Edward A jealousy now sprung up between De Montfort Henry III. and the Earl of Gloucester, and Prince Edward A.D. 1259. sided with De Montfort. He had a regard for his Prince oath, and was "much incensed against that earl;" 29a sides with on account of the part he had taken, in an ignominious fort. agreement, which the King, by his advice, had agreed to make with Louis of France relative to an exchange of territory. De Mont Henry to an ex King Henry had gone to Paris to keep his Christ- King mas with Louis, and he "was splendidly regaled by visits St. the King of France, they sometimes feasting together Louis, and sometimes treating of affairs of the highest moment;" the principal of which were the conclusion of a peace between them on condition of Henry sur- and agrees rendering Normandy, for which he was to receive a change of large sum of money, "with divers fertile and opulent territory. territories in Guienne and Gascony in exchange;" and -"doing homage for those countries which he was to enjoy under the title of Duke of Aquitaine." But the two Kings had other occupations, cf which an amusing account is given by a contemporary chronicler, a transcript of which by Rymer is preserved in the British Museum. It seems that the French Parliament was assembled for the transaction of business, but on the first day, the French Peers were kept waiting all day, in expectation of Henry's presence. however, had been so detained, by stopping to hear the two masses, at every church which he passed, on his way religious from his lodging at St. Germain to Louis's palace, that vances. he did not arrive till it was too late to begin busi ness. Henry, Delight of The same thing occurred on the following day. Whereupon, Louis sent private orders to the priests of the churches on the King's route, to keep them shut till he had passed. Henry accordingly Kings in obser Henry III. reached the palace quite early on the third day. At A.D. 1259. first he declined joining in the business of the Parliament, on the ground that the town was under an interdict as he discovered by the churches being closed. Whereupon Louis explained the reason of it. Louis then asked Henry why he so delighted. to hear masses. He replied, "Why do you so delight to hear sermons ?" Louis answered, "Because he found it good and agreeable, to hear frequently concerning his Maker." Henry returned, "And to me it is better and pleasanter, to see my Creator than to hear of Him." The two Kings then agreed to allow the peers to transact the affairs of the Parliament, whilst they enjoyed their devotions. Quarrel of De Montfort and the Earl of Gloucester. prevented. During the King's absence in Paris, civil war was on the point of breaking out between the parties of De Montfort, supported by Prince Edward, on the one hand, and that of the Earl of Gloucester on the other. Civil war This was, however, prevented by the mediation of Richard, the King of the Romans. On Henry's return from France, he found the gates and streets of London guarded, as if in time of war. With a view to put an end to the disturbances, the nobility of the kingdom were summoned to meet the King at Westminster. When the Parliament was assembled, the Prince was reconciled to his father, but neither the Prince nor De Montfort was reconciled to the Earl of Gloucester, who shrank from the attempt to substantiate certain charges he had brought against De Montfort. The Parliament then separated, and the King ordered, that all male persons in the city of London, above twelve years of age, should take an oath of fealty to him. In the autumn, Prince Edward went to France, to be present at a tournament. The power of the barons was still undiminished, Henry II. and they proceeded to appoint those of whom they A.D. 1261. approved, to the great offices of state. The King attempts himself from his oaths. now "began to grow grievous weary" of the Provisions of Oxford. He never heartily set to work to study the true national interests, and could not bear that his will and his system of foreign favouritism should be curbed. He determined to set himself free, The King and with this view applied to the Pope for absolution again from his oath; he sent over to the King of France for to free help against his own subjects, and he applied to his son to assist him in getting together an army. He went to the Tower of London, seized the treasure it contained, fortified the city, and again compelled the citizens to take an oath of fidelity to him. He then "took courage, and made the Lord Philip Basset his chief justiciary, against the will of the barons, by reason of which there rose a great discussion between the King and them. But he did not much regard that, for, being now resolved to proceed in the course he had already begun, he went a circuit to all the Cinque Ports, and received the oaths of fidelity from the barons of them; and coming to Dover, he took the government of the castle from Hugh Bigod, and gave it to Edward de Waleran, together with the custody of the Cinque Ports and the county of Kent." 29b On the arrival of the absolution the King "re- Obtains ceived it joyfully." When the barons heard of this, absolution they humbly besought the King to observe his oath; Pope. but the King," in a great passion," refused. Nothing, however, was done till Prince Edward returned from the tournament at Paris. When he arrived he refused to accept the absolution. "But when the Prince. remains barons' side. Henry III. understood by what councils his father had been A.D. 1261. governed he was very angry, and retired from his The Prince presence, and adhered to the barons, according to his firm on the oath, and entered into a confederacy with them, to search out and drive away from the King, all evil counsellors and their favourers, because that by their instigation the King had been deceived, and those provisions, which the Prince then believed to be beneficial both to the King and kingdom, were now vacated by the Pope's late absolution." 29b The King perseveres. A.D. 1262. mise with 29c The King, nevertheless, persevered in his course, being much encouraged to it by the promise which the King of France and his nobility had made him of sending a great assistance." 290 The barons again flew to arms. Their great object was to promote their own power, but their selfishness largely aided the progress of liberty. On this occasion the King sent his justices itinerant all over England; but the barons "forbad all men, at their peril, to appeal or plead before them, because they had gone their circuits within less than seven years. " 29d This looks like a denial of justice; but it was not to be forgotten that the King constantly made these justices itinerant the instruments of his oppression; and the King had given the barons ample cause to fear and distrust his every action. In the following year, A.D. 1262, a compromise was made between the King and the barons, by which the barons, it was agreed that certain of the Oxford Provisions 29 pleases De should be confirmed, and that the rest should be Montfort. abrogated. De Montfort, who throughout acted more which dis consistently and disinterestedly than the other barons, was dissatisfied with this compromise, and retired to France. The King thinking he had now settled all the Henry III. quarrels between himself and his barons, caused the A.D. 1262. Pope's dispensation from his oath to be publicly proclaimed, and announced that he had resumed the exercise of his royal authority. He then went over to France, with his Queen, for about six months. A.D. 1263. fort urges De Mont King the vance of Edward The following year De Montfort returned, and, with the support of the barons, who had again become dissatisfied, urged that the Provisions of on the Oxford might be again observed and proclaimed obseranew throughout the kingdom. The King refused, the Provi"insisting upon the Pope's absolution from his oath, sions of and being seconded by the King of the Romans, Prince Prince Edward, and divers other great men." 291 It supports thus appears that the Prince considered, that by the his father. compromise with the barons, he was freed from his oath, and that he was now at liberty to side with his father, and he supported him vigorously. He seized a large amount of treasure belonging principally to the citizens of London, which was in the custody of the Knights Templars, and carried it off to Windsor, which was garrisoned by his foreign soldiers. "At Whitsuntide a great council of the nobility, headed by the Earl of Leicester, was held at London, where they openly declared against the King and the Prince, as guilty of perjury;" 298 and then, after again petitioning the King to observe the Provisions of Oxford, they proceeded to open hostility, and obtained possession of a great many towns. Still The barthey again sent a humble petition to the King, "that ling to bethey might not seem deficient in their duty to him, gin a civil wherein they desired that the Provisions of Oxford ons unwil war. |