrtant'la^ pas.ed this •e™'"-. «»* *'^ ^faicb reettlated the sucoossion to the "'•^n- ."' 5§i?iag:^f the king «ith.Catherine wasjlecUredjin- lawful.void, and ol iM> eneoi ; an.. y.= ...».=..-b- ---. Sieen Anne was established and confirmed. The S waVappointed to Je'^fdjoi,''" '?^"? "l*, warriage, and failing them, to the king's hoirs forever HENRY VIII. 195 An oath likewiie was enjoined to be taken in fsvoiir of this order of succeuion, under the penalty ofim- priaonment during the king'a pleasure^ and forfeiture of ffoodf and chattels. Fisher, bishop of Rochester,.^ ana sir Thomas More, were the onl}r persons of note who scrupled the oath of succession : and the king ordered both to be indicted upon the statute, and committed prisoners to the Tower. The parliament being asain assembled, conferred od IA341 ^^^ ^^^^ ^^'^ ^'^^^ of the only supreme head oi> J earth of the church of England; and in this memorable act they acknowledged his inherent pow- er, "to visit, and repress, redress, reform, order, cor- rect, restrain, or amend, all errors, heresies, abuses, offences, contempts, and enormities, which fell under any spiritual authority, or jurisdiction." They also declared it treason to attempt, imagine, or speak evil against the king, qneen, or his heirs, or to endeavour depriving them of their dignities or titles. They gave him a right to all the annates and tithes of benefices, which had formerly been paid to the court of Rome. They attainted More and Fisher for misprision of trea- son ; and they completed the union of England tind Wales, by giving to that principality all the beoefitft of the English laws. Though Henry had rejected the authority of the see of Rome, yet the idea of heresy still appeared detesta- ble as well as formidable to that prince 3 and for more reasons than one, he was indisposed to encourage the opinions of the reformers. Separate as he stood from the catholic church, and from the Roman pontiff, the head of it, he still valued himself on maintaining th& catholic doctrine, and on guarding by ure and sword the imagined purity of his speculative principles. Henry's ministers and courtiers were of as motley & character as his conduct ; and seemed to waver, dur* ring this whole reign, between tho ancient and tii^ new religion. The queen, engaged by interest as w^il as inclination, favoured the cause of the reform^ni.' Cromwell, who was created secretary of itat^, anil who was daily advancing in the king's cohfidence^^had embraced the same views 3 and as he was a man of prudence and abilities, he was able, very efijeotnallyft though in a covert manner, to promote the lat^ inno*: I«^ HISTORY OF ENGLAND. I Yations. Cranmer, archbishop of Canterbury, had se« cretly adopted tile protestant tenets ; and. he had gain- ed Henry^ friendship by his candour and sincerity j >»irtue8 which he possessed in as eminent a degree as those times, equally distracted with faction and op- pressed by tyranny, could easily permit. On the other handf, the duke of Norfolk adhered to the ancient faith; and by his high rank, as well as by his talents both for peace and war, he had grea* authority m the king's council : Gardiner, lately created bishop of Winchester, had enlisted himself in the same party : and the suppleness of his character, and dexterity of his conduct, had rendered him one of its principal supporters. , , , , .1 In the moan time, the king, who held the balance between the factions, was enabled, by the courtship paid him both by protestants and catholics, to assume an unbounded authority. The ambiguity of his con- duct, though it kept the courtiers in awe, served in the main to encourage the protestant doctrine among his subjects. The books composed by the Lutherans were secretly imported into England, and made con- verts every where ; but a translation of the Scriptures, by Tindal, who, rereading the exertion of the king's authority, had fled to Antwerp, was justly deemed one of the most fatal blows to the established faith. Though Henry neglected not to punish those who adhered to the protestant doctrine, which he deemed heresy, yet he knew that his most formidable enemies were the monks, who, having their immediate depen- dence on the Roman pontiflf, apprehended their own ruin to be the certain consequence of abolishing his authority in England. Some of these were detected in a conspiracy; and the detection instigated the king to take vengeance on them. He suppressed three monasteries ; and finding that little clamour was ex- cited by this aefof poi^^, he was more encouraged Co lay his rapacious hands on the remainder. Mean- while, he exercised punishments on individuals who were obnoxious to him. The parliament had made it treason to endeavour to deprive the king oi his digni- ty or titles ; they had lately added to his other titles that of supreme head of the church 5 it was inferred that to deny his supremacy was Ixeanon ', and many / HENRY VIII. 197 priors and ecclesiastics lost their lives for this new species of guilt. Impelled by his violent temper, and desirous of striking a terror into the whole nation, ^ Henry proceeded, by making examples of Fisher and r More, to consummate his tyranny. i,^ When the execution of Fisher and More was re- ^ ported at Rome, Paul III., who had succeeded Cle-7 ment VII. in the papal throne, excommunicated the j^ king and his adherents, deprived him of his crown, f J and gave his kingdom to any invader ; but he delayed L ^ j 15361 ^^® publication of this sentence till the empe- ^\ ■' ror, who was at that time hard pressed by the ^ ' Turks and the protestant princes in Germany, should be in a condition to carry it into execution. Howev- er, an incident happened, which seemed to open the way for a reconciliation between Henry and Charles. * Queen Catherine died at Kimbolton in the county of Huntingdon, of a lingering illness, in the fiftieth year of her age. She wrote a very tender letter to the king, a little before she expired, in which she gave him the appellation of her most dear lord, king, and <-^ husband} and she concluded with these words: "I f make this vow, that m\ne eyes desire you above all / things." The king was touched even to the shedding j of tears, by this last tender proof of Catherine's affec- *— tion: but queen Anne is said to have expressed her oy for the death of a rival beyond what decency or lumanity could permit. The emperor thought that, as the demise of his aunt had removed all foundation of a personal animosity between him and Henry, it might not be impossible to detach him from the alliance of France ; but Henry was rendered indifferent to the advances made by the emperor, both by his experience of the duplicity,'' and insincerity of that monarch, and the ill success that he met with in his invasion of Provence. Henry, conscious of the advantages of his situation^ determined to suppress the monasteries, and to put himself in possession of their ample revenues, and for tnat purpose he delegated his supremacy to Crom- well, who was then secretary of state, and who em- ployed commissioners to inquire into the conduct mi, deportment of the friars. If we may credit the reports of the commissioners, monstrous disorders were foun4 i' 198 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. in many of the religions houses. Henry had recourst to his usual instrument of power, the parliament 5 and • in order to prepare men for the innovations projected, the report of the visiters was published, and a general horror was endeavoured to be excited in the nation .. against institutions, which had long been the objects of the most pVofound veneration. An act was, there- •^fore, passed, by which three hundred and seventy. / fiix monasteries were suppressed, and their revenues, i amounting to thirty-two thousand pounds a-ycar, were ^granted to the king, together with their goods, chat- ^^ tels, and plate, computed at a hundred thousand f pounds more. It does not appear that any opposition / was made to this important law: so absolute was Hen- [ ry's authority ! ^*- But while the supporters of the new religion were exulting in their prosperity, they met with a mortifica- tion in the fate of their patroness Anne Boleyn, v/ho lost her life by the rage of her furious husband. She had been delivered of a dead son ; and Henry's ex- * treme fondness for male issue was thereby disappoint- ed. The king's love was transferred to Jane, daugh- ter of sir John Seymour ; and he was determined to sacrifice every thing to the gratification of his new ap- ^ petite. In a tilting at Greenwich, the queen happen- ed to drop her handkerchief, an incident probably cas- ual, but interpreted by the king as an instance of gal- lantry to some of her paramours. He immediately arrested several persons, in the number of whom was lord Rocheford, the queen's brother ; and next day he ordered the queen to be carried to the Tower. The 1 queen and her brother were tried by a jury of peers; and the chief evidence adduced against them was, that Rocheford had been seen to lean on her bed, before some company. . Unassisted by counsel, the queen tlefended herself with great judgment and presence of mind ; and the spectators pronounced her entirely in- nocent. Judgment, however, was given against both her and Rocheford ; and when the dreadful sentence was pronounced, lifting up her hands to heaven, sub exclaimed, "O Father, ©Creator, thou who art the way, the truth, and the life, thou knoweit that 1 h jv^ Bdt deserved this fate." After being beheaded^ nw body was thrown into a common cheit of elm-tr^*. HENRY VIII. 199 made to hold arrows, and was buried in the Tower. The innocence of Anne Boleyn cannot reasonably be called in question j and the king made the most ef- fectual apology for her, by marrying Jane Seymour ihol day after the execution. The parliament had the / meanness to declare the issue of both his former mar- ^ riages illegitimate ; and the crown was settled on the king's issue by Jane Seymour, or any subsequent wife; and in case he should die without issue, he was em- powered by his will to dispose of the crown. A convocation which sat at the same time with the parliament, determined the standard of faith to consist in the Scriptures, and the three creeds, the Apostolic, J Nicene, and Athanasian ; auricular confession, and/ penance, were admitted ; but no mention was made of *s. marriage, extreme unction, confirmation, or holy or-^ > ders, as sacraiuants ; and in this omission the influ- ence of the protestants appeared. The real presence, however, was asserted, conformably to the ancient doctrine ; while the terms of acceptance were estab- lished to be the merits of Christ, and the mercy and good pleasure of God, suitable to the new principles. These articles of belief were formed by the convoca- tion, corrected by the king, and subscribed by every member of that society ; whilst not one, except Henry, adopted these doctrines and opinions. The expelled monks, wandering about the country, excited both the piety and compassion of men ; and as the ancient reli- gion took hold of the populace by powerful motives, suited to vulgar capacity, it was able, now that it was brought into apparent hazard, to raise the strongest zeal in its favour. The first rising was in Lincoln- shire, and amounted to about twenty thousand men; but the duke of Suffolk appearing at the head of some forces, with secret assurances of pardon, the populace was dispersed and a few of their leaders suffered. The northern rebels were more numerous and more formidable than those of Lincolnshire. One Aske, a gentleman, had taken the command of them, and pos- IVr T %Jl X3X El£ prise they called the Pilgrimage of Chrace : they took an oath that their only motive proceeded from their love to God, their care of the king's person and issue^ Iheir desire of pur>rvuig the nobility, of restoring the 200 HISTORY OF ENGLAiND. J 1A371 c^^^^^r ^^^ o^ euppressing heresy. The duke *oo'} Qf Norfolk was appointed general of the king's forces against the rebels. Aske, with many other ' chiefs, was put to death ; and an amnesty was granted to the people. Not long after this prosperous issue, Henry's joj was crowned by the birth of a son, who was baptized by the name of Edward j yet his happiness was not without alloy, for in two days after the queen died. The prince, not six days old, was created prince of , Wales, duke of Cornwall, and earl of Chester j sir n Edward Seymour, the queen's brother, was raised to jthe dignity of earl of Hertford; sir William Fitzwil- fliams, high-admiral, was created earl of Southamp- / ton 5 sir William Paulet, lord St. John ; sir John Rus- sel, lord Russel. Henry's rapacity, the consequence of his profusion, produced the most entire destruction of the monaste ries ; a new visitation of them was appointed -, and the abbots and monks were induced, in hopes of bet' ter treitment, to make a voluntary resignation of their houses. The whole revenue of these establishments amounted to one hundred and sixty-one thousand one hundred pounds. Great murmurs were every where excited on account of these violent measures 3 but Henry took an effectual method of interesting the no- bility and gentry in the success of his measures ; he either made a gift of the revenues of convents to hia faYOurites and courtiers, or sold them at low prices, or exchanged them for other lands on very disadvanta- geous terms. The court of Rome saw this sacrile- gious plunder with extreme indi(;iiatiou ; and Henry was frequently reproached with liis resemblance to the emperor Julian. The king was so much governed by passion, that nothing could have delayed his opposition againut Rome, but some new objects of animosity. Though he had gradually been changing tiie tenets of that theological system in which he had been educated, yet he wtis no less dogmatical in the few articles which ^mained to him, than if the whole fabric had been entire and unshaken. The point on which he chiefly rested his orthodoxy happened to be the real pres ence ; and every departure from this principle, ht held to be heretical ?r*(\ detestable. HENKY VIII. SOI asures ; but vents to his w prices, or *'"■*. Lambert, a schoolmaster in London, drewr up objoc- | tions against the corporeal presence 3 and when cited [ oy Cranmer and Latimer, instead of recanting, he ; ventured to appeal to the king. Henry, not displeas- i- ed with an opportunity of exerting his supremacy, and displaying his learning, accepted the appeal, rublic notice was given, that he intended to enter the lists with the schoolmaster : scaffolds were erected in Westminster-hall for the accommodation of the audi- ence ; and Henry appeared on his throne, accompa- nied with all the ensigns of majesty, and with the pre- lates and temporal peers on each side of him. The bishop of Chichester opened the conference j and the king asked Lambert, with a stern countenance, what his opinion was of Christ's corporeal presence in the sacrament of the altar. He afterwards pressed Lam- bert with arguments drawn from Scripture and the schoolmen. The audience applauded the force of his reasoning and the extent of his erudition : Cranmer beconded his proofs by some new topics ; Gardiner entered the lists ds a support to Cranmer; Tonstal took up the argument after Gardiner 3 Stokesley brought fresh aid to Tonstal 3 six bishops more ap- peared successively in the field after Stokesley 3 and the disputation, if it deserves the name, was prolong- ed for Rve hours 3 till Lambert, fatigued, contounded, brow-beaten, and abashed, was at last reduced to si- lence. The king then proposed, as a concluding argu- ment, this interesting question, whether he were re- solved to live or to die ? Lambert replied, that he cast himself wholly on his majesty's clemency : the king told him, that he would be no protector of heretics 3 and, therefore, if that were his final answer, he must expect to be committed to the flames. Cromwell, as vicegerent, pronounced the sentence against him. Lambert's executioners took care to make the suffer- ings of a man who had personallv opposed the king, as cruel as possible : he was burned at a slow fire 3 and when there appeared no end of his torments, some of the guards, more merciful than the rest, lifted liim oq their halberts, and threw him into the flames, where he was consumed. While they were employed in this friendly office, he cried aloud several times, nom but ChrUt, none but ChrUt ; and with these words h« expired. 