The Reign of Edward II has attracted a great deal of attention from the administrative and the constitutional standpoints. Many aspects of this reign have received consideration by eminent scholars. But unfortunately although many scholars have presented their conclusive views on this reign, it can hardly be said that they have come to any substantial agreement, even in their interpretations of the place of this reign in the whole course of English constitutional and administrative history. Especially on the reform movement of the Lords Ordainers of 1311, four principal investigators have adopted views that cannot be thought to be compatible with each other. The safest way of approaching this problem is, the writer thinks, to examine closely as much of its sources as possible. After careful examination of these sources, he describes how the Lords Ordainers were led to impose the Ordinances of 1311 upon Edward II and tried to analyse the contents of these Ordinances. His conclusion is that the Lords Ordainers did not attempt to establish a kind of "Ministerial" System of government in place of so-called "Household" System, but they intended only to expel the self-seeking advisers from the royal government. Therefore, this baronial reform movement was the same as those of the thirteenth century in its aims.

慶應義塾創立百年記念論文集