Edward had reached Sicily on his return home, when he heard of his father's death. His succession, however, being undisputed, and the council having appointed a powerful regency during his absence, he was in no hur ry to take possession of his crown, but spent a year in France. He arrived in England after an absence of about three years, and was crowned at Westminster amidst the joyful acclamations of his people.
A prince like Edward, who had - already gained the affections of his subjects, and possessed abilities and courage, might easily have extended the prerogatives of the crown as they were enjoyed by his most warlike predecessors; but he was contented with more mode rate authority, and set himself to the correction of abuses in the government, and in guarding against those civil commotions which had been so frequent during the reign of his father. He protected the people from the oppressions of the barons, by a strict and impartial ad ministration of justice : Ile appointed commissioners to inquire into disorders and crimes of all kinds, and rigo rously to inflict the punishment of the laws : These were distinct from the ordinary judges, and were confined to the western counties of England, where bands of ban ditti had become so numerous and powerful as to set all law at defiance. The terror, however, which the seve rity of the commissioners excited, soon put a stop to their depredations. The corruption of the judges them selves 'was a more serious evil; and to such an extent did it prevail, that when they were brought to trial be fore parliament, all of them, except two, who were cler gymen, were deposed and severely fined. The king afterwards compelled all the new judges to take an oath that they would receive no bribes.
The Jcws were the greatest sufferers in this general renovation of the laws; and as they were hated both by the prince and the people, they were often condemned upon the slightest pretences. In London alone, 280 of them were hanged for adulterating the coin; many of them had their lands and goods sold and confiscated; and Edward, prompted by his zeal against infidelity, or rather by his rapacity, at last banished them the king dom, and despoiled them of all their property, except what was sufficient to bear their charges to foreign countries. Having regulated the internal affairs of the kingdom in a manner which promised security to him self and to his people, Edward turned his views to the conquest of Wales.
The Welsh were the only remains of the ancient Britons that had preserved, among their inaccessible mountains, their laws and customs uncontaminated by foreign invasion. Bearing a hereditary enmity against • the English, who enjoyed the rich possessions from which they had been expelled, they seized every op portunity of laying waste their. country. They endea voured to profit by every disturbance among their ene mies; and had been deeply engaged in the rebellion of Leicester. Lewellyn, Prince of Wales, on the suppres sion of that rebellion, had been included in the general accommodation ; but dreading the resentment of Ed ward; he still carried on a secret correspondence with the Mountfort faction, and had even paid his addresses to Leicester's daughter. The discovery of this corres pondence furnished Edward with a pretext for war. He marched a numerous army into Wales, and having •hemmed in the enemy among the hills of Snowdun, re duced them to submission by famine. Lewellyn and all his barons swore fealty to the crown of England. This submis'sion, however, was but of short duration. The Welsh, irritated by the insults and oppressions of their haughty victors, again flew to arms: But it was the signal for their ruin. Edward, well pleased with an opportunity of again going to war, resolved to frcc him self from all future apprehension of disturbance from that quarter, by making an absolute conquest of the country. He assembled all his military tenants, and entered Wales with an army which rendered resistance vain. Lewdly') was surprizcd and killed. His brother and successor, David, was driven from one retreat to another, and at last betrayed to the enemy. This prince was tried by Edward as a traitor, and was unjustly or• tiered to be executed. The Welsh nobility immediately submitted, and the principality received the laws of England. But the barbarous policy of Edward led him to a more inhuman step even than the unjust murder of their sovereign. Sensible how much traditional poetry and music is calculated to keep alive the idea of national valour and glory, he assembled together all the Welsh bards, and ordered them to be put to death.