re they would
enter the city, required that the gates should be put into their
custody.[*] The primate, who secretly favored all their pretensions,
advised the council to comply; and thus they became masters both of
the young prince and of the resolutions of parliament. Their demands,
however, were moderate, and such as sufficiently justify the purity of
their intentions in all their past measures: they only required that the
two charters should receive a solemn confirmation; that a clause should
be added to secure the nation forever against all impositions and taxes
without consent of parliament; and that they themselves, and their
adherents, who had refused to attend the king into Flanders, should be
pardoned for the offence, and should be again received into favor.[**]
The prince of Wales and his council assented to these terms, and the
charters were sent over to the king in Flanders, to be there confirmed
by him. Edward felt the utmost reluctance to this measure, which, he
apprehended, would for the future impose fetters on his conduct, and set
limits to his lawless authority. On various pretences he delayed
three days giving any answer to the deputies; and when the pernicious
consequences of his refusal were represented to him, he was at last
obliged, after many internal struggles, to affix his seal to the
charters, as also to the clause that bereaved him of the power which he
had hitherto assumed, of imposing arbitrary taxes upon the people.

That we may finish at once this interesting transaction concerning the
settlement of the charters, we shall briefly mention the subsequent
events which relate to it. The constable and mareschal, informed of the
king's compliance, were satisfied, and not only ceased from disturbing
the government, but assisted the regency with their power against
the Scots, who had risen in arms, and had thrown off the yoke of
England.[***]

* Heming. vol. i. p. 138.

** Walsing, p. 73. Heming. vol. i. p. 138, 139 140, 141.
Trivet, p. 308.

*** Walsing, p. 74. Heming. vol. i. p. 143.

But being sensible that the smallest pretence would suffice to make
Edward retract these detested laws, which, though they had often
received the sanction both of king and parliament, and had been
acknowledged during three reigns, were never yet deemed to have
sufficient validity, they insisted that he should again confirm them
on his return to England, and should thereby renounce all pl