Although the Charter, thus, in 1225 took the permanent place it has since retained among the fundamental laws of England, it was not yet secure from attacks. Two years later the actions of Henry raised strong suspicions that he would gladly annul it, if he dared. The young King, in spite of the Pope’s bull declaring him of full age in 1223, had in reality only passed from one set of guardians to another; he had long chafed under the domination of the able but unscrupulous Peter des Roches, Bishop of Winchester, when in the beginning of 1227 he suddenly rebelled. Acting probably under the advice of Hubert de Burgh, who wished to return to power, Henry determined to shake off the control of Bishop Peter. At a Council held at Oxford in January, 1227, Henry, though not yet twenty, declared himself of full age;[279] and soon thereafter showed what use he intended to make of his newly acquired freedom. Making an unexpected application of the proclamation issued by the Regent, William Marshal, in 1218, that the great seal should not, during the minority, be used to authenticate any grants in perpetuity of royal demesne lands or other rights of the Crown, Henry now interpreted this to imply the nullity of all charters whatsoever which had been issued under the great seal since his accession. He even tentatively applied this startling doctrine to the Forest Charter. ----- Footnote 279: A bull of Gregory IX., dated 13th April, 1227, confirmed Henry in this declaration that his minority was ended. See Blackstone, _Great Charter_, li., and Stubbs, _Const. Hist._, II. 39. ----- Henry’s new policy seems to have been endorsed by the magnates present, and on 21st January, 1227, he issued by their “common counsel” a series of “letters close” directing that all recipients of Crown charters must apply for their renewal—a ceremony requiring, of course, to be handsomely paid for. On 9th February a second series of “letters close” was issued, resulting in the extension of many forests to their old boundaries once more.[280] ----- Footnote 280: See _Rot. Claus._, II. 169, and Stubbs, _Const. Hist._, II. 40, where it is suggested that “the declaration seems merely to have been a contrivance for raising money.” This is not quite accurate. Mr. G. J. Turner, in his introduction to _Select Pleas of the Forest_, pp. xcix. to cii., gives a full and convincing account of Henry’s procedure and motives. “The king neither repudiated the Charter of the Forest nor annulled the perambulations which had been made in his infancy. He merely corrected them after due inquiry.” -----