prisoners (even women and children), faithless to word and bond, treacherous to his best friends or closest kin; for he regarded neither honour, love, or duty where they would thwart his pride or passion. Well-read, well-trained, a good general, a cunning statesman, knowing how to profit by men's weaknesses, succeeding to a united realm and a body of capable servants, with a successful policy clearly marked out for him, an honest man with half his brains might have ruled gloriously, but John's wicked selfishness met its due reward, and in spite of his well-laid plans and mighty power, he was forced to humble himself to the Pope, whom he scorned and defied, to the rival whom he loathed and despised, and to the subjects whom he had insulted and betrayed.

CHAPTER IV.

Henry III. of Winchester, 1216-1272.

1. William the Marshal, with the Earls of Chester and Derby, Savary, Fawkes, and the foreign captains, by the advice of Bishop Peter and Walo the Pope's legate (who had come to England to help John against Louis), now had Henry, John's eldest son, a child of nine years, crowned at the King's Hall in Gloster, October 28. William was made warden of the king and kingdom, and a council was summoned at Bristol, where the Great Charter, save a few articles left for future settlement, was confirmed by the king and legate. Few of the English barons who had hated John bore illwill to his child, and many feared Louis' rule. It was said that the Viscount of Melun, a French noble who had lately died in London, had revealed on his deathbed to those about him an oath taken by Louis and sixteen of his barons to banish all the English nobles who had left their king, as unworthy of trust. When it was seen that earldoms and castles were being bestowed on foreigners, and that Englishmen's rights were passed over, this story was believed. So on Louis going to France for a little while to gather fresh troops, the Earls of Salisbury, Warrenne, Arundel, with others came and did homage to Henry. When the prince came back he sent the Earl of Perche, the best young knight in Christendom, and Robert Fitz-Walter,

Louis is obliged to leave England, 1217.

with 3 earls, 500 knights, and 20,000 footmen, all greedy for plunder, to beset Lincoln Castle, which Nicola of Camville still held for Henry. They took up their quarters in the town, and set to work to batter the fortress with their stonecasters and great war-slings. William the Marshal, Randulf of Chester, and the renowned Fawkes with 400 knights and 250 crossbowmen, hurried up to relieve it, and Walo laid the Pope's ban on Louis and all his partisans. When the king's army drew nigh Robert Fitz-Walter wished to fight them outside the city, but the Earl of Perche would not listen to him, and merely closing the gates, went on with the siege. The Marshal and his knights attacked the north gate, but Nicola secretly let Fawkes and his crossbowmen into the castle. The barons were surprised by a shower of cross-bow bolts, from the walls, which laid many of them low, and killed their horses like swine. Before they could rally Fawkes made a furious sally upon them, while the Marshal, who had forced the town gate, attacked them in the rear. Cooped up in the narrow streets between two foes, the English barons, seeing no hope of escape or victory, gave up their swords; but the Earl of Perche swore he would never surrender to a traitor Englishman, and fought till the Earl Marshal slew him with his own hand. The rest of the Frenchmen now fled, but few escaped the vengeance of the English peasants, who killed all they could find. and his men, encouraged by the legate to punish the disobedient clergy who had sided with the barons, plundered town and cathedral, and so great was their easily-won booty that the battle was long known as the Fair of Lincoln.

Fawkes

Louis now left Dover, which he was again besieging, and fell back on London to await the fleet which his faithful wife, Blanche, had equipped with stores and 300 knights to help him. As soon as Hubert de Burgh, whom John had made Justiciar before he died, heard that the fleet had sailed, he sent to Bishop Peter saying, "If this host land the realm is lost. Let us meet them at sea, for the Lord is with us, and they are under His ban!" But Peter answered, “We are not sailors or fishermen. Go yourself and die." Hubert hastily got together about forty vessels from the Cinque Ports, and put to sea on S. Bartholomew's Day, 24th August, with Richard, a base son of King John, the faithful Philip of Albiney with his crossbowmen, and a few more brave knights. Before he went on board he was shriven by his chaplain Luke, and gave solemn charge to those he left to

keep Dover. "I beseech you, by our Lord's blood, if I be taken, to let them hang me before your eyes rather than give up this castle to any Frenchman, for it is the key of England." He held towards Calais till he got the weather-gauge of the French fleet, not far from Sandwich, when he bore down on them, though they were at least eighty sail, as fast as a fair breeze could take him. The English were quickly within range, and began to shower arrows and cast quicklime down the wind into their enemies' faces, while they, shooting against the wind, could do little hurt. When they got alongside the French ships, Hubert bade his men board the enemy and cut away their rigging and sheets, so that masts, sails, and yards soon came rattling down about the Frenchmen's ears, and, caught like birds in a net, they were easily overcome. Hubert gave them all quarter save their commander Eustace the Monk, a famous pirate who had once been in John's service but had deserted him. He offered a great sum for his life, but Richard Fitz-John said, "Thou wicked traitor, thou shalt deceive no man again with thy false words!" and cut off his head. When Hubert sailed into Dover harbour, towing the French ships behind him, the people and clergy met him with crosses and banners, singing psalms and praising God for this wonderful victory; but Louis was more grieved at the news than he had been for his loss at Lincoln, for his last hope of succour was gone.

