LECTURE XXIV.-EDWARD I. ENGLAND AND WALES,

Edward's government. Dispute about taxation. Humphrey Bohun. The old over-lordship of England in Wales and Scotland. The Welsh people. Conquest of Wales.

1272.

1. EDWARD deserved a hearty welcome. He set his mind to govern his people well, and for their good and happiness. Though he had fought against Simon de Montfort on his father's side, yet he now clearly saw that his plans had been for the real advantage of the country, and he carried them out himself. He summoned parliaments such as Simon had summoned, consisting of the lords and bishops, the county members, and the town members.

2. But things were very different then from what they are now. We all know how fond people are of being members of parliament now; how they do and say all they can to Edward's induce the electors to choose them, and look upon it parliaments. as the greatest honour, as indeed it is. But in those days it was considered a great burden and a great trouble. It was very difficult to get the members to come to parliament; the towns did not like the trouble and expense of sending representatives (who were paid in those days), and it was quite difficult to assemble them together. People did not as yet know the good that would come of it. It is generally a few, or perhaps only one wise man, who first sees what is the right thing to do, as the world slowly changes; he is probably called a fool for it, or mad, for the common run of people cannot see what he sees. Perhaps, and indeed most likely, he gets killed, as Simon was, or despised and half-starved, as Roger Bacon was. But by and bye his ideas tell; a few more people begin to understand them; then more and more; at last his wise thought is believed by every body-it becomes a sort of common-place; and in the end the truth prevails, and must prevail, in the world which God made.

3. Another set of people who might have come to parliament

would not come. Those were the clergy. Just as there were bishops in the Upper House, there might have been clergymen in the Lower. But they would not come. And now all a clergyman can do in governing his country is just what other men can do ; he can vote for members of parliament, but he cannot be one himself. This is probably a very good thing. For highly as the clergy are to be respected in their own sphere, in teaching and studying, in caring for the poor and in visiting the sick, it has been found in all history that they are not good at governing. We have already seen enough of the Pope's government, and the harm it did; but when Protestant and Puritan clergy have got into power (as they did once in Scotland) it has not answered well, either for themselves or the country.

4. But though Edward fully approved of the new sort of parliament, allowing all the principal classes of people to be represented, there was one thing which he took a very The taxes. long time in consenting to, and a very important

thing too; which was, that no taxes should be laid on without the consent of the people taxed. He had a masterful temper, and he wished to lay on the taxes himself as he thought fit. He was not a selfish, extravagant, and foolish king, like his father, and very likely would have laid on fair taxes, and for right purposes. But the barons knew better than to give up the right they had fought for and won. Though Edward was a good king, who was to say what his son might be? It came to a struggle. There were two principal nobles who withstood the king. When they found that he obstinately held out they refused to obey him. He was going to Flanders on a war, and he ordered his nobles to follow him. They refused. Then the king said to one 1297. of them, Humphrey Bohun, Earl of Hereford, "Sir Earl, you shall either go or hang." But Humphrey stoutly answered, "Sir King, I will neither go nor hang." The end of the struggle was that right conquered. The king owned that he was wrong, and gave in; the principle was firmly established. But a king, some centuries after this, threw the whole country into rebellion and lost his own life by trying, as Edward tried, to evade it-to levy taxes at his own will, without the consent of the people.

5. Meanwhile, Edward made many good laws for the protection and prosperity of the nation, and the land was very peaceful and thriving. But we must now turn to Edward's wars; for though we will never, if we can help it, waste much time over wars in foreign parts, Edward's principal

Wars.

had to beg for mercy. A sort of peace was made, and for four years it was kept. After that time the Welsh broke out again; there was some hard fighting, but the end of it was that Edward conquered, and Llewellyn was killed. His head was

1282.

cut off, and it is said that Edward sent it to London, had it crowned with a wreath of willow, and set up on the Tower in a mocking fulfilment of the prophecy. Soon after this Llewellyn's brother David, the last of the royal family of Wales, was taken prisoner and most cruelly put to death. Thus Wales was subdued, and has ever since been looked on as part of the English kingdom, though the Welsh did not submit heartily, till after many years, in the course of events, a Welshman came to be King of England.

Conquest

of Wales.

20. Edward used his conquest wisely. He treated the people well, he governed them justly and mercifully, and introduced `many of the English customs and laws, which were better than their own; so that probably the Welsh were, in the end, a great deal better off for having been conquered.

21. It used to be said that Edward, seeing what a wonderful influence the poets had on the people by their warlike songs and prophecies, collected them all together and had them murdered. This was called "the massacre of the bards," and there is a very fine poem about it, beginning "Ruin seize thee, ruthless king," supposed to be spoken by the last of these poor Welsh bards. But, happily, the story is not true, and we need not think that our brave Edward was a "ruthless" or merciless king at all, although he sometimes had his enemies put to death. But in those days this was done by everybody.

1284.

The "Prince of

Wales."

22. It was soon after this time that the eldest son of the King of England was first called by the title of Prince of Wales. It was said that Edward, seeing how unwilling the proud Welsh were to submit to a foreign yoke, promised them that he would give them a prince of their own-born in Wales, and who could not speak one word of English. The Welsh being much pleased at this promise, he presented to them his own young son, who had been born a few days before in Carnarvon Castle, and who, if he could speak no English, could certainly speak no Welsh. The story is rather a good one, so we may hope it is true; but as it is not mentioned in any book written at the time, it is very doubtful.

23. But even if it were true, when the Welsh accepted this infant as their prince he was not the eldest son, for Edward had