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to the summer of 1211. The dispute which caused Innocent III.'s complaint arose after the death (on July 13, 1205.-Coggeshale, 156) of Hubert Archbishop of Canterbury. To fill Hubert's place had been elected Reginald Sub-Prior of the conventual church at Canterbury, and Walter de Grey Bishop of Norwich, John's chaplain and nominee for the vacant archbishopric.

fullie Stephan

them

[Hol. iii. 170/2/74] But [p. 171] after the pope was informed of the manner of their elections, he disanulled both, and procured by his papall authoritie the moonks of Canturburie (of whome manie were then come to Rome about that matter) to choose one Stephan Langton the cardinall of S. Chrysogon, an Englishman borne, and of good estimation and learning in the court of Rome, to be their archbishop.

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Langton chosen arch

bishop of

Canturburie

by ye popes

appoint

ment.

John writeth

pope [, refusLangton].

ing to accept

The king, sore offended in his mind that the bishop of Norwich was thus put beside that dignitie, to the which he had aduanced him, .. wrote his letters vnto the pope, giuing him to vnder- King stand for answer, that he would neuer consent that Stephan, which vnto the had beene brought vp & alwaies conuersant with his enimies the Frenchmen, should now inioy the rule of the bishoprike and dioces of Canturburie. Moreouer, he declared in the same letters, that he maruelled not a little what the pope ment, in that he did not consider how necessarie the freendship of the king of England was England reas to the see of Rome, sith there came more gains to the Romane church out of that kingdome, than out of any other realme on this side the mountaines. He added hereto, that for the liberties of his crowne he would stand to the death, if the matter so required.

How gainfull

to the court of Rome.

[John would

die for the the crown.]

liberties of

1208.

The pope

writeth to the bishops

ing them to

In 1208 Innocent, [Hol. iii. 171/2/67.] perceiuing that king Iohn continued still in his former mind (which he called obstinacie), sent ouer his bulles into England, directed to William bishop of London, to Eustace, commandbishop of Elie, and to Mauger bishop of Worcester, commanding lay John and them that, vnlesse king Iohn would suffer peaceablie the archbishop under an of Canturburie to occupie his see, and his moonks their abbie, they Langton should put both him and [p. 172] his land vnder the sentence of interdiction, denouncing him and his land plainelie accurssed.

The bishops then had an audience of John, whom they warned of the charge which they had received, but he refused to obey Innocent

his realm

interdict, if

were suffered to

occupy the

see of
Canterbury].
Matt. Paris
Nic. Treuet.

[John feared that his subjects might

be absolved

of their

and dismissed them with threats. The interdict having been imposed, John foresaw that Innocent might

[Hol. iii. 172/1/65.] proceed further, and absolue all his subiects of their allegiance which they owght to him, and that his allegiance by lords would happilie reuolt and forsake him in this his trouble. In the summer of the year 1211,1

Innocent.]

Pandulph & Durant the popes legats.

Polydor. [They exhorted

John, "with

manie terrible

words," to obey the

though he

heard them "quietlie,"

he would not yield.]

[Hol. iii. 175/1/8.] the pope sent two 2 legats into England, the one named Pandulph 3 a lawier, and the other Durant a templer, who, comming vnto king John, exhorted him with manie terrible words to leaue his stubborne disobedience to the church, and to reforme his misdooings. The king for his part quietlie heard Church, but, them, and, bringing them to Northampton, being not farre distant from the place where he met them vpon his returne foorth of Wales, had much conference with them; but at length, when they perceiued that they could not haue their purpose, neither for restitution of the goods belonging to preests which he had seized vpon, neither of those that apperteined to certeine other persons, which the king had gotten also into his hands, by meanes of the controuersie betwixt him and the pope, the legats departed, leauing him accursed, and the land interdicted, as they found it at their comming.

[They left him and his land accursed.]

Polydor.

The following passages should be compared with two speeches of Pandulph (III. i. 172-179; 191-194), in which he pronounces a subject "blessed" who forswears "Allegeance to an heretique"; and exhorts Philip, if John continue obstinate, to "raise the power of France vpon his head."

