A.D. 1255. After the Feast of S. Luke, a great number of nobles assembled together, having been summoned by royal warrant. For the Bishop of Romagna had come to the King in the Pope's name, in the stead of His Holiness, bringing with him a ring which he gave to the King's son Edmund, thus solemnly investing him with the kingdoms of Sicily and Apulia. The King's heart was now elated with pride and full of exultation, as though he had already received the homage of all the Sicilians and Apulians, as if he were already master of their cities and castles, and his son Edmund were already crowned King; in fact, he in public called his son Edmund, "King of Sicily." The aforesaid Bishop, as was believed, did not know that the Pope's expeditionary army was destroyed, that the King of England's money was entirely spent, and, moreover, that he was dreadfully burdened with debts; and if he did know, he cunningly concealed his knowledge of it, that he might not lose the presents prepared for him. The fact was indeed unknown to the King and the nobles, and the Bishop returned home, loaded with rich presents, before the real state of the case was known in England.... A.D. 1257. At Mid-Lent of this same year, a great Parliament was held ... and before the aforesaid Parliament broke up, the King brought his son Edmund, dressed in the Apulian fashion, before the assembly, ... and he said that, by the advice and goodwill of the Pope and the English Church, he had, for the sake of obtaining the kingdom of Sicily, bound himself under penalty of losing his kingdom to the payment of a hundred and forty thousand marks, exclusive of interest, which daily increased, although without being apparent. Also that he had obtained, for five ensuing years, the tithes to be levied from all the clergy in general, that is to say, from all their benefices, which were to be computed according to the new mode of taxation, without deducting any expenses save those which were incurred necessarily; also the profits of all ecclesiastical benefices vacated during the first year, and till the completion of the five years. This speech made the ears of all tingle, and struck fear to their hearts, especially as they knew that this tyranny took its rise from the Pope. Although they set forth excuses and asked for time to be allowed them, they could not obtain that favour, and were at length compelled to give a promise of relieving the King's pressing necessities, on the condition, however, that he would from that time forth observe inviolably the Great Charter, which he had so often promised to do, and which had been so often bought and rebought by them; and that he would refrain from injuring them and impoverishing them on so many specious pretexts. On these conditions they promised the King fifty-two thousand marks, though to the irreparable injury of the English Church; yet the King is said not to have accepted such a rich gift even as this. THE EXPULSION OF THE POITEVINS (1258).