202 HISTORY OFiENGLAND. m J W Immediately after the death of Jane Seymour, Henry began to think of a new marriage 3 and Cromwell propo- sed to him Anne of Cleves, whose father, the duke of that name, had great interest among the Lutheran prin- ces. The marriage was at length concluded ; and Anne was sent over to England. The king, however, found i^dni ^®^ utterly destitute both of beauty and grace j ^'^J swore that she was a great Flanders mare ; and declared that he never could possibly bear her any af- fection. His aversion to the queen secretly increased every day 5 and having at last broken all restraint, it prompted him at once to seek the dissolution of a marriage so odious to him, and to involve his minister in ruin, who had been the innocent author of it. The fall of Cromwell was hastened by other causes. The catholics regarded him as the concealed enemy of their religion ; the protestants, observing his exterior concurrence with all the persecutions exercised against (hem, were inclined to oear him as little favour 5 and Ihe king, who found that great clamour had on all hands arisen against the governmefit, was not displeas- ed to throw on Cromwell the load of public hatred, hoping by so easy a sacrifice to regain the affections of his subjects. Another more powerful cause, howev- er, brought about an unexpected revolution in the min- istry. The king had fixed his affection on Catherine Howard, niece to the duke of Norfolk ; and, being de- termined to gratify this new passion^ he could find no ■ oUier expedient than a divorce from his present con- sort, to raise Catherine to his bed and throne. The duke, who had long been in enmity with the minister, obtained a commission from the king to arrest Crom- well at the council-table, on an accusation of high-trea- son, and to commit him to the Tower. Immediately after, a bill of attainder was framed against him : and , the house of peers thought proper, without trial, ex- ' amination, or evidence, to condemn to death, on the ^most frivolous pretences, a man whom, a few days be- fore, they had declared worthy to be vicar-general of the universe. The house of commons passed the bill, though not without some opposition. When brought to the place of execution, Cromwell avoided all earn- est protestations of his innocence, and all complaints ■gainst the sentence pronounced upon him. He knew -^ HENRY VIII. SOS Uiat Henry would resent on his son those symptoms of opposition to his will, and that his death alone woula not terminate that monarch's vengeance. He was a man of prudence, industry, and abilities j wor- thy of a better master and of a better fate. Though raised to the summit of power from a low origin, yet he betrayed no insolence or contempt towards his in- feriors ; and he was careful to remember all the obli- gations which, during his more humble fortune, he had owed to any one ; a circumstance that reflects the highest lustre on his character. The measures for divorcing Henry from Anne of Cleves, were carried on at the same time with the bill of attainder against Cromwell. Anne had formerly been contracted, by her father, to the duke of Lor- ' raine 3 and Henry pleaded this precontract as a ground of divorce. The convocation was satisfied with this reason, and solemnly annulled the marriage between the king and queen ; the parliament ratified the decision of the clergy j and Anne, blest with 1 happy insen- sibility of temper, accepted of a settlement of three thousand pounds a-year, and gave her consent to the di- vorce. An alliance contracted by Henry with the emperor, and his marriage with Catherine Howard, which fol- lowed soon after his divorce from Anne of Cleves, were regarded as favourable incidents to the citholics ; and the subsequent events corresponded to their ex- pectations. A fierce persecution commenced against the protestants; but whilst the king exerted his vio- . lence against the protestants, he spared not the catho- lics, who denied his supremacy ; and hence it wad^ said by a foreigner in England; that those who were against the pope were burned, and those who were for | him were hanged. L. Henry had thought himself very happy in his new marriage } the agreeable person and disposition of Catherine had entirely captivated his affections j and • he made no secret of his devoted attachment to her Rut- «Ka miAAn'o ^ntiilii/il' vorv littlpi Tnpritpfl this ten derness : one Lascelles brought intelligence of he dissolute life to Cranmer ; and told him that Derham and Mannoc, both of Uiem servants to the old duchess of Norfolk, had been admitted to her bed. Thre© 204 HISTORVr OF ENGLAND. f * maids of the family were admitted into her secreti, and some of them had even passed the night in bed' with her and her lovers. The queen being questioned denied her guilt 5 but when informed that a full dis- covery was made, she confessed that she had been criminal before marriage ; and only insisted that she had never been false to the king's bed. But as there was evidence that one Colepepper had passed the night with her alone since her marriage : and as it appeared that she had taken Derham, her olcl paramour, mto her service, she seemed to deserve little credit in this as- iseveration ; and the king, besides, was not of a humour to make^ any difference between these degrees of guilt. ^ Henry convoked a parliament, the ysual instrument of his tyranny j and the two houses, having received the queen's confession, voted a bill of attainder for treason against the queen, and the viscountess Roche- ford, who had conducted her secret amours j and in this bill Colepepper and Derham were also compre- hended. At the same time, they passed a bill or at- tainder for misprision of treason against the old duch- ess of Norfolk, Catherine's grandmother} her uncle, lord William Howard, and his lady, together with the countess of Bridgewater, and nine persons morej because they knew the queen's vicious course of life / before her marriage, and had concealed it. Henry / himself seems to have been sensible of the cruelty of j this proceeding : for he pardoned the duchess of Nor- ^folk, and most of the others condemned for misprision , of treason. However, to secure himself for the future, as well as his successors, from this fatal accident, he engaged the parliament to pass a law, that if the king married any woman who had been incontinent, taking her for a true maid, she should be guilty of treason if she did not previously reveal her guilt to him. The people made merry with this singular enactment, and t-v«aid, that the king must henceforth look out for a wid- ow ; for no reputed maid would ever be persuaded to incur the penalty of the statute. After this, the 3ueen was beheaded on Tower-hill, together with lav y Rocheford. They behaved in a manner suitable to their dissolute life j and as lady Rocheford was known to be the chief instrument in bringing Anne Boleyn to her untimely end, she died unpitied. HENRY VIII. fOk JamcB, king of the Scots^ having incurred the re- sentment of Henry, a manifesto soon paved the way ' to hostilities ; and the duke of Norfolk, at the head of twenty thousand men, passed the Tweed at Berwick, and marched along the banks of the river as far as Kelso- but on the approach of James, with thirty thousand men, the English repassed the river, and retreated into their own country. The king of Scots, inflamed with a desire of military glory, and of revenge on his invaders, -rave the signal for pursuing them, and carrying the war into England j but his nobility, who were in general disaffected on account of the prefer- ence which he had given to the clergy, opposed this resolution, and refused to attend him in- his projected enterprise. Enraged at this mutiny, he reproached them with cowardice, and threatened vengeance ; but he sent ten thousand men to the western borders, who entered England at Solway Frith j and he himself fol- lowed them at a small distance. This army, however, was ready to disband, when a small body of English appeared, not exceeding five hundred men, under the command of Dacres and Musgrave. A panic seized the Scots, who immediately took to flight, and were pursued by the enemy. Few were killed in this rout, but a great many were taken prisoners, ard some of tne principal nobility, who were all sent to London. James, being naturally of a melancholic disposition, as well as endowed with a high spirit, lost all command of his temper on this dismal occasion. Rage against his nobility, who he believed had betrayed himj shame for a defeat by such unequal numbers j regret for the past, fear of the future ; all these passions so wrought upon him, that he would admit of no consola- tion, but abandoned himself wholly to despair. His body was wasted by sympathy with his anxious mind : and even his life began to be thought in danger. He had no issue living, and hearing that his queen was safely delivered, he asked whether she had brought hiin a male or a female child? Being told the latter. ' he turned himself in his bed : "The crown came witli \," BUiu he, " ana it will go with one : many 154S] ™»8eries await this poor kingdom : Henry will make it his own, either by force of arms or by marriMe." A few days z^^-r, he expired, in the flow er of his age. SOS HISTORY OF ENGLAND. Henry was no loouer informed of hii victory, and of the death of hia nephew, than he projected the flcheme of uniting Scotland to hii own dominion!, by marrying his son £ldward to the heiress of tiiat king- dom. The Scottish nobles, who were his prisoners, readily assented to the proposal; and after delifer inff hostages for their return, in case the intended nvp* tials should not be completed, they were allowed to return to Scotland. A negotiation was commenced with sir Ralph Sadler, the English ambassador, for the marriage of the infant queen with the prince of Wales ; :md equitable conditions were quickly agreed on ; but Beaton, the cardinal prima4;e, who acted as minister to James, was able, by his intrigues, to confound this measure. He represented the union with England as the certain ruin of the ancient religion ; and as soon as he found a war with that'kingdom unavoidable, he immediately applied to France for assistance during the present distresses of the Scottish nation. The in- fluence of the French in Scotland excited the resent- ment of Henry, who formed a close league with the emperor ; and war was declared against Francis by the allies. In order to obtain supplies for his projected war with France^, Henry summoned a new session of par- "^ liament, wliich granted him a subsidy. About the . 15431 ®*™® time, the king married Catherine Par, /] ■* widow of Nevil, lord Latimer, a woman of vir- 1^ tue, and somewhat inclined to the reformed doctrines. On the other hand, the king^s league with the empe- ror seemed a circumstance no less favourable to the catholic party ; and thus matters remained still nearly balanced between the factions. While the winter season restrained Henry fVom mil- itary operations, he summoned a new parliament, which, after declaring the prince of Wales, or any of the king's male issue, first heirs to the crown, restor- ed the two princesses, Mary and Elizabeth, to their riebt of succession. Such, however, was the caprice of the king, that while he opened the way for these thi^ acts to be reversed which declared them illegiti- mate ! Henry sent a fleet and army to invade Scotland HENRY VIII. 207 m, rettor> 1 he tf ttopi were disembarked near Leith j and, after diBpersing a small body which opposed them, they tooK that town without resistance, and then marcheil to Edinburgh, the crates of which were soon beatenS down f and the English first pillaged, and then set firer to the city. The earl of Arran, who was regent, andn Beaton the cardinal, were not prepared to oppose so^ jjreat a force ; and they fled to Stirling. The Knglish marched eastward, laid waste the whole country, burned and destroyed Haddington and Dunbar, and then retreated into England. This incursion intlamed, without subduing the spirit of the Scots; but Henry recalled his troops, in conse- quence of his treaty with the emperor, by which those two princes had agreed to invade France with above one hundred thousand men. The city of Boulogne was treacherously surrendered to Henry ; but the em- peror, after taking several places, concluded a peace with Francis at Crepy, where no mention was made of England j and Henry, finding himself obliged to raise the siege of Montreuil, returned into England. This campaign served to the populace as matter of great triumph ; but all men of sense concluded that the king had, as in all his former military enterprises, obtained, at a great expense, an unimportant acquisi- tion. The war with Scotland, meanwhile, was conducted 15451 ^^^^'y? *"^ ^'^^ various success ; and the war ■' with France was i»ot distinguished by any mem- orable event. The great expense of these two wars maintained by Henry, obliged him to summon a new parliament. The commons granted him a subsidy, payable in two years, of two shillings a pound on land ; the spirituality voted him six shillings a pound. But the parliament, apprehensive lest more demands should be made upon them, endeavoured to save them- selves by a very extraordinary liberality of other peo- ple's property. By one vote they bestowed on the king all the revenues of the universities, as well as of the chadntries, free chapels, and hospitals. Henry was pleased with this concession, as it increased his Eower ; but he had no intention to rob learning of all er endowments -, and he soon took care to inform the universities that he meant i^ot to touch their revenues ] HISTORY OF ENGLAND Thus thcBe ancient and celebrated establishment! owe I iheir existence to the generosity of the king, not to the protection of th:s servile parliament. Henry employed in military preparations the money 15461 K*"^"^®^ ^y parliament j anu he sent over the ^ carl of Hurtford and lord Lisle, the admiral, to CaJais, with a body of nine thousand men, two-thirds of which consisted of foreigners. Some skirmishes of small moment ensued with the French : but as no hopes of any considerable progress could be entertain- ed by either party, both came to an accommodation. Commissioners met at Campe, a small place between Ardres and Guisnes ; and it was agreed, that Henry should retain Boulogne during eight years, or till 'li former debt due by Francis-should be paid. This debt was settled at two millions of livres, besides a claim of five hundred thousand livres, which was afterwards to be adjusted. Francis took care to comprehend «^ Scotland in the treaty. Thus all that Henry obtained /|\ by a war which cost him above one million three hundred and forty thousand pounds sterling, was a bad and a chargeable security for a debt which was not a ijtbird of the value. The king had now leisure to attend to domestic af- Hairs. He was prevailed on to permit the Litany to be celebrated in the vulgar tongue ; and Cranmer taking advantage of Gardiner's absence on an embassy to the emperor, attempted to draw him into farther innova- tions ; but Gardiner wrote to Henry, and retarded for some time the projects of Cranmer. The catholics took hold of the king by his passion for orthodoxy; and they represented to him, that if ^ is ^audable zeal for enforcing the truth met with no rjt , - success, it was altogether owing to the prims'^; vUo j exam|>iie and encouragement were, in reality, the secret sup- A ports of heresy. Henry seeing the point at which I they aimed, feigned a compliance, and desired the / council to make quiry into Crammer's conduct. Ev- '^..v body now c aside red the pHmate as lost; and vv! Qo admitted into the council-chamber^ he was told that they had determined to send him to the Tower. Cranmer said, that he appealed to the king himself; and finding his appeal disregarded, he produced a ring, which Henry had given him as a pledge of favour and HENRY vni. 209 iiuccess. it protoction. The council were confounded : and when they came before the king, he reproved them in the Beverest terms : and told them that he was well ac qiiainted with Cranmer's merit, as well as with their malignity and envy. But though Henry's partial favour for Cranmer ren- dered fruitless all accusations against him, his prido and peevishness, irritated by his declining state of health, induced him to punish with severity every oth- er i:ierflon who differed from him in opinion. Ann"^ i' Ascuc, a young lady of merit as wall as beauty, who 'vas connected with the queen herself, was accused ui' dogmatizing on the rea presence ; and, after being subjected to the torture in the most barbarous man- ner, she was sentenced to be burned alive, with four others condemned for the same crime. When they were all tied to the stake, they refused the pardon that was offered on condition of recantation : and they saw with tranquillity the executioner kindle the flames that were to consume them. Though the secrecy and fidelity of Ann Ascue sav- ed the ^ueen from this peril, yet that princess soon af- ter fell into a new danger, from which she narrowly escaped. Henry's favourite topic of conversation was theolonf ; and Catherine, whose gbod sense enabled her to diiscourse on any subject, was frequently engag- ed in the argument ; and, being secretly inclined to the principles of the reformers, she unwarily betrayed too much of her mind on these occasions. Henry, highly provoked that she should presume to differ from hiai, complained of her obstinacy to Gardiner, who gladly laid hold of the opportunity, to inflame the quar- ''el J and the king, hurried on by his own impetuous temper, and encouraged by his bigoted counsellors, went so far as to order articles of impeachment to be drawn up against liis consort. By some means this important paper fell into the hands of one of the queen's friends, who immediately carried the intelli- gence to her. Sensible of the extreme danger to which she was exposed, she paid her usual visit to the iCing, Wiio entered on the subject most familiar to ^"n» and who seemed to challenge her to an argument in divinity. She gently declined the conversation, VOL. I. 14 k 210 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. and remarked, that such ^.