great worth and valour, who had faithfully adhered to John in all the fluctuations of his fortune, determined to support his declining interests, and had him solemnly crowned, by the Bishops of Winchester and Bath, at Gloucester.

The young king was of a character the very opposite to his father: as he grew up to man's estate, he was found to be gentle, merciful, and humane; he appeared easy and goodnatured to his dependents, but no way formidable to his Without activity or vigour, he was unfit to conduct in war; without distrust or suspicion, he was imposed upon in times of peace.

enemies.

As weak princes are never without governing favourites, he first placed his affections on Hubert de Burgh, and he becoming obnoxious to the people, the place was soon supplied by Peter de Roches, Bishop of Winchester, a Poictevin by birth, a man remarkable for his arbitrary conduct, for his courage, and his abilities. Henry, in pursuance of this prelate's advice, invited over a great number of Poictevins, and other foreigners, who, having neither principles nor fortunes at home, were willing to adopt whatever schemes their employer should propose. Every office and command was bestowed on these unprincipled strangers, whose avarice and rapacity were exceeded only by their pride and insolence. So unjust a partiality to strangers, very naturally excited the jealousy of the barons; and they even ventured to assure the king, that, if he did not dismiss all foreigners from court, they would drive both him and them out of the kingdom: but their anger was scarce kept within bounds, when they saw a new swarm of these intruders come over from Gascony, with Isabella, the king's mother, who had been some time before married to the Count de la Marche. To these just causes of complaint were added the king's unsuccessful expeditions to the Continent, his total want of economy, and his oppressive exactions, which were but the result of the former. The kingdom therefore waited with gloomy resolution, resolving to take vengeance when the general discontent arrived at maturity.

This imprudent preference, joined to a thousand other illegal evasions of justice, at last impelled Simon Montford, Earl of Leicester, to attempt an innovation in the government, and to wrest the sceptre from the feeble hand that held it. This nobleman was the son of the famous general who commanded against the Albigenses, a sect of enthusiasts that had been destroyed some time before in the kingdom of Savoy. He was married to the king's sister; and, by his power and address,

was possessed of a strong interest in the nation, having gained equally the affections of the great and the little.--

The place where the formidable confederacy, which he had formed, first discovered itself, was in the parliament-house, where the barons appeared in complete armour. The king, upon his entry, asked them what was their intention? to which they submissively replied, to make him their sovereign, by confirming his power, and to have their grievances redressed. Henry, who was ready enough to promise whatever was demanded, instantly assured them of his intentions to give all possible satisfaction; and, for that purpose, summoned a parliament at Oxford, to digest a new plan of government, and to elect proper persons, who were to be entrusted with the chief authority. This parliament, afterwards called the mad parliament, went expeditiously to work upon the business of reformation. Twenty-four barons were appointed, with supreme authority, to reform the abusos of the state, and Leicester was placed at their head. The whole state, in their hands, underwent a complete alteration; all its former officers were displaced, and creatures of the twenty-four barons were put in their room. They not only abridged the authority of the king, but the efficacy of parliament, giving up to twelve persons all parliamentary power between each session. Thus these insolent nobles, after having trampled upon the crown, threw prostrate all the rights of the people, and a vile oligarchy was on the point of being established for ever.

The first opposition that was made to these usurpations, was from a power which but lately began to take place in the constitution. The knights of the shire, who for some time had begun to be regularly assembled in a separate house, now first perceived those grievances, and complained against them.They represented that their own interests and power seemed the only aim of all their decrees; and they even called upon the king's eldest son, Prince Edward, to interpose his authority and save the sinking nation.

Prince Edward was at this time about twenty-two years of age. The hopes which were conceived of his abilities and his integrity rendered him an important personage in the transactions of the times, and in some measure atoned for his father's imbecility. He had, at a very early age, given the strongest proofs of courage, of wisdom, and of constancy. At first indeed, when applied to, appearing sensible of what his father had suffered by levity and breach of promise, he refused some time to listen to the people's earnest application; but being at

great worth and valour, who had faithfully adhered to John in all the fluctuations of his fortune, determined to support his declining interests, and had him solemnly crowned, by the Bishops of Winchester and Bath, at Gloucester.

The young king was of a character the very opposite to his father: as he grew up to man's estate, he was found to be gentle, merciful, and humane; he appeared easy and goodnatured to his dependents, but no way formidable to his enemies. Without activity or vigour, he was unfit to conduct in war; without distrust or suspicion, he was imposed upon in times of peace.

