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2d.

Spencers, as he had before done by his immo- K.Edw. derate Countenance which he gave to another of his Minions, Peter Gavestone; And increased their Fury by his particular Indignities put upon Thomas, the great Earl of Lancaster, his own Cosen, the quarrel came to an open Defyance, and the whole Realm was fill'd with War and Confusion.

It does not appear that at the beginning of these troubles our Thomas joyn'd with the confederate Lords; but rather he seems either not to have medled on either side, or, if he did, to have stood to the Royal Party. For we find him all this while summon'd with his Father Henry of Lancaster, and the other Barons to Parliament; and which Thomas Earl of Lancaster was not, for several Years before.

For the better clearing of which matter, 1 must observe, that about the 4th. Year of King Edward 2d. the Nobility of England being generally offended at the Favor which the King shewed to Peter Gavestone: and insisting upon several Priviledges, as of right belonging to them and being not satisfied by Him in their Demands united together in defence of their Liberties, and chose Thomas Earl of Lancaster,

K.Edw. to be their Head, and Leader upon that occasion.

2d.

"There was hardly a Person in the Kingdom, either of a more honourable Descent, or of a braver Spirit, than this great Earl. He was son of Edmund Earl of Lancaster, Leicester and Ferrers; Grandson by his Father to King Henry 3d. and Nephew to King Edward. 1st. His Mother was, by her first Husband Queen of Navarre; and by the Earl of Lancaster her second, had this Thomas, her eldest Son; Henry, whose Daughter our Lord Wake married; and John Thomas, who by descent from his Father, enjoy'd three Earldoms, by Marriage added two more to them: having to Wife the Heiress of the Earl of Lincoln, and so becoming altogether Earl of Lancastre, Leicestre, Ferrers, Lincoln and Salisbury.

With this great Man, many of the chiefest Nobility joyn'd. But our Thomas Lord Wake was then a Minor, and in Ward to the King, and so out of a Capacity of joyning Himself with Them.

It was in the height of the Scotch War, at

3 Walsingham Edwd. 2d. p. 100.

2d.

the 'Seige of Berwick, that the King gave that K.Edw. new disgust to Lancaster, and the other Lords, which made them depart from the Field, and renewed those Discontents, which the Year following, brake out into fresh Troubles. How far our Lord Thomas was concerned, at the beginning of these Disorders, I cannot say; but having no where found his Name among those who then took up Arms, I am inclined to think that either he was not at all concern'd in them; or that If he was, he took part with the King against the Barons.

But howsoever he behaved himself at first, certain it is, that when the King persisted in his Obstinacy, So that the 'Queen and Prince forsook him, Thomas Lord Wake came into the Barons with Them; and was by the Queen upon her taking up the Administration of the Government, made Justice of all the Forrests South of Trent, and Constable of the Tower of London.

K.Edw.

King Edward the second, in the Consequence of these troubles, being first deposed, and then 3d. murder'd, his Son King Edward the 3d. suc

4 Walsingh: ibid. p. 112.

Walsing: ibid. p. 124.

6 Baronag: T. 1. p. 541. a.
G

K.Edw. ceeded in his stead: And Thomas Lord Wake

3d.

was presently, thereupon, made Governour of the Castle of Hertford, with leave to turn his own Mannor House of Cottingham in Yorkshire, into a Castle also. And this was but a small part of the Honour that was done him, upon this Revolution: "For if we may credit our late Historians, He was moreover made one of the twelve Governours assign'd, by Parliament to the King, during his Minority without whose Advice he was to do nothing; and who were every Year to answer in Parliament, for what was done during the time of their Administration. But this Establishment how prudently soever it was design'd, yet prov'd but of little benefit to the Realm: For the Queen, with Mortimer her Minion, managed all, and that to the dishonour, as well as dissatisfaction, of the Nation; as by the Peace concluded with Scotland sufficiently appear'd.

Thomas Earl of Lancaster, having the Misfortune to fall under his last Attempt, in King Edward the seconds time; Henry Father in Law to our Lord Thomas, was now Earl of

7 So Daniel p. 218. To: Major, calls him Tho: Vatre: as if his Name had been Waters; but it was doubtless by a Mistake for Wake Hist: fol: cv: a. 8 Walsingham Hist: p. 128.

3d.

Lancaster in his Place; and with his Son, K.Edw: Thomas, one of the Governours of the young King. Being enraged at the Queen, and Mortimers proceedings," he resolved openly to stand up against them, and redress those disorders by force of Arms, which by his Advice he could not prevent; With him Thomas Lord Wake joyn'd. And being summon'd to meet the King the next Year at his Parliament at Salisbury, An.2.do. they refused to come, thô they were both of them in Arms not far from it. By these proceedings they fell, for the present, under the Kings displeasure; who yet by the Mediation of the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury, was in a little time again reconciled to them.

It happened that the next Year following An.3.do. several of the Nobility laid before the King their pretensions to certain Estates in Scotland and desired leave to proceed by Force to the Recovery of them. At the same time Baliol also laid claim before Edward, to the Crown: and they resolved to joyn together for the maintenance of their respective Interests there. Among these Thomas Lord Wake was one; and with the Kings leave, he entered Scotland

9 Walsingham Hist: p. 128.

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