•rofouiid speculations were ill-suited to the natural imbecility of her sex. Wo- men she said, by their creation, were made subject to men' It belonj^ed to the husband to choose prmciples for his wife ; the wife's duty was, in all cases, to adopt implicitly the sentiments of her husband : and as to herself, it was doubly her duty, being blest with a husband who was qualified by his judgment and learnin«' to choose principles not only for his own family °out for the most wise and kno^ylng of every nation.' "Not so, '.y St. Mary/' replied the king; " you are now become a doctor, Kate j and better fitted to «rViir.V> tViov Hnnrivprl him of all his offices, and fined him two thousand pounds a-year in land. Lord St. John was created treasurer in his place, and Warwick carl-marshal. The prosecution agains* HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 7' him was carried no farther } and his fine was remitted by the king. Warwick, thinking that he was now sufficiently humbled, re-admitted him into the coun- cil, and even agreed to an alliance between their fami* lies, by the marriage of his own son, lord Dudley, with the lady Jane Seymour, daughter of Somerset. When Warwick and the council of regency began 1 5*101 ^^ exercise their power, they found themselves ■I embarrassed by the wars with France and Scot- land ; and therefore a pacification was efiected, by which France bound herself to pa^ four hundred thou- sand crowns for the restitution ot Boulogne ; and the English agreed to restore to Scotland Lauder and Dou- glas, and to demolish the fortresses of Roxburgh and Ey mouth. In all other respects, than an intention of marrying 15511 ^^^ ^"^ ^^ ^ daughter of the king of France, a "* violent persecutor of the protestants, the coun- cil was steady in promoting the reformation. Several prelates still adhered to the Romish communion, and were deprived of their sees on pretence of disobedi- ence. The princess Mary declared herself willing to endure death rather than relinquish the ancient relio Srion ; and Edward, who had been educated in a vio- ent abhorrence of the mass and other popish rites, lamented his sister's obstinacy, and bewailea his fate in suffering her to continue in such an abominable mode of worship. Various schemes attempted by the council for pro- moting industry were likely to prove abortive, by the ambition of wWwick. The last earl of Northumber- land died without issue ; and as sir Thomas Piercy, his brother, had been attainted in the late reign, War- wick procured a grant of the estate, with the title of duke of Northumberland. Finding that Somerset, though degraded from his dignity, still enjoyed a considerable share of populari- ty, Northumberland determined to ruin the man whom he regarded as the chief obstacle to the attainment of his ambition. The alliance between the two fami- lies had produced no cordial union. Northumberland secretly gained many of the friends and servants of that unhappy nobleman ; and the unguarded Somerset often broke oat into menacing expressions, whieli his treacherous confidants carried to his enemy. EDWARD VI. 221 In one night, the duke of Somerset, Icrd Grey, Da- fid and John Seymour, Hammond and Neudigate, two of the duke's servants, sir Kaloh Vane, and sir Thom- as Palmer, were arrested and committed to custody. Next day the duchess of Somerset, with her favour- ites, and some others, were thrown into prison. Sir Thomas Palmer, who had all along acted as a spy up- on Somerset, accused him of having formed a design of raising an insurrection in the north j and that he had once projected the murder of Northumberland, Northampton, and Pembroke. Somerset was brought to his trial before the marquis of Winchester, created high-steward. Twenty-seven peers composed the jury, among whom were Northumberland, Pembroke, and Northampton, whom decency should have hindered from acting as judges in the trial of a man that appear- ed to be their capital enemy. Somerset was accused of high-treason on account of the projected insurrec- tions, and of felony in laying a design to murder privy- counsellors. The proof seems to have been lame in regard to the treasonable part of the charge ; but the prisoner himself confessed that he had expressed his intention of murdering Northumberland and the other lords : and he was accordingly condemned to death for felony. Care had been taken to prepossess the young king against his uncle j and lest he should relent, no ac- cess was given to any of Somerset's friends. The prisoner was brought to the scaffold on Tower-hill, amidst great crowds of spectators, who bore him such ,^fl, sincere kindness that they entertained to the *oo.6j j^g^ moment the fond hopes of his pardon. Ma- ny of them rushed in to dip their handkerchiefs in his blood, which they long preserved as a precious rel- ique 3 and some of Uiem soon afler, when Nortbupn- berland met with a like doom, upbraided him with this cruelty, and displayed to him these symbols of his crime. The day after the execution of Somerset, a session of parliament was held, in which farther advances were made towards the eitablishment of the reforma- tion. The new liturgy was authorized ; and penalties were enacted against all those who absented them< Helves fj^om public worship, I ttz HISTORY OF ENGLAND. Tonstal, bishop of Durham; less eminent for the dignity of his see, than for his own personal merit, had opposed, by his vote and authority, all innovations in religion ; but as soon as thoy were enacted, he had always submitted from a sense of duty, and had con- formed to every theological system which had been established. The general regard paid to his charac- ter had protected him from any severe treatment dur- ing the administration of Somerset ; but when North- umberland gained the asoendant, he was thrown in- to prison 5 and as that rapacious nobleman had form- ed a design of seizing the revenues of the see of Dur- ham, and of acquiring to himself a principality in the northern counties, ho was resolved to deprive Tonstal of his bishopric. A bill of attainder, therefore, on pretence of misprision of treason, was introduced into the house of peers against that prelate, and passed with slight opposition 3 but when the bill was sent down to the commons, they required that witnesses should be examined, that Tonstal should be allowed to defend himself, and that he should be confronted with his accusers. These demands being refused, they rejected the bill. This equity, so unusual in the parliament during that age, was ascribed by Northumberland to the prev- alence of Somerset's faction ; and it was therefore re- solved to dissolve the parliament, and to summon a now one. This expedient answered Northumberland's expectations. As Tonstal had, in the interval, been deprived of his bishopric in an arbitrary manner, by the sentence of lay-commissioners appointed to try him, the see of Durham was by act of parliament di- vided into two bishoprics, which had certain portions of the revenue assigned them. The regalities of the see, which included the jurisdiction of a count pala tine, were given by the king to Northumberland. Tne young prince showed a disposition to frugality ; but such had been the rapacity of the courtiers, that the crown owed about three hundred thousand pounds ; and as the king's health was declining very^ tast, the viiiptiuess of the exchequer was au obstacle to tna ambitious projects of Northumberland. That noble- man represented to Edward, that his two sisters, Ma- ry and Elizabeth, had been declared illegitirtiate by EDWARD VI. 225 ict of parliament \ that the aueen of ScoU stood ex- cluded by the late king's will j that the certain con- Bcquence of his sister Mary's succession, or that ot th J queen of Scots, was the abolition of the protes- lant religion j that the succession next devolved on the marchioness of Dorset, elder daughter of tho^ French queen, and llie duke of Suffolk ; that the next / heir of the marchioness was the lady Jane Grey, a/ lady of the most amiable character, accomplished by^ the best education, both in literature and religion, and ovcrv way worthy of a crown; and that even if her title'by blooil were doubtful, which there was no just reason to pretend, the king was possessed of the same power that his father enjoyed, and might leave her the crown by letters patent. Tliese reasonings made im- pression on tne young prince j and, above all, his zeal- ous attachment to the protestant religion made him apprehend the consequences, if so bigoted a catholic as fiis sister Mary should succeed to the throne. And though he bore an affection to the lady Elizabeth, who was liable to no such objection, means were found to persuade him that he would not exclude the one sister on account of illegitimacy, without also excluding the other. Northumberland, finding that his arguments were likely to operate on the king, began to prepare the other parts of his scheme. Two sons of the duke of Suffolk, by a second marriage, having died this season of the sweating sickness, that title was extinct j and Northumberland engaged the king to bestow it on the marquis of Dorset. Hy means of this favour, and of others which he conferred upon him, he persuaded the new duke of Suffolk and the duchess to give their daughter, the lady Jane, in marriage to his fourth son, the lord Guildford Dudley. In order to fortify hint- self by farther alliances, he negotiated a marriage h#« tween the lady Catherine Grey, second daughter of Suffolk, and lord Herbert, eldest son of the earl of Pembroke. He also married his own daughter to lord These fAfl. riastings, eldest son of the earl of Huntingdon. .__.«.:____ ...__. _~1 ^.nm ni.an'l isrWit mrtxnt r\e\tnr\ nnfl livity ; and the people, who hated Northumberland, could not forbear expressing their indignation at see- i.ug such public demonstrations of joy during the lao» i«iihing state of the young prince's health. ,^fflrVr!9^^^^^^^^ m HISTORY OF ENGLAND. The appearance of symptoms of a consumption in Ed ward made Northumberland more intent on the execu- tion of his project. He removed all except his own em- issaries from Jboutthe king 5 and by artifice he prevail. ed on the young prince to give his final consent to the settlement projected. Sir Edward Montague, chief- justice of the common pleas, sir John Baker, and sir Thomas Bromley, two judges, were accordingly sum. moned to the council, where, after the minutes of the intended deed were read to them, the king required them to draw them up in the form of letters-patent. They hesitated to obey, and desired time to consider The more they reflected, the greater danger they found in compliance. The settlement of the crown by Henry the Eighth had been made in consequence ot an act of parliament; and by another act, passed in the be- ginning of this reign, it was declared treason in any of the heirs, their aiders or abettors, to change the order of succession. The judges pleaded these reu- sons before the council 5 and they were reduced to ereat difficulties between the dangers trom the law. and those which arose from the violence of present power and authority. At last, Montague proposed aii expedient, which satisfied both his brethren and the counsellors. He desired that a special commission should be passed by the king and council, requiring the iudges to draw a patent for the new settlemen of the crown ; and that a pardon should be immediate y after granted them for any offence which they might have incurred by their compliance. When the patent was drawn, and brought to ine bishop of Ely, chancellor, in order to have the grea seal affixed to it, the prelate required that all the iudges should previously sign it. .^^^e chancellor kext required, for his greater security, that all the privy-counBellorB should set their hands to the patent . Ind the intrigues of Northumberland, or the fear of hie violence, were so prevalent, that the counBellon complied with this demand. Cranmer alone hesitated ^^"_ *: u..* -♦ Uat viPlHpd to the earneat curing Buuii; wiiic, ««•- »»■■ •- — y -- and pathetic intreaties of the king. After this settlement was made, with bo manpn^i suBpiciouB circumBtancea, Edward visibly deciinea! •very day 5 and, to make matters wofbc, bis poyw EDWARD VI. S2d cians were dismissed by Northumberland's advice, and by an order of council ; and he was put into the hands of an ignorant woman, in a little time to restore him to his former state of health. After the use of her medicines, all his bad symptoms increased to the most violent degree 5 and he expired at Greenwich, in the sixteenth year of his age, and the seventh ot his reign. The English historians dwell with pleasure on the excellent qualities of this young prince ; whom the flattering promises of hope, joined to many real virtues, had made an object of tender affection to the public. He possessed mildness of disposition, with application to study and business, and a capacity to learn and judge, with an attachment to equity and justice. Daring the reign of Edward, the princess Mary had been regarded as his lawful successor; and though the protestants dreaded the effects of her prejudices, 15531 ^^^ extreme hatred universally entertained J against the Dudleys, who, it was foreseen, would reign under the name of Jane, was more than sufficient to counterbalance, even with that party, the attachment to religion. This last attempt to violate the order of succession had displayed Northumber- land's ambition and injustice in a full light. Northumberland, sensible of the opposition which he must expect, had carefully concealed the destina- tion made by the king ; and, in order to bring the two princesses into his power, he had the art to engage the council, before Edward's death, to write to them in that prince's name, desiring their attendance, on pre- I tence that his infirm state of health required the as- [sistance of their council, and the consolation of their company. Edward expired before their arrival j but Northumberland, in order to make the princesses fall into the snare, kept the king's death still secret; and the lady Mary had already reached Hoddesden, within half a day's journey of the court. Happily, the earl of Arundel sent her private intelligence both of her brother's death and of the conspiracy formed against [her. She imiHediatelv made haste to retire - and sh© [arrived at Framlingham in Suffolk, where she purposed ito embark and escape to Flanders, in case she should [find it impossible to defend her right of succession roh.i 15 m0*t^- 2S6 HISTORY OF £NOLAND. She wrote letters to the nobility and most eOBsidera* ble gentry in every county of