as had been imposed on his
father by the earl of Leicester; but no other historian
mentions this particular.

****** Heming. vol. i. p. 171. M. West. p. 431, 433.

But while the people, after so many successful struggles, deemed
themselves happy in the secure possession of their privileges, they were
surprised in 1305 to find that Edward had secretly applied to Rome, and
had procured from that mercenary court an absolution from all the oaths
and engagements, which he had so often reiterated, to observe both the
charters. There are some historians,[*] so credulous as to imagine, that
this perilous step was taken by him for no other purpose than to acquire
the merit of granting a new confirmation of the charters, as he did soon
after; and a confirmation so much the more unquestionable, as it could
never after be invalidated by his successors, on pretence of any force
or violence which had been imposed upon him. But, besides that this
might have been done with a better grace if he had never applied for any
such absolution, the whole tenor of his conduct proves him to be little
susceptible of such refinements in patriotism; and this very deed
itself, in which he anew confirmed the charters, carries on the face
of it a very opposite presumption. Though he ratified the charters
in general, he still took advantage of the papal bull so far as to
invalidate the late perambulations of the forests, which had been made
with such care and attention, and to reserve to himself the power,
in case of favorable incidents, to extend as much as formerly those
arbitrary jurisdictions. If the power was not in fact made use of, we
can only conclude that the favorable incidents did not offer.

Thus, after the contests of near a whole century, and these ever
accompanied with violent jealousies, often with public convulsions, the
Great Charter was finally established; and the English nation have the
honor of extorting, by their perseverance, this concession from
the ablest, the most warlike, and the most ambitious of all their
princes.[**] It is computed that above thirty confirmations of the
charter were done at different times.

* Brady, vol. ii. p. 84. Carte, vol. ii. p. 292.

** It must, however, be remarked, that the king never
forgave the chief actors in this transaction; and he found
means afterwards to oblige both the constable and mareschal
to resign their offices into his hands. The former r