political verse-writer of the day expressed it, the community of the realm was to be consulted, and it was to be known what was thought by the nation as a whole. This is exactly what England tries to do now. Whenever there is a general election, the nation chooses men who can go to parliament and say what the nation itself wishes to have done. Then, after that, it is the business of wise men who make up what is called the government to find out how it is to be done.

off on his Most of the Earl Simon was at

8. The Battle of Evesham and the Death of Earl Simon.-Earl Simon meant to rule well; but once more the jealousy of the barons was too strong for him. Young Edward, the king's eldest son, was wise and able beyond his years, and he watched the spread of this jealousy. He resolved to make his escape. One day he suggested to his keepers to ride races. for their amusement as well as his own. When their horses were thoroughly tired, he rode fresh one, and was soon out of sight. barons flocked to his standard. Evesham. From the top of the church tower he saw the prince approaching. Commend your souls to God,' he said to the faithful few who were around him, 'for our bodies are the prince's. His little army was overpowered. The earl was slain and his body was shamefully mutilated. After a while all further resistance was overcome. The king's authority was restored, and up to his death in 1272 no man ventured te raise a hand against him.

CHAPTER XI.

(EDWARD I., 1272.)

1. The Rule of Edward I. in England.-Henry's son Edward I., was a very different man from his father. He was great enough and wise enough to carry out the work which Earl Simon had begun. He allowed

KING EDWARD I.

no foreigners to thrust Englishmen out of places of authority on the soil of England. He made no promises with the intention of breaking them. He surrounded himself with the best and wisest coun

sellors that he could find. Wise as his counsellors were, he did not trust in them alone. He thought, as Earl Simon had thought, that what was intended for the good of all should be submitted to the counsel of all. He did not for a long time summon a parliament in which all classes of men were found; but he summoned just those men who knew anything about the matter he wanted advice on. In this way he became a great lawgiver, because he never made a law without hearing what those people had to say whom the law principally concerned. In his hands England prospered as it had never done before. Edward kept the peace well, and in his days the barons did not dare either to oppress the freeholder and the citizen, or to resist the authority of the king.

2. The Conquest of Wales.-Edward enjoyed the sight of a people living peacefully and orderly. He fancied that the best thing that could happen to people who were not under his rule would be to be brought under it. Of all the Britons who were found on the south of the Solway Firth, at the coming of Hengist and Horsa, those of North Wales only still retained their independence under their own princes, though even there the princes acknowledgeu the superiority of the English King. Edward resolved to make this superiority felt as a real authority. Two princes in succession resisted the attempt. Edward overpowered them, and united the hills round Snowdon to his English kingdom. He showed his infant son to the Welsh, and offered the child to them as their prince. From that time the eldest

son of the English kings has always borne the title of Frince of Wales.

3. Edward's Interference in Scotland.--Wales was a small country, and its conquest was not very hard.

Later in his reign Edward attempted a more difficult task. Alexander III., King of Scotland, fell with his horse over a high cliff on the coast of Fife. He was taken up dead, and his grand-daughter, known as the Maid of Norway, was sent for to succeed him. The poor child died before she reached Scotland, and as there were none but distant relations to claim the Crown, it seemed likely that there would be a bloody civil war to decide who was to wear it. To avoid this the Scots called in Edward to act as umpire between the claimants. The two chief competitors were John Balliol and Robert Bruce. Edward summoned the leading men of Scotland to meet him under the walls of Norham Castle by the Tweed. Before he would give his decision he asked them a question. Would the future king of Scotland accept the king of England as his Lord Paramount or superior, and do homage to him, and swear to be his man, as John had sworn to the pope, and as the dukes of Normandy had sworn to the kings of France? The demand was not altogether without foundation. In the days of Edward, the son of Alfred, the Scots were in fear of the Danes, and their king had, as we are told, chosen that Edward as their father and lord. always behave like very dutiful sons. not want anything from England, and when the king of England was weak, they gave him no respect or obedience. When the king of England was strong, the Scots were forced to acknowledge his superiority. Henry II. was the last who had enforced the claim. Richard I. had abandoned it. The Scots now ac

They did not When they did