Leicester had no sooner got the royal family into his power, than he forgot his agreement with Edward. He still detained the king as a prisoner, and assumed the sole direction of affairs in the kingdom. He engrossed to himself the ransom of all the prisoners; and siezed on the estates of eighteen barons as his share of the spoil in the battle of Lewes. He even treated his con federates with the most wanton insolence ; and protected the pirates of the cinque-ports upon condition of receiv ing a third of their prizes. Knowing that this usurpa tion of authority could not continue without opposition, he endeavoured to increase his popularity, and strengthen his power, by admitting into a share of the government an order of men, which had been hitherto regarded as unworthy of a voice in the councils of the nation. He summoned a new parliament at London; and, besides its usual members, he ordered returns to be made of two knights from each shire, and of deputies from the bo roughs. This was the first embryo of the House of Commons,—an institution which, in process of time, proved one of the most useful and powerful members of the British constitution, and which gradually rescued the kingdom from aristocratical, as well as froin regal tyranny.
Leicester continued to act in the most arbitrary man ner; and, trusting to his pdpularity, proceeded to extin guish all rival opposition among the barons. He seized the Earl of Derby, whom he threw into prison, and obliged others to leave the kingdom. The Earl of Gloucester even began to dread his authority, and re tired to his estates on the borders of Wales. These dis sensions revived the hopes of the royalists; and they were farther encouraged by the general wish of the na tion for the liberation of the young prince, which Leice ster found himself compelled to gratify. That noble man, however, stipulated for the delivery of all the royal castles, and that the prince should neither leave the kingdom, nor introduce any foreign forces into it during three years.. 'This treaty was of very little advantage to Edward, who, though declared free by the barons, found himself surrounded by the emissaries of Leicester. He at last, however, contrived, by the assistance of Glouce ster, to make his escape; which was no sooner known than the royalists flew to arms, and, being joined by many of the discontented barons, presented an opposition, which Leicester was unable to withstand. He had fol lowed the Earl of Gloucester with an army into Here ford; and here he found himself surrounded by his ene mies. Edward had cut off all communication with his friends, by destroying the bridges on the Severn; and had also surprised and dispersed an army under his son Simon de Mountfort, which was hastening to his relief.
Ignorant of his son'sfate, Leicester had crossed the river in boats, and encamped at Evcsham, in expectation of reinforcements. here he was attacked by Edward, at the head of the royalists, who were inspirited by their recent victory. The rebels, who had been weakened by sickness and desertion, defended themselves with great bravery ; but at last gave way on all sides, and were pursued with immense slaughter. Leicester, with his oldest son Henry, and about 160 knights, fell in the action. The old king, who had been placed in the front of the rebel army, was Wounded, and in great danger of being killed; but, when the blow was falling upon him, he cried out, ee I am' Henry of Winchester, your king when being immediately recognised, he was carried to • a place of safety. By this decisive victory, Edward at once quelled a rebellion which had lasted for several years, and which had threatened to extirpate his family, and to extinguish the prerogatives of the crown. The rebellion, however, had been so extensive, that the king, on resuming his authority, found it necessary to exer the it with clemency and moderation, No blood was shed on the scaffold; and the only attainders that Were fully carried into execution, were those of the Mount fort family.
The Earl of Gloucester, to whom Edward was great ly indebted Mr the recovery of his liberty and the Suc cess of his cause, considering his services undervalued, attempted to renew the flames of rebellion, and excited the Londoners to take up arms. This insurrection was soon suppressed by the activity of the prince; and Glou cester was pardoned, and received into favour, upon his entering into a bond of 20,000 marks, to keep the peace. Edward, however, to relieve himself from all apprehen sion of disquiet from the formidable power and turbu lent disposition of this nobleman, determined to carry him along with him to the Holy Land, whither he had promised to accompany the king of France.
While Edward was reviving among the Saracens the glory of the English name, his father was unable to pro tect his subjects from the power of the barons, who re newed their oppressions, and committed continual ra vages throughout the kingdom. Worn, out with age, the feeble Henry could ill manage a sceptre, which in his best days had been wrested from him by a turbulent nobility. After the departure of his son, his health visi bly declined, and he expired at St Edmondsbury, in the 64th year of his age, and 56th of his reign.