Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 03.djvu/545

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EDWARD THE CONFESSOR 473 EDWARD III. mingham, Leeds, Manchester, and Liver- pool. It was not until after the Great War that any provision for such educa- tion was made at the ancient universi- ties of Oxford and Cambridge. A nota- ble contrast between the secondary schools of commercial education in Eu- rope and those in the United States has been that in the former the leading busi- ness men organized in the various cham- bers of commerce have had a leading part in establishing and directing the schools. In the United States the busi- ness men have held aloof and allowed the work to be carried on by teachers equipped with more or less traditional academic training. This has not always been to the advantage of the subject. EDWARD THE CONFESSOR, son of Ethelred, succeeded Hardicanute in 1041, Having been reared in Normandy, he brought over many of the natives of that country, whom he preferred at his court, which gave great disgust to his Saxon subjects. Notwithstanding this, he kept i^ossession of his throne, and framed a code which is supposed to be the origin of the common law of England. He abolished the tax of danegelt, was the first who pretended to cure the king's evil by touch, and restored Malcolm to the throne of Scotland, which had been usurped by Macbeth. He consulted Wil- liam of Normandy about the choice of a successor, and this afterward furnished that prince with a plea for invading the kingdom after the death of Edward, in 1066. EDWARD I. (Norman line), sur- named Longshanks; born in 1239, suc- ceeded his father, Henry III., in 1272. At the time of his father's death he was in Palestine, fighting against the Sara- cens for the recovery of Jerusalem, and when he returned, completed the con- quest of Wales and subdued Scotland. To preserve Wales, he caused his son, who was born in Caernai"von, to be called the "Prince of Wales," which, ever since has continued to be the title of the eldest son of the King of England. In en- deavoring to break the spirit of the Scotch, he was unsuccessful, the patriot- ism of Wallace and his followers com- pletely baffling his attempts at the entire subjugation of that people. He died in 1307. While in the Holy Land, Eleanor, the wife of this sovereign, saved his life by sucking the poison from a wound which he received from a vengeful as- sassin. She was the daughter of Fer- dinand III., King of Castile. His second wife was Margaret, daughter of Philip the Hardy, King of France. The laws which he framed entitle him to the name of the English Justinian. EDWARD II., son of the above, was created Prince of Wales in 1284, and after his accession to the throne suffered himself to be governed by his favorites, Gaveston and the Spencers, which oc- casioned the barons to rise against him. In his reign the battle of Bannockburn was fought near Stirling, in Scotland, which restored to that country whatever of her independence she had lost in the previous reign. In 1327, he was deposed by his subjects, and his crown conferred on his son, when he was confined in Berkeley Castle, Gloucestershire, where he was murdered in 1327. EDWARD III., eldest son of Edward II. and Isabella of France; born in 1312, succeeded to the throne on the deposition of his father. Though a regrrcy was appointed, the chief power was held by the queen and her paramour, Roger Mor- timei-. Earl of March. In 1330, Edward assumed the government, had Mortimer seized and hanged, and imprisoned Queen Isabella. In 1333 he invaded Scotland, and defeated the regent at Halidon Hill. The greater war with France soon withdrew his attention from Scotland. He assumed the title of King of France, invaded the country from Flan- ders, but without any successful result, renewed the invasion in 1340, when he defeated the French fleet at Sluys, be- sieged Tournay, and concluded a truce. The war was renewed, and another truce made in 1343, to be broken the following year. In 1346 he won the great victory of Crecy, took Calais in 1347, and con- cluded another truce. During his ab- sence in France, the Scots invaded Eng- land, and were defeated at Nevil's Cross, David II. being taken prisoner. In 1356 Edward the Black Prince invaded France, and gained the victory of Poi- tiers, taking the French king and his son prisoners. The king was released after four years, on the conclusion of the peace of Bretigny. David of Scotland was released for a heavy ransom in 1357. War broke out again with France in 1369, and in 1373 John of Gaunt marched without resistance from Calais to Bor- deaux. The long wars of Edward III., though almost fruitless of practical re- sult, appear to have been popular; and his numerous parliaments granted lib- eral supplies for carrying them on, gain- ing in return confirmations of the Great and other charters, and many valuable concessions. His victories raised the spirit and also the fame of his country,

d with the evident military power of England grew also her commerce and manufactures. In this reign Wyclif be- gan his assault on the Church of Rome; the Order of the Garter was instituted;