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TO 1170.]

CONQUEST OF IRELAND.

37

England. No sooner, however, did Becket find himself in the position of head of the English Church, than he resolved on being the guardian and champion of what he held to be the rights of that Church. Henry, on the other hand, by the laws called the "Constitutions of Clarendon," because agreed to in a Council held at that place, aimed at rendering the English Church independent of the Papacy by preventing appeals to the Pope, and by making priests amenable to the civil tribunals. Becket yielded a reluctant assent. The "Constitutions" were sent to the Pope for ratification. He, however, annulled them; and Becket expressed contrition for his adhesion. Henry's violence at this opposition knew no bounds. On one pretext or another he fined Becket, and finally confiscated all his goods and chattels. The Primate escaped to the Continent, where he remained some years, and during that period not only the Pope, but other potentates, who were jealous of Henry's greatness, treated him with every mark of distinction. During Becket's absence, Henry, in imitation of the French king, had his eldest son, of his own name, crowned, thus associating him in the royalty. The coronation was performed by the Archbishop of York, an infringement of the Archbishop of Canterbury's rights that incensed Becket still further.

Some time after, a reconciliation took place between the king and the primate, in which all the concessions came from the former. Becket then returned to England, bearing a sentence of excommunication against those who had assisted in the coronation of the young prince. When the news of the excommunication was brought to Henry, who was then in Normandy, he indignantly cried out, "Is there none of those who eat my bread will rid me of this turbulent priest ?" Four gentlemen of his household interpreted the words as a hint, and made their way to Canterbury. They entered armed into the archbishop's presence. After calmly bearing their insults, he proceeded to the cathedral to attend vespers. On their following him with a rudeness and determination which indicated their purpose but too well, all fled, save the primate himself and his cross-bearer. The assassins rushed to the altar where

Becket stood resolute and intrepid, and, after a slight altercation, struck him down without resistance (1170). In order to escape the then dreaded sentence of excommunication, a probable enough consequence of this event, Henry lost no time in making every concession and atonement he could to the Pope.

About the time of this tragedy, Henry received a proposal from Dermot, king of Leinster, one of the five monarchs who shared between them the sovereignty of Ireland. Dermot had rendered himself odious to his fellow-kings by his misconduct, and they had accordingly driven him out of the country. He sailed to England, and offered to do homage to Henry and hold Ireland as a fief of the English crown, if he aided him in recovering his lost possessions. Henry authorized his English subjects to help the traitor, and Clare, surnamed Strongbow, earl of Pembroke, a nobleman of broken-down fortunes, promised assistance, provided Dermot would give him in marriage his daughter Eva, and declare him his heir. Strongbow and other adventurers, with their knights, esquires, and archers, soon after landed in Ireland, where they did rapid execution, owing to the fanatic foolhardiness of the Irish, who despised the use of armour, as detracting from personal valour. Henry lost no time in visiting the island, and received there the unwilling homage of its chiefs. He sent his son John as governor, but his conduct was so offensive, that after some time his father recalled him.

The latter part of Henry's life was embittered by the rebellion of his sons, prompted by their mother Eleanor, and Louis VII., king of France. The latter incited young Henry, who had married his daughter, to claim, by virtue of his coronation, either England or Normandy. A succession of petty wars ensued between the father and sons. The latter found allies in the French kings, in William king of Scotland, and the Earl of Flanders. Many of the English barons, also, gladly availed themselves of a pretext to throw off the yoke of their too able master. Henry, at this critical conjuncture, hoped to propitiate Heaven and the church, by performing a solemn and public penance. Accordingly, in a penitential robe, and barefoot,

TO 1189.]

THE SECOND CRUSADE.

39

he walked to the shrine of Thomas à Becket, and passed a night prostrate on the spot beneath which lay the remains of the primate; and next day, on bended knee, he submitted to a scourging from the monks. On the same day, his formidable foe, the King of Scotland, was defeated at Alnwick, and made prisoner. This event had an immediate effect on the English rebels, who surrendered their castles, and peace was restored.

