Matters went on peacefully for some four or five years, and if complaints of misgovernment were heard they were, by the ready action of Hubert, who continued to be justiciar, either remedied or silenced. From 1227 to 1232 Hubert filled the place of prime minister, in very much the same way as Hubert Walter and Geoffrey Fitz Peter had done, sacrificing his own popularity to save his master’s character, and risking his master’s favor by lightening the oppressions and exactions of irresponsible government. Besides the wars with Wales and Scotland which mark these years, and the pecuniary demands which were necessarily made for carrying on the wars, the chief interest of the period arises from the fact that it saw the first of those papal claims and exactions which were to exercise so baneful an influence on the rest of the reign. Archbishop Langton died in 1228, and Henry’s envoys at Rome purchased the confirmation of his successor, Archbishop Richard, by promising the Pope a heavy subsidy to sustain him in his war with the Emperor. When the time came for this demand to be laid before the assembled council Earl Ranulf of Chester took the lead in opposing it. The means taken notwithstanding to exact money roused a strong popular feeling. The papal collectors were plundered, the stores taken in kind were burned; and so ineffectual were the means taken to suppress the outrages, that suspicion fell, not without good reason, on the justiciar himself as conniving at this rough justice. Henry was already weary of his minister, and his strongest feelings were the devotion which he consistently maintained towards the papacy and his determination, equally resolute, to let no scruple prevent him from acquiring money whenever he had the opportunity. Peter des Roches, who had been absent from England for some years on Crusade, had now returned. He lost no opportunity of increasing the king’s dislike to Hubert, and of promoting the interest of the foreigners who were beginning again to speculate on Henry’s weakness. The king was told that his poverty was owing to the dishonesty of his ministers, who were growing rich to his disadvantage; he had no money to carry on war, whilst Hubert de Burgh was becoming more powerful in acquisitions and alliances, and was even using his influence to screen offenders against the Apostolic see. Henry was not slow in learning to be ungrateful. He had been taught by Hubert himself that he must discard the favorite servants of his father; Hubert had to exemplify, however unrighteously, his own lesson. [Sidenote: Victory of Peter des Roches. ]