estminster Hall, to whom he deigned to make an apology for his past
conduct. He pleaded the urgent necessities of the crown; his extreme
want of money; his engagements from honor as well as interest to support
his foreign allies; and he promised, if ever he returned in safety, to
redress all their grievances, to restore the execution of the laws,
and to make all his subjects compensation for the losses which they had
sustained. Meanwhile, he begged them to suspend their animosities; to
judge of him by his future conduct, of which, he hoped, he should be
more master; to remain faithful to his government, or, if he perished
in the present war, to preserve their allegiance to his son and
successor.[**]

There were, certainly, from the concurrence of discontents among the
great, and grievances of the people, materials sufficient in any
other period to have kindled a civil war in England: but the vigor and
abilities of Edward kept every one in awe; and his dexterity in stopping
on the brink of danger, and retracting the measures to which he had been
pushed by his violent temper and arbitrary principles, saved the nation
from so great a calamity. The two great earls dared not to break
out into open violence: they proceeded no further than framing a
remonstrance, which was delivered to the king at Winchelsea, when he was
ready to embark for Flanders. They there complained of the violations
of the Great Charter, and that of forests; the violent seizure of
corn, leather, cattle, and, above all, of wool, a commodity which they
affirmed to be equal in value to half the lands of the kingdom; the
arbitrary imposition of forty shillings a sack on the small quantity
of wool allowed to be exported by the merchants; and they claimed an
immediate redress of all these grievances.[***] The king told them that
the greater part of his council were now at a distance, and without
their advice he could not deliberate on measures of so great
importance.[****]

* Heming. vol. i. p. 113.

** Heming. vol. i. p. 114. M. West. p. 430.

*** Walsing. p. 72. Heming. vol. i. p. 115. Trivet, p. 302.

**** Walsing. p. 72. Heming. vol. i. p. 117. Trivet, p. 304.

But the constable and mareschal, with the barons of their party resolved
to take advantage of Edward's absence and to obtain an explicit assent
to their demands. When summoned to attend the parliament at London, they
came with a great body of cavalry and infantry; and befo