S16 



I VGLA X 1). 



M ->-. 



A.D. mr 



e*l gritvui- 



The Pope 

 uemputhe 

 ronquot of 

 Sicily for 

 Henry's 



A.D. 1Z55. 



The Earl of 

 Cornwall 

 elected king 

 of the Ro- 



barons ; and when complaints were made again;* their 

 opprtwkm* arul violations of the law, they scrupled nut 

 to av, " What did the l-'nglMi law signify to Uieiu." 



The discontent of the nation was heightened by the 

 failure oftheking'sexpeditiorutothe continent. In awar 

 with l-ouis IX. l>e lost what remained to him of Poictoii. 

 and involved himself and hi* nobility in an enormous 

 debt. But even thwe grievance* of the civil govern- 

 ment were less burthen.some than the usurpations and 

 exactions of the see of Rome, which the king never 

 failed to countenance and support. Besides the tenth 

 of all ecclesiastical living*, the Pope, by his legates, 

 wrested large sums from the prelates and convents. He 

 exacted the revenues of all vacant benefices ; he claim- 

 ed the goods of all intestate clergymen, and levied be- 

 nevolences upon the people. He filled the chief bene- 

 fices of the kingdom with Italians, who are said to have 

 possessed, during this reign, livings in England to the 

 annual amount of 60,000 marks; and carried his usurpa- 

 tion to such a height, as to claim a right to all ecclesiasti- 

 cal property, which he could dispose of at his pleasure. 

 He next endeavoured to embark Henry in a war with 

 Sicily, in which he himself was engaged; and offered the 

 crown of that kingdom to his brother Richard, who had 

 been created Earl of Cornwall ; and who, having amassed 

 immense wealth, would be able to support him in his 

 military operations. Upon the refusal of Richard to en- 

 ter into such a scheme, it was offered to the king for 

 his second son Edmond, upon the single condition that 

 he would defray the expences of the conquest. Henry, 

 dazzled by such a present, inconsiderately agreed to 

 the proposal, and gave his Holiness unlimited credit to 

 expend whatever sums were necessary for completing 

 the enterprise. By this foolish bargain, he found him- 

 self, before he was aware, involved in a debt of 1 35,000 

 marks. In this emergency, he applied to the Parliament, 

 but they unanimously refused to lend their assistance to 

 such a project. The clergy were now his only re- 

 source ; and, with the aid of the legate, he extorted 

 from them 150,000 marks. This sum, however, was 

 still insufficient. New demands were made by the Pope, 

 and interdicts and excommunications were threatened 

 in case of non-compliance. Henry at last began to 

 discover the cheat, and resigned his claim to a crown, 

 which he could never expect to enjoy. 



About the same time, the Earl of Cornwall engaged 

 in an enteq>rize equally vain and vexatious. On the 

 death of the Emperor Frederic, he was tempted to be- 

 come a candidate for the Imperial throne. After ex- 

 pending large suras, he wa chosen king of the Ro- 

 mans ; and proceeding to Germany, he attracted, by 

 his liberality, numerous friends and partizans. But he 

 was soon drained of his wealth by the avidity of the 

 German princes, and returned to England, ashamed of 

 having lavished the savings of a whole life upon the 

 acquisition of an empty dignity. 



The barons still continued resolute in refusing sup- 

 plies, and every application of Henry was met on the 

 part of the parliament with a remonstrance against the 

 oppressions of his favourites, and his violations of the 

 great charter. He at last pretended, that he had taken 

 the vow of a crusade, and demanded their assistance. 

 At this time he made the most humble submissions, and 

 promised a redress of all ecclesiastical and civil grie- 

 vance*. But they hat! so often experienced the deceit- 

 fulness of his submission and promises, that they at 

 first hesitated to comply ; but at last consented to grant 

 him a tenth of the ecclesiastical benefices, and a scu- 

 tage of three marks on each knight's fee, upon condi- 



tion that he would ratify the great charter in a more 

 solemn manner than h-til hitherto been employed. On 

 this occasion, the prelates and ablx>ts were assembled, 

 each with a burning taper in his hand. The clurtcr 

 wa rend In-fore them, ami sentence of excommunication 

 was denounced against all who should violate it. They 

 then threw their tapers on the ground, and exclaimed 

 y the soul of every one who incurs this sentence 

 so stink and corrupt in liell !" To which the king sub- 

 joined So help me God, I will keep all these arti- 

 il- - inviolate, us I am a man, as I am a Christian, as 

 I am a knight, and as I am a king, crowned und 

 anointed." 



But Henry, still weak and inconstant, soon forgot 

 his oath ; and, again swayed by the counsels of his 

 favourites, returned to his usual extortions and oppres- 

 sions. Complaints against his governmeiit were loud 

 and general. The barons, fatigued with fruitless sub- 

 missions, and seeing no prospect of obtaining redress 

 at the hands of the king, entered into a confederacy to 

 seize the reins of the state, and compel the fulfilment 

 of those promises which they had so long looked for, 

 but in vain. At the head of this confederacy was Si- 

 mon de Mountfort, Earl of Leicester, a foreigner by 

 birth, but who had succeeded to a large inheritance in 

 England. By insinuation and address, he had acqui- 

 red a strong interest in the nation, and had gained the 

 affections of all ranks ; and being of a violent and am- 

 bitious temper, he was capable of the most daring de- 

 signs. He had alternately experienced the favour and 

 hatred of Henry ; but being at last disgraced and ba- 

 nished from court, he resolved to attempt n innova- 

 tion in the government, and wrest the sceptre from the 

 feeble hands of his sovereign. This spirit of hostility 

 first appeared when Henry had summoned a parlia- 

 ment, in expectation of supplies for the Sicilian war. 

 The barons cnme to the hall completely armed ; and in 

 this hostile attitude expostulated with the king on his 

 imprudent and illegal conduct. That though he had 

 often acknowledged his errors, and promised to gi\ 

 satisfaction to the nation, yet he had still allowed him- 

 self to be carried into the came measures ; that lie must 

 therefore dismiss these faithless counsellors, and confer 

 authority upon those who were more ready and able to 

 redress the public grievances. The king yielded to 

 their demand, and summoned another parliament at 

 Oxford, to prepare such regulations as might IK- deem- 

 ed necessary for the reformation of the state. Oil the 

 day appointed, the barons appeared at Oxford at the 

 head ot' their vassals ; and that assembly, afterwards 

 known by the name of the M<:rt Parliamrnt. appointed 

 24- commissioners, to whom were entrusted the refor- 

 mation of abuses. Of these. K' were chosen from the 

 king's ministers, and 12 from the barons ; and the king 

 took an oath, that he would adhere to whatever regu- 

 lations they should adopt for the welfare of the nation. 

 At the head of this council was Leicester, who direct- 

 ed all their deliberations ; and they first ordered that 

 four knights should be elected by each county, to re- 

 port at next meeting of parliament the grievances 

 which were most felt in their neighbourhtxxl. They 

 then enacted that there should be three sessions of par- 

 liament every year ; that a sheriff should be annually 

 elected by the votes of the freeholders in raeh county ; 

 that no wards or castles should be entrusted to fo- 

 reigners ; and that no new warrens or forests should 

 be made, nor the revenues of any county or hun- 

 dred be let to farm. These were the only regu- 

 lations of the council, from which the public could 



HUtorr. 



Henry re- 

 newt the 

 Great Chir- 

 ter. 



Ditcnn(unt 

 of tlic ba- 

 rons. 





June 11. 



Regulation* 

 of Oxford. 





