Numerus infaustus a short view of the unfortunate reigns of William the Second, Henry the Second, Edward the Second, Richard the Second, Charles the Second, James the Second.

THE LIFE and REIGN OF EDWARD the Second.

EDWARD of Carnarven was the Eldest Son of Edward the First, and succeeded his Father in the King∣dom of England. He was in his Per∣son handsome; in his Conversation acceptable; in his Inclinations not extrémely Vicious; continent beyond any of his Predecessors; not given to grind his Subjects by hard Taxations, or to enrich himself by their Impo∣verishment. He ascended the Throne with the Universal Joy and Acclama∣tions both of the Nobility, and the People; the way to it was plain, and

the Seat easy. He had the Advan∣tages of an extraordinary Education, the example of an Illustrious Father and a Victorious King; an early initiation in the Business of State, a happy opportunity to understand the Art of Reigning, by commanding the Realm, and presiding in Parlia∣ment, during his Fathers absence. When he took the Reins of Government into his hands, he was neither in his Nonage, nor Do∣tage; the Kingdom stood in no need of a Protector because of His Mino∣rity, nor an Administrator, because he was super-annuated. He was just ripe for Rule, and all circumstances concurr'd to make the Conclusion of his Reign as prosperous as the begin∣ning.

Notwithstanding all these happy Prcludiums, never was there a Prince more unfortunate, never was there a Life perplexed with more Disasters,

or a Death attended with sharper In∣stances of Misery and Horror: be∣ing persecuted by his Subjects, de∣serted by his Qeen, deposed by the People, and inhumanly Murdered by wretched Miscreants.

He began his Reign with a rude and irreligious contempt of his renowned Fathers Will, and dying Commands, which as it gave just cause to the Sub∣jects to suspect his Veracity and Con∣stancy, so it appear'd an ominous pre∣sage of his future Calamities, and De∣sertion by Heaven. For whereas his Father had expresly charged him, never to recall Pierce Gaveston from Banishment (who had been the Pan∣dar to the young Prince's Lusts, and the Debaucher of his Youth) he im∣mediately sent for him home, heap∣ed Honours and Riches upon him, and grew scandalously fond of him. His Father setled his Quarrel with Scotland upon him by Entayl, requi∣ring

him to carry his Bones about with him through that Kingdom, till he had subdued it: but so little Ve∣neration had he for those Glorious Re∣liques, that he neither took them with him in a Military Procession, nor re∣garded their quiet Sepulture; but ra∣ther to affront them, he entred into a Treaty for his own Nuptials, before he had solemnized the Funerals of his Father. The Old King had obliged him to send his heart to the Holy Land, with Sevenscore Knights to prosecute the Holy War, and two and thirty Thousand Pounds (a mighty Sum in those Days) which he had gathered for that Pious use: But he not only neglected his Fathers Directions, but in plain scorn and despight to his Commands, he prodi∣gally squander'd it on that same Ga∣veston, from whose very sight he was precluded by his dying Father.

I shall not need to divide the Hi∣story

of his Life into several Acts, I may recite it, as it was, in one Scene of Trouble and misfortune. The re∣vocation of Peirce Gaveston from per∣petual Exile was very displeasing to the People; His admission to the high∣est Honours and Favours about the Court, did smartly aggravate their just Resentments; but his Pride and O∣stentation at the Marriage of the King in France (where the Four Kings and Four Queens, were seen in all their Pomp, besides the King and his Bride, yet he was observed to ex∣cel them all in Bravery) had so sen∣sible an Operation on the Lords of England, that when Edward, and Isabel expected to be Crown'd, in the presence of many Princes, and No∣ble Persons, they boldly went to him and briskly told him, how haynously he had transgressed his Fathers Will in recalling Gaveston, to which since they were Cautioners; they would

see it performed; and unless he would remove Gaveston from Court and Kingdom, they would not suffer his Coronotion to proceed. King Ed∣ward, confounded with this stinging Declaration, gave them satisfaction, and solmnly Swore to do what they desired, in the next Parliment, and so the Coronation proceeded: In the solmnizing whereof the King again provoked the Lords to Discon∣tent, adding the honour of carrying St. Edwards Crown before him, to the other Titles he had conferred on Gaveston; which urged them to en∣ter into Consultation, how to con∣trive some plausible way to restrain the Violence of the Kings Affection which in a short time took affect. For Gaveston not content to engross the Kings Favor, and dictate his arbitrary Orders through the Kingdom, en∣croached on the honour of the No∣bility, and placed opprobious Nick-Names

