et Mort de Richart” (English Historical Society), both works of French authors and published in France in the time of Henry the Fourth, probably with the aim of arousing French feeling against the House of Lancaster and the war-policy which it had revived.  The popular feeling in England may be seen in “Political Songs from Edward III. to Richard III.” (Rolls Series).  A poem on “The Deposition of Richard II.” which has been published by the Camden Society is now ascribed to William Langland.

With Henry the Fifth our historic materials become more abundant.  We have the “Gesta Henrici Quinti” by Titus Livius, a chaplain in the royal army; a life by Elmham, prior of Lenton, simpler in style but identical in arrangement and facts with the former work; a biography by Robert Redman; a metrical chronicle by Elmham (published in Rolls Series in “Memorials of Henry the Fifth"); and the meagre chronicles of Hardyng and Otterbourne.  The King’s Norman campaigns may be studied in M. Puiseux’s “Siege de Rouen” (Caen, 1867).  The “Wars of the English in France” and Blondel’s work “De Reductione Normanniae” (both in Rolls Series) give ample information on the military side of this and the next reign.  But with the accession of Henry the Sixth we again enter on a period of singular dearth in its historical authorities.  The “Proces de Jeanne d’Arc” (published by the Societe de l’Histoire de France) is the only real authority for her history.  For English affairs we are reduced to the meagre accounts of William of Worcester, of the Continuator of the Crowland Chronicle, and of Fabyan.  Fabyan is a London alderman with a strong bias in favour of the House of Lancaster, and his work is useful for London only.  The Continuator is one of the best of his class; and though connected with the house of York, the date of his work, which appeared soon after Bosworth Field, makes him fairly impartial; but he is sketchy and deficient in information.  The more copious narrative of Polydore Vergil is far superior to these in literary ability, but of later date, and strongly Lancastrian in tone.  For the struggle between Edward and Warwick, the valuable narrative of “The Arrival of Edward the Fourth” (Camden Society) may be taken as the official account on the royal side.  The Paston Letters are the first instance in English history of a family correspondence, and throw great light on the social condition of the time.

Chapter I
Edward II
1307-1327

[Sidenote:  Parliament and the Kings]

In his calling together the estates of the realm Edward the First determined the course of English history.  From the first moment of its appearance the Parliament became the centre of English affairs.  The hundred years indeed which follow its assembly at Westminster saw its rise into a power which checked and overawed the Crown.