Moreouer, king Henrie sent other ambassadours to Rome, who purchased a bull of the pope, whereby he was adiudged to be of age sufficient to receiue the gouernement of the kingdome of England into his owne hands, thereby to order and dispose all things at his pleasure, & by the aduise of such councellours as he should elect and choose to be about him. Wherevpon after the said ambassadours were returned, all those earles, barons and nobles, which held anie castels, honors, manors or places apperteining to the king, were commanded to deliuer and resigne the same to his vse, which caused much trouble, as after shall appeare. For diuerse Noble men, whose harts were filled with couetousnesse, would not obeie the popes order herein, but sore repined; yet not so much against the king as against the lord Hubert de Burgh, by whose councell the king was most led and ruled. And therefore they did put him in all the blame, as one that should set the king against them, and staie him from suffering them to inioy those liberties, which they from time to time so much laboured to haue had to them granted and confirmed.
Polydor.
The king giueth a gentle answer to his lords.
Vpon this occasion therfore, they sued to the king for the restitution of the ancient lawes according to his promise, who to pacifie them for the time, gaue them a gentle answer, assuring them, that he would perfourme all that he had promised, so soone as opportunitie would permit and suffer him so to doo. Howbeit, afterwards by the aduise of certeine old councellours, which had béene of the priuie councell with king Iohn his father, he found a shift to disappoint them of their demands, by requiring them on the other side, to restore vnto him those things which they had in times past receiued of his ancestors. Furthermore, bicause he would the more easilie obteine his purpose, and make the residue afraid to follow a suit so displeasant and irkesome, he thought best to begin with the chiefe authors and first procurers of the said petitions, and to take from them whatsoeuer they held belonging to his crowne.
1224.
The king demanded restitution of parcels of inheritance belonging to the crowne.
Herevpon therefore assembling a great power about him, he demanded of Ranulph earle of Chester the restitution of certeine lordships which ancientlie apperteined to the crowne of the realme, which earle not being as then able to resist, readilie obeied the kings pleasure, and resigned them all. By this entrance of the king into the execution of his purpose, diuerse of the rest of the barons were brought into such feare, that they were contented also to doo the like, so that by this meanes the lords being cut short and weakened in power, surceased as then from molesting the king anie further with the demand of other lands or liberties.
The archbishop of Canturburie also threatened them with the dart of excommunication, if they went about to disquiet the realme with anie ciuill commotions, though no man was more desirous to haue that matter go forward than he, as appéered by his diligent trauell therein (hoping as now in short processe of time, and that by courteous meanes, to persuade the king to his purpose) but the king droue him off with faire words, and minded nothing lesse than to alter anie one of the lawes which he knew to be profitable to himselfe and his successours after him. Wherevpon diuerse misliking his dealing herein, withdrew themselues secretlie, some into one place, and some into an other, to the intent they might auoid the dailie sight of such abuses, as they for the most part could not well abide to beare.
Discord betwixt Sauerie de Mauleon and the earle of Salisburie.
Whilest king Henrie thus politikelie prouided for his affaires at home, Sauerie de Mauleon made prouision in Guien to withstand such perils and dangers as he saw most likelie to issue by the practises of the Frenchmen. But as he was most busilie occupied about the purueiance of such things as should be verie necessarie for his dooings, there sprang a great dissention betwixt him and William the earle of Salisburie, who was sent ouer into that countrie with commission to surueie the state thereof, and by colour of the same commission, tooke vpon him to order all things at his owne pleasure. Whereas the foresaid Sauerie de Mauleon (being a man of high parentage in those parts where he was borne) iudged it to be a matter nothing standing with his honour, that another man should order things at his will and commandement within the countrie, whereof he himselfe had the chiefe charge, as the kings lieutenant; and therefore determined not to suffer it anie longer.