food upon the gifts, whether willing or reluctant, of his subjects at every stage, and how much the direction and extent of his daily advance was influenced by the convenience of finding good quarters in monasteries, or feudal dwellings.
In the formal accounts of the expenses of this journey, no intimation is given of its object. It occurred in the year 1324, the eighteenth year of the incapable reign of Edward II, who had now replaced the loss of his favourite Gavaston (from whom his father had separated him when a youth during a former visit to Sussex at Midhurst) by the equally unpopular Spensers, under whose guidance he had recently overpowered the league of his barons, and established a long truce with Scotland. In the dispute, however, with France concerning Guienne, the English king had been summoned to do homage to Charles the Fair for that fief of the French crown, and indeed previous to King Edward's approach to the south coast, he had appointed, on July 8, the bishop of Norwich and two knights to treat with the French king, and to arrange with him a day and place for a personal interview, to put an end to the disputes which had arisen about the castle of Mont Pessat:[1] it was probably with a view to this meeting, and his intended visit to Gascony, that the journey took place.
Roger Mortimer, Queen Isabella's notorious favourite, after repeated acts of treason, had lately escaped from the Tower into France. Spenser was naturally distrustful of the king's safety and his own, had they put themselves within reach of his malice, so that ultimately the meeting of the two kings was abandoned, and the fatal compromise was adopted of sending to France the young Prince of Wales with the queen, instead of the king, a measure which, two years after, led to his dethronement.
Edward II had been principally residing at his palace of Westminster from the middle of June till he commenced his journey into Sussex. In the beginning of August, however, he issued directions from Guildford to prepare ships, and collect an armed force at Portsmouth to accompany him abroad. (Rot. Pat. 18o Ed. II, p. 1, m. 6.) The officers of his household had leisure to get ready packages of dainties for the
- ↑ Pat. Rot. l8o Edw. II, p. 1, m. 37.
