in favour of Baliol, on condition that the latter acknow ledged him as lord paramount, and on the breaking out of war with France he demanded his assistance. On Baliol s refusal, and on learning that he had entered into a treaty with France, Edward in 1296 captured Berwick, defeated the Scots at Dunbar, took the castles of Roxburgh, Jedburgh, Edinburgh, Dumbarton, and Stirling, and, receiving at Perth Baliol s unconditional surrender, sent him prisoner to the Tower. In 1297 Wallace headed a rebellion of the Scots, and defeated the English with great slaughter at the battle of Stirling bridge ; but next year the Scots suffered an overwhelming defeat at Falldrk, and only prevented the further success of the English by laying waste their own country. In 1299 and 1300 Edword s attempts at invasion met with little success on account of opposition from his barons. In 1301 he in vaded Scotland for the fifth time, but at the request of the king of France granted it a truce. In 1304 he compelled its submission, and excepted from the amnesty granted to the Scotch nobles Sir William Wallace, who was captured and executed in 1305. In 1307, to avenge Bruce s murder of Comyn and his attacks on the English, Edward resolved on a seventh invasion, and, though in great bodily weak ness, determined to lead his army in person ; but his almost unexampled labours had already undermined his vigorous health, and he died 7th July 1307, at the village of Burgh- on-the-Sauds, on the fifth day of his march northwards from Carlisle. He had given orders that his dead body should be carried before the army until his enemies were conquered ; but his son Edward made no endeavour to fulfil his wish. The body was escorted to Waltham. and was buried at Westminster on the 27th October. In Edward were united in a rare degree both the physical and mental qualities of a great general ; and he is one of the few English kings, and perhaps the first, who can lay claim to the higher qualities of statesmanship. The measures which he passed for the government of his own kingdom, and the conces sions he made to the demands of his subjects, almost entitle him to be called the founder of England s constitutional freedom ; while the far-seeing wisdom of his foreign policy was shown by his sacrificing his influence in France in order to quell the opposition to his authority in Scotland. That his claims on Scotland were altogether just can scarcely be affirmed; but that he clearly saw the necessity of a union of Scotland and England, and devoted his whole efforts to the attainment of this end, is perhaps his highest title to honourable remembrance. His harsh manner of attaining his end, and the cruel punishments he exercised on those who sought to thwart his efforts, may be excused partly on account of the times in which he lived, and partly as arising from the just vexation of a stern and eager nature; and they are somewhat counter-balanced by the righteous ness and clemency with which he governed Scotland at
the periods when it was under his rule.
See Hallam s Middle Ages; Pearson s History of England during the Early and Middle Ages, vol. ii. ; Longman s Lectures on the History of England, vol. i. ; Stubbs s Early Flanlagcnet Kings ; Hill Burton s History of Scotland, vol. ii.; and Green s Short History of the English People.
EDWARD II. (1284–1327), king of England, fourth son of Edward I. and of Eleanor, was born at Carnarvon, April 25, 1284, and became heir-apparent in 1285. His first title was earl of Carnarvon, but in 1301 he was created earl of Chester and prince of Wales. His personal character, and the whole tenor and tendency of his reign, may perhaps be best described as the opposite of those of his father. Though not the slave of any of the worst vices, and not without natural abilities, he was weak, indolent, and faithless; and his utter incompetence for the position in which fortune had placed him requires no other proof than the fate which finally overtook him. His first acts after the death of his father foreshadowed his future career. He at once recalled Piers Gaveston, a favourite whom his father had banished from the court, and created him earl of Cornwall, caused his father s body to be buried at Westminster, and, after rejoining the army for a few days, returned again to London, and for six years made no serious effort to prosecute the war with Scotland. Previous to his coronation he went to France to be married to Isabella, daughter of Philip II. ; and by appointing Gaveston guardian of the kingdom during his absence, and loading him with honours and presents on his return, he roused the animosity of the nobles to such a height that it was only on his promising to agree to certain demands that might ba submitted to him at a future Parliament, that they con sented to his coronation. It took place 25th February 1308. Until the nobles rose in rebellion in 1312, and executed Gaveston at Warwick castle, the favourite formed a perpetual subject of dispute between the nobles and the king, and was alternately banished and recalled according to the king s exigencies. In 1311 Parliament confirmed the report of the " Committee of Ordinances " appointed to reform the abuses of the administration. The king nominally agreed to act in accordance with the report, but by a saving clause secured to himself full liberty to evade the principal enactments, the result of which was a series of quarrels with the nobles, becoming more serious each succes sive time, followed by reconciliations increasing gradually in hollowness till the end of his reign. Robert Bruce took full advantage of the internal difficulties of England, and in 1314 had reconquered the principal strongholds of Scotland with the exception of Stirling castle. For its relief Edward raised an army of 100,000 men, but suffered a ruinous defeat at the battle of Bannockburn, 24th June 1314. Edward made no further effort of importance against the Scots till 1319, when he besieged Berwick, which Bruce had taken, but was compelled to raise the siege, and concluded a two years' truce with Scotland. After the death of Piers Gaveston, the place of favourite with the king was occupied by Hugh Despenser. He was banished by Parliament in 1321, but soon returned; and, provoked at this, the barons under Lancaster declared war, but were defeated and Lancaster executed in March 1322. In 1323 a fourteen years' truce was concluded with Scotland. In 1324 Edward was persuaded to send the queen to France in order to settle some disputes with the French king. She succeeded in her mission, but refused to return home, on account, she affirmed, of previous ill-treatment by her husband, although doubtless intrigues with Roger Mortimer had something to do with her refusal. From France she went to Flanders, and, raising a small army against the king, landed at Orwell in Suffolk, 22d September 1326. The whole nation flocked to her standard, Despenser was executed, and young Edward was appointed guardian of the kingdom. In 1327, the king was formally deposed by Parliament, and his son elected in his stead. A plot was formed against the deposed monarch in the same year, and he was murdered with great cruelty at Berkeley Castle on the 27th September. (See the same writers for this reign as for the last.)
son of Edward II. and of Isabella, was born at Windsor, November 13, 1312. He was appointed guardian of the kingdom October 26, 1326, and received the crown February 1, 1327. On the 24th January 1328 he was married to Philippa, daughter of the count of Hainault. During his minority the government of the kingdom was intrusted to a body of guardians with Henry of Lancaster at their head, but was virtually usurped by Roger Mortimer,
until the king, irritated by his arrogance, caused him to be