ENGLAND. (CIVIL HISTORY.) 



estates : and the unfortunate Norman prince was 

 fain to purchase his liberty by relinquishing his pen- 

 sion. Even Robert's Norman subjects, either dis- 

 gusted by his administration, or seduced by Henry's 

 emissaries, were induced to revolt ; and Henry seiz- 

 ing the opportunity, invaded Normandy, made him- 

 self master of the country, took his brother prisoner, 

 and kept him in confinement during the remain- 

 der of his life, which continued for twenty-eight 

 years. Some historians add, that he was deprived 

 of his sight. 



When Henry thought his power was sufficiently 

 confirmed, he convinced the clergy that his friend- 

 ship for them was not so sincere as he had found it 

 necessary to pretend. He entered into a dispute 

 with Anselm the primate, and with the pope, con- 

 cerning the right of granting investiture to the clergy. 

 He supported his quarrel with firmness, and at 

 length, by compromising the matter, brought it to a 

 more favourable issue than might have been ex- 

 pected. In 1135, lie died in Normandy, leaving 

 behind him only a daughter, Matilda : his son, Wil- 

 liam, having been drowned near the coast of' 

 Normandy ; an incident at which Henry's grief was 

 extreme. 



Henry's will declared Matilda, his daughter, his 

 successor ; but Stephen, who had married a daughter 

 of William I., and who, by numerous grants of his 

 sovereigns, had obtained great wealth, raised an 

 army in Normandy, landed in England, and declared 

 himself king. He met with little resistance: Ma- 

 tilda was obliged to yield to the superior power of 

 her enemy, and he, to secure himself on the tin-one, 

 which he had so violently seized, granted his people 

 many privileges, evincing what has often been ex- 

 perienced, that an usurper, whose dominion is sup- 

 ported by military power only, is obliged to make a 

 less rigorous use of his authority than he whose 

 title to the crown is more legal. Stephen was obliged 

 to court the clergy no less than his other subjects : he 

 thus rendered an influence, already too great, still 

 more exorbitant. 



Matilda, though she had been obliged to yield the 

 crown to a more successful competitor, had not re- 

 linquished her claim. The earl of Gloucester, who 

 favoured her cause, taking advantage of a quarrel 

 which existed between Stephen and 'some of his 

 principal clergy, landed with the queen in England. 

 Her adherents quickly resorted to her from every 

 quarter. Stephen was not deficient in military con- 

 duct. He fought many battles with Matilda's 

 forces, but was at length made prisoner. The queen 

 was once more set upon the throne ; but having dis- 

 gusted her nobles by some exertions of her power, 

 which they thought too violent, they revolted. Ste- 

 phen was taken from his prison again to be made 

 u king. Many battles were fought. Matilda was 

 again obliged to leave the kingdom, and the death of 

 Gloucester, her active general, seemed to deprive her 

 of all her hopes of ultimate success ; but Henry 

 Plantagenet, Matilda's son by her second marriage, 

 undertook the management of his own and his mo- 

 ther's quarrel. He invaded England ; and Stephen, 

 who immediately led his troops to oppose him, was, 

 at length, induced to enter into a negotiation. It 

 was agreed that Stephen should reign during his life, 

 and that, upon his death, Henry Plantagenet should 

 succeed him. Stephen's death made way for his rival 

 in 1154. 



The reign of Henry II. was, in general, fortunate. 

 Such was the vigour of his administration, that the 

 turbulent barons were prevented from making any 

 disturbance, and the greater part of Henry's reign 

 was passed in peace. The king found little difficulty 

 fa> restraining the licentious powers of his barons ; 



but when he attempted to abridge the exorbitant 

 privileges of his clergy, he experienced a more reso- 

 lute opposition, and all his vigour was necessary to 

 support him in the arduous contest. The clergy 

 claimed exemption not only from the taxes of the 

 state, but also from its penal enactments ; and Becket, 

 now raised to the primacy, supported them in their 

 demands. The assassination of this priest, (see 

 Deckel] subjected Henry to the wrath of the church. 

 He had undertaken an expedition against Ireland, at 

 that time in a distracted state, and consequently, an 

 easy prey to an invader. To complete this expedi- 

 tion the pope's permission was necessary ; and this 

 permission could not be obtained, till Henry made 

 many submissions to the pontiff, and promised, when 

 he returned, to walk in pilgrimage to Becket's tomb. 

 Permission was at last granted. Henry easily con- 

 quered Ireland : when he returned, he walked to 

 Becket's tomb ; and lay all night upon the pavement 

 before it ; submitted to be scourged by the hands of 

 monks, and thus completed the triumphs of the 

 clergy. The latter part of Henry's life was exposed 

 to many disasters, arising chiefly from the rebellious 

 disposition of his own family. He had appointed 

 Hem-y to be his successor ; but that prince was impa- 

 tient to obtain the crown before the death of his 

 father. His projects, however, were disappointed ; 

 and, in a short time, he died without leaving behind 

 him any children. In his foreign wars, the king was 

 successful. William, the king of Scotland, was 

 defeated, taken prisoner, compelled to own himself 

 Henry's vassal, and to do homage for his whole king- 

 dom ; severe terms, which Richard, when he came 

 to the throne, generously remitted. It has been 

 remarked, with justice, that Henry was the first who 

 placed the common people of England in a situation 

 which led to their having a share in the government. 

 To curb the power of the nobles, he granted charters 

 to towns, freeing them from all subjection to any but 

 himself. Henry, perhaps, thought only of curbing 

 the exorbitant power of-the barons, while he laid the 

 foundation of a new order in society, which at length 

 completely altered the government 



Richard, who, in 1189, succeeded to his father, 

 inherited all the superstition and romantic bravery 

 of the age. The frenzy of crusading had.then invaded 

 the minds of Europeans, and the English monarch 

 was impatient to distinguish himself in so conspicu- 

 ous a scene. Disregarding the evils which must 

 ensue to his dominions from his absence, he made 

 every exertion to raise the money which was requi- 

 site ; he hurried into the East, and acquired the 

 character of an intrepid soldier. Returning home- 

 wards in disguise, through Germany, he was basely 

 made prisoner by Leopold, duke of Austria. The 

 affection of his subjects raised the sum necessary for 

 his ransom ; and he returned to his kingdom, which, 

 during his absence, had been a scene of confusion. 

 The two prelates to whom he had delegated his 

 power, had disagreed. John, his brother, had aspired 

 to the crown, and hoped, by the assistance of the 

 French, to exclude from his right the unfortunate 

 Richard. Richard's presence, for a time, restored 

 matters to some appearance of order ; but the rest- 

 lessness of his own disposition deprived him of all 

 repose. He undertook an expedition against France ; 

 but at the siege of Chalons, in 1199, he received a 

 wound by an arrow, which proved mortal. 



That kingdom which Jolui had so long sought to 

 obtain by sinister methods, was, at length, his by 

 succession ; but he demonstrated how unworthy fie 

 was of the dignity to which he had so eagerly aspired. 

 The reign of John was turbulent, disastrous to him- 

 self, but ultimately fortunate for his people. His 

 follies, his crimes, and his ill concerted attacks upon 



