It was the insolence, however, of these favourites, as much as their power, that excited the indignation of the barons ; and when complaints were made against their oppressions and violations of the law, they scrupled not to say, did the English law signify to them." The discontent of the nation was heightened by the failure of the king's expeditions to the continent. In a war with Louis IX. he lost what remained to him of Poictou, and involved himself and his nobility in an enormous debt. But even these grievances of the civil govern ment were less burthensome than the usurpations and exactions of the see of Rome, which the king never failed to countenance and support. Besides the tenth of all ecclesiastical livings, the Pope, by his legates, wrested large sums from the prelates and convents. He exacted the revenues of all vacant benefices ; he claim ed the goods of all intestate clergymen, and levied be nevolences upon the people. He filled the chief bene fices of the kingdom with Italians, who are said to have possessed, during this reign, livings in England to the annual amount of 60,000 marks; and. carried his usurpa tion to such a height, as to claim a right to all ecclesiasti cal property, which he could dispose of at his pleasure. He next endeavoured to embark Henry in war with Sicily, in which he himself was engaged; and offered the crown of that kingdom to his brother Richard, who had been created Earl of Cornwall ; and who, having amassed immense wealth, would be able to support him in his military operations. Upon the refusal of Richard to en ter into such a scheme, it was offered to the king for his second son Edmond, upon the single condition that he would defray the expellees of the conquest. Henry, dazzled by such a present, inconsiderately agreed to the proposal, and gave his Holiness unlimited credit, to expend whatever slims were necessary for completing the enterprise. By tots roolish bargain, he found him self, befOre l e v s a to e, -.volved in a debt of 135,000 marks. In this emerg't !icy, he applied to the Parliament, but they unanimously retased to lend their assistance to such a project. 'I'm- clergy were now his only re source; and, with tie aid of the legate, he extorted from them marks. This sum, however, was still insufficient. New demands were made by the Pope, and interdicts and excommunications were threatened in case of non-compliance. Henry at last began to discover the cheat, and resigned his claim to a crown, which he could never expect to enjoy.
About the same time, the Earl of Cornwall engaged in.an enterprizc equally vain and vexatious. On the death of the Emperor Frederic, he was tempted to be come a candidate for the Imperial throne. After ex pending large sums, he was chosen king of the Ro mans; and proceeding to Germany, he attracted, by his liberality, numerous friends and partizans. But he was soon drained of his wealth by the avidity of the German princes, and returned to England, ashamed of having lavished the savings of a whole life upon the acquisition of an empty dignity.
The barons still continued resolute in refusing sup plies, and every application of Henry was met on the part of the parliament with a remonstrance against the oppressions of his favourites, and his violations of the great charter. He at last pretended, that he had taken the vow of a crusade, and demanded their assistance. At this time he made the most humble submissions, and promised a redress of all ecclesiastical and civil grie-. vances. But they had so often experienced the deceit-_ fulness of his submission and promises, that they at first hesitated to comply ; but at last consented to grant him a tenth of the ecclesiastical benefices, and a sett tage of three marks on each knight's fee, upon condi tion that he would ratify the great charter in a more solemn manner than had hitherto been employed. On this occasion, the prelates and abbots were assembled, each with a burning taper in his hand. The charter was read before them, and sentence of excommunication was denounced against all who should violate it. .They then threw their tapers on the ground, and exclaimed " May the soul of every one who incurs this sentence so stink and corrupt in hell!" To which the king sub joined—" So help me God, I will keep all these arti cles inviolate, as.I am a man, as I am a Christian, as I
am a knight, and as I am a king, crowned and anointed." But Henry, still weak and inconstant, soon forgot his oath ; and, again swayed by the counsels of his favourites, returned to his usual extortions and oppres sions. Complaints against his government were Cid and general. The barons, Catigued with fruitless• sub missions, and seeing no prospect of obtaining redress at the hands of the king, entered into a confederacy to seize the reins of the state, and compel the fulfilment of those promises which they had so long looked for, but in vain. At the head of this confederacy was Si mon de Mountfort, Earl of Leicester, a forejgner by birth, but who had succeeded to a large inheritance in England. By insinuation and address, he had acqui red a .strong interest in the nation, and had gained the affections of all ranks ; and being of a violent and am bitious temper, he was capable of the most daring de signs. Ile had alternately experienced the favour and hatred of Henry ; but being at last disgraced and ba nished from court, he resolved to attempt an innova tion in the government, and wrest the sceptre from the feeble hands of his sovereign. This spirit of hostility first appeared when Henry had summoned a parlia ment, in expectation of •supplies for the Sicilian war; The barons came to the hall completely armed ; and in this hostile attitude expostulated with the king on his imprudent and illegal conduct. That though he had often acknowledged his errors, and promised to give satisfaction to the nation, yet he had still allowed him self to be carried into the same measures ; that he must therefore dismiss these faithless counsellors, and confer authority upon those who were more ready and able to redress the public grievances. The king yielded to their demand, and summoned another parliament at Oxford, to prepare such regulations as might be deem ed necessary for the reformation of the state. On the day appointed, the barons appeared at Oxford at the head of their vassals ; and that assembly, afterwards known by the name of the Mad Parliament, appointed 24 commissioners, to whom were entrusted the refor mation of abuses. Of these, 12 were chosen from the king's ministers, and 12 from the barons; and the king took an oath, that he would adhere to whatever regu lations they should adopt for the welfare of the nation. At the head of this council was Leicester, who direct ed all their deliberations ; and they first ordered that four knights should be elected by each county, to re port at next meeting of parliament the grievances which were most felt in their neighbourhood. They then enacted that there should be three sessions of par liament every year; that a sheriff should be annually elected by the votes of the freeholders in each county ; that no wards or castles should he entrusted to fo reigners; and that no new warrens or forests should be made, nor the revenues of any county or hun dred be let to farm. These were the• only regu lations of the council, flora which the public could derive any advantage. The;r future conduct betrayed their selfish and ambitious jaws; and the object of all their subsequent measures seems to have been, the con tinuance of their authority, and the aggrandizement of themselves and families. They demised all the chief officers Of the crown, and filled their places with their own creatures. They assumed the custody of all the castles ; and even imposed an oath all the lieges, that they would execute and obey all tse ordinances of the 24 barons. Even Prince Edward, the king's eldest son, and the king of the Romans, after some opposition, were compelled to take this oath. They hound them, selves also to stand by each other with their t, es and fortunes; and during the interval of the sessio.is, the whole authority of parliament was rtsted in a commit tee of twelve.