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battle of Crécy (1346), where the Black Prince, though but 16, showed the greatest courage. The city of Calais was taken after a siege of 12 months, and the six burgesses who offered themselves to the king, as a sacrifice for the safety of the rest of the citizens, were saved from the king's wrath only by the entreaty of the good Queen Philippa. Meanwhile the Scots had been severely defeated at Neville's Cross (1346) and their king, David II, taken prisoner; while in 1349 the Black Death had carried off a third of the population of England and permanently changed the relations between master and laborer. After a long truce the French war began again in 1355, and next year the Black Prince won the victory of Poictiers, where the French king, John, was captured. The Black Prince was given Aquitaine and Gascony by his father, and before long got himself and King Edward into another war with France, which was disastrous to England. In spite of all his brilliant victories and the bravery of his son, Edward was unsuccessful in his wars. Affairs at home were in a bad condition; he quarreled with his parliaments, gave himself up to the influence of his mistress, and let his government slip into the hands of his third son, John of Gaunt. The Black Prince, who had headed a party opposed to his father, died in 1376, and the following year the king himself died, after a reign of over 50 years. See Edward III, by Warburton, in Epochs of Modern History.
Edward IV, son of Richard, duke of York, was born at Rouen in 1441. It was the period of the struggles between the two great houses of York and Lancaster. Upon the death of his father at the battle of Wakefield in 1460, Edward found himself at the head of the Yorkist party. He soon gained the battle of Mortimer's Cross, and, though the Earl of Warwick a few days later lost him the second battle of St. Albans, he entered London in triumph and was hailed as king. Soon after, he gained the great battle of Towton, which seated him on the throne (1461). Margaret, the queen of Henry VI, kept up the struggle in the north, but the capture of the weak and unhappy Henry VI put an end to her hopes. Edward quickly became popular because of his frank manners and handsome figure; but his marriage with Elizabeth Grey, daughter of the Lancastrian, Lord Rivers, and the raising of her relations to power displeased the Earl of Warwick, who was the king's most powerful minister. Warwick entered ino a conspiracy against him and tried to bring back the Lancaster party to power, but was defeated and killed in the battle at Barnet in 1471; and the war was ended by the defeat of Queen Margaret at the battle of Tewkesbury. Edward showed the cruelty of his nature by the murder of Margaret's young son after the battle and the severity of his vengeance on other captives. (The murder is now credited to Richard, afterward Richard III). The death, in the Tower of London, of the old king, Henry VI, made Edward feel secure on the throne. He practically stopped the calling of parliaments, and got the money he needed by taking forced loans from wealthy men and by carrying on trade by means of his merchant-vessels. He died in 1483, worn out by his evil life. See Houses of Lancaster and York, by Dr. James Gairdner, in Epochs of Modern History, and Green's History of the English People.
Edward V, son of the preceding, was born in 1470. At the death of his father he was a boy of 13. His uncle, Richard of Gloucester, managed to get himself appointed protector of the kingdom, and shut up the young Edward and his little brother in the Tower. They were never heard of again, but there is much doubt that they were murdered by the order of their uncle, who had himself crowned king in the same year. (Later historians charge Henry VII with these murders). Nearly 200 years later some bones were found in an old chest and, being supposed to be the remains of the unfortunate princes, were buried in Westminster Abbey.
Edward VI, born on Oct. 12, 1537, was the son of Henry VIII, by his third queen, Jane Seymour. He was taught by such learned men as Roger Ascham, and in January, 1547, he succeeded his father as king, his uncle, afterward Duke of Somerset, having been made protector. Somerset invaded Scotland to try to compel the marriage of Edward and Mary, Queen of Scots, He gained the battle of Pinkie, but had to return home because of the intrigues of his brother, Earl Seymour, whom he executed. Two rebellions, one of the Catholics and the other of discontented laborers, were put down; but by the intrigues of Dudley, Earl of Warwick, Somerset was accused of treason and beheaded. Dudley (now become Duke of Northumberland) then married his son to Lady Jane Grey and induced Edward, who was dying, to make her his successor on the throne. The king lived only a short time after, dying in July, 1553, as some thought, of poison. Under Edward the Catholics were greatly persecuted by the Protestant leaders. See Literary Remains of Edward VI, by J. G. Nichols.
Edward VII, king of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India (long known as Albert Edward, Prince of Wales), was born on Nov. 9, 1841, at Buckingham Palace, London, the eldest son of the late Queen Victoria, whom he succeeded on the throne, Jan. 22, 1901. In 1863 he married Princess Alexandra of Denmark, eldest daughter of King Christian IX, and before his ac-