England, commanding them to assist her in the defence of her crown and person 5 and she despatched a message to the council, requiring them immediately to give orders for pro- claiming her in London. Northumberland found that farther dissimulation was fruitless ; and he approached the lady Jane with the respect due to a sovereign. Jane was in a great measure ignorant of the transactions which had taken place ; and it was with equal grief and surprise that she received the intelligence. She was a lady of an amiable person, an engaging disposition, and accom- plished talents. Her heart, full of a passion for liter- ature and the elegant arts, and of tenderness towards her husband, who was deserving of her affections, had no room for ambition. She even refused to accept the crown, and pleaded the right of the two princess- es ; and she at last yielded rather to the intreaties than the reasons of her father and husband Orders were given by the council to proclaim Jane throughout the kingdom ; but these orders were exe- cuted only in London and the neighbourhood. In the mean time, the people of Suffolk paid their attendance on Mary. They were much attached to the reformed religion j and as she assured them that she never meant to change the laws of Edward, they enlisted in her cause with zeal and affection. The nobility and gentry daily flocked to her, and brought her reinforce- ments. Even a fleet, which had been sent by North- umberland to lie off the coast of Suffolk, being forced into Yarmouth by a storm, was engaged to dechre iu her favour. Northumberland, hitherto blinded by ambition, saw at last the danger gather round him, and knew not which way to turn. He had levied forces which were assembled at London ; but dreading the cabals of the courtiers and counsellors, whose compliance he knew had been entirely the result of fear or artifice, he was resolved to keep near tl\e person of the lady Jane, and lora who wished to remove him, working on the filial tenderness of Jane, magnified to her uie danger to which her father would oe exposed ; and represented MARY. M7 '«*V> \f\ttAIUOX^^"> '«•-- her fondly give credit to every appearance of ptegnan* cy 5 and when the legate wag introduced to her, she fancied that she felt the embryo stir in her womb. Great rejoicings were made on this occasion ; but the nation remained somewhat incredulous. The belief however, of her pregnancy was upheld with all possi- ble care ; and was one artifice by which Philip endeav- oured to support his authority in the kingdom. The parliament passed a law, which, in case of the queen's d'^mise, appointed him protector during the minority : 15551 ^**® ^*"^ ^^^ queen, finding that they could J obtain no farther concessions, came unexpect- edly to Westminster and dissolved them. The success of Gardiner in governing the parlia- ment, and engaging them to concur both in the Span- ish match, and in the re-establishment of the ancient religion, had raised his character above that of Pole, who was regarded rather as a good man than a great ninister. The latter was very sincere in his religious jrinciples, and thought that no consideration of hu- man policy ought ever to come in competition with the catholic doctrines 5 whilst Gardiner, on the con- trary, had always made his religion subservient to his schemes of safety or advancement. Yet the benevo- lent disposition of Pole led him to advise a toleration of the heretical tenets, which he highly blamed ; while the severe manners of Gardiner inclined him to sup- port by persecution that religion which in readity he regarded with great indifference. The arguments and views of Gardiner were more agreeable to the cruel bigotry of Mary and Philip 5 and the scheme of toleration was entirely rejected. It was determined to let loose the laws in their full vigour against the reformed religion ; and England was soon filled with scenes of horror, which have ever since rendered the catholic religion the object of de served detestation. Rogers, prebendary of St. Paul's, a man eminent in his party for virtue as well as for learning, was the first victim of the persecutors. This man, beside the PAP^ i\w riia ^virm ¥%i*AcKk«*irn4irkv% 11«:«vm •^.^m....^^ ful temptations to recanti he had a wife whom he tenderly loved, and ten children; yet such was his serenity after his condemnation, that tne jailors, it it , m.:} HISTORY OF ENGLAND. said, waked him from a sound sleep, when the hour of his execution approached. He had desired to see his wife before he died j but Gardiner told him, that he was a priest, and could not possibly have a wife : thus adding insult to cruelty. Hooper, bishop of Gloucester, had been tried at tht fame time with Kogers ; but was sent to his own dio- cess to be executed. This circumstance was contriv* ed to strike the greater terror into his flock ; but it was a Ronrce of consolation to Hooper, who rejoiced in giving testimony by his death to that doctrine which he had formerly preached among them. When he was tied to the stake, a stool was set before him, and the queen's pardon laid upon it, which it was still in his power to merit by a recantation : but he ordered it to be removed ; and cheerfully prepared himself for that dreadful punishment to whicn he was sentenced. He suffered it in its full severity; the wind, which was violent, blew the flame of the reeds from his bo- dy 5 the faggots were green, and did not kindle easily; all his lower parts were consumed before his vitals were attacked ; but he was heard to pray, and to ex- hort the people, till his tongue, swollen with the vio- lence of his agony, could no longer permit him utter- ance. Sanders was burnt at Coventry : a pardon was also offered him; but he rejected it, and embraced the stake, saying, " Welcome the cross of Christ ! wel- come everlasting life V Taylor, parson of Hadley, was punished by fire in that place, surrounded by his former friends and parishioners. Philpot, archdeacon of Winchester, was condemned to the flames, and suffered at Smithfield. The imputed crime for which almost all the protestants were condemned, was their refusal to acknowledge the doctrine of the real pre- sence. Gardiner, who had vainly expected that a few ex- amples would strike a terror into the reformers, find- ing the work daily multiply upon him, devolved the invidious office on others, fjhiefly on Bonner, a man of orofligate manners, sind of a hnita! chars>r.ter who eeemed to rejoice in the torments of the unhappj sufferers. He sometimes whipped the prisoners with his owo hands, till he was tired with the violence of MARY. 237 the exercise .; he tore out the board of a weaver who refused to relinquish his religion 3 and that he might Sr.JnHI^T?^'^" ''^ ^"''"i"8r, lie held his hand to the candle till the smews and veins shrunk and burst It 18 impossible to enumerate in this work all tho cruelties practised in England during the three veara that these persecutions lasted. Ferrar bishop J^ St David's, was burned in his own diocess. Ridley, bish-l op of London and Latimer, formerly bishop of wirces- / ter, two prelates celebrated for learning and virtue perished together in the same flames at Oxford and/ supported each other's constancv by their mutual ex- hortations. Latimer, when tied to the stake, called h.lWh7TT":i."^" f good cheer, broth'erTwe^ shal this day kindle such a torch in England, as, I trust in God, shall never be extinguished." ' ' The tender sex itself, as they have commonly great- er propensity to religion, produced many examples of InTtV"- r'^.u ^''"^^^^ ^" supporting the profes- sion of their faith against all the persecutors!^ One execution in particu ar was attended with circumstan- ces which even at that time, excited astonishment by reason of their unusual barbarity. A woman in Guern- "I sey being near the time of her labour, when brought to he s ake was thrown into such agitation by the orture that her belly burst, and she was delivered in the midst of the flames. One of the guards immedi- ate y snatched the infant from the fire, and att™ed to save It 5 but a magistrate, who stoot*. by, ordereld it to be thrown back, being determined, he said, that nothing should survive which sprang from so obstinate and heretical a parent. J „; J^^l® barbarities, committed in the name of a relT- fidM J fiu'^l ^^^"^^ ^^^»*^^ ^°"°^ »" ^J^e nation, nn« pu- J"^"* ^^^ ?j;^"*'^ government daily more odi- ous. Philip, sensible of the hatred which he incur- red, ordered his confessor to deliver, in his presence. JifinoTl 'a *2''°."'' f toleration 5 but this shallow ar- tifice failed of the desired effect, and the court threw ^nnnfou^ . • . ^S, a"empt was made to introduce the nqUlSltlOn mtn F.nrrlan#). o«r1 „ :___• SK 'ii^**"**'*'.'^'^ °^*^« *l"een'8 prerogative, more effec ually to extirpate heresy j but the cSurt devised tt more expeditious and summary method of support- I Tm Jll**»**-- S38 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 1 J •ng orthodoxy than even the inquisition itself. Thev issued a proclamation against books of heresy, treason ?hf ^t'^^V'"*' ^^^^'J^'^^Sr, ''that whosoever had any of these books, and did not presently burn them, without reading them, or showing them to any other person should be esteemed rebels 5 and without anyYarthef delay be executed by martial law." ^ ♦J^"k*^^ space of three years, it is computed, that two hundred and seventy-seven persons were brought to the stake; besides those who were punished by imprisonment, fines, and confiscations. Among those who suffered by fire were five bishops, twenty-one clergymen eight lay gentlemen, eighty-four trades- "^"^^"6 *^"n^red husbandmen, servants, and labour- ers^ fiftv.five women, and four children, nfio!^ -r "^ ?u ^?^«t»cs was a very natural method ?n„ . ^i^'l?!^ ^H kingdom to the Romish commun- ion, and little solicitation was requisite to engage the pope to receive the strayed flock. However, Paul IV., who now filled the papal chair, insisted thit the property and possessions of the church should be re- stored to the uttermost farthing. This demand had itUe influence on the nation, but operated powerful- ly on the ^ueen, who was determined, in order to ease her conscience to restore all the church-lands, which were still m the possession of the crown : and the more to display her zeal, she erected anew some con- vents and monasteries, notwithstanding the !ow con- dition of the exchequer. When this measure was de- bated in council some members objected, that if such fk^S-'^^l'****? Pu"' °^***® '^^e»»e were dismembered, the dignity of the crown would fall to decay : but the queen replied, that she preferred the salvation of her soul to ten such kingdoms as England. Persecution had now become extremely odious to the nation; and the effects of the public discontent ^peared m the new parliament summoned to meet at ^.!!iklu*^®/' b *>»\1 was passed, restoring to the -fin^. Jk? i^"^*"' and first-fruits, and all the impropri- ations which remained in the hands of ♦!.« «»r^«/« . >mi» toougk this inatter directly concerned none but the ?« ?Kr t**®"^®"' Kfeat opposition was made to the bUl fL « .„i^"? ""1 <^P™n™on8- An application being made tor a subsidy during two years, and for two fifteenths MAllY. 239 the latter was refiised by the commonflj and many nembers said, that while the crown wae thus despoil- ing itself of its revenue, it was in vain to bestow rich- es upon It. The queen, finding the intractable humour of the commons, thought proper to dissolve the parlia- ment. The spirit of opposition which prevailed in parlia- ment, was the more vexatious to Mary, as Philip, tir- ed of her importunate love and jealousy, and finding his authority extremely limited in England, had left her, and gone over to Flanders. The indifference and neglect of her husband, added to the disappointment in her imaj^'ned pregnancy, threw her into a deep mel- ancholy ; anti she gave vent to her spleen, by daily en- forcing thtf persecutions against the protestants, -and even by expressions of rage against all her subjects, by M'hom she knew herself to be hated, and whose opposition, in refusing an entire compliance with Phil- :p, was the cause, she believed, why he had alienated Jus affections from her, and afforded her so little of his company. The less return her love met with, the more it increased ; and she passed most of her time in solitude, where she gave vent to her passion, either m tears, or in writing fond epistles to Philip, who seldom returned her any answer, and scarcely deign- ed to pretend any sentiment of love or even of grati- ttide towards her. The chief part of government to which she attended was the extorting of money from her people, ia order to satisfy his demands ; and as the parliament had granted her but a scanty supply, she had recourse to expedients very violent and irreg- ular. She levieu loans and exacted contributions with the greatest rapacity j and this at a time when she wasN at peace with all the world, and had no other occasion / tor money than to supply the demands of a husband, / who attended only to his own convenience, and show- / / ed himself indifferent ta her interests. l^ Philip was now become master of all the wealth of 15561 "*® ?®^ world, and of the richest and most ex- ^ tensive dominions in Europe, by the voluntary __ re8i|nation of the emperor Charles V.,who, though still 7 in the vigour of his age, had taken a disgust to the / world, and was determined to seek, in the tranquillity \ «r retreat, for that happiness which he had in vain ^)U 240 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. ""^ r'ranmer had long been detained prisoner ; but the HTnme -^nd *oagh he was\nown to be keptia T ^'^^n Thirlebv of Ely, were sent to degrade him, ^°r*lr' I.^Pr Pxecuted the melancholy ceremony *"i'^n theTov anrexultati^ which suited his sav merit we™ «? ,*'« _o„erral friends whom his benefi- long enjoying "'°^® /, ""'u" j ,0 him during the coune cent d"P<'"»'?" »'»^ov-reo^me bv t^^^ of >* of his PrW"7-.h,'^''„',°p°e"t of those tortures ^hicb and terrified by *"« P'^J ■„ .„ unguarded hour, the awaited hi™ ' h^ »"'"'*'^' '" !". "" « Ms resolutio. premacy,andof the re^ipre j^^^ ^.^ \ perfidious and cruel were oeusr ^.i tation should avail him "oth ng jna iney i orders that he should bejequiredJl^^^^^^^ errors m church Deiore uic ^•"•-;; r^T-^-xecutionJ their design, or had repented of his weakness, MARY. til prised the audience by a contrary declaration. He said, that he was well apprized of the obedienc6 which he owed to his sovereiffn and the laws ; but this dut^r extended no farther than to submit patiently to their commands; and to bear, without resistance, whatever hardships they should impose upon him : that a supe- rior duty, the duty which he owed to his Maker, oblig- ed him to speak truth on all occasions, and not relin- quish, by a bass denial, the holy doctrine which the Supreme Being had revealed to mankind : that there was one miscarriage in his life, of which above all others, he severely repented ; the insincere Jeclara- tion of faith to which he had the weakness to consent, and which the fear of death alone had extorted from him : that he took this opportunity of atoning for his er- ror by a sincere and open recantation ; and was willing to seal with his blood, that doctrine which he firmly be- lieved to be communicated from heaven ; and that, as his hand had erred, by betraying his heart, it should first be punished, by a severe but just doom, and should first pay the forfeit of its offences. He was thence led to the stake, amidst the insults of the catholics ; and having now summoned up all the force of his mind, he bore their scorn, as well as the torture of his punishment, with singular fortitude. He stretched out his hand, and, without betraying, either by his countenance, or motions, the least sign of weakness, or even of feelinff, he held it in the flames till it was entirely consumed. His thoughts seemed wholly oc- cupied with reflections on his former fault, and he called aloud several times, "This hand has offended." Satisfied with that atonement, he then discovered a serenity in his countenance ; and when the fire attack- ed his body, he seemed to be quite insensible of his outward sufferings, and by the force of hope and reso- lution, to have collected his mind altogether within itself, and to repel the fury of the flames. It is pre- tended, that afler his body was consumed, his heart was found entire and untouched amidst the ashes j an event which, as it was the emblem of his constancy, was fondly believed by the zealous protestants. Cran-. mer was undoubtedly a man of great merit. He was "* adorned with candour, sincerity, and beneficence, and all those virtues which were fitted to render him use- VOL. 1. 