As weak princes are never without governing favourites, he first placed his affections on Hubert de Burgh, and he becoming obnoxious to the people, the place was soon supplied by Peter de Roches, Bishop of Winchester, a Poictevin by birth, a man remarkable for his arbitrary conduct, for his courage, and his abilities. Henry, in pursuance of this prelate's advice, invited over a great number of Poictevins, and other foreigners, who, having neither principles nor fortunes. at home, were willing to adopt whatever schemes their employer should propose. Every office and command was bestowed on these unprincipled strangers, whose avarice and rapacity were exceeded only by their pride and insolence. So unjust a partiality to strangers, very naturally excited the jealousy of the barons; and they even ventured to assure the king, that, if he did not dismiss all foreigners from court, they would drive both him and them out of the kingdom: but their anger was scarce kept within bounds, when they saw a new swarm of these intruders come over from Gascony, with Isabella, the king's mother, who had been some time before married to the Count de la Marche. To these just causes of complaint were added the king's unsuccessful expeditions to the Continent, his total want of economy, and his oppressive exactions, which were but the result of the former. The kingdom therefore waited with gloomy resolution, resolving to take vengeance when the general discontent arrived at maturity.

This imprudent preference, joined to a thousand other illegal evasions of justice, at last impelled Simon Montford, Earl of Leicester, to attempt an innovation in the government, and to wrest the sceptre from the feeble hand that held it. This nobleman was the son of the famous general who commanded against the Albigenses, a sect of enthusiasts that had been destroyed some time before in the kingdom of Savoy. He was married to the king's sister; and, by his power and address,

was possessed of a strong interest in the nation, having gained equally the affections of the great and the little.

The place where the formidable confederacy, which he had formed, first discovered itself, was in the parliament-house, where the barons appeared in complete armour. The king, upon his entry, asked them what was their intention? to which they submissively replied, to make him their sovereign, by confirming his power, and to have their grievances redressed. Henry, who was ready enough to promise whatever was demanded, instantly assured them of his intentions to give all possible satisfaction; and, for that purpose, summoned a parliament at Oxford, to digest a new plan of government, and to elect proper persons, who were to be entrusted with the chief authority. This parliament, afterwards called the mad parliament, went expeditiously to work upon the business of reformation. Twenty-four barons were appointed, with supreme authority, to reform the abusos of the state, and Leicester was placed at their head. The whole state, in their hands, underwent a complete alteration; all its former officers were displaced, and creatures of the twenty-four barons were put in their room. They not only abridged the authority of the king, but the efficacy of parliament, giving up to twelve persons all parliamentary power between each session. Thus these insolent nobles, after having trampled upon the crown, threw prostrate all the rights of the people, and a vile oligarchy was on the point of being established for ever.

The first opposition that was made to these usurpations, was from a power which but lately began to take place in the constitution. The knights of the shire, who for some time had begun to be regularly assembled in a separate house, now first perceived those grievances, and complained against them.They represented that their own interests and power seemed the only aim of all their decrees; and they even called upon the king's eldest son, Prince Edward, to interpose his authority and save the sinking nation.

Prince Edward was at this time about twenty-two years of age. The hopes which were conceived of his abilities and his integrity rendered him an important personage in the transactions of the times, and in some measure atoned for his father's imbecility. He had, at a very early age, given the strongest proofs of courage, of wisdom, and of constancy. At first indeed, when applied to, appearing sensible of what his father had suffered by levity and breach of promise, he refused some time to listen to the people's earnest application; but being at

last persuaded to concur, a parliament was called, in which the king assumed his former authority.

This being considered as a breach of the late convention, a civil war ensued, in which, in a pitched battle, the Earl of Leicester became victorious, and the king was taken prisoner; but soon after exchanged for Prince Edward, who was to remain as a hostage to insure the punctual observance of the former agreement.

With all these advantages, however, Leicester was not so entirely secure, but that he still feared the combination of the foreign states against him, as well as the internal machinations of the royal party. In order, therefore, to secure his illacquired power, he was obliged to have recourse to an aid till now entirely unknown in England, namely, that of the body of the people. He called a parliament, where, besides the barons of his own party, and several ecclesiastics, who were not immediate tenants of the crown, he ordered returns to be made of two knights from every shire; and also deputies from the boroughs, which had been hitherto considered as too inconsiderable to have a voice in legislation. This is the first confirmed outline of an English house of commons. The people had been gaining some consideration since the gradual diminution of the force of the feudal system.

This parliament, however, was found not so very complying as he expected. Many of the barons, who had hitherto stedfastly adhered to his party, appeared disgusted at his immoderate ambition; and many of the people, who found that a change of masters was not a change for happiness, began to wish for the re-establishment of the royal family. In this exigence, Leicester, finding himself unable to oppose the concurring wishes of the nation, was resolved to make a merit of what he could not prevent; and he accordingly released Prince Edward from confinement, and had him introduced at Westminster-hall, where his freedom was confirmed by the unanimous voice of the barons. But though Leicester had all the popularity of restoring the prince, yet he was politic enough to keep him still guarded by his emissaries, who watched all his motions, and frustrated all his aims.

Wherefore the prince, upon hearing that the Duke of Gloucester was up in arms in his cause, took an opportunity to escape from his guards, and put himself at the head of his party. A battle soon after ensued; but the earl's army, having been exhausted by famine on the mountains of Wales, were but ill able to sustain the impetuosity of young Edward's