THE KING ASks for an aid to INVADE FRANCE. 185

Louis, after the "fair of Lincoln," that, when Louis Henry III. succeeded to the throne of France, he should restore to Henry the French possessions which had belonged to his father. This was a promise he was not likely to fulfil. Philip Augustus, the king of France, died

on July 14th, A.D. 1223, and his son Louis succeeded A.D. 1223. him as Louis VIII.

Louis 8th cession re

on his ac

fuses to give back

the French

provinces.

A.D. 1224.
Henry de-

mands an

aid to

enable

invade. The barons refuse un

France.

Louis, on his accession, not only refused to fulfil his promise, but published the original sentence of forfeiture against John, entered Poitou with a numerous army, and extended his conquests to the right bank of the Garonne. In the following summer, A.D. 1224, a parliament was assembled at Northampton, and the King demanded an aid to enable him to invade France. The barons would not grant any money without greater security for their liberties; for, although the King had, as I have informed you, confirmed the Charter on his accession to the throne, its provisions were constantly infringed. The debates were interrupted by the siege of Bedford, but were renewed after its capture; and at the following cured. Christmas, after a stormy discussion, the aid was Debates ingranted on condition of the King again confirming the Charter. The King was obliged to yield, and both the Great Charter and the Charter of Forests were solemnly ratified in that form in which they now appear in our Statute Book. The scene is thus described by one of our old historians :

less their

liberties are

better se

terrupted

by siege of Bedford. siege, the ar two Char

After the

aid is grant

ters being confirmed.

“This year, A.D. 1225, being the 9th of King A.D. 1225. Henry's reign, he kept his Christmas at Westminster, the clergy and people, with the great men of the kingdom, being all there attending. In this assembly Hugh de Burgh, the King's Justiciary, declared the damages and injuries the King sustained in his dominions be

Descripdebate at which the manded.

tion of the

aid was de

A.D. 1225.

Charters

and copies

the King's

seal sent all

Henry III. yond sea, whereby not only he, but also several earls and barons, were ousted of their possessions, and seeing many were concerned, the assistance ought to be proportionable. He therefore told them the King required their counsel and aid, that the royalties of the Crown and their ancient rights might be recovered. For the retrieving of which, he thought that the fifteenth part of all moveables, both of ecclesiasticks and laicks might be sufficient. This being propounded, the archbishops, and all the bishops, earls, barons, abbots, and priors, after some deliberation, returned the King this answer, that they would readily gratify his desires, if he would again confirm confirmed their long-desired liberties.' Thereupon, the King sealed with agreeing to the request of his great men, many Charters were forthwith written, and sealed with the King's seal, and one of thein directed to every county in England, and to the counties where there were forests there were sent two, one concerning their common liberties, the other concerning the liberties of the forests." He then goes on to say that, in assessing this tax, "their horses, ploughs, arms, and household utensils, as also their jewels and necessary provisions for housekeeping, were excepted. The clergy also excepted their books and the treasures or ornaments of their churches; but that none of any sex or condition were excepted from payment but only the orders of the Cistercians and Remonstrants, with the Knights Templars and Hospitallers." The archbishops and bishops excommunicated all those who should commit any fraud in the raising, or hindrance in the payment, of this fifteenth.

over England.

11

"Then a day was set, being a month after Easter, for the choice of twelve knights being legal men out

of each county (that is, such as were fit to be em- Henry III. panelled on juries), who upon oath should distin- A.D. 1225. guish and sever the new forests from the old ones, and whatever forests were found to be made after the first coronation of Henry II. were forthwith to be disforested. The Council being ended, the Great Charters were carried to every county by the King's command, and every one sworn to observe them." 12

Wars with France.

brother, Richard

Earl of sent to

Cornwall,

France.

As soon as the King had obtained this grant of The King's money he lost no time in making use of it; and before the following Easter (A.D. 1225), he sent his brother Richard to France to attempt to recover his provinces. After nearly a year's fighting with but little result, an armistice was agreed on, but before its expiration Louis died (on Nov. 8, 1226), and was succeeded by his son, Louis IX., a boy eleven years old, who became known in history as St. Louis.

A.D. 1226.
Louis the

8th dies.

A.D. 1227.
The King

takes the

ment into

hands and

The King now (A.D. 1227) resolved to take the government into his own hands. He dismissed Peter des Roches, who went on a pilgrimage to the Holy governLand; and he was then guided, for a time, entirely by his own the advice of Hubert, the Grand Justiciary. He now begins his began the tyrannous exactions which he continued oppresthroughout his reign, and, by the advice of Hubert, he made void all the charters of liberties and forests, which for two years before had been observed throughout the whole kingdom.13

sions.

Richard

The year after the death of Louis VIII., Richard, A.D. 1227. Earl of Cornwall, returned from France; and very returns to shortly after his return he had a dispute with the England. King about the castle of Berkhamsted, which belonged

Henry III. to him, but which the King, in his absence, had given A.D. 1227. to a German. A number of barons, who were discontented with the King and with De Burgh, on account of his exactions, supported Richard, and the King was obliged to enter into a compromise with him.

A.D. 1228.

During the following year (A.D. 1228) the King was occupied in repressing incursions of the Welsh;

War with

Shipping. (Royal MSS. E. G. 6. 348. Brit. Mus.)

A.D. 1229. but in the year after (A.D. 1229) the war with France France be- began again. In the spring of that year, "the gins again. Archbishop of Bordeaux came to him from the nobility of Gascony, Aquitaine, and Poitou, as also messengers from those of Normandy, to solicit him to come in person to those countries, assuring him that they would all be ready with horse and arms to assist him in recovering his ancient inheritance." 13a Hubert de Burgh, for some reason which it is difficult to assign, advised the King to refuse their offers; but, at the following Michaelmas, Henry made great preparations to invade France. In September, he went with his army to Portsmouth

to embark, and he was there joined by the barons of Henry III. England and Ireland, and by the princes of Wales. A.D. 1229. But, either by accident or design, when all were ready to embark, it was found there was not enough ship- Expediping to convey one half of the army, and the expedi- poned by tion was obliged to be given up. This greatly vexed Henry, who blamed De Burgh as being the cause of this failure.

tion post

want of

shipping.

A.D. 1230.
Henry goes

to France,

returns

In the next year, the clergy" gave the King a great sum of money for recovering his rights which were taken from his father beyond the sea, and but soon upon the same account the citizens were put to a without grievous ransom, and the Jews forced to pay a third glory or of their substance." 14 In April, Henry sailed for France; but after a few months of inglorious warfare, he returned to England.

Disgrace of De Burgh, the King's Marriage, History of new Favourites, and Opposition of the Barons.

profit.

A.D. 1232. The barons being asked for

money, tell

it from

Henry soon wanted more money, and in 1232 hc demanded an aid to resist the inroads of the Welsh. The storm of anger which had been brewing for several years now burst on Hubert's head. The the King to barons accused him of avarice, and of mismanaging fubert de the King's property for his own benefit; and they said Burgh. that if the King wanted money, he could get it from Hubert, and his relations. Henry acted on this suggestion, and called on Hubert to give an account of all the wardships he had held; of the rents of the royal demesnes he had received; and of all the aids and fines which had been paid into the exchequer. Hubert Hubert diswas granted a few months' delay to prepare his answer, and in the meantime, he escaped for safety to the Priory of Merton. Before the expiration of the

graced.