16 / gm^m-' > J 24S HISTORY OF ENGLAND. ful and amiable in society. His moral qualities pr^ coA'm universal respect; and his learmngand caoaditv entiUed him to the esteem of mankind. Tfte/Cranmer's dea^h, cardinal Pole was .nsUUed in the see of Canterbury, and placed at the heaa oi the church of England ; but, though he was averse to SlsanZnary methods of converting heretics, his au- JhorityCas too weak to oppose the barbarous and big- oteTCosition of the q^en and '« -"-;^^-; In order to engage the nation in the war Deiweei France and Splin, Philip had come to London ; and hrtoTdthe que^^n, 'that if' he were ^o' g- f ^ '°^i» request, he would never »»'« »<=' '°^%'" f"r§„l After employing menaces and artifaces, Mary s »«'! importanlty prevailed ; war was dec aredagams rranceTand preparations were made for invading that '''Therevenue of England at that time little exceed- ed three hundred thousand pounds; and in order to lupportthe war, the queen le"='l ""SKe c t arhitrarv and violent methods. She obliged tne ciiy of Son to supply her with sixty thousand pound on her husband's entry; she levied, before the legal tUne the second year\ subsidy voted by parliament ; ihTissued anew many privy-seals by which she pro- cured "oans from the people ; and having equipped a fleet which she could not victual, by reason of the dearies, of provisions, she seized aU the corn she could find in^Suffoik and Norfolk, without W^J^ orrce to the owners. By all these expedients, assist- Td by the power of pressing, she levied an army of ?e„ thousand men, which «he «ent °ver to the Low Countries under the command of the earl ot rem broke Mrauwhile, in order to prevent any distu b- a "ce at home" many' of the "o^' /-f ^h^v ho'uM were thrown into the Tower; and lest they shoulQ oe knnwo thev either were carried thither in the night- t^me or we're hood-winked and muffled by the guards "'JrVe^tTof'spa.n's army, after the junction of the ., .®. ?_".... Lj f„ «i,tv thousand men; and the duTofW;; who commanded it, suddenly investeU St Qu ntin The constable, Montmorency, approach- ed (he ,'i« -.ilh lu« whole'army; but being attacked MARY. 243 by the besiegers, he was totally defeated and made prisoner. B^ this event, the whole kingdom of France was thrown into consternation ; but the cautious tem- per of Philip allowed the l<'rench time to recover their spirits; and no other enterprise of moment followed this decisive victory. Calais, which the English had held above two hun- . - -«^ dred years, was unexpectedly invested, and at- ^^^^i tacked by the duke of Guise, who in eight days. Curing the depth of winter, made himself master of this strong fortress, though it had cost Edward III. a siege of eleven months, at the head of a numerous ar- my, which had that very year been victorious in the»v battle of Cressy. The loss of this valuable fortress J occasioned loud murmurs among the English, who com- / plained of the improvidence of the queen and her N^ council. The Scots, excited by the French, began to infest the borders 5 and the English were obliged to look to their defence at home, rather than think of foreign conquests. In order to connect Scotland more closely with France, and to increase the influence of the lat- ter kingdom, it was thought proper by Henry to cele- brate the marriage between the young queen and the dauphin j and a deputation was sent by the Scottish parliament to assist at the ceremony, and to settle the terms of the contract. This close alliance between France and Scotland threatened very nearly the repose and security of Ma- ry 3 and it was foreseen, that though the factions and disorders which might naturally be expected in the Scottish government, during the absence of the sove- reign, would make its power less formidable, that kingdom would at least afford to the French a means of invading England. The queen, therefore, found it necessary t ) summon a parliament, and to demand of them some supplies to her exhausted exchequer. The commons, without making any reflections on the past exactions and extortions, voted, besides a fifteenth, a subsidy of four shillings in the pound on land, and two shillings and eight pence on goocTs. The parliament also passed an act, confirming all the sales and giants ^- of crownlands, which either were already made by ) the queen, or should be made during the seven ensa* / ing years. / ^j 144 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. During Ihi. whole reign, the '""'•»,,''*'"*""«"' to have replied as Ibllowt* : «« Chritt was tht» word thiit «|)ako it, He took the bruail an.! brake if, Ana what the word aid make it. That 1 Iwliovo and take it. The money srantcl l-y P»V""VZ\:".:;^'1hicXing '"'";? "X r^l olT^Vw Hen 10 [nIkeL attempt .andUndfotces on boani.waB ^.^^ on the coast ol Brittuny. ^^^8""" . L-,.„ce and Spa n; entered into ^X'vc^rX^e put ?n willter quar! and the armies in » '="7,7"™ .^ some agreement, ters till the P"n<=«!'..*''""'i."""v demamled the resti- Among other «»»?'"""«' ",?roVnerph»'P- ""'' "'■ tution of Navarre to lU 'a"'?' »*"?.' I ' ;„ ?^e midst Calais and its territory to l.ng and, l^^unnm of these negotiations, ''««».",V;*f„,e of health ; and She had long been «" « <1°='""''K '„*™of her husUd, the loss of Calais and he "b»enc«°in h dj^^^ , brouiiht on a lingering tever,oi """:' »368] Xr a short and inglorious reign of hve year., four months, and e'«J'""„^'2?:io, ouher estimable or Mary possessed "W qualities oiuio amiable -, and her person "«» " '^"'^i'Z^'^folence, rarre-r^r/rrii^^^c^Setr ' "^ .0 inconsideraM. that fourte^en thousand pou^ ^^^^ l?^°J.'Tompurd'tg:rTeV'ihou»nd pou^^^^^ woS^W aJCward. answer all necessary charges. sro under o the fuc- The vio- )peared on iidonce of y'a jealoua ! real prea she is eaid d the Quecn NhWh being ig aix thou- 3 an attempt p€ace were 1 and Spain ; winter quar- I agree iiient. 3d the reati- lilip, that of in the midst larv's death, health; and her husband, ich she died, of five years, estimable or gaginp; as her try, violence, , the fruits of , attach to her 1 of vices, we cerity. ' England was ,nd pounds be- nff of the fleet, pounds a-yeai charges. ELIZABKTH. US CHAPTKR XII. The reign of Elixafnth. Klikabeth had displayed groat prudence during the reign of her sister ; and as men were senaible of the imminent danger tu which she was exposed, com- passion towards Tier situation, and concern for her aafety, had rendered her the favourite of the nation. A parliament had been assembled a few days beforo 16681 ^^^y'^ death j and when that event was notifi- J ed to them, scarcely an interval of regret appear- ed : the two houses immediately resounded witn the joyful acclamations of " God save oueen Elizabeth ; long and happily may she reign !'^ The people, less actuated by faction, expresseda joy still more gener- al and sincere. With a nrudence and magnanimity truly laudable, Elizabeth ouried all offences in obliv- ion •, but when the bishops came to make obeisance to her, she turned away from Bonner, as from a man pol- luted with blood. In notifying her acceaaion to Philif), ahe expressed to him her gratitude for the protection which he had afforded her; and that monarch, hoping by means of Elizabeth to obtain that dominion over England of which he had failed in espousing Mary, made her pro- posals of marriage. To these, however; she returned an obliging, but evasive answer. The education and conviction of Elizabeth deter- mined her to pursue the measures of th« reformation : and she frequently deliberated with sir William Cecil on the means of restoring the protestant religion ; but she resolved to proceed with cautious steps, and not to imitate the example of Mary, in encouraging a vio- lent invasion on the established religion. She recal- led those who had fled ; she set at liberty those who had been confined on account of religion ; she order- ed a great part of the service to be read in English 5 and after enjoining all the churches to conform to the practice of her own chapel, she forbade the host to be any more elevated in her presence. By her affability and address she gained the affections 01 her subject! 2 Mau^^"'^' 246 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. ,„A she delayed the entire change of religion till tLmoetingTf the parliament, which «as summoned '°The evictions had gone entirely against the catho- 1- -^,1 ?hn houses met in a disposition to gratify the iaeen They beg^n the session with an unani- '^A maS o" in'expJefsly .repealing the act CmerlvPMsedlrlinst her own legitimacy. The Yiret Wll brought into parliament was for sup- prlssfng "he monasteries lately erected, and for re- Sg"'the tenths and fir^^^uits to h^ J- „„^rhi tlpreW^othe'clTwhTch was vested with th! X!" spiritual power ; and whoever denied, or 'Xsedto alLowled'ge.the' q»e«"'« ^-P'-^X^ ^ •''I TsHf 'theTaJho^c tmmunion^CmcrU S SlTasliy Imagined, *« champions of the ornier wpi* entirely triumphant. EmUldened by this y.c Tor^ *e Protestants ventured on bringing a b, 1 into oa^i'aroent for abolishing the mass, and re-establ.shing ^?h. ?UurffV of king Edward. Thus in one session, ELIZABETH. 247 iigion till ummoncd liberal subsi- tbey besought i her busband, d, that she de- it inscribed oc her tombstone, " Here lies Elizabeth, who iitcd and died a maiden queen." While the queen and parliament were employed in. settling the national religion, negotiations for peace were carried on between the ministers of France, Spain, and England. Philip employed his utmost efforts to procure a restitution of Calais to England, So long as he entertained hopes of espousing the queen, he delayed to conclude a peace with Henry ; and he seemed willing to continue the war till ehe should obtain satisfaction. But Elizabeth, sensible of the low state of her finances, ordered her ambassa- dors to conclude a peace with Henry on any reasona- ble terms. It was agreed, that Henry should restore Calais at the expiration of eight years 5 but it was ev- ident, that this was only a colourable pretence tor abandoning that fortress. A peace with Scotland was a necessary consequence of that with France. But though peace was concluded between France and England, there soon appeared serious grounds for ^ misunderstanding. The king of France ordered his I son and daughter-in-law to quarter the arms ot ii^ng-l land on all their equipages and liveries 5 andas the! queen of Scots was next heir to that throne, Llizabethr plainly saw, that the king of France intended, on the v^ first opportunity, to dispute her legitimacy, and her title to the crown. Soon after Francis II. succeedea to the throne of France, and still continuing to assume without reserve the title of king of England, she be- gan to consider him and his queen as her mortal ene- mies : and the jealousy thus excited against the queen of Scots terminated only with the life of the unfortun- ^ TheTresent situation of affairs in Scotland afford- ed Elizabeth a favourable opportunity both of reveng- ing the injury, and providing for her own safety. Popery was still the religion of the state m that ecu n- iry: but the English preachers, who took shelter in Scotland on the accession of Mary to the throne of England, had filled the whole kingdom with horror at the cruelties of the catholics ; and by their^meani the reformation in that country had acquireu auuS-ion al strength, and even threatened the established reli gion. Ml k 248 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. About this critical time, when the queen-regent, agreeably to the orders leceived from France, had been proceeding with rigour against the protestanta, IJohn Knox arrived from Geneva, where he had imbi- bed from his tommerce with Calvin, the highest fa- naticism af his sect, augmented by the natural feroci- tv of bis own character. He had been invited back to Scotland by the leaders of the reformation ; and mounting the pulpit at Perth, during the present fer- ment of men's minds, he declaimed against the idola- try and other abominations of the church of Rome, and incited his audience to exert themselves for its L subversion. A tumult immediately succeeded ; and, in a short time, a civil war raged through the whole I - *T?h3 headers of the reformers, who had assumed the 1 title of the congregation, solicited succours from bliz- •^ abeth: and the wise council of the queen did not long deliberate in agreeing to this request She equipped a fleet, which consisted of thirteen ships of war; and • she assembled at Berwick an army of eight thousand ' men, under the command of lord Grey, warden ot the east and middle marches. The court of I ranee sen- ' sible of the danger, offered the immediate restitution of Calais, provided she would not interfere in the ai- fairs of Scotland ; but she resolutely replied, that she would never put an inconsiderable fishing-town m competition with the safety of her dominions. Ac- cordingly, she concluded a treaty of mutual defence with the congregation, and receiving from the bcots six hostages for the performance of articles, she order- ed her fleet and army to begin their operations The appearance of the English soon decided the ,™t fate of the contest; and a treaty was speedily *^^J concluded, in which it was stipulated that the French should immediately evacuate Scotland, and that an amnesty should be granted for all past offen- ces. Soon after, the parliament abolished the papal jurisdiction in Scotland, and established the pres- tyterian form of discipline, though Mary refused to jiafiAfinn theii* Statutes. _ .. ""Francis IV. died soon after, and Mary, finding iiei abode in France disagreeable, began to think of re- turning to her native country ; and she applied to iLiix ELIZABETH. 249 en-regent ance, had roteatants, had imbU highest fa- jral feroci- vited back ation j and resent fer- '. the idola- of Rome, ves for its ^ded ', and, the whole ng-town [lions. Ac- lal defence 1 the Scots 1, she order- ions. decided the as speedily ed that the otland, and past ofTen- d the papal I the pres- j refused to finding her think of re- lied to Ells •beth for a safe conduct, in case she should be obli- Sed to pass through England ; but she received for an- ?wer tKat till she had ratified the treaty of Edinburgh , Bhe could expect no favour from a person whom she had so much injured- To this Mary replied with in- dignation, " With God's permission, 1 can re urn to ,. Scotland without her leave ;" and embarking at Cala- fs she passed the English fleet in a fog, and arrived afely a^t Leith. Though a widovv, yet she was only nher nineteenth year; and by her beauty, and the politeness of her manners, she was well_ H^^^j^f, ^JJ S the aff-ections of her subjects, who rejoiced at her I? ival among them. Her first measures were calcu- lated o establish order in a country divided by public factions and private feuds ; but there was one circum- t nee whicK bereaved Mary of the general fi^^^^^^^^ that her agreeable manners and judicious deportment enttled her to expect. She was still a papist ; and to exposed the helpless queen to unmerited con- umely, which she bore with benignity and patience.^ nTarlicular, John Knox, who possessed an uncon^^^^^^^^ led authority in the church, and even in the civil attairs 1 , ':S- the natl, triumphedjn the contumei ous abus^ of his sovereign, whom he usually denominated J ez-l *^he oueen of Scots, destitute of the means of re- ;isTate%nd\ressed by a turbulent nobility and a^big oted peo'ple, found that her only expedient f«r ^^T taininff tranquillity was the preservation ol a trienaiy conne'xion wlh ElUeth. Secretary Lidinpton was therefore, sent to London to pay her compliments to the queen and express her desire of friendship and a goodTor^esponden^ce; and both sovereigns jsumed the appearaices of a cordial reconciliation and friend- ''^litttrLtnT that Mary was sufficiently de- prei'fby t^^ spirit of her -bjects,^mg^^^^^^^ ed herself in regulating tJie affairs ^f her own k^^^^^^ dom. She furnished the arjenals with arms fortihed the frontiers oromotcd trade and navigation, and oy t^m:gZkZ7 iorc. herself, and suggesting h^ , .