In 1183 Henry's eldest son, Prince Henry, died in the midst of conspiracies and wars against the king, his father. Before his death, he had the consolation of receiving the royal forgiveness. Geoffrey, the third son, and the most vicious, was soon after killed in a tournament at Paris. At this time the throne of France was filled by one of the ablest of the Capet race, Philip Augustus, who saw the danger that threatened his kingdom and dynasty from the immense possessions which the English kings held in France. He accordingly stirred up Richard, Henry's eldest surviving son, to rebel, and hostilities recommenced. Fortune now turned against the old king town after town in France surrendered to Philip and Richard, and in the treaty which followed he was obliged to submit to hard terms. At the conclusion of peace, he asked to see the list of barons who had rebelled against him, and whom he was required to pardon. At the head of these was the name of his favourite son John, in whom alone of all his children his confidence had remained unshaken. This was too much for his already weakened frame, and turning his face to the wall, he exclaimed, "Let everything go as it will!" He retired to the castle of Chinon with a broken heart, and died in 1189.

mans.

The practice of trial by duel had been introduced by the NorHenry, though he could not abolish the barbarous practice entirely, endeavoured to modify it by permitting one of the contending parties to challenge a trial by jury. As he had demolished the castles, he, in order to provide for the security of the kingdom, required that every man should furnish himself with arms according to his rank. In many instances also, he commuted the military service of his feudal barons for money, with which he

Henry had succeeded to a of vigour and moderaDuring his reign there

raised an army of foreign mercenaries. distracted kingdom, but by a rare union tion, he performed the kingly duty well. had been a decided advance in the equal administration of justice, and in the subjection of a cruel and turbulent aristocracy to the consolidated power of an energetic and intellectual king. In his own person he attended vigilantly to the administration of the law. Going over his provinces, he examined into the actions of his subjects, making special inquiry into the characters of those whom he had appointed judges of others. His energy and activity were remarkable.

Cotemporary Events.-In 1160, the sect of the Waldenses arose in Lyons. France: Louis VII. and Philip II. Scotland: Malcolm iv. and William 1. Popes.—Adrian iv. (1154-9), the only Englishman ever elected to this office; his family name was Nicholas Breakspear. Alexander III. (1159-81.) Jerusalem taken by Saladin (1187).

Questions.-1. What dynasty fell with Stephen, and which rose with Henry II.; and whence the name Plantagenet? 2. Write an account of Thomas à Becket's life and death, stating how the difference with the Pope arose. 3. What circumstances embittered Henry's last days? 4. How did he govern England, and what was his character as an administrator of the laws?

6. Richard I. (surnamed Coeur-de-Lion.)

A. D. 1189-1199.

THE SECOND CRUSADE-JOHN'S INTRIGUES-RICHARD'S IMPRISONMENT AND RANSOM-MISGOVERNMENT OF ENGLAND AND HEAVY TAXATION.

Henry II.

Richard I. Geoffrey John

Prince Arthur.

Richard's first thought, after his coronation, was to raise money by every means he could devise (selling among other things crown lands and public offices), to enable him to accomplish his vow of joining the third Crusade, which the great European monarchs, Frederick Barbarossa

A.D. 1191.]

SECOND CRUSADE.

41

of Germany, Philip Second of France, and Richard himself, had determined upon. The declared object of this third Crusade was to rescue Guy de Lusignan, the last Christian king of Jerusalem, as well as other Christians, out of the hands of Saladin, the celebrated Sultan of Egypt, who, by his victory at Tiberiade, had made himself master of Syria and Palestine, after the latter country had been held by the successors of the illustrious Geoffrey for nearly a century.

During the festivities of Richard's coronation, a horrible massacre of Jews, who were regarded with superstitious hatred, took place in different parts of England.

The king appointed a Norman named Longchamps, bishop of Ely, to fill the office of regent during his absence. This man's arrogant tyranny soon spread discontent throughout the kingdom; and his unpopularity gave room for the base intrigues of Richard's brother John, who was thus enabled to usurp that authority and position which he at a later period employed for evil purposes.

Instead of sailing direct to Palestine, Richard and Philip the French king passed the winter in Sicily. While there, jealousy and rivalry brought them into constant collision. Philip, being Richard's feudal suzerain in virtue of the French possessions held by the latter, felt jealous of a vassal more brilliant, popular, and powerful than himself. Richard, moreover, had for years been betrothed to Philip's sister, but now declined keeping his engagement, having fallen in love with Berengaria of Navarre, whom he shortly after married, and who accompanied him to Palestine.

Richard, with his lion heart (cœur-de-lion), acted on all occasions in lion fashion, paying little attention to any law save that of the strongest. Though the world admired his chivalrous nature and heroism, he made formidable enemies for himself; nor did he render any service to his country beyond that of carrying the fame of its valour to the East. On his way to the Holy Land, he wrested the isle of Cyprus from Isaac Comnene, its sovereign, who had a short time before refused hospitality to his wife and sister when driven by stress of weather into one of its ports. When he arrived

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