ENGLAND. 



611 



Hitry. and open hostilities immediately commenced. As this 

 **^^^ contest put a stop to the projected crusade, the pope's 

 legate in France excommunicated Richard as the prin- 

 cipal cause of discord, and threatened to lay an interdict 

 on Philip's dominions. But these proved entirely inef- 

 fectual to restrain the ambition of these princes ; and 

 they carried on the war with such vigour, that Henry, 

 after having lost several towns, found himself under the 

 necessity o( submitting to very humiliating conditions. 

 It was agreed that Richard should marry the Princess 

 Alice, and should receive the homage and oath of fealty 

 of all his father's subjects ; that Henry should pay 

 20,000 marks to the King of France, to defray the char- 

 ges of the war ; that his own barons should promise, 

 that in case of his violating the treaty, they would join 

 Philip and Richard ; and that an indemnity for the past 

 should be offered to all. These terms, rigorous and mor- 

 tifying as they were, did not affect him so much as the 

 discovery that his favourite son John had been leagued 

 with his enemies. When he read his name in the list of 

 those barons to whom he had engaged to grant a pardon 

 for their connection with Richard, he was overwhelmed 

 with grief. He cursed the day that he was born ; and 

 bestowed on his ungrateful and undutiful children a 

 malediction, which he never could be prevailed upon 

 to retract. This last domestic affliction quite broke his 

 spirit, and brought on a lingering fever, of which he 

 died at the castle of Chinon near Saumur, in the 58th 

 year of his age, and 35th of his reign. This prince was 

 equally distinguished by his private as well as his pub- 

 lic virtues. His greatest blemish was his amour with 

 the fair Rosamond, by whom he had two sons, Richard 

 Longsword, and Geoffrey, afterwards Archbishop of 

 York; and his hypocritical devotion at the shrine of 

 Thomas-a-Becket cannot be justified, even by the emer 

 gency of his affairs at the time. I!y one weak action he 

 cancelled the firmness of his past conduct, and rivetted 

 upon his people those fetters ot superstition which, du- 

 ring the former part of his life, he had l>cen attempting 

 to unbind. In his general conduct, however, he dis- 

 played the highest qualities of the understanding and 

 the heart. He was the most tender and indulgent of 

 fathers, and thougli his affections were often torn l>v 

 the ingratitude and disobedience of his children, his 

 temper always preserved its natural sensibility. He 

 loved peace, and in the execution of justice was severe 

 without oppression. In war he possessed bravery and 

 conduct ; and perhaps there never was a monarch who 

 extended his dominions and authority so far, with so 

 little violence and injustice. 

 Richard I. Richard was no sooner informed of his father's deatli 

 than he was stung with remorse for the undutiful part 

 which he had acted, and professed his respect for his 

 father's memory, by retaining Henry's ministers and 

 -iTvaiits in those offices which they had so honourably 

 discharged to their former master ;" while those who had 

 encouraged and aoisted his rebellion, met with neglect 

 and hatred. He immediately restored to liberty Queen 

 Eleanor, who had been long detained in confinement ; 

 and profusely bestowed upon his brother John no less 

 than six earldoms, with many opulent and extensive 

 possessions. The commencement of his reign, how- 

 ever, was attended with a very melancholy catastrophe, 

 which, while it shews the bigotry and superstition of 

 the age, proves how ineffectual the authority of the 

 sovereign was to restrain the violence of his subjects. 

 Richard had prohibited any of the Jews from appearing 

 at his coronation ; but some of that nation, presuming 

 Upon the large presents which they had made to the king, 



ventured to approach the hall where he dined. As soon 

 as they were discovered, they were exposed to the insults 

 and outrages of the populace ; and a rumour was wic- 

 kedly spread, that the king had ordered the massacre O f the Jews. 

 of all the Jews within the kingdom. London was im- 

 mediately filled with uproar. The houses of this de- 

 fenceless people were pillaged and burnt, and they and 

 their families put to death. The houses of wealthy 

 Christians were also attacked and plundered ; and so 

 general was the spirit of riot and pillage, that when the 

 king empowered Glanville, the Justiciary, to enquire 

 into the authors of this enormity, so many of the prin- 

 cipal citizens were found to be involved in it, that it 

 was deemed proper to drop the prosecution. At York 

 there were similar disorders, and five hundred Jews, 

 who had retired to the castle for safety, finding them- 

 selves unable to defend it against the assaults of the po- 

 pulace, murdered their wives and children, and threw 

 the dead bodies over the walls upon the besiegers; they 

 then set fire to the buildings, and perished in the 

 flames. 



This zeal against the enemies of the cross was the The kins 

 ruling passion of the times ; and Richard, who to this prepatcs t> 

 spirit added a love of military glory, was scarcely seated * c r ' 1!r * 

 upon his throne, when he began to prepare for a crusade 

 against the Infidels. Every other interest and consi- 

 deration was sacrificed to the success of this pious enter- 

 prise. His father had left him above 100,000 marks, and 

 he endeavoured to increase this sum by every expedient. 

 The revenues and manors of the crown, and the offices 

 of greatest trust and power in the kingdom, were expo- 

 sed to sale. The dignity of chief justiciary was bought 

 by the Bishop of Durham for 1000 marks; and the 

 vassalage of Scotland, together with the fortresses of 

 Berwick and Roxburgh, was sold for 10,000 marks. 

 Exactions and extortion were next employed, and the 

 oppression was felt by all ranks. He was at last ena- 

 bled to proceed with a well-appointed army to the plains 

 of \ V/elay, where he had promised to meet the king of 

 France. There the two monarchs reviewed their for- And sit- 



.ml having sworn inviolable friendship, and pub- "** 

 lid y pledged their faith not to invade each other's do- 

 minions during the crusade, they departed for the Holy 

 Land. See CRUSADES. 



Before his departure, Richard had appointed Hugh, 

 Bishop of Durham, and Longchamp, Bishop of Ely, 

 justiciaries and guardians of the realm during his ab- 

 sence : but scarcely had the king left England, when 

 an open animosity broke out between the two prelates. 

 Longchamp was haughty and overbearing ; antl, being Disorder* 

 armed with the legantine commission, arrested his col- during his 

 league, and governed the kingdom by his sole authori- absence. 

 ty. His arrogance, ostentation, and violence, however, 

 drew upon him universal hatred ; and having ventured 

 to throw into prison Geoffrey, Archbishop of York, 

 Prince John, roused from his inactivity by this act of 

 wanton power, summoned him to appear before a gene- 

 ral council of the nobility and prelates. Longchamp, 

 apprehensive of his safety, were he to trust himself into 

 their hands, fled beyond seas, when he was deposed 

 from his office of justiciary, and the archbishop of Rouen 

 chosen in his room. As he still, however, possessed the 

 commission of legate, he continued to disturb the go- 

 vernment ; and his intrigues were encouraged by the 

 king of France. This prince, jealous of the renown 

 which Richard had gained by his military exploits, and 

 disgusted with the ascendency which he had acquired 

 over the crusaders, had deserted the crusade under pre- 

 tence of bad health ; and though he had sworn not tc 