„n,„ ™.,,l,nntii. she acquired to herselt tne j ;S rf 'tlTe restoreT of naval gl6ry, and the queen o, ^ the northern seas. ^. It uj t50 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. Though Elizabeth kept aloof from marriage, yet she was not only very averse to appoint any successor to ^ the crown, but was resolved, as much as was in her ' power, that no one, who could pretend to the succos- >J sion, should have any heirs or successors. The lady Catherine Grey, younger sister to lady Jane, having privately married the earl of Hertford, and proving pregnant, they were botli, committed to the Tower. As Hertford could not prove their nuptials within the -^ time limited, the issue was declared illegitimate ; and the earl was confined for nine years, till the death of his wife, by freeing tlje queen from all apprehension of heirs and claimants from that quarter, procured him his liberty. At this time, the two great rival powers of Europe were Spain and England. The bigotry and intolerant IVSl SP*"^ ^^ Philip placed him at the head of the •• catholic party ; while Elizabeth, from her reli- gious opinions, and the conduct which she pursued, ^ was considered as the bulwark and support of the pro- testants. The civil and religious contests by which France was divided, rendered that country an object of vigilance both to Philip and iClizabeth : the former supported the established government and religion; 3 ^ while the latter lent her aid in protecting the Hugo- note, or protestant party, which had taken arms under ihe prince of Conde. Three thousand English took 'possession of Havre and Dieppe ; but the latter place was so little capable of defence, that it was immedi- ately abandoned. The siege of Rouen was already formed by the catholics j and though the English troops in it behaved with great gahantry, the place was taken by assault, and the whole garrison put to the Bword. It was expected that the French catholics would immediately have formed the siege of Havre j but the intestine divisions of the kingdom diverted their at- tention to another object. By the influence of Kliza- beth, a considerable body of protestants had been lev- - led in Germany t and the Hugonots were enabled to take field against their enemies. A famous battle was fought at Dreux ; and in this action, Conde and Mont- , morency, the commanders of the opposite armies, by i •ingular fatality, fell into the hands of their enemies ELIZABETH. 261 The appearances of victory remained with Guise : but the admiral Coligni, collecting the remains of the ar« my, and inspiring every breast with his own invinci- ble courage ; subdued some considerable places in Normandy. The expenses incurred by assisting the Hugonots had emptied the queen's exchequer, and obliged her lA^*^! ^^ ^^^^ ^ parliament. As the life of Elizabeth * J had been endangered by the small-pox, a little before the meeting of that assembly, the commons, on the opening of the session, again entreated the queen to choose a husband, whom they promised faithfully to serve ; or, if she entertamed any reluctance to the married state, they desired that the lawful successor might be appointed by an act of parliament. This subject was very little agreeable to the queen^ who, considering the inconveniences likely to arise ^ from declaring in favour either of the queen of Scots f or the house of Suffolk, determined to keep both par- // ties in awe by maintaining an ambiguous conduct./' She gave, therefore, an evasive answer to the com-^*s mons, whom she told, that she had fixed no absolute resolution against marriage j that the difficulties at- tending the question of the succession were so great, that, for the sake of her people, she would be content- ed to remain some time longer in this vale of miserv; and that she could not die with satisfaction, till she had laid some solid foundation for their future secu- rity. In the mean lime, the duke of Guise had been as- sassinated before Orleans, and Cond6 and Montmoren- cy had come to an agreement, that a toleration should be granted anew to the protestants. The interests of England were disregarded in the treaty ; and Havre, which had been some time in possession of the Eng- lish, was obliged to capitulate to the arms of France. Elizabeth, whose usual vigour and foresight do not afH pear in this transaction, was now glad to compound matters, by agreeing that the hostages which the French had previously given for the restitution of Ca- lais, should be restored on the payment of two hun- dred and twenty thousand crowns, and that both sides vhould retain all their claims and pretensions. The peace with Scotland still continued ; and evea 252 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. a cordial friendship seemed to have been cemented between Elizabeth and Mary. She always told the queen of Scots, that nothing would satisfy her but her espousing some English nobleman, %vhich would re- move all grounds of jealousy and m»8"ndef ^^"^^"g between them. At last she named lord Robert Dud- ley, now created earl of Leicester, as the person on whom she desired that Mary's choice should tall. Leicester, the great and powerful favourite ol bliz- abeth, possessed all those exterior qualities which are naturally alluring to the fair sex ; and, by means of these accomplisTiments, he was able to blind the sa- ffacious Elizabeth, and to conceal from her the great defects which marked his character. He was proud, insolent, and ambitious, without honour or principle. The constant and declared attachment of Elizabeth to him, had emboldened him tc aspire to her bed ; and the proposal of espousing Mary was by "o means agreeable to him. Indeed, it is probable, that the queen had no serious intention of effecting this mar- riage, and that her design was merely to gain time, and elude the project of any other alliance ; for when Mary, in the hopes of being declared successor to tne crown, seemed to listen to the proposal, Elizabeth re- ceded from her offers, and withdrew the bait which Bhe had thrown out to her rival. After two years spent in evasions and artihces, Ma- ry married lord Darnley, son to the earl of Lenox, her cousin-german, by the lady Margaret Douglas, niece to Henry VIII.; and as he was, after his spouse, next heir to the crown of England, this marriage seemed to strengthen and unite both their claims. Elizabeth was secretly not displeased with this mar- riatre, though she would rather have wished that Mary had remained single j yet she menaced, protested and complained, as i? she had suffered the most grievous iniury. It served her as a pretence for refusing to ac- knowledge Mary's title to the succession of England, and for encouraging the discontents of the Scottish nobility and clergy, to whom she promised support in their rebellious enterprises. ■, r ^u a^ Mary, however, was no sooner informed of the ae* signs forming against her by the duke of Chatelrault, the carls of Murray, Argyle, Rothes, and Glencairn, ELIZABETH. 253 cemented 8 told the ler but her would re« erstanding abert Dud- person on d fall, ite of £liz- which are means of ind the sa- r the great was proud, r principle. ,lizabetn to r bed ; and no means 3, that the g this mar-, gain time, ; for when issor to the lizabeth re- bait which I of the de« Chatelrault, i Glencairn, tad some others, than she assembled her forces and obliged those rebel noblemen to leave their country and take shelter in England. Elizabeth, when she found the event so much to disappoint her expectations, disavowed all connexions with the Scottish malcontents, and even drove them from her presence. The banished lords had now re- course to the clemency of their own sovereign ; and Mary seemed inclined to restore them tr favour; but her uncle, the cardinal of Lorraine, to whose opinion she always paid the greatest deference, advised her by no means to pardon the protestant leaders. The cardinal of Lorraine had been a chief instru- ment in forming an association between Philip and Catherine of Medicis, for the extermination of the protestants ; and he took care that the measures of the queen of Scots should correspo d with the violent counsels embraced by the other catholic princes. A parliament was summoned at Edinburgh for attainting the banished lords, who were saved from the rigour of the law only by the ruin of Mary herself. The marriage of the queen of Scots with lord Darn- ley was so precipitate, that while she was allured by his youth and beauty, and exterior accomplishments, she had not observed that the qualities of his mind by no means corresponded with the excellence of his person. He was violent, insolent, and ungrateful; addicted to low pleasures, and incapable of the senti- ments of love and domestic endearment. The queen of Scots, in the first effusions of her fondness, had granted him the title of king, and had joined his name with her own in ail public acts; but observing his weakness and vices, she began to see the danger of her profuse liberality ; and the young prince, enraged at her imaginary neglects, pointed his vengeance against every one whom he deemed the cause of this change in her mcnsurrs .mil behaviour. There happened to be in the court one David Riz- zio, a Piedmontese niu.sici.\n, of mean birth, who, by his professional talejits, and the arts of address, had insinuated himself into the favour of Mary. He be- came her secretary for French despatches; he was consulted on all occasions ; favours of honour or emolument could be obtained only through his inter- m m mmm' 864 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. cesBion 5 and his insolence and '^P'Jji^j^f ^^^^^^ self the Ikatred of the nobihty and of the wtooie King ^'on the change of the queen's '^e-^l^^Sfm^hltTzric; sv for Darnley's friends to persuade him that Kizzio was UiereA author of her indifference, and even to Txcite in its mind jealousies of a more dangerous na- ture : and the king, by the advice of several o the couVtiers, determined <>" thV^Bassination o^R^ Mary, in the sixth month of her Pregna"?y',;'^|:,\'^^^ uine in private with the countess of Argyle, Kizzio S d'olher's of her servants, when the king entered th room by a private passage, and ^^^^^ at^^c b^^^ Marv's chair. Lord Ruthven, George Douglas, ana S cot^Urs, rushed in f " ^im ; anS R.zz aware of the danger, ran behind his mistress lor pro teTonf bat incite of her cries and menace^, a entreaties, Douglas struck a;?»gf" '°'° *r.Se RiMio, who was then dragged into the >nt'-«n»"™^ and despatched with fifty-sw wounds. Tn? ""^-X queen, informed of his fate, 'ra>n«*'a'«'y^"\tZ of tears, and said she would weep no more, but think ol "ThTconspirators applied to the ear? f Bothwell, a new favourite, and that nobleman pacified Mary , m she was implacable against her »">»band whom slw rendered the object of universal contempt He wm pennitted howiver, to have aP"'™?'"^ '" '5%'!!^' l{ Edinburgh, where Mary was 'X*f„?ellisS and Sir James Melvil was sent with the 'nteUigenc. nf this haoDV event to England. Melvil tells us, inai Eli^abeWTven a ball to her court at Greenw^h the evening of his urrival in London, ^^^^J^°'Xl- ing all her usual spirit and gayety ; but when news at rWed of the prince of Scotland's b>rth, all her ]oyw» damped, and she comp ained to 8°™e "f^^^'/f,"" ants, thit the queen of Scots was mother of a son, '"j^hV birrora^:n"g:vrad°Smo„al zeal to Mary'j were suddenly blasted by her egregious mdiscretioj Tt least, or, as some are still inclined to suppose, oy her atrooious guilt. m ELIZABETH. 255 The earl of Bothwell was a man of considerable I power in Scotland, but of profligate manners. He had 'acquired the favour and entire confidence of Mary; and reports were spread of too great an intimacy be- tween them, though Bothwell was a married man. These reports gained ground from th6 increased ha- tred of the queen towardp «er husband, who, sensible of the neglects which he underwent, had it in con- Itemplation to retire into France or Spain. While affairs were in this unpleasant situation, Darnley was seized with an illness of an extraordina- ry nature ; and the queen visiting him during his sick- ness, treated him with great tenderness, and a cordial reconciliation seemed to have been brought about be- tween them. The king, naturally uxorious, put him- self implicitly into her hands; and as the concourse of people about the court might disturb him in his in- firm state of health, Mary assigned him a lodging in a Ifiolitary house, called the Kirk of Fie.d. In this sit- [uation, the queen gave him mirks of kindness and attention, and lay some nights in a room below his ; but, on the 9th of February, she told him, that she [would pass that night in the palace, because the mar- Iriage of one of her servants was there to be celebrated tin her presence. About two o'clock in the mornmg, [the whole city of Edinburgh was alarmed by a gre.it [noise J and it was discovered, that the house in which [the king lay had been blown up by gunoowder, and Ithat his dead body had been carried by the violence [of the explosion into a neighbouring field. I The general opinion was, that Bothwell was the [author of this horrible crime ; and the earl of Lenox, iDarnley's father, implored speedy justice against him land the other assassins. Mary allowed only fifteen [days for the examination of this important affair ; and IS Bothwell still possessed the confidence of the queen, and enjoyed his former authority, Lenox en- tertained justapprehenaiops from the power, insolence md temerity of his enemy. As, therefore, neither accuser nor witness appeare*? at the trial, Bothwell vas absolved from the king's murder j but the verdict A.A. .Jn^ «.il»l< <^i vx-tii mot o n/iod tvniP.il ILiJUUCU vir -- confirmed Btrongl general opinion ary, having gone to visit her son at Stirling, was J56 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. ^ .eized by Bothwell, and ostensibly ^^f^^^^ "^f^ censures of Europe. nation was roused ; and denly e-ijed^he queen of Sco^ ^Ifs tTever. the castle of BothwicK. -J "W obliged to put conducted to Edinburgh amidst the insuU^o m well meanwhile , ^^ ^^^Z^wh^'re h*w» S Sr;^sS:;SeKn»rd^abo»t tenye.™ •^ r rt uS guard to the ca^V/oSJ: leven, where the associated lords 'f"^'"* JP°8n>^ a scheme with the Spanish ambassador, and one Rodol phi, a Florentine merchant, for uniting the cathohci and Mary queen of Scots in a confederacy against Elizabeth. The duke of Norfolk, despairmg of the confidence and favour of Elizabeth, was tempted to violate his word, and to open anew his correspond- ence with the captive qucon. A promise of marriage was renewed between thorn ; and the duke gave his consent to enterprises still more criminal. The new conspiracy had hitherto escaped the vigil- ince of Elizabeth, and of Cecil, now lord Burleigh j but one of the duke's servants betrayed his master; and the evidence of the bishop of Ross proved the auilt of Norfolk beyond all doubt. A jury of twenty- Sve peers passed sentenoo upon him j but the queen hesitated to put the sentence in execution. At lengin, ?!^«n arter k delay of four months, the fatal warrant **^^1 was signed J and Norfolk died, acknowledging tne tustice of his sentence. u ^u » He queen of Scots was charged bv Eh^beji as the cause of these disturbances j and though Mary endeavoured to justify herself, the queen vvas little satisfied with her apology, and the parV^ment applied for her immediate trial ; but ElizaWth fo'bad« ^h«m to proceed farther in the affair, and only mcreased the riffour and strictness of her confinement. *^he same views which engaged the queen to sup. Dortthe Hugonots in France, would have led her to Sssist the diftressedprotestants in the Low Countries : but the mighty power of Philip kept her m awe, and obliaener to ^deny the FlemU exiles an entrance into her dominions. The people, however, enraged by the cruelty, oopression, and PJ-'-f.^^ution under ^ioh they sufiereS, flew to armt. . H^»*"J. f J ?