5 81 
eng: 
fufed, bat feveral of them entered into a confpiracy to 
furprife London ; and, with the earls of Cheller and Al¬ 
bemarle at their head, advanced as far as Waltham with 
that intention. Their aims, however, were fruftrated by 
the diligence and vigour of the government. Mod of the 
fortreffes were at length furrendered ; and the number 
at that time is fuid to have amounted to above a thoufand. 
But though Henry gained this advantage by the prudence 
of his minifter, yet his throne hood upon a very weak 
foundation. A Cornell with his brother Richard earl of 
Cornwall, who had amalfed fuch fums of money as to be 
thought the richeft prince in Europe, loon Ihowed the 
vveaknefs both of his power and his policy. Richard had 
unjuftly expelled a baron from his manor ; and the king 
infilled upon his reftoring him. The other perfifting in 
bis refufal, a confederacy was formed, and an army affem- 
bled, which the king had neither inclination nor courage 
to refill. Richard’s injullice was now declared legal; and 
his refentment was mollified by grants of much greater 
importance than the manor which had been the ground 
of the quarrel. Thus did Henry tamely fubmit to all the 
demands of his haughty vaffal ; and had fcarcely any 
perfon who feemed folicitous for his interefls, but Hubert 
de Burgh, whom, neverthelefs, he difearded in a hidden 
caprice, and thus expofed to the violent perfecution of 
his enemies. The pretence fet up for the difmifiion of 
Hubert, was his ill management of the king's affairs on the 
continent; particularly on the death of Philip Augultus, 
and the fuccelTion of his fon Louis VIII. That prince, on 
his departure from England, and as part of the treaty of 
peace, is laid to have engaged to rellore Normandy to 
the king of England, on his fucceflion to the crown of 
France. But when the performance of this article was 
demanded, Louis not only treated the demand with con¬ 
tempt, but prepared to invade Poiftou, which Hill be¬ 
longed to England. After a defultory war, which lalled 
only from 1225 to 1227, a truce was agreed upon for three 
years; but, before it expired, Louis VIII. died. 
But as weak princes are never without governing fa¬ 
vourites, the place of Hubert was foon fupplied by Peter 
de Roches, billiop of Winchefter, a Poiftevin by birth, 
who was equally remarkable for his arbitrary condudl, 
and for his courage and abilities. Henry, in purfuance 
of this prelate’s advice, A. D. 1231, invited over a great 
number of Poidlevins, and other foreigners, who, having 
neither principles nor fortunes at home, were willing to 
adopt whatever fchemes their employer fhould propofe. 
Every office and command were bellowed on thefe un¬ 
principled ftrangers, whofe avarice and rapacity were ex¬ 
ceeded only by their pride and infolence. So unjuft a 
partiality to ftrangers naturally excited the jealoufy of 
the barons; and they even ventured to allure the king, 
that if he did not difmifs all foreigners from court, they 
would drive both him and them out of the kingdom. But 
the billiop of Winchefter had counteracted their meafures 
fo effectually, that he brought over many of the molt 
powerful confederates, and the eftates of the weaker ba- 
* rons were confifcated for the benefit of his needy coun¬ 
trymen. In thefe flagrant aCls of injullice the king was 
a calm fpeCtator; he was contented with prefent advan¬ 
tages ; and while thefe confifcations procured immediate 
wealth, he little regarded the means by which it came. 
But as Henry was. eafily fvvayed by tumultuary reraon- 
ftrances, another confederacy broke out, at the head of 
which was the archbifliop of Canterbury, by whom he 
was induced to difmifs his favourite minifter, and to fend 
him and his needy countrymen out of the kingdom. En¬ 
couragement to foreigners had long been the chief com- 
plaint againll the king; and it was now expeCted that 
this unaccountable predilection would, have been at an 
end. But their hopes were vain: for the king having 
married Eleanor, daughter of the count of Provence, 
A. D. 1 236, he transferred his favours to the ftrangers of 
that country, whom he carelled with the fondeft regard, 
and enriched with the molt imprudent generolity. Places, 
LAND. 
