ower as escheated to the crown, and to confer it upon him.[*]
This transaction, which was the proper subject of a lawsuit, immediately
excited a civil war in the kingdom. The earls of Lancaster and Hereford
flew to arms: Audle and Ammori joined them with all their forces:
the two Rogers de Mortimer and Roger de Clifford, with many others,
disgusted for private reasons at the Spensers, brought a considerable
accession to the party; and their army being now formidable, they sent a
message to the king, requiring him immediately to dismiss or confine the
younger Spenser; and menacing him, in case of refusal, with renouncing
their allegiance to him, and taking revenge on that minister by their
own authority. They scarcely waited for an answer; but immediately fell
upon the lands of young Spenser, which they pillaged and destroyed;
murdered his servants, drove off his cattle, and burned his houses.[**]
They thence proceeded to commit like devastations on the estates of
Spenser the father, whose character they had hitherto seemed to respect.
And having drawn and signed a formal association among themselves,[***]
they marched to London with all their forces, stationed themselves in
the neighborhood of that city, and demanded of the king the banishment
of both the Spensers.

* Monach. Malms.

** Murimuth, p. 55.

*** Tyrrel, vol. ii p. 280, from the register of C. C.
Canterbury.

These noblemen were then absent; the father abroad, the son at sea;
and both of them employed in different commissions: the king therefore
replied, that his coronation oath, by which he was bound to observe the
laws, restrained him from giving his assent to so illegal a demand,
or condemning noblemen who were accused of no crime, nor had any
opportunity afforded them of making answer.[*] Equity and reason were
but a feeble opposition to men who had arms in their hands, and who,
being already involved in guilt, saw no safety but in success and
victory. They entered London with their troops; and giving in to the
parliament, which was then sitting, a charge against the Spensers, of
which they attempted not to prove one article, they procured, by menaces
and violence, a sentence of attainder and perpetual exile against these
ministers.[**] This sentence was voted by the lay barons alone; for
the commons, though now an estate in parliament, were yet of so little
consideration, that their assent was not demanded; and even the votes
of