Pope Boniface VIII. had issued a bull, prohibiting any tax being levied upon the clergy without his con sent; and the Archbishop of Canterbury told Edward, that they owed obedience to their spiritual, in prefer ence to their temporal sovereign. " If you refuse, then," said the king, "to support the civil government, you are unworthy to receive any benefit from it ;" and or ders were immediately issued to all the judges, to do every man justice against the clergy, and to do them justice against nobody. Being thus put out of the pro tection of the laws, they found themselves at the mer cy of every ruffian who chose to insult, to plunder, or even to maim them; and they were at last glad to sub mit to the king's demands, that they might be again admitted under the king's protection.
These supplies, however, were still insufficient for Edward's necessities; and he was obliged to have re course to arbitrary measures, to complete his prepara tions. He carried off grain, and cattle, and other com modities, necessary for supplying his army, wherever he could find them; • for which he merely gave his pro mise of after-payment ; and, in order to recruit his forces, he demanded the attendance of every man pos sessed of land worth 20/ a-year. These oppressive exactions spread general discontent. The barons, jca.
Ions of the royal prerogative, and afraid of their own privileges, encouraged the complaints of the people ; and, when Edward ordered the Earls of Hereford and Norfolk, the constable and mareschal of England, to take the command of the forces to be employed in Gas cony, these noblemen both refused, affirming that they were only bound by their office to attend his person in the wars. The king, in a rage, exclaimed to I lereford, the constable, " Sir Earl, by God, you shall either go or hang !"--" By God, Sir King," replied the constable, " I will neither go nor hang !" The king found it pru dent not to press the matter ; and consequently with drew the expedition against Guienne : but he soon af ter embarked, with an army of 50,000 men, for Flan ders.
The two earls had gained a strong party among the barons ; and, when summoned to attend the parlia ment, in the king's absence, they came with a large force, and took possession of the capital. They pro ceeded, however, ivith moderation. They laid their demands before the council, and only required that the two charters should receive a solemn confirmation : that a clause should be annexed, to secure the nation against all imposition of taxes, without the consent of parliament; and that they and their adherents should be again received into favour. The charters were sent to the king in Flanders, who hesitated for a time to give his assent ; but the dangerous consequences of a refusal being represented to him, he at last reluctantly complied. Some time after his return, he gave a more willing and absolute confirmation of the Great Charter, which so completely established its validity, that it was never afterwards formally disputed.
The war in Flanders was carried on with various success. Philip had taken Lisle, St Omer, Courtray, and Ypres; but his career was stopped by the appear ance of the English ; and his resources being exhaust ed, he had reason to apprehend a reverse of fortune. Edward, however, had been disappointed of promised assistance from the king of the Romans, whom he had highly subsidised, and was equally desirous of conclu ding the war. Under the mediation of Boniface, the two monarchs at last came to an accommodation, in which they were both influenced by the most selfish policy. Edward abandoned his ally, the Earl of Flan ders; while Philip did the same with the king of Scot land, who was still a prisoner in England ; and, by these mutual sacrifices, they were left at liberty to prosecute their particular conquests.
A revolt of the Scots hastened the return of Edward. That unhappy people,• under the brave Wallace, strug gled for a time with the overwhelming power of Eng land; and, though again subdued, and deprived of their leader, yet they seized the first opportunity of again rising against their oppressors ; and, led on by Robert the Bruce, proceeded with a slow but certain step to the establishment of their independence : (See SCOT LAND.) Edward, enraged at their frequent revolts, as sembled an immense force; and was hastening to exe cute the most dreadful vengeance upon a nation, which had caused him so much trouble and anxiety ; when he was suddenly taken ill at Carlisle, and died in the 35th year of his reign, and 69th of his age.
The abilities of this prince shone with equal lustre in the cabinet as in the field. The many wise statutes which he enacted, obtained for him the appellation of the English Justinian; and the improvements which he made in the execution of the laws, gave security and protection to the lowest orders of the people. But, while he took care that his subjects should do justice to each other, he was little solicitous about the recti tude of his own proceedings; and his arbitrary and vio lent temper; often led him into measures which excited the murmurs of the nation, and sometimes brought them to the very brink of rebellion. But his prudence in stopping in the moment of danger, and withdraw ing the causes of discontent, prevented any consider able disturbance during his reign. Ile tempered the severity of his disposition by the affability of his man ners;' and few princes have been more revered and re spected by their subjects. The conquest of Scotland, which he considered as the greatest entcrprize of his life, he left as a legacy to his son, whom lie charged, with his last breath, to prosecute the war, and never to desist till he had annexed that kingdom to his domi nions.