TH^: 
MONTHLY MAGAZINE. 
No. 220.] DECEMBERVl, 1811. [5ofVoi,. 32. 
A? long as those who write are ambitious of making Converts^ and of giving their Opinions a Maximum of 
InP.uence and Celebrity, the itioa extensively circulated Miscellany will repay with the greatest Effect the 
Cuiiosity of Chose who read either for Amusement or Instruction,-JOHNSON* 
X^RIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. 
For the Monthly Magazine. originally raised against him the tempest 
iiNPUELisHEO PARTICULARS ccnuectcd to which he was compelled to submit. 
zvUk the RESIGNATION vfthe CROWN of Whilst this prince, worthy in so many 
ENGLAND /o Ujc POPE, 6iy KING JOHN; re.spect^ of tile infamy w'itli which Ua 
from a manuscript in the french voluntarily loaded his memory, resolved 
NATIONAL LIIIRARY, hy F. 1. G. DE LA such Sacrifices to reconcile himself 
PORTE DU THEIL. with the Pope, he took the most regular 
fB^UE manuscript, of which M. Du measures to be avenged of the kinw of 
8 Theil treats, is a collection of the France, 
state-papers and other dipiomaiic con¬ 
cerns of Pope Innocent III. The par¬ 
ticular matter relating to our present 
From the middle of the preceding 
year, 1212, he had negociated with Otho, 
that other memorahle example of the 
ubject, is the real object of the embassy power, creative and destructive, which 
of Hob, de Cour^oa to France. Innocent exercised over tlie sovereigns 
To understand properly, (says Mon- of Europe; and had sent to that emperor, 
sieur Porte du The!!,) the real view of deposed and excommunicated like hiin- 
the embassy of Robert, vvhat reasons the self, ambassadors charged to bind strong 
Pope had for sending him, and lyhat in- the ties of interest, which, independent 
srrnctions were probably given him; it is of relationship, united for a long time 
necessary to state clearly wdiac was, at these unfortunate princes. 
-this era, the situation of France and Otho, the implacable enemy of Philip, 
Engla.!Hl. I shall not enlarge upon the (king of France) charmed with this over® 
state of .things in general; it is known to ture, had engaged the Count de Rou,. 
every body. I shall only mention some logne, Henaud de Dammartin, to adopt: 
particularities, neglected by modern the party of the king of England. At. 
historians, which serve to explain in a his solicitation, the Count had crossed 
better light that grand denouement of the sea, bad promised .John to obey hi.** 
affairs and cabals, through which King orders, had publicly made homage to 
John was reduced to the necessity of him, and had sw'orn not to make, with=. 
putting himself entirely at the mercy^ of out John’s consent, any peace, or truce, 
the Pope, either with Philip or Lewis the Dauphin. 
- - lie had given as hostages, his wife and 
Situation of John^ King of England, after many of hi,s vassal lords. 
the year 1212. At the same time he had brought, from 
Innocent had dictated the terms and Otho, letteiT, in which that prince assured 
conditions upon which he consented to the king of England, of his inclination to 
restore his favour to King John, against serve him with all his forces; hs had 
whom he had been so virulent, and ad- further protested, that'he had never re¬ 
dressed them to his Nuncios Pandolph ceived, as he had been accused, any em- 
and Durand, February 2^, 1213. -bassies on the part of Pliilip, and re® 
John, passive under the influence of peated the oath, of listening to no*^ ac- 
fear, accepted these terms and condi- commodation v/ithout participation of 
tions, as severe as dishonorable, and by the emperor. 
an act, dated 13th of May, engaged to These facts we learn by the letter 
execute them faithfully. Upon the day w’hich .Tohn himself wrote, May 4, 1212, 
after the morrow, by another act equally to the Viscount de Thouars, to strengtlien 
solemn, he acknowledged himself to be a his attachment to his party, 
vassal and tributary of the Holy.See, and The same day, John had written also 
assured the Pope of his eternal fidelity, to tlie Count de Fiandres, to induce him 
Upon the 24th of the same month, be to engage himself to him, with the 
recalled the exiled prelates, wiiQ had Ceffiie de Boulogne; and, with the view 
Mon. Mag, Dec, . S U «rf 
