The allies were every where victorious ; and so rapid was the progress of their arms, that John was threaten ed with the loss of his continental possessions. They received a check, however, by the rashness of young Arthur, who, fond of military fame, had entered Poic tou with a small army, and laid siege to Mirebeau, where his inveterate enemy Queen Eleanor then resided. John hastened by forced marches to her relief, and coming upon Arthur before lie was aware, dispersed his forces and took him prisoner, together with the most consider able of the revolted barons. This good fortune revived for a time his sinking cause; but he soon exposed him self, by his cruelty, to greater odium and danger. Flay ing represented to his nephew the folly of his preten sions, he endeavoured to withdraw him from the French alliance, and to bring him back to a sense of duty. But the young prince, unawed by the presence of his con queror, boldly asserted his claim, not only to the French provinces, but also to the crown of England. The king finding it in vain to reason the matter, determined to rid himself of a rival, by his death. Arthur was ac cordingly never more heard of; and though the cir cumstances of his murder were carefully concealed, yet it was universally believed that he fell by his uncle's own hand.
This inhuman deed excited general horror and de testation of the tyrant. The Bretons, enraged at the murder of their prince, laid their complaints before Philip, and demanded justice on his murderer. Philip summoned the king of England to trial, and, upon his non-appearance, adjudged him to forfeit all his feifs in France. Vigorous efforts were immediately made to put the sentence into execution ; and, while the king of France was employed in reducing his fortresses, and extending his conquests over his dominions, John was amusing himself at Rouen. When informed of the success of the enemy, he boasted that he would retake in a day, what it had cost the French years to acquire. But notwithstanding his vaunts, Philip proceeded in his career, and laid siege to Chateau Gaillard, the strongest fortress on the frontiers of Normandy. This place was defended by Roger de Laci, a brave and de termined officer, and a numerous garrison. For a twelve month they bravely repelled every assault ; but being at last greatly reduced by famine and fatigue, they were overpowered and made prisoners of war. On the re duction of this bulwark, all Normandy lay open to his arms, and soon submitted to the conqueror. Anjou, Maine, Touraine, and part of. Poictou, were also suc cessively reduced ; and John was expelled with disgrace from all his foreign dominions. On his arrival in Eng land, he attempted to excuse the cowardice and folly of his conduct, by exclaiming against his barons, who, he pretended, had deserted his standard ; and in order to regain his character, he collected a fleet, and summon ed his vassals to attend him on a foreign expedition But his design was several times deferred ; and when he at last ventured abroad with a considerable army, he merely took and burnt the town of Angers, hut fled on the approach of Philip, and returned to England, loaded with new shame and disgrace. Though despised for
his cowardice, and hated for his cruelty, yet he still preserved the prerogatives of his crown ; but uew af fronts awaited him, and having imprudently entered into a contest with the church, he was reduced to the most abject degradation.
On the death of Hubert, archbishop of Canterbury, a dispute arose respecting the election of a new pri mate. That important privilege belonged to the monks or canons of Christ Church ; but some of the juniors of that order had met privately, and had chosen Reginald their sub-prior as Hubert's successor. As no election, however, could be considered as regular without a conge d'elire from the king, and as the suffragan bishops of Canterbury also claimed the right of concurrence in the choice of their primate, John ordered the monks to proceed to a new election, 3vhen the bishop of Norwich was unanimously chosen. The dispute came before the Pope, Innocent III. who, glad of an opportunity of no minating to such a high office, declared both the tions null, and commanded the monks, under pain of excommunication, to choose for their primate Cardinal Langton, an Englishman, but attached to the see of Rome. This attempt to usurp one of the highest pre rogatives of his crown, filled John with ungovernable fury. He vented his rage against the monks of Christ Church, whom he expelled from the convent ; and when Innocent threatened to lay an interdict upon his king dom, he swop that he would banish all the bishops and clergy of England, and confiscate their possessions. This idle violence and imprudence encouraged Innocent to persevere in bringing this weak prince to submission, and the interdict was accordingly pronounced. At once the churches were shut ; the altars were despoiled of their ornaments ; the bells were removed from the stee ples; the dead were thrown into ditches, or hillier'. in common fields without any funeral solemnity; marriages were solemnised in the churchyards; the people were forbidden to salute each other, or even to shave their beards ; and every deprivation was enforced that was calculated to strike with awe the minds of a supersti tious people. John, in revenge, banished the prelates, and confiscated the estates of all the clergy who obeyed the interdict ; but, instead of attempting to secure the interest, or gain the affections of the barons, who alone were able to defend him against these papal usurpations, he seems to have disgusted all orders of men by his ty ranny and licentiousness.