dignities, and treafures, were laviftied upon them; many 
young noblemen, who were wards to the crown, were 
married to wives of that country ; and when the fource 3 
of the king’s treafury were dried tip, lie refumed all the 
grants he had formerly made, in order to continue thefe 
favours. The refentment of all ranks of people was ex¬ 
cited by this mifehievous attachment ; but what mull 
have been their refentments, when they faw a new fwarm 
of intruders brought over from Gafcony, with Ifabella, 
the king’s mother, who had been married to the count of 
Marche? To thefe juft caufes of complaint were added 
the king’s unfuccefsful expeditions to the continent, his 
total want of economy, and his oppreffive exactions, 
which were enforced as the only means of nourifhing a 
race of vipers. The kingdom, therefore, waited with 
fullen patience, refolving to take ample vengeance when 
the general difeontents were arrived at maturity. 
To thefe domeflic evils might be added thofe arifing 
from the rapacity of the fee of Rome. The clergy of 
England, while they were contending for the power of 
the pope, were not aware that they were elfectually op- 
poling their own interefls; for the pontiff having, by va¬ 
rious arts, obtained the inveftiture of all livings and pre¬ 
lacies in the kingdom, failed not to fill up every vacancy 
with his.own creatures. His power being eftablilhed, he 
now began to turn it to his profit, and to enrich the 
church by every art of extortion and avarice. At this 
time, A.D. 1253, all the chief benefices of the kingdom 
were conferred on Italians. Great numbers of that nation 
were fent over at one time to be provided for; the king’s 
chaplain alone is faid to have held at once feven hundred 
ecclefiaftical benefices 1 Thefe abufes became too glaring 
even for the blind fuperftition of the people to fubmit to; 
they rofe in tumults againll the Italian clergy, pillaged 
their barns, wafted their fields, and infulted their per- 
fons. But thefe were tranfient obftacles to the papal en¬ 
croachments. The pontiff, claiming fuperiority over the 
king of England, in confequence of the grant from John, 
exadled the revenues of all vacant benefices, the twen* 
tie th of all ecclefiaftical livings without exception; the 
third of fuch as exceeded a hundred marks a-year,, and 
the half of fuch as were held by non-refidents; he claimed 
the goods of all inteftate clergymen; he pretended a right 
of inheriting all money got by ufury, and he levied vo¬ 
luntary contributions on the people. But the impofitions 
of the church appeared in their moll confpicuous point of 
view in a tranfablion between the pope and the king. The 
court of Rome, fome time before, had reduced the king¬ 
dom of Sicily to the fame (late of valfalage to which Eng¬ 
land had fubmitted ; but Mainfroy, an ufurper, under 
pretence of governing the kingdom for the lawful heir, 
had feized upon the crown, and was refolvecl to rejedl the 
pope’s authority. As the pontiff found that his own force 
was not fufficient to vindicate his claims, he had recourfe 
to Richard earl of Cornwall, the king’s brother, whofe 
wealth he was not ignorant of; and to him, and his heirs, 
he offered the kingdom of Sicily, provided he would re¬ 
gain it from the hands of the ufurper. Richard was too 
fenfible of the difficulty of the enterprife, to comply with 
fuch a propofal; but when the offer was afterwards made 
to the king, the weak monarch, dazzled with the fplen- 
dour of fuch a conqueft, embraced the propofal with ar¬ 
dour. This was all the pope defined ; he foon brought 
Henry in debtor for more than a hundred thoufand marks. 
Henry was mortified at the greatnefs of the fum, and Hill 
more at the little profpedt of fuccefs ; but he dreaded the 
pope’s difpleafure, and therefore refolved to have re¬ 
courfe to the barons for the money. 
I11 this univerfal Hare of degradation, it may readily be 
imagined that the barons were more liberal of complaints 
than of fupplies. They determined not to lavilh their 
money on favourites without merit, and expeditions with¬ 
out a prolpeil of fuccefs. The clergy even began to turn 
againlt their fpiritual father; and the billiop of London 
boldly affected, that if the king and the pope fhould take 
