THE SICILIAN CROWN (1254-1257).
Source.—Matthew Paris, Chronica Majora, vol. iii., pp. 89, 137, 225. (Bohn's Libraries.)
(The Pope, acting through his emissary, Master Albert, had previously offered the Sicilian crown to Richard, brother of King Henry.)
A.D. 1254. About this time, Master Albert returned to the Court of Rome, bringing word to the Pope that he could in no way influence Earl Richard to accept the kingdom of Sicily and Apulia.... Then the Pope sent messengers privately to the King of England to work upon his simplicity, (knowing that he was always easy of belief and prone to his own loss), and offered to give him the kingdom of Sicily and Apulia, and to render him such assistance in getting possession of the same, as he could without doing any injury to himself.... The King, however, was so exhilarated at the Pope's empty promise, and his heart was so puffed up with empty joy, that his exultation showed itself in his voice, gesture, and laugh, and he openly called his son Edmund "King of Sicily," believing the possession of that kingdom to be an accomplished fact. The Pope's messenger whispered in his ear not to divulge this secret, lest it should come to the knowledge of his friends, who were aware of the wiles of the Roman Court, and that he might thus be put on his guard. The King then sent to the Pope all the money he could draw from his treasury or the exchequer, as well as whatever he could scrape from the Jews, or extort by means of his Circuit Justiciaries, for the purpose of making war against Conrad, and subjugating the Sicilians and Apulians.... The Pope, relying on the abundance of his wealth, was raised to a state of confidence; he took an immense army of mercenaries into his pay, entrusted it to the command of Cardinal Octavian, and lavishly distributed money among the soldiers, sending word to the King of England, when it failed him, that he wanted money. The latter, obeying the instincts of the devil and of avarice, wrote in reply to the Pope, and sent him promissory notes, sealed with the royal seal, authorising him to borrow money enough, and in abundance, from the Italian merchants, and recommended him not to be afraid of the quantity of money required or the high amount of interest, for that he would acquit him of all the debt, and bound himself so to do under penalty of disinheritance. The Pope agreed to all this and accepted his order.... A large host, therefore, flocked together, for the sake of the Pope's pay, composed of low and ignoble Italians, idle and unwarlike creatures, devoid of good faith, who looked not to the advantage of the King of England or of the Pope, but were only bent on gorging the Pope's money, as the sequel of the affair showed to be the case....
[In spite of the death of Conrad, King of Sicily, the Pope's army was cut to pieces, without having effected anything.]
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.