e domestic government of this prince is really
more admirable than his foreign victories; and England enjoyed, by the
prudence and vigor of his administration, a longer interval of domestic
peace and tranquillity than she had been blessed with in any former
period, or than she experienced for many ages after. He gained the
affections of the great, yet curbed their licentiousness: he made them
feel his power, without their daring, or even being inclined, to
murmur at it: his affable and obliging behavior, his munificence and
generosity, made them submit with pleasure to his dominion; his valor
and conduct made them successful in most of their enterprises; and their
unquiet spirits, directed against a public enemy, had no leisure to
breed those disturbances to which they were naturally so much inclined,
and which the frame of the government seemed so much to authorize.
This was the chief benefit which resulted from Edward's victories and
conquests. His foreign wars were, in other respects, neither founded in
justice, nor directed to any salutary purpose. His attempt against the
king of Scotland, a minor and a brother-in-law, and the revival of
his grandfather's claim of superiority over that kingdom, were both
unreasonable and ungenerous; and he allowed himself to be too easily
seduced, by the glaring prospect of French conquests, from the
acquisition of a point which was practicable, and which, if attained,
might really have been of lasting utility to his country and his
successors. The success which he met with in France, though chiefly
owing to his eminent talents, was unexpected; and yet, from the very
nature of things, not from any unforeseen accidents, was found, even
during his lifetime, to have procured him no solid advantages. But the
glory of a conqueror is so dazzling to the vulgar, the animosity of
nations is so violent, that the fruitless desolation of so fine a
part of Europe as France, is totally disregarded by us, and is never
considered as a blemish in the character or conduct of this prince. And
indeed, from the unfortunate state of human nature, it will commonly
happen, that a sovereign of genius, such as Edward, who usually finds
every thing easy in his domestic government, will turn himself towards
military enterprises, where alone he meets with opposition, and where he
has full exercise for his industry and capacity.

Edward had a numerous posterity by his queen, Philippa of Hainault. His
eldest son