CHAPTER II. The Earl of Lancaster again forms a confederacy against Gaveston—~Isabella compelled to accompany the King and his favourite in theirflightto Newcastle—She is deserted by the Kinj at Tynemouth—The Barons treat her with kindness—Her acts of charity—The favourite seized—Fat to death—Prince Edward born—Baptism of the Frince—Isabella again lives with the King—Prevents a civil war—The King and the Barons reconciled—The Barons again become mistrtistfid—Isabella prevents them from taking up arms—The Battle of Bannockburn—Dreadful famine and pestilence—Ill-will between the King and his Barons—Prince John of Eltham born— Robert le Messager speaks irreverently of the King—John Poydras claims the crown, and is hanged—The Earl of Lancaster's wife adjudged to a deformed knight—The King receives a letter of reproof—Birth of the Princess Eleanora—The royal children shamefully neglected—Curious entries in the Wardrobe Rolls—Edward grants to Isabella the escuagefrom the army in Scotland—The Scots invade Ireland—Ravage tlie northern border of England—Eleanora accompanies Edward to the north—Takes up her residence at Brotherton—Narrowly escapes being taken prisoner—Truce concluded with Scotland—The doings of the Spencers, the King's new favourites, disgusts the Barons—Civil war commences—The Spencers are banished. j HE barons now felt that they must either crush Lancaster or submit to be crushed by him. The Earl of Lancaster, therefore, for a second time, formed a confederacy more powerful than the former one, and comprising himself, the Earls of Warwick, Pembroke, Arundel, Hereford, Wareune, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and several other bishops and barons, who, under the plea of defending the rights of the church and state, unanimously resolved to take up arms. Their first measure was the issuing a proclamation, charging the King with violating the laws and customs of the land ; this was followed b y the excommunication of the favourite by the Archbishop of Canterbury ; after which, they appointed the Earl of Leicester their leader, and in the spring of 1312, under the pretext of a tournament, assembled their troops, united their party, and immediately marched towards York, where the King, Isabella, and Gaveston then were. On the approach of the hostile barons, Edward compelled the Queen to accompany himself and his favourite in their flight to Newcastle. Scarcely had they quitted York, when the Earl of Lancaster entered that city in triumph, and on learning whither they had fled, hastened in pursuit of them. On hearing this, Edward, although the Queen—then enceinte—passionately implored him not to forsake her, hastened to Tynemouth, and sought safety for himself and his favourite, by sailing to Scarborough. Meantime the unhappy Queen took up her abode at Tynemouth, and the confederate barons possessed themselves of Newcastle. Isabella, however, received more protection and kindness from the revolters—if such those are to be called who, indeed, fought rather for than against the real interests of the crown, and state—than from her lawful protector. The Earl of Lancaster sent her a message of condolence, assuring her of her safety, declaring that his sole object was to obtain possession of the person of the favourite, and that he was only himself prevented from paying her a friendly visit, by a desire to avoid awakening the King's anger against her. At Tynemouth it would appear Isa