ter; refolving for this lewd Man's Sake to put Crown, Life, and all in Hazard. And now the infolent Earl ftrives to outgo himself in his former Courfes, confuming the King's Treafures and Means, fo that there was not fufficient left for the Neceffities of the Court; and drawing the King into fuch Debaucheries, that the Queen conceived her. felf injured thereby, as well as the Nobles. Whereupon Gavefton is a third Time forc'd out of the Realm; into which he again returned the following Chriftmas, when the King welcomed him as an Angel from Heaven, and forthwith advanc'd him to be principal Secretary; but the Lords, as well Ecclefiaftical as Temporal, refolved by Force of Arms utterly to extirpate him, choofing for their Leader in this Defign, Thomas Earl of Lancaster. And at Dathington, this infamous Earl Gaweton was furprized by Guy, Earl of Warwick, who conveyed him to Warwick Cafle, and in a Place called Bla klow (afterwards Gavehead) caufed his Head to be cut off, as a Subverter of the Laws, and an open Traytor to the Kingdom. Which At caufed a lafting Hatred in the King to his Nobles, though for the prefent the King's Difpleafure was allayed by the Mediation of the Prelates, and efpecially of Gilbert Earl of Gloucefter, who flood Neutral. But whilft the English King minded only his Pleafure, undaunted Bruce (now the received King of Scotland) induftrioufly profecuted his Defign, for fetting his Country at Liberty from the English, driving

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them out of moft Places of his 1307. Realm, and making great Spoil in Northumberland: Which awakening John OfKing Edward, he marched with a ford, A. very great Army againft him, tho' B. of many of the Nobles refufed to attend him in this Service, because he delayed to ratify their defired Liberties, and Provifions for better Government, fo often confented unto by himself. At Bannocksbourn the English and Scots Armies came in Sight of each other, when the Enemy left nothing undone that might be for their Advantage, digging before their Batallions certain Trenches, wherein they stuck fharp Stakes, covering them with Hurdles, which miferably afflicted the English Cavalry, falling into them at unawares, thereby procuring to the Scots the greatest Victory that ever they had over the English. In this Fight King Edward did gallantly behave himfelf, nor would he fly, till by the Importunity of Friends he was thereunto forced, for his Prefervation. Now was flain the Earl of Gloucefter, the Lord Clifford, with other Lords, and about 700 Knights, Efquires, and Men of Armories; Humphrey de Bohun was taken Prifoner, and a great Booty the Scots gained; for the English in this Expedition had adorned themfelves as for a Triumph, with all Sorts of Riches, Gold, Silver, and the like, in a kind of wanton Manner, correfponding to the Prince they followed. In thofe Times the Scots made fuch like fcoffing Rhimes as this on the English:

made great Spoil, fome of the dif loyal Englishmen joining with them. The King nevertheless could not

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1323. forget his Gavefton, whofe Body with great Pomp he caufed to be transferred from Oxford to KingsLangley in Hertfordshire, himself in Perfon honouring the Obfequies. Then in Pierce Gavefton's Place, the King advanced into his Favour the two Spencers, Father and Son, whofe intolerable Infolencies and Oppreffions feemed to exceed thofe of Gavefton's; against whom the Barons did fwell with fuch Impatience, that not content with the Waste of their. Lands, by Threats of Civil War, they procured their Banifhment, The Queen, who hitherto had been a Mediatrix betwixt the King and his Lords, having received the Denial of one Night's Lodging at the Caftle of Leeds in Kent, which belonged to one of the Barons, whom The perceived to take too much upon them, now turned her Spleen against them, incenfing the King her Husband against them fo highly, that King Edward refolved to die in the Quarrel, or to bring the factious Lords into a more becoming Carriage towards him. The Judg. ment given against the Spencers he procured to be reverfed. Some of the delinquent Lords render'd themfelves to the King; others of them were apprehended, amongst whom were the two Roger Mortimers, Father and Son, who were committed to the Tower. Howbeit the Earl of Lancaster in the North refolved, with what Force he could procure, to fight for his Security; against whom the King marched, and at Burrow Bridge encountred him; where Humphrey de Bohun was flain with a Spear from under the Bridge; and the Earl of Lancaster, with other principal Men, Barons and Knights, to the Number of above Ninety, were taken by Andrew de Herkly, Captain of Carlifle, afterwards created Earl of that