^^^ •-^j ^ I'^j . it^A iiM^* MStMy/tbe Flomiiigs offered Elixabetb the ■ofe' ont, exile, the Flem- nd reaped lome use- rn. Alva, ed into a ne Rodol I catholici 3y against ng of the empted to ^rreepond- f inarria|[e I gave hii i the vigil- Burleigh ; 8 master J trovcd the of twenty- the queen At length, tal warrant kowledging iizaboth as »ugh Mary was little mt applied rbade them creased the een to aup- led her to Countrieij n awe, and in entrance er, enraged lion under id and Zet* the prince united in a f a eolema { the ■0V9' ELIZABETH. m reignty of these nrovinces, if she would exert hef power in thoir defence ; but as she was never ambi^ tious of conquests, or of now acquisitions, she de^ clined the proffered sovoroigntv. The queen, how<« ever, sent the revolters a sum of moruty, and concludn ed a treaty with them, in which she stipulated to assist them with five thousand foot, and a thouHand horse, at the charge of the Flemings. It was farther agreed, thnt tho new States, as they began to call themselves, should enter into no alliance without her consent, anj if any discord should arise among thorn, it was to be referred to her arbitration. She was desirous of mak<« ing the king of Spain believe, that her sole motive for entering into a treaty with the States, was to pre- vent them from throwing themselves into the arms of France ; and Philip dissembled his resentment against the queen, and waited for an opportunity of taking hie revenge. Elizabeth was extremely anxious to support an in- terest in Scotland, because that country alone afforded her enemies the means of attacking her, and because she was sensible that the Guises had engaged Mary to have recourse to the powerful protection of Philip. That prince, under the name of the pope, sent a body of seven hundred Spaniards and Italians into Ireland ; but they were soon obliged to surrender j and when the English ambassador complained of the invasion, he was answered by similar complaints of the piraciea committed by Drake in the now world. This brave officer, setting sail from Plymouth in 1377, with four ships and a pinnace, on board of which were one hundred and sixty -four men, passed the Straits of Magellan, attacked the Spaniards in South America, and captured many rich prizes. He was the first Englishman that completed the circum- navigation of the globe ; and he returned safely to his native country, after a voyage of more than three years. In order to avert the resentment of Spain, the queen iKom was persuaded to disavow the enterprise} but »wwj gjj^ determined to countenance this gaiian%oifl- cer, on whom she conferred the honour of knight hood, and accepted of a banquet at (Jreeuwich, oa board the ship which had performed such a memora We voyage. 1: M S62 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. Tl.« duke of Alencon, now created duke of Anjou UnTin o'd ^ "are his Tuit ; and the reception ?•-.{. V made him expect complete sue- was observed to take arms from her o^^^^^^^ put it upon h.8 ; and all 'h^ »P?^^»'°^?^ ^ p,omi;e of rn^iwrv onp of the conspirators, ine King wepi SaXv' weep htn"earded men." This eii>re8..0D ?.me^^ ver fSrgave: but he acquiesced .nh,so„„ detention, and agreed to summon bo'h J^ »''«^^7^^^^ the church, and a convention of the estates, in oruc •"ThifVaer of'S' had often made overture. I. rZaber «hich had been rntirely neglected; bu Saaneohlmes's confinement, she wrote m the most r^inr r?; prsTnttrc«u°.™.^ ^l?M:^;s»eTof ^^:X ed from his keepers, and tleeing to St. Auarews, su.»^ moned bis ftienSs and partisans to ""f^^ him/The owosite party found themse ves unable to «|«'- »"« tw ^efed a pardon on their suboHMion- Some of ELIZABKTH. 265 f Aiijou eeii, be* to Kng- eception lete Huc> le queen iper, and ded, that omise of g her in ever, on filled the ion ', but, over her )me apol- /ing her, f women jaged the e discon* B concur- )erson of the earl king wept roaster of , is better jxpression 1 his own sembly of , in order rertures to jctedj but n the most ler to raise r situation, ithority to ipplication Bible steps lint, essap- fews, buss- him. The resist, ana , Some of them accepted the terms ; but the greater part left the country, and took shelter in Ireland or Knglandr where they were protected by hllizabeth. The queen sent WaUingham into Scotland, on pur- pose to penetrate the character of James ; and as J;imes excelled in general discourse and conversation, that minister conceived a higher opinion of his talentt llian he really deserved ; and from the favourable re- port of his capacity, Elizabeth was inclined to treat the younf' king with more respect th.m she had hitherto done!* The revolutions in Scotland, however, would have been little regarded, had not the zeal of the catho- lics daily threatened her with some dangerous insur- n'cUoii.'Many of the plots which had been discovered. were imputed to the intrigues of Mary ; and the par- hament passed a resolution " to defend the queen, to rc'vtuige her deith, or any injury committed against her, and to exclude from the throno all claimants, wii.it title soever they might possess, by whose sugges- tion, or for whose behoof, any violence should be of- tnrtd to her majesty." The queen of Scots was sen- sible that this was intended au'iinst her; and to re- move all suspicion Prom herself, nhe desired leave .^o subscribe this resolution. During the same session, a conspiracy was discov- ,.„,, ered, which nrre:itly increased the animosity '^^^J against the cat'ioiics. One William Parry, who had received the que.?i s pardon for a capital crime, was instigated by some Romanist of high rank and aulhoritv to attempt the life of the queen, by shooting at her while she was taking the air on horseback. The conspiracy, however, was betrayed by one of his associates ; : ad Parry being thrown into prison, con- fessed the guilt, and suffered the punishment of death. About the same time, the prince of Oringe perished at IJelft, by the hands of an assassin ; and the Statea Bent u solemn embassy to London, and made anew an offer to the queen of acknowledginiz her for their sovereign, on condition of obtaining her profection an(< nogifitancp. Klizabeth. however. »r5iin dwfilifted the sovereignty, but entered into an >*:;?»-« w/.a \lk States, and sent the earl of Leicest* «f / t cum Jn€f^ tble army to their reUef. The queen, while ehe provoked ^ ■^^ *• IBL ^^ S64 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. cmy M tho king of Spain, by her open aid to the re. volted Flemingi, took care to secure herself on the Ride of Scotland, by forming an alliance with James for the jnutual defence of their dominions, and of their religion, now menaced by the open combination of all the catholic powers of Europe. But the unfor- tunate Mary, whose impatience of confinement and unsubdued spirit, together with her zeal for popery, impelled to the most desperate acts, engaged in de- signs against Elizabeth, which afforded her enemies a reason or pretence for effecting her complete ruin. Ballard, z !?.omish priest, encouraged by the hopei of succours from the pope, the king of Spam, and the duke of Guise, came over to England, and bent his en- J deavourstoeftectatonce an assassination, an inHurrec- / tion, and an invasion. The first person to whom he con- L fided his intentions was Anthony Babington, a young eentleman of Derbyshire, who was ardent in the causo of Mary and of the catholic religion. Babington cm- ployed himself in increasing the number of the associ- ates in this desperate undertaking ; and he conimuni. cated the project to Mary, who approved highly of the desien, and who observed, that the death of Llizabeth was necessary, before any other attempt should be made. Ballard, however, being arrested, his confede- rates became alarmed, and took to flight; but being seized they were tried, condemned, and executed. The lesser conspirators being thus despatched, measures were taken for the trial of the queen of Scots, who was conducted to Fotheringay castle, in the county of Northampton. A commission, consist- iniF of forty noblemen and privy-counsellors, was ap- pointed .ind empowered to pass sentence on Mary, who was described in the instrument as late queen ol Scots, and heir to James V. of Scotland. On this awful occasion, Mary behaved with great diffnity. She protested her innocence, and declared that Elizabeth had no authority over her, who was an independent sovereign, and not amenable to tho laws of Enriand. Her objections, however, were over rul- ed; her icttow, and me conicssiuns yi .»u x---:.-r" - tori, were produced in evidence against her ; and a few days afler, sentence of death was pronounced agtiait h«r. Both houtes of parliament ratifitd thw ELIZABETH. S64 the r«< f on the ,h James , and of nbination le unfor- ment and f popery, [od in de* inemies a i ruin, the hopei II, and the nthis en* intiurrec- m he con- , a young the causQ igton cm- he associ- communi- ;hly of tho Elizabeth should be 3 confede- but being cuted. ispatchcd, queen of castle, in I, consist- a, was ap- on Mary, 1 queen of with great 1 declared fho was an ;o tho laws e over rul- j ^.^Tj-xa^-j - T ^ ••- ler; and a (fonounced •ftti&«d tllil sentence, which wai certainly illegal, if not unjust} and they urged the queen to consent to its publication and execution. Eliiabeth, however, aflfected great reluctance to ex- ecute the sentence against Mary, and auked if it were not possible to secure tho public tranquillity, by some other expedient than the death of the queen of Scots j but when foreign powers interfered, and interceded in behalf of the unfortunate Mary, Elizabeth became ob- durate, and determined to execute the sentence. The interpoBition of James, who remonstrated in very se- vere terms in favour of his mother, was unavailing j and E.lizabeth, tired with importunity, and dreading the consequences, ordered Davison, her secretary, privately to draw a warrant f r the execution of the queen of Scots j which, she afterwards said, she in- tended to keep bv her, in case any attempt should be made to rescue IVIary. She signed the warrant, and commanded Davison to procure the great seal to be affixed to it j but when Davison told her that the war- rant had passed the great seal, she blamed his precip- itation. Davison acquainted the council with the transaction j and they endeavoured to persuade him to send off the warrant, promising to take on themselves the whole blame of the measure. The secretary, not sufficiently aware of their intention, complied with the advice j and the warrant was despatched to the earls of Shrewsbury and Kent, and some others, order- ing them to see the sentence executed on the queen of Scots. . . , , Mary, informed of this commission, though some- what surprised, betrayed no symptoms of fear. The night before her execution, she called in all her ser- vants, drank to them, and bade them a soleinn fore- well. Next morning she dressed herself in a rich hab- it of silk and velvet j and having declared her resolu- tion to die in the ancient catholic and Roman reli- ffion. her head was severed from her body by the exe- i ' cutioner. Thus perished, in the forty-fiUh year *^^'J of her age, and the nineteenth of her captivity in England, Mary queen of Scots, a woman of great accomplishments, both of body and mina. xne ocau- ty of her person, and the charms of her address and conversRtiott, rendered her the raoet amiable of wo- n.] m 866 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. ™pn Whether we consider her faults aa jmprndenefj Tcrimes ccruin it is, that she was betrayed into ao- u'on 'wKan with difficulty be accounted for and which admit of no apology or extenuation. In her „« merous misfortunes, we forget her faults , ana me rcompIUhmenls which she possessed render u. m- sensible to the errors of her conduct. When Elizabeth was informed of the ««''""°" ''' Marv she aftected the utmost ourpnse and mJign,i- «o„^' She wrote an exculpatory letter to James 5 and she committed Davison to prison, and ordered him to be uied (br a misdemeanor. He was condemned o imprisonment during the pleasure of the queen, and to iiiiv a fine which reduced him to beggary, '^hedrssimulation of Elizabeth, however was ^.o poss to deceive any person ; and Ja^" however' l.l(.ed vc ny, cvcrv 3ef, readi by contrl* y and no erous ca* Tcer 5 and all the loans whifch the queen demanded were' immediately granted. - ,. .- • i,„j Lord Howard of Effingham, a man of distinguished abilities, was appointed admiral of the fleet; and Drake, Hawkins; and Frobisher, the most renowned seamen in Europe, served under him. A small squad- ron, commanded by lord Seymour, second son of the protector Somerset, lay off Dunkirk, m order to inter- cent the duke of Parma. He troops were disposed along the south coast ; and a body of twenty-two thousand foot, and a thou- sand horse, under the command of the earl of Leices- ter was stationed at Tilbury, in order to cover tne caoital. The principal army consisted of thirty-tour thousand foot, and two thousand horse, commanded by b?d Hudson; and these were reserved for guarding the queen's person, and marching whithersoever the enemy should appear. Men of reflection, however, entertained the greatest apprehensions, whe" they considered the force of flfty thousand veteran Span- iards, under the duke of Parma, the most consummate ^Thf queen^was^sensible that next to her popularity the firmest support of her throne consisted ^ the zeal of the people for the protestant religion, and their ab- horrence Sf popery. She reminded the English of S forUr d'an^r' from .the tyranny of Spain ; and of the bloody mp.ssacres m the Indies, and the unre- Iting executions in the Low Countries 5 and a 1 st was published of the several instruments of torture, Tvth which, it was pretended, the ^P-^^f^^^^f^^^^l loaded The more to excite the martial spirit of the naUon the queen appeared on horseback in the camp rSury; and riding through the lines, she exhort- ed the soldiers to remember their duty to their coun- tv and the rGod,declaring:that she would rather per- fsh ?n bittle than'survive the ruin and slavery ot her oeople By this spirited conduct she excited the ad- Sron of\he sofdiery ; the attachment to her be- came enthusiastic •, and all swore to defend the glori • . u:>.u «kA\r urorp ^ncTiiifeQ. .id,?ab?; from'etorm ; b«t the damage, being r.p«red the Spaniitdf »g»in put to m». lU «••» ooi»»t« 9.f> fiX Howard, 3d; aud 269 I the king of Navarre, a protestant, ascending the throne / of France by the title of Henry IV., a great part of the / nobility immediately deserted him, and the king of ^ Spain entertained views either of dismembering the French inonarchy, or of annexing the whole to his own dominions. In this emergency, Henry addressed himself to Elizabeth, who sent him aid both in men and money ; and the English auxiliaries acquired great reputation in several enterprises, and revived in France the fame of their ancient valour. This war did great injury to Spain ; but it was at- tended with considerable expense to England 3 and the queen summoned a parliament in order to obtain a supply. However, it is evident that Elizabeth either thought her authority so established as to need no concessions in return, or she rated her prerogative above money. When sir Edward Coke, the speaker, made to her the then three usual requests of freedom from arrests, access to her person, and liberty of speech, she declared that she would not impeach the freedom of their persons, nor refuse them access to her, provided it were upon urgent occasions, and when she was at leisure from other important affairs ; but that they were not to speak every one what he listeth, and that the privilege of speech extended no &rther than a liberty of ay or no. Henry IV. renounced the protestant religion, and was received by the prelates' of his party mto the catholic church ; and Elizabeth assisted that monarch to break the league which had b^en formed againat him, and which, atler his conver8i(^ to popery, gradu- ally dissolved. Though the queen made w»r against Philip in France and the Low Countries, yet the severest: blows which he received from England, proceeded from na- val enterprises. James Lancaster, with three ships and a pinnace took thirty-nine Spanish ships, sacked Fernambouc on the ccast of JBrazil, and brought home a great quantity of treasure. Sir Wal- ter Rdeieh was less successful in nn exDedition U* Guiana, a country which he undertook to explore at his own expense. Sir Francis Drake engaged in an enterprise against Panama ; but the Spaniards obliged the English to return witho * effecting any thing j and I L 1594] 270 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. Drake, from the vexation of this disappointment, was ceized with a distemper, of which he aied. This unsuccessful enterprise in America determin- sd the English to attack the Spanish dominions in Eu- rope. A powerful fleet of one hundred and seventy vessels, carrying upwards of seven thousand soMiers, besides Dutch auxiliaries, set sail from Plymouth j and after a fruitless attempt to land at St. 