[Hol. iii. 175/2/17.] In the meane time pope Innocent, after the returne of his legats out of England, perceiuing that king Iohn would not be ordered by him, determined, with the consent

1 John met the legates at Northampton, on August 30, 1211.-Ann. Waverl., 268 (cp. Ann. Burton, 209, and Itinerary, an. 13).

2 Fab. says (318): "ye Pope sent ii. Legattys; or, after some wryters, one Legat, named Pandulphus,"

3 In answer to Pandulph, John, speaking with the mouth of Henry VIII., claims spiritual supremacy (III. i. 155-158). Perhaps the parallel speech in T. R. was an anachronistic development of an opinion held by a contemporary of John, a theologian named Alexander the Mason, who asserted "that it apperteined not to the pope, to haue to doo concerning the temporall possessions of any kings or other potentats touching the rule and gouernment of their subiects" (Hol. iii. 174/1/7).

legates' return,

deposed

exhorted

other

John, and Philip and Christian him as a enimie to

princes to make war on

common

of his cardinals and other councellours, and also at the instant suit [After the of the English bishops and other prelats being there with him, to Innocent depriue king Iohn of his kinglie state; and so first absolued all his subiects and vassals of their oths of allegiance made vnto the same king, and after depriued him by solemne protestation of his kinglie administration and dignitie, and lastlie signified that his depriuation vnto the French king and other christian princes; admonishing them to pursue king Iohn, being thus depriued, forsaken, and condemned, as a common enimie to God and his church. He ordeined furthermore, that whosoeuer imploied goods or other aid to vanquish and ouercome that disobedient prince, should remaine in assured peace of the church, as well as those which went to visit the sepulchre of our Lord, not onlie in their goods and persons, but also in suffrages for sauing of their soules.

But yet, that it might appeare to all men, that nothing could be more ioifull vnto his holinesse, than to haue king Iohn to repent his trespasses committed, and to aske forgiuenesse for the same, he appointed Pandulph, which latelie before was returned to Rome, with a great number of English exiles, to go into France, togither with Stephan the archbishop of Canturburie, and the other English bishops; giuing him in commandement that, repairing vnto the French king, he should communicate with him all that which he had appointed to be doone against king Iohn, and to exhort the French king to make warre vpon him, as a person for his wickednesse excommunicated.

Pursuing the course of history we have now reached 1212,1 but the action of the play brings us back to August 1, 1202.2 In the latter year 3 war again broke out between France and England, and Arthur,

3

1 The year in which John was deposed.

2 In a letter addressed "omnibus baronibus suis," John says that he reached Mirabeau "ad festum beati Petri ad Vincula" (August 1), and there took Arthur prisoner. This letter, preserved by Coggeshale (137, 138), was englished by Hol. (iii. 165/1/9, &c.).

3 Hol. (iii. 164/1/49, &c.), citing M. Paris (ii. 477), says: "In the yeare 1202 king Iohn held his Christmasse at Argenton in Normandie, and in the Lent following he and the French king met togither, neere vnto the castell of Gulleton [le Goulet], and there in talke had betweene, he commanded king John with no small arrogancie, and contrarie to his former promise, to restore vnto his nephue Arthur duke of Britaine, all those lands now in his possession on that side the sea, which king Iohn earnestlie denied to doo, wherevpon the French king immediatlie after began war against him,"

God and his

church."] [Innocent

also conferred on those who

helped to
same
were enjoyed

overthrow
John the

benefits as

by pilgrims to the Holy Sepulchre.]

Pädulph

sent into

France to the freck

practise with

king, for king John his destruction.

Queene Blianor [gat her into Mirabeau,

with the help of two hundred knights (milites) supplied him by Philip, was enabled to reduce Poitou, Touraine, and Anjou. Queen Eleanor's narrow escape from the enemies who "assayled "her in John's "Tent," and Arthur's capture (III. ii. 5-7), are dramatic versions illustrated by my next excerpts, which give the issue of Arthur's temporary success.

