The Great Events by Famous Historians, Volume 06: (From Barbarossa to Dante)
Dante Alighieri · en
same time summoned four of the English prelates to appear before him
at Boulogne. After much tergiversation these obeyed, but appealed from
his jurisdiction to the equity of the Pope or a general council; and
though they consented to bring back a sentence of excommunication
against the King's enemies, they willingly suffered it to be taken
from them by the officers at Dover. Their appeal was approved by the
convocation of the clergy, and Guido, after publishing the
excommunication himself at Hesdin, returned to Rome, where he was
elevated to the chair of St. Peter by the name of Clement IV.
During the summer Leicester had been harassed with repeated
solicitations for the release of the two princes, Edward and Henry. In
the winter he pretended to acquiesce, and convoked a parliament to
meet after Christmas for the avowed purpose of giving the sanction of
the legislature to so important a measure. But the extraordinary
manner in which this assembly was constituted provoked a suspicion
that his real object was to consolidate and perpetuate his own power.
Only those prelates and barons were summoned who were known to be
attached to his party; and the deficiency was supplied by
representatives from the counties, cities, and boroughs who, as they
had been chosen through his influence, proved the obsequious ministers
of his will. Several weeks were consumed in private negotiation with
Henry and his son. Leicester was aware of the untamable spirit of
Edward, nor would he consent that the Prince should exchange his
confinement for the company of his father on any other terms than that
he should still remain under the inspection of his keepers, and evince
his gratitude for the indulgence by ceding to the earl and his heirs
the county of Chester, the castle of Pec, and the town of
Newcastle-under-Lyne; in exchange for which he should receive other
lands of the same annual value. At length the terms were settled, and
confirmed by the parliament, with every additional security which the
jealousy of the faction could devise. It was enacted "by common
consent of the King, his son Edward, the prelates, earls, barons, and
commonalty of the realm," that the charters and the ordinances should
be inviolably observed; that neither the King nor the Prince should
aggrieve the earl or his associates for their past conduct; that if
they did, their vassals and subjects should be released from the
obligation of fealty till full redress were obtained, and their
abettors should be punished with exile and forfeiture; that the
barons, whom the King had defied before the battle of Lewes, should
renew their homage and fealty; but on the express condition that such
homage and fealty should be no longer binding if he violated his
promise; that the command of the royal castles should be taken from
suspected persons and intrusted to officers of approved loyalty; that
the Prince should not leave the realm for three years, under pain of