upon divers of them, who therefore did not only envy him for his undeserved Advancement, but mortally hated him for his un-suffer∣able Insolency. It was not long before a Parliment met, who unanimously press the King to ap∣ply a Remedy to their Greivances in the Rere of which they urge the Banishment of Gaveston: The King seing no safety in expostulation, con∣sents to their Demands, and the several Articles (like those of the Council of Trent) are injoyn'd under an Ana∣thema, and pain of Excommunica∣tion: Hereupon Gaveston was sent into Ireland, but as the Chief Go∣overnour, not as an Exile; where after he ••ad stay'd a while, and act∣ed things much conducing to his Re∣putation, King Edward, not able to endure his absence, or indeed to live without him, remanded him home, and married him to the Sister of the

Earl of Glocester; but Gaveston was in∣corrigible, his Power exceeded all Limits, and his expences all possibili∣ty of supply; the Kings Revenue was wasted, the Queens maintenance retrenched, and all diverted to the accommodating the Luxury of the Fa∣vorite. The Lords began to ferment in a new Discontentment, and repair∣ing to the King, positively told him, if he did not immediately remove Ga∣veston out of the Court and Kingdom they would rise in Arms against him, as a perjur'd King. But he, after he had strugled a while between Love and Fear, condescended to his per∣tual Banishment, making his return a capital Offence, and so to be pro∣ceeded against, if ever found in the Kingdom. Gaveston once more is dispatcht out of England, and goes to France, where finding no safe A∣bode, he past into Flanders, and there meeting with no secure shelter, he

secretly returns to England, relying on the immovable Favor of the King, and the interest of the Duke of Glou∣cester. The bewitched King received him with transports of joy, and slip∣ping out of the sight of the Lords, and all other Observers, betook him∣self to York, carrying his beloved Mi∣nion with him. The Lords hearing of it, make after him, and choosing the great and potent Earl of Lanca∣ster for their General, sent a Message to the King to deliver Gaveston into their Hands, or at least to send him peremptorily out of the Kingdom. But being abused by evil Counsel, and disregarding the Message from the Lords, he marcht from place to place, seeking a sure refuge for his dear Favourite, refusing to stay with the Queen, who with tears beg'd his company, and lodg'd him in Scar∣borough-Castle; which being furiously assaulted by the Confederate Lords,

Gaveston thought it best to render himself, desiring only the favour to be allow'd once to see the King's face, and the King reciprocally ask'd the same. Gaveston was sent under a Convoy toward Wallingford, but be∣ing intercepted by the way, and for∣ced from his Guard by the Earl of Warwick, after long deliberation his Head was struck off at a place call'd Blacklow. In the mean time the King of Scots taking notice in how unready a posture Affaires were in England, how the King remitted all case of the Government to Gaveston, and that he gave himself up to Luxury and Licentiousness, in a short time, and with little or no opposition, re∣duced almost all Scotland to his obe∣dience; and encouraged by that suc∣cess. He entred England, burnt, and took several Towns, and being en∣counter'd with a splendid Army rai∣sed by King Edward, more resemb∣ling

a Court, than a Camp, and con∣sisting of a hundred thousand men; he with an Army hardly amounting to thirty thousand, utterly overthrew and defeated them. This misfortune was follow'd by the loss of almost all Ireland, and the treacherous Ren∣dition of Berwick, which yet King Edward was in a fair way to recover, had not the Earl of Lancaster disco∣ver'd his immoderate kindness to Hugh Spencer the younger, (whom he had substituted and embraced in the room of Gaveston) and thereupon withdrew his forces from his assist∣ance. These Crosses were accom∣panied with the loss of Northumber∣land, whereof all the Towns were taken, or burnt by the Scots, and an incredible number of Prisoners and Cattel carried into Scotland; King Edward in vain attempting to seek a Reprizal, and at last forced to pass over all hopes of satisfaction, by the

