Education > Elements of universal history on a new and systematic plan

THIRTEENTH CENTURY A. D.
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tolerable by this prince, who was not less contemptible for his
folly than his cowardice. It W'as a fortunate circumstance that
England was not at this period parcelled out like France into
numerous petty states, separated from each other by laws,
manners, and privileges. When the country rose as one man
against his tyranny, John was isolated ; there was no province
on which he could depend for support by concessions and privi¬
leges detrimental to the rest. He was therefore compelled to
relax the severity of the forest laws, and to sign the Great
Charter, 1215, the keystone of English liberty. “ All that
has since been obtained,” says Hallam, “is little more than as
confirmation or commentary ; and if every subsequent law
were to be swept away, there would still remain the bold
features that distinguish a free from a despotic monarchy.”
Sir J. Mackintosh observes, that “ to have produced the Great
Charter, to have preserved it, to have matured it, constitute
the immortal claim of England on the esteem of mankind.”
This is what some rash men were about to exchange for the
dominion of France in 1213. The attempt of John to annul
the charter was happily frustrated by his death ; but he had
already suffered the continental possessions of England to be
diminished by surrendering to the French monarch, without
a struggle, Normandy, Anjou, Touraine, and Maine, 1205. A
quarrel with Innocent III. caused the kingdom to be laid under
an interdict. The churches were closed, the sacraments with¬
held from all but children and dying persons ; and the dead
were buried without prayers in unhallowed ground. John
was at length compelled to yield, promising to do homage for
his dominions, and to pay an annual tribute of 1000 marks.
His character may be summed up in the words of Juvenal,
—“ Monstrum nulla virtute redemptum a vitiis.”
Remarks on the Great Charter.
On the English nation the charter has contributed to combine stability
with improvement. It set the first example of the progress of a great people
in blending popular pretensions and the power of the nobles with a vaguely
limited monarchy, so as at length to form, from these discordant materials,
the only kind of free government which experiencrthas shown to be recon-
cileable with widely extended dominion.
Prepare: A sketch of Magna Charta, with the names of its chief promoters.
Henry III., 1216, succeeded his father at the age of ten years.
His minority was passed in peace and without any important
event, under the successive guardianship of the Earl of Pem¬
broke and Hubert de Burgh. As soon as he attained his