e he built a castle and kept his Christmas; and
during his reign he celebrated the festival at other places not
usually so honoured--namely, Bury, Ipswich, Bristol, Berwick,
Carlisle, and Lincoln.

EDWARD THE SECOND

succeeded his father in 1307, being the fourth son of Edward I. and
Eleanor of Castile. He took great delight in the Christmas revels and
expended large sums of money in the entertainment of his court
favourites. In 1311 he kept his Christmas at York, rejoicing in the
presence of Piers Gaveston, whom he had recalled from banishment in
utter disregard of advice given to him by his father (Edward I.) on
his death-bed. Edward II. kept his Christmas in the great hall at
Westminster in 1317, when, however, few nobles were present, "because
of discord betwixt them and the King;" but in 1320 the Royal Christmas
was kept at Westminster "with great honour and glorie." In 1324-5 the
King's Christmas was sumptuously observed at Nottingham, but the
following year found Edward a prisoner at Kenilworth, while his wife,
who had successfully intrigued with Roger Mortimer, leader of the
Barons, observed the Christmas festivities with her son at
Wallingford, glad at the downfall of her husband. Edward was an
irresolute and weak-minded king. He displayed singular incapacity for
government, wasting almost all his time in frivolous amusements. The
chief characteristics of his reign were defeat and disgrace abroad,
and misrule ending in misery at home. Instead of following the example
of his noble father, Edward I., who has been deservedly styled "the
greatest of the Plantagenets," he proved himself the weakest of that
line of kings, spending his time in such trifling diversions as "cross
and pile," a game of chance with coins. He was so utterly devoid of
self-respect that he even borrowed money of his barber to carry on
this frivolous pastime, such items as the following being found in his
wardrobe rolls:--"Item, paid to Henry, the king's barber, for money
which he lent the king to play at cross and pile, five shillings.
Item, paid to Pires Barnard, usher of the king's chamber, money which
he lent the king, and which he lost at cross and pile; to Monsieur
Robert Wattewille eightpence." At length the barons, tired of
Edward's misgovernment, revolted, and made the king a prisoner. During
the Christmas festival of 1326, Edward was imprisoned in Kenilworth
Castle. While there he was informed that in a Parliament held at
Westmi