'Sebastian, on the western side of Cadiz, resolved to attack the ships and galleys in the bay. This attempt was deem- ed rash } but the earl of Essex strenuously recom- mended the enterprise. Efflingham, the commander- in-chief, appointed sir Walter Raleigh, and lord Thom- as Howard, to lead the van ; but Essex, contrary to the injunctions of the admiral, pressed forward into the thickest of the fight ; and landing his men at the fort of Puntal, he 'immediately marched to Cadiz, which the impetuous valour of the English soon car- ried, sword in hand. The generosity of Essex, not inferior to his valour, induced him to stop the slaugh- ter. The English obtained immense plunder; but they missed a much greater, by the Spanish admiral setting fire to the ships, in order to prevent their fall- ing into the hands of the enemy. It was computed that the loss which the Spaniards sustained by this enterprise amounted to twenty millions of dncats. The king of France concluded a peace with Spain ; and the queen knew that she could finish the war on equitable terms with Jrhilip. Burleigh advised her to embrace pacific measures ; but Essex, whose passion for glory rendered him desirous that the war should continue, urged that her majesty had no reason to fear the issue of the contest, and that it would be dishon- ourable in her to desert the Hollanders, till their af- fairs were placed in greater security. The advice of Essex was more agreeable to Elizabeth ; and the fa- vourite seemed daily to acquire an ascendant over the minister. Had he, indeed, been endowed with cau- tion and temper, he might soon have engrossed the entire confidence of his mistr«ss ; but hia lofty spirit vuuiu iii iuuuitl iO impiiCit iiuiercnwu \ aiiu m » u*" pute with the queen, he was so heated by the argu- ment, and so entirely forgetful of the rules both of ciYility and duty, that he turned , hii back upon her in ELIZABETH. 271 ment, was determin- Dns in Eu- id seventy i soMiers, 'lymouth j Sebastian, attack the vas deem- [y recom- mmander- )rd Thorn- ontrary to rward into nen at the to Cadiz, soon car- Ussex, not he slaugh- ider ; but ih admiral their fall- computed 2d by this hi cats, ith Spain; he war on sed her to se passion var should son to fear be dishon- 11 their af- advice of md the fa- it over the with cau- rossed the lofty spirit J :_ . Ai»- f the argu- 38 both of pon her in a contemptuous manner. Elizabeth, naturally prone^ to anger, instantly gave him a box on the ear, adding I a passionate expression suitable to his impertinenoe. I Instead of recollecting himself, and making the sub- / mission due to her sex and station, Essex clapped his/ Hand on his sword, swore that he would not bear such V. usage, were it from Henry the Eighth himself, and \ immediately withdrew from court. The queen's partiality, however, soon reinstated him in his former favour j and the death of Burleigh, equally regretted by his sovereign and the people, seemed to ensure him the confidence of Elizabeth. Soon after the death of this wise and faithful minis- ter, Philip tlie Second expired at Madrid. This haugh- ty prince, desirous of an accommodation with his re- volted subjects in the Netherlands, had transferred to his daughter, married to the archduke Albert, the title to the Low Countries ; but the States considered this deed only as the change of a name ; and the secret opposition of France, as well as the avowed efforts of England, continued to operate against the progress of Albert, as they had done against that of Philip. The authority of the English in the alfairs of Ire- land had hitherto been little moro than nominal. In- stead of inviting the Irish to adopt the more civilized customs of their conquerors, they even refused to communicate to them the privilege of their laws, and every where marked them out as aliens and enemies j and the treatment which they experienced, rendered them such, and made them daily become more un- tractable and more dangerous. Insurrections and re- bellions had been frequent in Ireland ; and Elizabeth tried several expedients for reducing that country to greater order and submission ; but these expedients were unsuccessful, and Ireland became formidable to the English. Hugh O'Nenle, who 's d been raised by the quee i to the dignity ol earl o. Tyrone, embraced the reso lution of rrasJ!',^ an open rebellion, "nd entered into a correspondence with Spain, whence he procured a »<»nlir ^i* n»ma nnA ommi Aitmn A vip.tnrv nhtninArl nuupxT -sji assxss 5aji--t tT!s:!»«-« •-< — ^- ^ over sir Henry Bagnal, who had advanced to relieve a fort besieged by the rebels, raised the reputation of Tyrone, who assumed the character of the deliverer I STS HISTORY OF ENGLAND. ^ I ROQi of *»>« country. The English council were now '^^^J sensible that the rebellion of Ireland should be opposed by vigorous measures; and the queen ap- pointed Essex governor of that country, by the title of lord-lieutenant, and gave him the command of twenty thousand foot, and two thousand horse. On his landing at Dublin, Essex was guilty of a cap- ital error, which was the ruin of his enterprise. In- stead of leading his forces immediately into Ulster against Tyrone, the chief enemy, he wasted the sea- son of action in reducing Munster ; and when he as- sembled his troops for an expedition into Ulster, the army was so averse to thi^ enterprise, and so terrified with the reputation of the Irish rebel, that many of them 'counterfeited sickness, and many of them de- serted. Convinced that it would be impossible for him to effect any thing against an enemy who, though superior in number, was determined to avoid a deci- sive action, Essex hearkened to a message sent him by Tyrone for a. conference. The generals met with- out anv of their attendants ; a river ran between them, into which Tyrone entered to the depth of his saddle; but Essex stood on the opposite bank. A cessation of armt was concluded till the next spring, renewable from six weeks to six weeks •, but which might be broken by either party on giving a fortnight's notice. Essex also received from Tyrone proposals of peace, in which that rebel had inserted many unreasonable conditions ; and it was afterwards suspected, that he had commenced * very unjustifiable correspondence with the enemy. Elizabeth was highly provoked at the unexpected issue of this great and expensive enterprise ; and Essex, informed of the queen's anger, set out for Eng- land, and arrived at court before any one was apprised of his intentions. Though covered with dirt and sweat, he hastened to the presence-chamber, and thence to the privy-chv^mber ; nor stopped till he wm in the queen's bed-chamber, who had just riaen. Af- ter J^omc private conversation with her, he retired with been taken by surprise, uhe ordered him to be connn- ed to his cbamber, and to be twice examined bjr tbi COOACil. ELIZABETH. t!t were now should be \\ieen ap- ' the title imand of 36. ^ of a cap- »rise. In- Lto Ulster 1 the sea- len he as- Jlster, the terrified i many of them de- ssible for 10, though >id a deci- ! sent him met with- een them, lis saddle; cessation renewable might be t's notice, of peace, 'casonable d, that he jpondence nexpect^d rise 3 and It for Eng- 8 apprized dirt and nbcr, and ;ill he waa itjen. Af- (tired with be confin- nd bjfthi • n o /T^"®*1*?.^"^»'^ tubmission to the qaeen'. will and declared his intention of retiringiSto thf country, remote from courts and business £,tth«.!5J he affected to be cured of his amb tTonVthe v'e«ti?n of this disappointment, and of the triumph gained £? his enemies, threw him into a distemper whh?h seem- ed to endanger his life. The queen, alarmed with M. s. uation ordered her physicLs ?i attend hTm and J.nJJ^^''^' ^'"^ * '"^«««g«> ^hicn was pr?baW7 more efficacious in promoting his recovery than an J medicines that could be orescribpH A*W. -^ tervM, Elizabeth allowed Katurite'^feVre^'hU own house where, in the company of bis conn" m h« passed his time in the pursuits of elegant Stare Essex possessed a monopoly of sweet win's" aid e'd thaf h^T" nearly exprri/g, he patiently eVpect- ed that the queen would renew it f but Elizabeth whose temper was somewhat haughty' and severe de-' nicd his request. Essex, whose pitience was exhiust slr'ved" Aha^'the"" '*"''""•' "^ prudenr^and ot^ ier»eel, that the queen was now grown an old wo. 7 fZ'J'^t^'iT *' "?°J'«'» '" her iSind a, Sertod?" Some court ladies carried this story to the queen who L was highly incensed against him ; Lt Ws 'secret at^ .^orwe™M°1."'" *""« '"■,S"='"»' •>«' he?; and sScceS: •or, were still more prOTokinir to Elizabeth th»„ .iT- sarcasms on her ageluid defofmUy James 'however disapproved of any violent method of extorting from the queen an immediate declaration of his riiht o? succession : and Essex, disappointed in his wciect wwA?! 1 !l' """"r^ ?<■ ""'^^ntent. at D?«yK.e' ^H ^r .''w'**'''^"'*'* "'"' them concerning the rneA. 1 hii"J""« ■'^'""'' ;'■'"'? <■<" ""e purpose^f re^ov- «|_^h.. enemies and settling a new plan of ^vwl- treMut'j.'."^" •ummons to attend the council at tha ev !^.. J- '"""'i ^"" concluded that the conn.ini. ey was discovered, or at least suspected He SLm. fore, rashly sallied forth with about^o hundred IT tend^t, armed only with walking swori rnd* » h J^ w»y to the Cltv. he cried alo-.-t " r— •" '- i _ . .' fc^&daW C™ ••■ ^'*^ ^""^ niylife!" the citiieo. ^m tbatE^Ln? *" ^°>f;«™««»t : but thouffh he told rot I ^ was sold to the Infanta. andeihorU4 274 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. them to arm instantly, no one showed a disposition to join him. Essex, observing the coldness of the citi- zens, and hearing that he was proclaimed a traitor by the earl of Cumberland and lord Burleigh, began to deapair of success, and forced his way to his own house 5 where he appeared determined to defend him self to the last extremity 5 but after some parley, he surrendered at discretion. He and his friend the earl of Southampton were ar- raigned before a jury of twenty-five peers. The guilt pf the prisoners was too apparent to admit of any doubt. When sentence was pronounced, Essex spoke like a man who expected nothing but death; but Southampton's behaviour was more mild and inoffen- sive, and he excited the compassion of all the peers. After Essex had passed some days in the solitmJe and reflection of a prison, his proud heart was at last subdued, not by the fear of death, but by the senti- ments of religion j and he gave in to the council an account of all his criminal designs, as well as of his correspondence with the king of Scots. The present situation of Essex excited all the tender affections of Elizabeth : she signed the warrant for his execution ; she countermanded it ; she resolved on his death ; she felt a new return of tenderness : but as he made no application to her for mercy, she finally gave her consent to his execution. Essex was only thirty-four years of age, -when his rashness, imprudence, and vio- lence, brought him to this untimely end. Some of his associates were tried, condemned, and executed 5 bat Southampton was saved with great difficulty, though he was detained in prison during the remainder of this ueign. , ^ _ , j r In Ireland, Mountjoy, who succeeded Essex, had ei- fected the defeat of Tyrone, and the expulsion of the Spaniards. Many of the chieftains, after concealing themselves during some time, in woods and morasses, submitted to the mercy of the deputy. Tyrone him- self, after an unsuccessful application to be receive^ on ,^nfn terms, surrendered unconditionally to Mount- land. But Elizabeth was now incapable of receiving any satisfaction from this fortunate event. Some in- cidents had happened which revived her tenderness tof I LLIZABETH. 275 ition to he citi- litor by Bgan to lis own id him rley, he /ere ar- he guilt of any X spoke h) but inofTen- peers. iolitiMie I at last i senti- ncil an 8 of his present tions of cution ; death ; e made rave her rty-four and vio- ,e of his edj bat , though inder of , had ef- a of the ncealing lorasses, »ne him- eive,d on Mount- ! to Eng- eceiviog )ome in- rnesfl fof I EsseX; and filled her with the greatest sorrow. After his return from the fortunate exnedition against Cadiz she had given him a ring as a pled^re of her afniction 1 and assured him that into whatever disgrace he might fall, if he sent her that ring, she would afford him a patient hearing, and lend a favourable ear to his apol- ogy. Essex, notwith3tanding all his misfortunes had reserved this precious gift to the last extremity'; but after his trial and condemnation, he resolved to try the experiment, and committed the ring to the coun- tess of Nottingham, whom he desired to deliver it to the queen. The countess was prevailed on by her husband the mortal enemy of Essex, not to execute the commission?; and Elizabeth, ascribing the neglect to his invincible obstinacy, at last signed the warrant for his execution. The countess falling into a dan- gerous sickness, was seized with remorse for her con- ouct ; and having obtained a visit from the queen, sh« craved her pardon, and revealed to her the fatal se- cret. The queen burst into a furious passion : and i ^-baking the dying countess in her bed, cried out, '• God may pardon you, but I never can." From that moment, Elizabeth resigned herself to the deepest and most incurabh^ melancholv ; she ev- en refused food and medicine ; and throwing herself on the floor, she remained there ten days and as many nights, declaring life an insufferable burthen to her and uttering chiefly groans and sighs. Her anxious mind had so long preyed on her frail body, that her end was visibly approaching j and the council being assembled, commissioned the lord-keeper, admiral, and secretary, to know her majesty's pleasure with regard to her successor. She answei 1 with a faint voice, that " she had held a regal sceptre, and desired no other than a royal successor.'' Cecil requesting her to explain herself more particularly, she subjoin- ed, that " she would have a king to succeed her, and who should that be, but her nearest kinsman, the king of Scots ?" Soon after, her voice failed, and her sen ses were lost ; and falling into a letnargic slumber o' ""*/ --JApiscvt, ill wic scvcuu6i.u year oi nor age, and tlie forty-iifth of her reign. So dark was the cloud which overspread the even- ing of that dav wbosp rperidjan solondour dazzled the f76 HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 0y6t of Europe. Tho visoar, firmneiii penetration, and address of Elizabeth, ba^e not been surpassed by any perfiua that ever filled a throne ; but a conduc jess imperious, more sincere, and more indulgent tc ^er people, would have been requisite to form a com- plete character. Her heroism was exempt from rash- ness, her frugality from avarice, and her activity from the turbulence or ambition 3 but the rivalship of beau- S, the desire of admiration, the jealousy of love, and e sallies of anger, were infirmities from which she guarded not herself with equal care or equal success. When we contempli^ hor as a woman, we are struck with the highest admiration of her great qualities and extensive capacity 5 but we perceive a want of that soilness of disposition, that lenijty of temper, and those amiable weaknesses by which her sex is distinguished and adorned. Few sovereiffus of England succeeded . to the throne in more difficult circumstances ; and none ever conducted t]^e government with such uni- form success. Her wise ministers and brave warriors chare the praise of her success , but, instead of less- /ening^ they increased the applause which she justly deserves. They owed their advancement to her judg- ment and discrimination. The maxims of her govemoient were highly arbitra ry ; but these were transmitted to her by her prede- cessors ; and she believed that her subjects were en- titled to no more liberty than their ancestors had en- joyed. A well-regulated constitutional balance was not yet established : and it was not without many se- vere strug^^es, ana some dreadfiil convulsions, that tiie people were allowed the blessings of liberty. WD or TOLOHB I aetration, pasted by I condac lulgent tc m a com- rom rash* ivitv from I of beau- love, and vhicn she success, ire struck ilities and It of that and those inguished lucceeded ices; and such uni- 3 warriors kd of less* ihe justly her judg- ly arbitra ler prede- ; were en- s had en- lance was ; many se- lions, that »erty. Jlitfy fn^/mrU Mm