night in the castle of Nottingham, and fuffered none to approach his perfon. But what was his confternation when he found that the pope had actually given ́ away his kingdom to the monarch of France, and that the prince of that country was actually preparing with an army to take poffeffion of his crown!

John, who, unfettled and apprehensive, scarcely knew where to turn, was ftill able to make an expiring effort to receive the enemy. All hated as he was, the natural enmity between the French and the English, the name of king, which he ftill retained, and fome remaining power, put him at the head of fixty thousand men, a fufficient number indeed, but not to be relied on, and with these he advanced to Dover. Europe now regarded the important preparations on both fides with impatience; and the decifive blow was foon expected, in which the church was to triumph, or to be overthrown. But neither Philip nor John had ability equal to the pontiff by whom they were actuated; he appeared on this occafion too refined a politician for either. He only intended to make use of Philip's power to intimidate his refractory fon not to destroy him. He intimated ~ therefore, to John by his legate, that there was but one way to fecure himself from impending danger; which was, to put himself under the pope's protection, who was a merciful father, and still willing to receive a repentant finner to his bofom. John was too much intimidated, by the manifeft danger of his fituation, not to embrace every means offered for his fafety. He aflented to the truth of the legate's remonftrances, and took an oath to perform whatever ftipulations the pope thould impofe. Having thus fworn to the performance of an unknown command, the artful Italian fo well managed the barons, and fo effectually intimidated the king, that he perfuaded him to take the most extraordinary oath in all the records of history before all the people, kneeling upon his knees,

and

and with his hands held up between thofe of the legate. I John, by the grace of God, king of England, "and lord of Ireland, in order to expiate my fins, "from my own free will, and the advice of my ba"rons, give to the church of Rome, to pope Inno"cent, and his fucceffors, the kingdom of England, "and all other prerogatives of my crown. I will "hereafter hold them as the pope's vaffal. I will "be faithful to God, to the church of Rome, to the pope my mafter, and his fucceffors legitimately e"lected. I promife to pay him a tribute of a thou"fand merks yearly; to wit, feven hundred for the kingdom of England, and three hundred for the kingdom of Ireland." Having thus done homage to the legate, and agreed to reinitate Langton in the primacy, he received the crown, which he had been fuppofed to have forfeited, while the legate trampled under his feet the tribute which John had confented to pay. Thus by this moft fcandalous conceffion John for once more averted the threatened blow.

In this manner, by repeated acts of cruelty, by expeditions without effect, and humiliations without referve, John was become the deteftation of all mankind.

The barons had been long forming a confederacy against him; but their union was broken, or their aims, difappointed, by various and unforeseen accidents. At length, however, they affembled a large body of men at Stamford, and from thence, elated with their power, they marched to Brackley, about fifteen miles from Oxford, the place where the court then refided. John, hearing of their approach, fent the archbishop of Canterbury, the earl of Pembroke, and others of his council, to know the particulars of their request, and what thofe liberties were which they fo earnestly importuned him to grant. The barons delivered a schedule, containing the chief ar

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ticles of their demands, and of which the former charters of Henry and Edwardformed thegroundwork. No fooner were these fhewn to the king, than he burst into a furious paflion, and asked why the barons did not alfo demand his kingdom, fwearing that he would never comply with fuch exorbitant demands? But the confederacy was now too strong to fear much from the confequences of his refentment? They chofe Robert Fitzwalter for their general, whom they dignified with the titles of "Marifchal of the army "of God, and of the holy church," and proceeded without further ceremony to make war upon the king. They befieged Northampton, they took Bedford, they were joyfully received in London. They wrote circular letters to all the nobility and gentlemen who had not yet declared in their favour, and menaced their eítates with devastation, in case of refufal or delay.

John, ftruck with terror, firft offered to refer all differences to the pope alone, or to eight barons, four to be chofen by himself, and four by the con federates. This the barons fcornfully rejected. He then affured them that he would fubmit at difcretion; and that it was his fupreme pleafure to grant all their demands a conference was accordingly appointeds and all things adjusted for this most important treaty.

The ground where the king's commiffioners met the barons was between Staines and Windfor, at a place called Runimede, ftill held in reverence by pofterity, as the spot where the standard of freedom was firit erected in England. There the barons appeared, with a vait number of knights and warriors, on the fifteenth day of June, while thofe on the king's part came a day or two after. Both fides encamped a part, like open enemies. The debate between power and precedent are generally but of fhort continuance. The barons, determined on carrying their aims, would admit of few abatements; and

the

the king's agents being for the most part in their interefts, few debates enfued. After fome days, the king, with a facility that was fomewhat fufpicious, figned and fealed the charter required of him; a charter which continues in force to this day, and is the famous bulwark of Englith liberty, which nowgoes by the name of MAGNA CHARTA. This famous deed, either granted or fecured freedom to those orders of the kingdom that were already poffeffed of freedom, namely, to the clergy, the barons, and the gentlemen; as for the inferior, and the greatest part of the people, they were as yet held as llaves, and it was long before they could come to a participation of legal protection.

John however could not well browk thofe conceffions that were extorted from his fears, he therefore took the first opportunity of denying to be in the leaft governed by them. This produced a fecond civil war, in which the barons were obliged to have recourse to the king of France for afliftance, Thus England faw nothing but a profpect of being every way undone. If John fucceeded, a tyrannical and implacable monarch was to be their tormentor; if the French king fhould prevail, the country was ever after to lubmit to a more powerful monarchy, and was to become a province of France. What neither human prudence could forefee, nor policy fuggeft, was brought about by an happy and unexpected

event.

John had affembled a confiderable army, with a view to make one great effort for the crown; and at the head of a large body of troops, refolved to penetrate into the heart of the kingdom. With thefe refolutions he departed from Lyn, which, for its fidelity, he had diftinguithed with many marks of favour, and directed his rout towards Lincolnfhire. His road lay along the thore, which was overflowed at high water; but not being apprifed of this, or being ig

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norant of the tide of the place, he loft all his carriages, treafure, and baggage, by its influx. He himself efcaped with the greatest difficulty, and arrived at the abbey of Swinftead, where his grief for the lofs he had sustained, and the distracted state of his affairs, threw him into a fever, which foon appeared to be fatal. Next day, being unable to ride on horfeback, he was carried in a litter to the caftle of Seaford, and from thence removed to Newark, where, after having made his will, he died in the fifty-first year of his. age, and the eighteenth of his detested reign.

of

A CLAIM was, upon the death of John, made in favour of young Henry, the fon of the late king, who was now but nine years age. The earl of Pembroke, a nobleman of great worth and valour, who had faithfully adhered to John in all the fluctuations of his fortune, determined to fupport his declining interefts, and had him folemnly crown'd by the bithops of Winchester and Bath at Gloucefter.

The young king was of a character the very oppofite of his father; as he grew up to man's eftate, he was found to be gentle, merciful, and humane; he appeared eafy and good natured to his dependents, but no way formidable to his enemies. Without activity or vigour he was unfit to conduct in war; without diftruft or fufpicion, he was imposed upon in times of peace.

As weak princes are never without governing favourites, he firft placed his affections on Hubert de Burgh, and he becoming obnoxious to the people, the place was foon fupplied by Peter de Roches,

bishop