HISTORY OF ENGLAND. CHAP. I. JOHN. SURNAMED SANSTERRE, OR LACKLAND.1 CONTEMPORARY PRINCES. Emprs. of Ger. Kings of Scotland. K. of France, Kings of Spain. Otho IV. Alexander II. Henry I. Popes. ACCESSION OF JOHN CAPTIVITY AND DEATH OF HIS NEPHEW -RENEWAL OF THE CIVIL WAR-JOHN OBTAINS THE SUP- RICHARD had left no legitimate issue.2 In the CHAP. strict order of hereditary succession, the crown 'This was the usual appellation of younger sons, whose fathers died during their minority. They could not possess fiefs, till they were of age to do the services attached to them, which by law was fixed at twenty-one years. 2 He had a natural son called Philip, who, the same year, murdered the viscount of Limoges, because he had been the occasion of Richard's death. Hoved. 452. I. I. John appointed succes sor by Richard. 1199. CHAP. at his death should have devolved to his nephew Arthur, the son of Geoffry, and duke of Bretagne, a boy in the twelfth year of his age. Formerly the young prince had been declared heir apparent: but his mother Constantia by her indiscretion and caprice contrived to alienate the mind of his uncle, while the aged and politic Eleanor laboured with assiduity to draw closer the bonds of affection between her two sons. Under her guidance, John had almost obliterated the memory of his former treasons, and in reward of his fidelity, had obtained from his brother the restoration of a large portion of his estates. When Richard lay on his death-bed, the claim of Arthur seems to have been forgotten. He declared John his successor, bequeathed to him three fourths of his treasures, and required all present to do him homage.3 Obtains and Nor mandy. Eleanor was still considered as rightful "lady" Aquitaine of the provinces, which she had inherited from her father. By public instruments she transferred to John the homage, fealty, and services of the people of Aquitaine and Poitou, who acquiesced without a murmur in the dominion of their new master.4 In Normandy he was equally fortunate. Not a voice was raised against him: and he received without opposition the ducal 3 Hov. 449. 4 See one of those instruments in Rymer, i. 112. John did her homage for the gift, and then restored it to her during her life. It was agreed that neither should make alienations without the consent of the other. See also Rymer, i. 110, 111. I. coronet and sword from the archbishop of Rouen. CHAP, But the natives of Maine, Touraine, and Anjou, espoused openly the claim of Arthur. John for Apr. 25. the present was satisfied with taking summary vengeance, and sacked the two cities of Mans and Angers. His opponents found a powerful though treacherous protector in the king of France, to whom Constantia had intrusted the person and interests of her son.5 ledged in England. In England, as the reader must already have Acknownoticed, not only the form, but much of the spirit, of an elective monarchy had heen hitherto retained. Since the conquest five kings had ascended the throne; and four of these rested their principal title on the choice of the people. After the death of Richard, men were divided between the rival claims of John and of Arthur. Archbishop Hubert, William Marshal, and the justiciary Fitz-Peter, in consequence of Richard's last will, had commanded all freemen to swear allegiance to John: but they were alarmed by the hesitation which seemed to prevail among the prelates and barons, many of whom during the preceding reign had deserved the enmity, or had been enriched by the forfeiture, of that prince. A great council was held at Northampton: threats and promises were artfully employed to awaken the fears, and encourage the hopes, of the more reluctant: and at last an unanimous 5 Hoved. 450. Paris, 164, 165. CHAP. resolution was procured to swear fealty to John, I. on the condition that he should respect the present rights of each individual. On this intelligence, he repaired to England, and was crowned with the usual solemnity at Westminster. The primate opened the ceremony with a remarkable speech intended to justify the exclusion of Arthur. The crown, he observed, was not the property of any particular person. It was the gift of the nation, which chose, generally from the members of the reigning family, the prince, who appeared the most deserving of royalty in the existing circumstances. They had that day assembled to exercise this important duty, and had chosen for their sovereign John, earl of Mortaigne, brother to the deceased monarch. To these principles John signified his assent.6 6 Hoved. 451, Paris, 165. In the preamble, however, to a law which was published a few days later (June 7) at Northampton, he was careful to unite both his titles. God had raised him to the throne, which belonged to him by hereditary right, through the una nimous consent and favour of the clergy and people. Leg. Sax. 354. -The object of this law, said to have been passed at the proposal of archbishop Hubert the chancellor, was to reduce the fees in the chancery to their ancient standard. It was enacted that for a writ granting the king's peace, the fee should be lowered from 18s.4d. to 2s.; for a confirmation of a former charter, from 8l. 5s. to 18s. 4d., of which latter sum the chancellor was to receive a mark, the vicechancellor and prothonotary 2s. each, and 12 pence was to be paid for the wax ;-and for a charter of new enfeoffinent, a mark of gold or ten marks of silver to the chancellor: to the vice-chancellor and prothonotary a mark each, and 5s. for the wax. Ibid. Hence it appears that the price of gold had risen. One mark of gold was of equal value with ten of silver. From Madox we learn that in the .I. France. The French kings had long cast a wishful eye CHAP. towards the provinces possessed by the English monarchs in France. If the ambition of War with Philip shrunk before the superior prowess of Richard, it expanded again at the accession of his weak and pusillanimous brother. With Arthur in his possession, he determined to fight his own battles, while he pretended to support the cause of an injured orphan; and having conferred the sword of knighthood on the young prince, he traversed Normandy, burnt Evreux, and placed garrisons in the fortresses of Anjou, Maine, and Touraine. An uninteresting war ensued: the war, at the solicitation of the cardinal Peter of Capua, was suspended by an armistice; and the armistice terminated in a peace, which did little honour to either of the two monarchs. Philip sacrificed the interests of Arthur, acknowledged John for the May 25, rightful heir to his late brother, and compelled the young prince to do homage to his uncle for the dutchy of Bretagne. But the English king had purchased this advantage by the cession of Evreux to Philip, by the payment of twenty thousand marks as the "relief" for his succession, and by the transfer of several valuable fiefs to Louis, the son of Philip, as the marriage portion of his niece Blanche of Castile, who was immediately married to the French reigns of Stephen and Henry II. their relative value was as nine to one. Madox, c. ix. Peace. 1200. |