Place. The Earl of Lancaster, a few Days after, was beheaded at Pontfract, the Barons and Knights were drawn, hang'd, and quarter'd. The Lord Badlefmere, who refufed to let the Queen lodge at Leeds, was executed at Canterbury. Never did English Earth at one Time drink fo much Blood of her Nobles, as at this Time in so vile a Manner shed, one Earl and fourteen Lords fuffering Death, most of them by the Halter. But that this Tragedy of the Lords was exploited by others, and not by the King's free Inclinations, appears; for that when fome of the Courtiers and Favourites pleaded for the Life of one of a mean Family, condemned for being engaged in the Rebellion, the King fiercely anfwered, A Plague upon you for curfed Whisperers, malicious Backbiters, wicked Counfellers; intreat you fo for the Life of a most notorious Knave, who would not speak one Word for the Life of my most dear Kinfman, that most noble Knight Earl Thomas? By the Soul of God, this Fellow ball die the Death he bath deferved.

In A. D. 1323, King Edward marched with a mighty Hoft into Scotland, from whence for Want of Victuals he was forced in a short Time after to return, without the Honour of any Atchievement, the Scots alfo following him at the Heels, and fo fuddenly affailing him, that he was forced to leave his Treafure and Furniture for Pillage to them. But by reafon of the Interdict which the Pope had put the Scots under in Favour of the English, a Truce

was made betwixt the two Nations for Thirteen Years; which being confirmed, Edward took his Progrefs through the Counties of York and Lancaster, and Marches of Wales, from whence the late Seditions had their Nourishments; there punish

ing many feverely. Amongst the reff he caufed Andrew de Herkly to be degraded, hang'd, drawn and quar. tered, for traiteroufly taking Part with the Scots. Whilft thefe Things were acting, young Roger Mortimer, having corrupted his Keepers, or potion'd them with a fleepy Drink, efcaped out of the Tower, getting over into France. The Spencers, Father and Son, one created Earl of Winchester, the other of Gloucefter, behav'd themfelves exceeding fordly, even to the Queen herself, whofe Maintenance they abridged, to advance their own Wealth. Many Nobles that had been engaged in the Barons Quarrel, they put to fuch exceffive Rates for purchafing the King's Favour again, that utterly impoverished them. Adam, Bishop of Hereford, and Henry, Bi. fhop of Lincoln, for the fame Caufe they deprived of all their Temporalities. But the Queen and difcontented Nobles refolve to clear themfelves of the Spencers; to which End the Queen procured Aids out of Hainault and Germany, and uniting them with the Barons Forces, marched against the King, who found but few Friends, becaufe of the mortal Hatred that the People generally did bear to the Spencers. The Queen, lying with her Army at Oxford, caufed the whole Univerfity to be called together; when in the Prefence of the Queen, Prince, Roger Mortimer, and other Nobles, the Bishop of Hereford preach'd unto them from that Text, 2 Kings iv. 19. My Head, my Head aketh: Delivering to them the Reafons of the Queen's coming with her Army; concluding that an aking and fick Head of a Kingdom was to be taken off, and not to be tampered with by any other Phyfick. The Londoners food high for the Queen and Barons, cutting off the Bishop

of Exeter's Head, whom the King had left Guardian of London. The Tower they gained into their Poffeffion, proclaimed John of Eltham Cuftos of the City and whole, Land, and fet at Liberty all Prifoners. The Queen did the like throughout all the Realm; by her Order alfo all banished Men were revoked, whereby no fmall Increafe was brought to the Barons Forces. From Oxford the Queen marched to Bristol, which the befieged and took, and therein Hugh Spencer the Elder, whom the caufed, without any Form of Trial, to be cut up alive and quartered, having been first, at the Clamours of the common People, drawn and hanged in his proper Armories. The unfortunate King being now forfaken of almost all his English Subjects, after much wandering, intrufted himself with the Welch (who ftill loved him) lying hid in the Abby of Neath, till at length, after much Search, he was found out, and with him young le Spencer, Robert Baldock, Chancellor, and Simon de Reading, were ken. King Edward was conveyed to Kenilworth Caftle, the Lords to Hereford, where the Queen lay with her Hoft. Spencer, and Simon de Reading were condemned to Death by William Truffel, and were both ignominiously hanged. The diftreffed King being now fhut up in Prifon, and without Hopes of any Redemption, after he had been much folicited, at laft yielded to refign the Crown to his Son Edward; which being granted by the King, the Lords forthwith proceed to the fhort Ceremony of his Refignation, chicfly confifting in the Surrender of his Crown and Enfigns of Majefty, to the Ufe of his Son Prince Edward; Sir William Truffel thereupon, in the Behalf of the whole Realm, renounced all Homage and

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