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AFter the deposing of the Father, Ed∣ward the Son is proclaimed King, the seventeenth of January 1327. But being not above fifteen Years of Age, during his Mino∣rity Affairs were managed by the old Queen and her Friend Mortimer, who con∣clude
a dishonourable Peace with the Scots, and a Match between David Bruce the Scots King's Son, but seven Years old, and our Kings Sister, not so much. But in the third Year of his Reign the Queen by the Parlia∣ment is confined to a Castle, where she re∣main'd thirty Years, till her Death, with whom just ready to go to bed, was taken Mortimer by the King in Person, and several Lords, who being charged amongst other Crimes with being too familiar with the Queen, and betraying the Realm, was drawn to Tyburn and there hang'd up, his Body remaining an opprobrious Spectacle for all Beholders.
About this time a Title to the Crown and Kingdom of France fell to this King Edward. For Charles the French King dy∣ing without Issue, it came to him as being the Son of Isabel Sister to the said Charles, but they alleadging the Salick Law exclu∣ded all Females, and such as claim under them from the Crown, set up Phillip Va∣lois King, as being though more remote, yet descended of a Masculine Line, and King Edward had yet no Leisure to dis∣pute it, being engaged in Scotland on the be∣half of young Baliol, with whom he joined to recover that Kingdom from the Usurper
David Bruce, though his Brother in Law; and in a Battel at Hallidown-Hill slow thir∣ty thousand Scots, establishing Baliol in the Throne upon Homage perform'd, all which time Bruce and his Wife remained in France.
Having secured that troublesome and dangerous back Door, he takes upon him∣self the Title and Arms of King of France; and having destroy'd a Navy of two hun∣dred Ships that lay to hinder his Passage, and slain therein thirty thousand men, he entred France with an Army of fifty five thousand, and besieged Turnay, but a Truce was concluded for the present. However, about two Years after, King Edward goes again over with the black Prince his Son then but fifteen Years of Age, and takes Harfleur, the City of Caen, and divers other Cities, marching through the several Pro∣vinces at his Pleasure, till having much weakned & lessen'd the number of his men, being then above thirty thousand, the French King with an Army of above sixty thousand gives him Battel at Cressy, but is totally routed, having thirty thousand men slain, and King Phillip himself forc'd to fly in the Night to Bray, where the Guards asking, who goes there? He answered mourn∣fully,
the Fortune of France; and be∣ing known by his Voice was received into the Town with the Tears and Lamentations of his People, this memorable Victory was obtained on Bartholomew day 1346. And soon after, Calice is taken.
In the mean time David King of Scots invaded England with an Army of sixty thousand, but by several Lords and the Queen in Person is routed at Nevils-Cross in the Bishoprick, fifteen thousand of his men slain, and he himself taken Prisoner and brought to London.
Phillip the French King dying, his Son John succeeds; and Edward the black Prince then grown up, having made great Hayock in France, at last happens the famous Battel of Poyctiers, the nineteenth of September 1357. The English were not above ten, some say but six thousand, and those weak and weary; but the French above three∣score thousand, so that the Prince was content to have surrendred what Places he had got; but nothing would serve the French King, but he must, as vanquished, ren∣der himself and his Army to his Discretion; whereupon he rather chuses to fight him, which she did so successfully, that he ut∣terly defeated that vast Army, kill'd above
two thousand persons of Quality, and took King John himself and divers Lords Priso∣ners, who was brought over into England, to keep company with his Friend David King of Scotland, who both with King Ed∣ward and the Prince, dined altogether at the Lord Mayors; and for this Victory, a Thanksgiving was appointed throughout all England for eight dayes together.
The French King was afterwards Ran∣somed for three Millions of Crowns of Gold, and the Black Prince goes into Spain, and with one Battel with thirty thousand against an hundred thousand men, puts Peter King of Castile into possession of his Kingdom, from whence he had been lately driven by the French and Arragonians; but returning from thence dies, to the great grief of King Edward his Father, who not long after, viz. the 21 of June 1377. died himself, in the sixty fourth year of his Age, and two and fiftieth of his Reign. In his time happen∣ed a grievous Pestilence, which continued eight or nine years, and for some time so great, that in London between January and July died 57374 persons, and in Yarmouth in one year 7052. In the eleventh year of his Reign was so great a Plenty, that a Quarter of Wheat was sold for two shillings,
a fat Ox for a Noble, a fat Sheep for six Pence, and a Pig for a Penny. He was bu∣ried in Westminster Church, where the Sword he used in Battel is yet to be seen, being eight pound in weight, and seven foot long. In his time lived Sir Jeffery Chaucer, our English Homer, who happily turn'd the Groves of Woodstock into the Banks of Heli∣con. This King left several Children, but especially John of Gaunt, who married the sole Heir of the House of Lancaster, whose Issue Henry came to be King; and Edmund of Langley, afterwards created Duke of York.