conclusion of a Truce. The unhappy King postponing the affections of his Subjects to the fond love of a Dar∣ling, advanced Hugh Spencer to the highest pitch of Honour and Favour, committed all Affairs to his sole Ad∣ministration; he (in perfect imitati∣on of his Predecessor) servilely com∣plying with the Kings Humours, and arrogantly insulting over the Lords. They to remove this insupportable Nusance, continue in Arms, confe∣derate together, and send a peremp∣tory Message to the King, requiring the confirmation and execution of the Articles formerly granted, otherwise threatning to constrain him by force of Arms, and accordingly assembled a mighty body about Dunstable, where the King then lay; but by the interposition of the Prelates, an Ac∣commodation was made, and all things agreed to their mutual satisfa∣ction. Soon after a Parliament was

call'd, wherein the King complain'd that the Lords had taken up Arms, had murthered Pierce Gaveston, and done him many other Affronts; they on the other side justifie their Pro∣ceedings, as not undertaken against, but for the Preservation of his Per∣son, and the punishment of the pub∣lick Enemies of the Kingdom; but the Queen, with the Prelates and the Duke of Gloucester, found an Expedi∣ent to qualifie these heats; the Lords became humble Suitors to the King for his Grace and Pardon, and he re∣ceives them kindly, as dutiful and loy∣al Subjects. But this Reconcilement not being founded in sincerity, was but of a short duration: The two Spencers, Father and Son, became in∣tolerable in their Covetousness, Op∣pression, and Arbitrary disposal of all Affairs; wherefore the Earl of Lancaster with divers other Lords, entred into a new Confederacy, bin∣ding

themselves by Oath to live and die together, in the maintenance of the Rights of the Kingdom, and to procure the expulsion of the two Spencers. In pursuance hereof, they gather a great Army, march to Lon∣don, and insist stoutly on their former demands; to which once more the King is induced to condescend, by the mediation of the Queen and the Prelates, and by publick Procla∣mation the Spencers are banished; but in a short time after the Edict was revoked, they recall'd, and restored to their former place and authority. The wind ••••gan now to change, and by a strange caprichio of fortune, the King got the Ascen∣dent over the mutinous Lords, con∣quered them in Battel, slew many of them in the Field, and put many to death, by the Sword of Justice; but so soon as the heat of Revenge was a little qualify'd, repented of his pro∣ceeding.

Hitherto the miserable King re∣ceived only slight wounds in the ex∣treme parts of his Body, now he re∣ceived a stab at the Heart. The Queen enraged to see her Husbands love diverted upon upstart Favorites, and disdaining to be a Pensioner to their pleasure, found a plausible Ex∣cuse to repair into France, where (to be revenged on her Husband for his neglect of her) she continued in too scandalous a familiarity with the Lord Mortimer. The King being adverti∣sed of it, commanded her to return, and she delaying to come, he pro∣claimed her, and the Prince (who was at that time also in France) Ene∣mies to the Kingdom, banish'd them and their Adherents, and strongly guarded the Seas with three Fleets, to intercept their passage. The Queen by the help of Foreign Friends, got together a considerable Army, and landed near Harwich, and was pre∣sently

reinforced by the conjunction of the Earl Marshal, the Earl of Lan∣caster, the Earl of Leicester, and many other Lords and Bishops. The King was astonish'd at the News, being utterly irresolute what course to take: He had no Counsellors about him, but the Spencers, London was not to be trusted, his Army was waver∣ing, the people from all Counties flock∣ing in to the Queen. In this perplexity he secretly withdraws from the Court, attended by the two Spencers, and a very few others, and being disappoin∣ted of his Retreat to the Isle of Lundy, He hides himself in the Abby of Nethe; where within a short time he was taken, his Followers all appre∣hended, and the two Spencers pub∣lickly and ignominiously executed, and himself committed to the custo∣dy of the Earl of Leicester. After Christmas a Parliament was call'd, wherein it was agreed to Depose the

King, and set up his Son, who re∣fusing to take the Crown, unless his Father would freely resign it, the poor King as tamely surrender'd the Scepter, as he had before unworthily weilded it, and having formally re∣nounced and abdicated the Government, and the Speaker of the Parliament, renounced all Allegiance to him, in the Name of the whole King∣dom, he was taken from the Earl of Leicester (from whom his Ene∣mies thought he had too kind usage) and being hurried from place to place, and wearied with all manner of severity and indignity, wasted by starving, tormented by noisome stinks, and attempted by Poyson, he was at last barbarously and inhu∣manely stifled to death between two Pillows. The Murder being disavow'd by the Queen, the Executioners of it fled, and died miserably.