[1] See the remarkable report of the Bishop of Winchester to
    Edward printed in Engl.  Hist.  Review, xvii. (1902), pp.
    518-27.

Two events in 1302 indirectly contributed towards the establishment of a permanent peace.  These were the successful revolt of Flanders from French domination, and the renewed quarrel between Philip and Boniface.  On May 18, the Flemings, in the “matins of Bruges,” cruelly avenged themselves for the oppressions which they had endured from Philip’s officials, and on July 11 the revolted townsfolk won the battle of Courtrai, in which their heavy armed infantry defeated the feudal cavalry of France, a victory of the same kind as that Wallace had vainly hoped to gain at Falkirk.  Even before the Flemish rising, the reassertion of high sacerdotal doctrine in the bull Ausculta, fili had renewed the strife between Boniface and the French king.  A few months later the bull Unam sanctam laid down with emphasis the doctrine that those who denied that the temporal sword belongs to St. Peter were heretics, unmindful of the teachings of Christ.  Thus began the famous difference that went on with ever-increasing fury until the outrage at Anagni, on September 7, 1303, brought about the fall of Boniface and the overthrow of the Hildebrandine papacy.  Meanwhile Philip was devoting his best energies to constant, and not altogether vain, attempts to avenge the defeat of Courtrai, and re-establish his hold on Flanders.  With these two affairs on his hands, it was useless for him to persevere in his attempt to hold Gascony.

In the earlier stages of his quarrel with Philip, Boniface built great hopes on Edward’s support, and strongly urged him to fight for holy Church against the impious French king.  But Edward had suffered too much from Boniface to fall into so obvious a trap.  His hold over his own clergy was so firm that Winchelsea himself had no chance of taking up the papal call to battle.  Thus it was that Unam sanctam produced no such clerical revolt in England as Clericis laicos had done.  It was Edward’s policy to make use of Philip’s necessities to win back Gascony, and cut off all hope of French support from the Scottish patriots.  Philip himself was the more disposed to agree with his brother-in-law’s wishes, because about Christmas, 1302, Bordeaux threw off the French yoke and called in the English.  The best way to save French dignity was by timely concession.  Accordingly, on May 20, 1303, the definitive treaty of Paris was sealed, by which the two kings were pledged to “perpetual peace and friendship”.  Gascony was restored, and Edward agreed that he, or his son, should perform liege homage for it.  With the discharge of this duty by the younger Edward at Amiens, in 1304, the last stage of the pacification was accomplished.  For the rest of the reign, England and France remained on cordial terms.  Neither Edward nor Philip had resources adequate to the accomplishment of great schemes of foreign conquest.  Though Edward got back Gascony, he owed it, not to his own power, but to the embarrassment of his rival.