The Marshal now blockaded London, and the French prince willingly came to terms with him and Walo, who earnestly wished to be rid of him. By the treaty of Lambeth, September 11, Louis promised to give up all the lands that he or his had won in England, to go to France with his men, never to come back as a foe, and to try and make his father give up the lands he had seized from John. He also swore obedience to the Pope before the legate. The king, the Marshal, and Walo agreed to set free all prisoners, and give the barons back their lands and all the liberties laid down in the charter. Henry further gave Louis 1000 marks for his pains, and he in all good love went home to France.

Walo now punished the clergy who had disobeyed the Pope's orders, making some pay heavy fines, and taking others' benefices away to give to his own followers. The Marshal had the Charter confirmed again with some new articles

Forbidding wrongful grants of land by under tenants to monks' houses or others.

Ordering the regular holding of county courts, sheriffs' towns, and judges' circuits.

Commanding castles built without royal leave to be at once pulled

down.

He further put forth the Forest Charter promised by John, which

Declares that henceforth no man shall lose life or limb for the king's venison, but be fined or banished for breach of the forest law.

Forbids the unlawful taxation of the forest officers.

Offers pardon to all outlaws of the forest.

Randulf, Earl of Chester, Robert Fitz-Walter, Saer, Earl of Winchester, Savary, with other barons of both parties went off next year to join the Crusaders in Egypt, where they did valiantly. In the midst of the peace he had won, 1219, full of years and honours, William the Marshal died. Gaining the earldoms of Pembroke and Leicester by his marriage with Isabel, Strongbow's daughter, he had, as the friend and servant of the "young king" and the brothers Richard and John, ever shown skill, courage, and faithfulness; but the statesmanship by which, within a few months, he had ousted the French prince, brought the king and the legate to confirm the charter, and ended a bitter and lengthened civil war, had earned him the thanks of every Englishman.

1219-1232.

2. Bishop Peter now took charge of the boy-king, while The wise rule of Hubert, by the help of Pandulf, who followed Hubert of Burgh, Walo as legate, governed the kingdom. He had the greatest trouble with the "king's friends," led by Bishop Peter, many of whom, "having long lived by pillaging their neighbours, could hardly keep their hands from the spoil," and refused to give up the castles and lands trusted to them during the war till Henry should be of age. In 1221 the Earl of Albemarle seized Fotheringay, a castle of Earl Randulf; but Pandulf excommunicated him and his friends, and Hubert took his stronghold Biham, so he sued for peace and forgiveness, which, because of his former good services, were granted him.

In 1222 there was trouble in London. At a wrestling match near the abbey, between the champions of London and Westminster, the abbot's steward, with a band of armed partisans, treacherously set upon the defenceless Londoners who had come out to see the match, and drove them, beaten and wounded, into the city. A meeting was quickly called to settle how this cowardly assault was to be punished. The mayor, Serlo the Mercer, wished to ask the abbot for damages, but Constantine, Ethelwulf's son, a rich and well

liked burgess, urged that the citizens should turn out in arms and pull down the houses and buildings of the abbot and his steward, and this plan was carried. With shouts of "Mountjoy!" [the French war-cry,] "God help us and our Lord Louis!" Constantine led an armed mob to Westminster, where they destroyed the abbot's palace. As soon as Hubert heard of it, he sent for Fawkes and his soldiers, marched to the Tower, and called on the chief citizens to answer for their treasonable and riotous behaviour. Constantine told him openly, "I take on me what has been done, and it is less than I wished;" whereon he was doomed to death without more ado, and hanged early next morning, with his nephew and Geoffrey his follower, before the citizens could rescue them. The other ringleaders were maimed, the mayor and aldermen changed, and the city fined. However, Louis complained that his friends had been hardly dealt with, and next year, when he became king, not only refused to give up Normandy, but even seized Poitou.

Archbishop Stephen was now come home again, and by his help Hubert determined, in spite of Peter's angry outcry, to make the barons give up the royal castles. He therefore got letters from the Pope (who was very desirous of doing his best for England and for his young vassal) declaring Henry of age, and bidding all who held charge of royal strongholds or lands give them up at once on pain of his curse. Thus outwitted, and fearing Stephen's threats, they came to Northampton, 1223, and one by one gave up charge to the king.

Next year Hubert got rid of Fawkes, who was as troublesome in peace as he was helpful in war. He was found guilty at Dunstable assizes of seizing the lands of thirty-two yeomen at Luton and heavily fined. In his rage he carried off one of the judges, Henry of Braybrook, an old foe of his, and put him in chains in Bedford Castle, under the keeping of his brother, William of Breauté, while he hurried west to try and bring Earl Randulf and others of the king's friends who bore no goodwill to Hubert to rise with him. The judge's wife went to Northampton (where a great council was being held to talk over the Normandy and Poitou business), and with tears prayed for justice before the whole meeting. Putting aside all else, the king and all the council at once set off to Bedford. William of Breauté would neither give up his prisoner nor the castle, saying that he was his brother's vassal, not the king's, and as the fortress was very strong (Fawkes having lately rebuilt it), he was able to hold out two months