Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 06.djvu/763

* EDWARD II. 665 EDWARD III. amounting, according to some historians, to 100,- 000 men. At Bannockbiirn, on June 24. 1314, lie was encountered by Kobert Bruce (q.v.) and de- feated with immense slaughter. Finally, in 1319, after numerous [letty successes on the part of the Scotch, Edward concluded a truce with them for two years. (.)nce more he fell under tlic in- fluence of unscrupulous favcuites, the persons elected on this occasion being the two Despen- sers. Once more the nobles rebelled, and both Hugh le Despenscr and his father were banished, in July. I3-21 : but some months after they were recalled by Edward. Many of the rebellious nobles, among others the Earl of Lancaster, were beheaded in the following year. Immediately thereafter Edward invaded Scotland for the last time: but baring achieved no success, concluded a truce with that country for thirteen years and returned to England. A dispute now arose be- tween him and Charles IV. of Erance, brother. of his wife. Isabella, in regard to the territories which the English King held in that country. When Charles seized the lands in question, Ed- ward sent over Isabella to remonstrate, and, if possible, to effect an amicable arrangement be- tween them. Isabella, it would appear, despised her husband and disliked the Despensers. Meet- ing at the French Court many English nobles who had left their country to avoid the enmity of the favorites, she was easily induced to make com- mon cause with them against her husband and the Despensers. She obtained possession of the young Prince of Wales (afterwards Edward III.), and landed at Orwell, in Suffolk, Septem- ber 24, 1326. The Queen and the banished nobles were soon joined by all the influential persons in England. Edward fled, but was taken pris- oner. The Despensers. father and son, were exe- cuted, and the monarch himself, after being for- mally deposed by Parliament, January 20, 1327, was murdered in Berkeley Castle on September 21st of the same year. He left two sons and two daughters. Consult Stubbs, Constitutional His- tory of England, vol. ii. (Oxford, 1874). See B.^NxocKni'EX : Despenser; GA^^:sTox. EDWARD III. (1312-77). King of England from 1327 to 1377. He was the son of Edward II., and was bom at Windsor, Xovember 13, 1312. He was chosen King by Parliament on January 14, 1327, six days before a formal resignation was extorted from the unhappy Edward II. (q.v.). During his minority the country was governed nominally by a council, but in reality by the Queen-mother. Isabella, and her lover, Mortimer. On January 2G. 1328, Edward mar- ried Philippa, daughter of the Earl of Hainault. Two years later, resolving to take the power in his ovn hands, he seized ^Mortimer, piit him to death, November 29, 1330. and banished his mother to her hou'^e at Rising, where she was kept until her death. In 1333 Edward, claiming that the Scots had violated the truce between the two countries, invaded Scotland. A bloody battle was fought at Halidon Hill, near Berwick. .Tuly 19, 1333, in which the Scots were completely de- feated. Edward Baliol was restored to the throne, and surrendered part of his kingdom to Edward. In the course of three years Edward thrice invaded Scotland; but though he laid the country waste and brought armies with him that effectually crushed all opposition, he could not break the spirit of the people. The scene of Edward's great exploits, however, was Franco. .s all the sons of Philip the Fair had died with- out male heirs, Isabella, his daughter, claimed the Kingdom of France for her son Edward. Jlost French authorities, however, held that the crown could descend only in the male line, and ac- cordingly Philip VI. (q.v.). the nephew of Philip the Fair, was recognized as King. For several years hostilities were averted; but when France, in 1337, interfered to aid Scotland, Edward declared war against France. This was the be- ginning of the Hundred Vears' War. The earl.v conflicts were of little importance; but in 134(> Edward, accompanied by his eldest son, the Black Prince, made a new invasion of France, con- quered a great part of Normandy, marched to within a few miles of Paris, and on .ugvist 2G of that year inflicted a tremendous defeat on the French at CrCcy (q.v.). Here Edward, the Black Prince, though only sixteen, exhibited the courage and prowess of a veteran. After some further suc- cesses, such ag the reduction of Calais, a truce was concluded between the two nations for nine months. Meanwhile the Scots had sustained a severe defeat at Neville's Cross, near Durham October 17, 1340. their King, David II., being taken prisoner. On September 111. 13.5(5. the Black Prince obtained a brilliant victory at Poitiers. King .lohn of France falling into his hands. The Scotch monarch was released for a ransom of £100.000 in 1357, and King John for a ransom of 3,000,000 crowns in 1360. On November 27, 1363, David, King of Scotland, entered into a secret agreement with Edward, in virtue of which his kingdom, if he died without male issue, was to pass to the English sovereign. Meanwhile the Black Prince, who had married .Toan. daugh- ter of the Earl of Kent, had received from his father Aquitaine and Gascony. and ruled there for some time prosperously. War with France broke out again in 1369 ; the English were un- successful, and in 137.5 a truce was concluded on account of the exhaustion of both parties. Edward waged war no more. In spite of his brilliant victories, and in spite of the dazzling valor of his son. he failed to achieve lasting suc- cess. Neither in Scotland nor in France did he realize his ambitions. Affairs at home were no less unsatisfactory during the last years of his life. He quarreled with his Parliaments, and the Black Prince sided with the opposition. The aged King fell completely under the control of his mistress. Alice Perrers. and of a small coterie of imscnipulous courtiers, headed by the King's son. .John of Gaunt. Duke of Lancaster. Edward died on .June 21, 1377. By his wife, Philippa. he had seven sons and five daughters, seven of whom died young. Edward was fond of all knightly amusements, and throughoiit his reign acted the part of a knight rather than that of a king. He was hard-hearted and selfish, and never won the love of his people. He died deserted by all. His private life was immoral, and his public actions governed only by his own interests. Among the laws of Edward's reign were several which at- tacked Papal claims to religious taxes. Con- sult: Longman, Life and Times of Eduard III. (London. 18(>9) ; .Stubbs. Constitutional Hi.itnn/ of Enplnnd, vol. ii. (Oxford. 1874) : Green. His- torn <>i """ Enqlish People, vol. i. (London, and New York, 1878) ; Mackinnon, Histori/ of Edward III. (London, 1900). See Hundred Years' War; Scotland.