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The sequel to this history is too well known to be here repeated. King Richard was set at liberty, and, with his two companions who had acted the parts of his fellow Palmers, arrived safely in England on the 20th March, 1194. He was received by his subjects with demonstrations of unbounded joy; his exploits became familiar topics of conversation amongst all ranks of society, from the highest to the lowest; and, above all, his adventure with the lion was made the theme of universal wonder and eulogy, and procured for him his popular surname of Cœur de Lion.*

This tale is founded on the old metrical romance of Richard Cœur de Lion, published by Mr. Weber.

HISTORICAL SUMMARY.

JOHN.

1199.-JOHN was crowned in London, by Hubert, Archbishop of Canterbury.

The English provinces in France declared in favour of Prince Arthur, the son of John's eldest brother, Geoffrey, and applied to Philip, as their superior lord, for assistance, who took Arthur and his mother Constance under his protection.

1202.-Philip instigated Prince Arthur and the Earl of Marche to invade John's French provinces; but John went over to France, defeated, and made them both prisoners, with many others. Arthur he caused to be confined at Rouen ; but the Prince soon afterwards disappearing, it was universally believed that John had himself murdered him, and thrown his body into the Seine.

John was cited before Philip and his barons, to answer for the murder of his nephew on French ground, where he was only a vassal. Not appearing, he was sentenced to forfeit all the possessions he held of the King of France,— a sentence which Philip, with great eagerness, proceeded to execute.

1204-By this year Philip had restored to the French kingdom all the provinces that John possessed, except Guienne and Poitou. John, for a long time, seemed unaffected by these disasters, and continued to give himself up to pleasure and dissipation. At last he went over to England, where, by his multiplied exactions and cowardice, he so exasperated his nobles, that they only waited for an opportunity to be revenged.

The succession to the Archbishopric of Canterbury occasioned a quarrel betwixt John and Pope Innocent III. The Pope laid an interdict on the kingdom, absolved John's subjects from their allegiance, excommunicated and deposed him, ordering the King of France to invade England,— -an enterprise which Philip very readily undertook. These proceedings, at last, obliged John to have a conference with Pandulph the legate, at Dover, when he promised to submit entirely to the Pope.

1213.-John, on his knees, resigned his crown and sceptre to Pandulph ; and, on their being returned to him, he did homage to Pandulph in the Pope's name for the kingdom, declaring he would pay one thousand marks yearly for his tenure.

Pandulph, on his return to Rome through France, told Philip that he might disband his army, John having submitted to the Holy See. This, however, Philip refused to do: but all his preparations ended in nothing, owing to the defeat of his fleet by the Earl of Salisbury, natural brother to the King.

1215.-The Barons compelled John to sign Magna Charta, and the Charter of the Forests; but he privately hired foreign troops, with whom he marched through and ravaged the kingdom, and induced the Pope to absolve him from his oath. The Barons were so infuriated, that they sent envoys to Philip, begging him to send his son Louis to England, whom they would acknowledge as their King.

1216.-On Louis's arrival from France, all John's foreign soldiers deserted from him; which put his affairs in so bad a condition, that he went from place to place, carrying his treasures and crown with him. He lost them all in crossing the Wash, and was thrown, by the distressed situation of his affairs, into a fever, of which he died at Newark Castle.

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