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ENGLAND. 



nwte^. ^ commence hostilities against the dominions of Richard 

 """"V 1 * during his absence, yet he endeavoured by every mean 

 secretly to annoy and distract his government. Me even 

 detached Prince John from his allegiance , by promir-ing 

 liini his -'-'i r Alice in marriage, and offering to put him 

 iu possession of all his brother's transmarine dominions ; 

 and that vicious prince was prevented only by the au- 

 thority of the queen-dowager, and the menaces of the 

 tiiimcil, from raising a civil war in the kingdom. 



Richard was informed of all these machinations of his 

 rival. The ardour of the crusaders hail gradually aba- 

 ted ; and their numbers being thinned by the sword, 

 by fatigue, and by disease, they now thought of return- 

 ing home. Kichard alone opposed this desire ; but he 

 - at last obliged to yield to the general wish, and 

 concluded a twice with Saladin for three years. On his 

 way home, Kichard was shipwrecked on the coast of 

 Itaiy, and, having assumed the disguise of a pilgrim, 

 attempted to pass secretly through Germany. His ex- 

 pences and liberalities, however, betrayed the dignity 

 of his character, and he was arrested at Vienna, by the 

 Duke of Austria, to whom he had given some disgust 

 Hit eaptm. at the siege of Acre. This prince delivered him up for 

 tr in (ier- considerable sum to Henry VI. Emperor of Germany, 

 who threw him into a dungeon, and loaded him with 

 irons. This fatal intelligence filled his subject* with 

 grief and consternation. 1 le had secured their affec- 

 tions by his bravery and generosity; and the only trai- 

 tor in the kingdom was his brother John, who secretly 

 rejoiced in his imprisonment, and joined his influence 

 to that of the king of France to continue his captivity. 

 They entered into negotiations with the emperor to de- 

 liver his royal prisoner into the hands of Philip, or to de- 

 tain him in perpetual confinement ; and John, tnking 

 advantage ot the general confusion, attempted, with the 

 assistance of Philip, to wrest the sceptre from the hand 

 of his unfortunate brother. 



The F.ngl!.-h, however, nr twithstanding all these un- 

 generous efforts, continued faithful to their king; and, 

 when the emperor was at last compelled, by the remon- 

 strances of the German princes, and the threatenings of 

 the pope, to a-jrcc to his release for a large ransom, the 

 A. D. lift, sum was cheerfully raised by his subjects. One hundred 

 thousand marks were immediately paid, and sixty-seven 

 hostages were delivered for the payment of 50,000 more. 

 Return* to Richard's arrival in England was hailed with the utmost 

 Kngluid. exultation ; and never did a nation testify such joy at the 

 appearance of its monarch. His splendid victories, the 

 dangers which he had passed, and the sufferings which 

 he had undergone, endeared him to a martial and high- 

 spirited people ; and he found all ranks ready to assist 

 him in biking vengeance on the authors of his misfor- 

 tunes. As soon as lie had settled his affairs in England, 

 he hastened to opjx>se the invasion of Philip in Norman- 

 dy ; but no exploit worth recording was the con^e- 

 quencc of this war. John deserted the cause of Philip, 

 and implored the forgiveness of his brother. At the 

 intercession of Queen Eleanor, the king forgot the base- 

 ness of his conduct, and generously received him into 

 favour. The war with France was several times con- 

 cluded and renewed, without any advantage being gain- 

 ed on either side. A treaty of peace was at last about 

 to be concluded, by the mediation of the Pope's legate, 

 when the- death of Richard put an end to the negocia- 

 tion. This prince, after a reign often years, passed al- 

 Ilffouh, most '" continual hostilities, received his death-wound 

 .V I >. 1 199. when besieging one of his vassals in the castle of ( 'lia- 

 lu, near Limoges, in the 42d year of his ago. 



Richard poweacd the highest military talents ; and 



his intrepidity ajui personal braver}' had acquired him Huiory. 

 the appellation ot' L'uciir de Lion. With a disposition ** "V** 

 open, generous, and sincere, he was at the same time 

 ambitious haughty, and cruel ; and had his reign been 

 lengthened, the rostlessntM of fail character would have 

 involved him in constant war with his neighbours, or 

 would have led him, as he threatened, to undertake an- 

 other expedition against the Infidels. 



The iiccesMon of John to the throne was immediately Job*, 

 followed by the revolt of the provinces of Anjou, Xaine, 

 and Touraine. They declared in favour of Arthur, the 

 son of Prince Geoffrey, John's elder brother, though on- 

 ly a youth of twelve years of age; and were readily sup- 

 ported by the king of France, who embraced every op- 

 portunity of raising commotions in the rival kingdom. 

 John, however, had Richard's will in his fa\our, and 

 had been acknowledged by the barons of England and 

 Normandy. He therefore prepared to maintain his War with 

 claim by force of arms ; and passing over into France, France, 

 was enabled, by the assistance of the Earl of Flanders, 

 t.) defend himself against all the efforts of his enemy. 

 Constiintia, the mother of Arthur, in the mean time, 

 becoming jealous of the intriguing character of Philip, 

 and suspecting that he intended to usurp the dominion 

 of the revolted provinces, rather than preserve them 

 for her son, secretly withdrew Arthur from his court, 

 and put him into the hands of John, to whom he 

 did homage for the duchy of Brittany, which he pos- 

 ; in right of his father. This- defection obliged 

 Philip to give up the contest, and a treaty was soon al- 

 ter agreed upon, in which the limits of their territories 

 were properly adjusted, and the interests of their vas- 

 sals mutually secured. As a token of sincere reconci- 

 liation, John gave his niece Blanche of Castile in mar- 

 riage to Louis, Philip's eldest son, and with her the ba- 

 ronies of Issoudun and Gracai, and other fiefs in Berri. 



John being now undisputed master of the kingdom, 

 and thinking himself secure on the side of France, began 

 to give reins to his passions, and to expose himself, by 

 his tyranny and weakness, to the hatred and contempt 

 of his subjects. Being deeply enamoured with Isabella, 

 the daughter and heir of the Count of Angouleme, he was 

 determined to possess her at every hazard. She was 

 betrothed to the Count de la Marche, and had been 

 consigned to the care of that nobleman ; but John per- 

 suaded her father to carry her off from her husband; 

 and having divorced his queen, he married her in spite Marriage of 

 of the menaces of the Pope, who exclaimed against tne '""8- 

 such conduct. The Co-nit de la Marche, and his bro- 

 ther the Count d'Eu, immediately t<x>k up arms, and 

 excited to insurrection the malcontents of Poictou and 

 Normandy. The king demanded from his English ba- 

 rons a sufficient force to quell the rebels. But these 

 chiefs had begun to feel the influence which they had 

 in the kingdom, when under the government of a weak 

 prince, anil unanimously refused, unless he would pro- 

 mise to restore to them their ancient privileges. This 

 was the first symptom of a regular association among 

 the noble?, for curbing the power of the crown. But 

 their plan was not sufficiently matured, and they were 

 obliged to yield to the menaces of their sovereign. 

 John at first overawed the insurgents by his superior 

 army, btt he soon raised up new enemies by his arbi- 

 trary and imprudent conduct. It was the custom of 

 those times, that the causes in the Lord* Court were 

 chiefly decided by duel; and he carried with him a set 

 of bravos or hired ruffians, whom he intended should 

 fight with his barons, when any controversy was to be 

 decided between him and them. This gave offence tr 