[Hol. iii. 164/2/13.] Queene Elianor, that was regent in those parties, being put in great feare with the newes of this and sent to sudden sturre, got hir into Mirabeau, a strong towne situat in the

John for

speedy

succour].

some say) took her prisoner.]

countrie of Aniou, and foorthwith dispatched a messenger with letters vnto king Iohn, requiring him of speedie succour in this hir [Arthur (as present danger. present danger. In the meane time, Arthur following the victorie, shortlie after followed hir, and woone Mirabeau, where he tooke his grandmother within the same; whom he yet intreated verie honorablie, and with great reuerence (as some haue reported). Matth. Paris¶ But other write far more trulie, that she was not taken, but [say that she escaped into a tower, within the which she was straitlie besieged.

Matth. West

not

taken prisoner].

Polydor.

K. John commeth vpon his

enimies not looked for.

[Arthur's

soldiers put

Mirabeau

captured.]

Thither came also to aid Arthur all the Nobles and men of armes in Poictou, and namelie the . . . earle of March,1 according to appointment betwixt them: so that by this meanes Arthur had a great armie togither in the field.

King Iohn, in the meane time, hauing receiued his mothers letters, and vnderstanding thereby in what danger she stood, was maruellouslie troubled with the strangenesse of the newes, and with manie bitter words accused the French king as an vntrue prince, and a fraudulent league-breaker; and in all possible hast speedeth him foorth, continuing his iournie for the most part both day and night to come to the succour of his people. To be briefe, he vsed such diligence, that he was vpon his enimies necks yer they could vnderstand any thing of his comming, or gesse what the matter meant, when they saw such a companie of souldiers as he brought with him to approch so neere the citie.

And hauing.

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put them [the Poitevins] all to flight, they

to flight, and [the English] pursued the chase towards the towne of Mirabeau, into which the enimies made verie great hast to enter; but such speed was vsed by the English souldiers at that present, that they

1 Hugh le Brun, Count of La Marche. His hostility was caused by John's marriage with Isabella of Angoulême, who had been betrothed to Hugh.— Coggeshale, 135.

entred and wan the said towne before their enimies could come Great slaughter was made within Mirabeau

of Britaine take

neere to get into it. it selfe, and Arthur, with the residue of the armie that escaped Arthur duke with life from the first bickering, was taken; who, being herevpon prisoner. committed to prison, first at Falais, and after within the citie of Matth. Rouen, liued not long after, as you shall heare. . .

Paris.

[Hol. iii. 165/1/31.] The French king, at the same time lieng in siege before Arques, immediatlie vpon the newes of this ouerthrow, raised from thence, and returned homewards, destroieng all that returned came in his waie, till he was entred into his owne countrie.

Act IV. The sources of Act IV. sc. i., and IV. ii., as far as 1. 105, are contained in the following excerpts. The reader will observe how much the historical Arthur1 differed from the gentle, unambitious boy of the play.

[Philip

to his own country.]

Anno Reg. 4. to draw from Philip.1

[John tried

Arthur away

(Arthur

would not

listen, but all that had K. Richard.]

demanded

belonged to

[Hol. iii. 165/1/35.] It is said that king Iohn caused his nephue Arthur to be brought before him at Falais, and there went about to persuade him all that he could to forsake his freendship and aliance with the French king, and to leane and sticke to him, being his naturall vncle. But Arthur, like one that wanted good counsell, and abounding too much in his owne wilfull opinion, made a presumptuous answer; not onelie denieng so to doo, but also commanding king Iohn to restore vnto him the realme of England, with all those other lands and possessions which king Richard had in his hand at the houre of his death. For, sith the same apperteined to him by right of inheritance, he assured him, except restitution were made the sooner, he should not long continue quiet. King Iohn, being sore mooued with such words thus vttered by his nephue, appointed (as before is said) that he should be straitlie kept in prison, as first in Falais, and after at Roan imprisoned.] within the new castell there. Thus by means of this good successe, the countries of Poictou, Touraine, and Aniou were recouered.

Shortlie after, king Iohn, comming ouer into England, caused himselfe to be crowned againe at Canturburie by the hands of

1 He was then more than fifteen years old, having been born on March 29, 1187.-Benedict, i. 361. The Arthur of T. R. was a youth, if one may judge from his speeches in the scene which is the source of John, IV. i.

[John

ordered that

Arthur

should be

Matth.

Paris.

King John

eftsoones

crowned.

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