ber fon the king of England ; for they hold that the fon of a woman cannot claim any right of fuc* ceflion, where that wfcman has none herfelf. For thefe reafons the twelve peers arid barons of France unanimoufly gave the kingdom of France to the lord Philip of Valois, nephew to king Philip, and thus put afide the queen of England, who was filler to Charles, the late king of France, and her fon. Thus, as it feemed to many people, the fucceffioh went out of the right line, which has been the occafion of the moil deflru&ive wars and devaluations of countries, as well in France as elfewhere, as you will leain.hereafter j the real objeâ of this hiflory being to relate the great enterprifes and deeds of arms achieved in thefe wars, for from the time of good Charlemagne, king of France, never were fuch feats performed. CHAP. V. HOW EARL THOMAS OF LANCASTER, AND TWENTY- TWO OF THE GREATEST NOBLES IN ENGLAND WERE BEHEADED. IT^ING Edward the Second, father to the noble king Edward the Third, of whom our Hiflory fpeaks, governed his kingdom very indifferently, by the .advice of fir Hugh Spencer, who had been brought up with him from his youth. This fir Hugh had managed matters fo, that his father and himfelf were the great mailers of the realm,