Edward’s design of bringing back his favourites, and throwing off once more the baronial thraldom.  On October 13, 1321, Queen Isabella, on her way to Canterbury, claimed hospitality at Leeds castle, situated between Maidstone and the archiepiscopal city.  The castle belonged to Badlesmere, whose wife was then residing there, with his kinsman, Bartholomew Burghersh, and a competent garrison.  Lady Badlesmere refused to admit the queen, declaring that, without her lord’s orders, she could not venture to entertain any one.  Bitterly indignant at the insult, the queen took up her quarters in the neighbouring priory and attempted to force an entrance.  The castle, however, was not to be taken by the hasty attack of a small company.  Six of Isabella’s followers were slain, and the attempt was abandoned.  Isabella called upon her husband to avenge her; and the king at once resolved to capture Leeds castle at any cost, and prepared to undertake the enterprise in person.  He offered high wages to all crossbowmen, archers, knights, and squires who would follow him to Leeds, and summoned the levies of horse and foot from the towns and shires of the south-east.  His trust in the loyalty of his subjects met with an unexpectedly favourable response.  In a few days a large army gathered round the king under the walls of Leeds.  Among the many magnates who appeared among the royal following were six earls:  Pembroke, Badlesmere’s own associate; the king’s two brothers, Norfolk and Kent; Warenne, Richmond, and Arundel, who as Despenser’s kinsman felt himself bound to fight on his side.  On October 23 the castle was closely besieged by this overwhelming force, and on October 31 was forced to surrender.  Burghersh was shut up in the Tower and Lady Badlesmere in Dover castle.  Thirteen of the garrison, “stout men and valiant,” were hanged by the angry king.

During the siege of Leeds, the magnates of the march, headed by Hereford and Roger Mortimer, collected a force at Kingston-on-Thames, where they were joined by Badlesmere.  But they dared not advance towards the relief of the Kentish castle, and, after a fortnight they dispersed to their own homes.  Lancaster hated Badlesmere so bitterly that he made no move against the king, and sullenly bided his time in the north.  His inaction paralysed the barons as effectively as in earlier days it had hindered the plans of the king.  Flushed with his victory, Edward gradually unfolded his designs.  His tool, Archbishop Reynolds, summoned a convocation of the southern province for December 1 at St. Paul’s, and obtained from the assembled clergy the opinion that the proceedings against the Despensers were invalid.  On January 1, 1322, Reynolds solemnly declared this sentence in St. Paul’s.  Edward did not wait for the archbishop.  Attended by many of the warriors who had fought at Leeds, he marched to the west, occupying on his journey the lands and castles of his enemies.  He kept his Christmas court at Cirencester, and thence