Death of John, 19th October, 1216.
The barons saw no other course open to them but to invite Louis the Dauphin to come and undertake the government of the kingdom in the place of John. On the 21st May, 1216, Louis landed at Sandwich and came to London, where he was welcomed by the barons. Both barons and citizens paid him homage, whilst he, on his part, swore to restore to them their rights, to maintain such laws of the realm as were good, and to abolish those (if any) that were bad.[198] Suspicion, however, had been aroused against Louis by the confession of a French nobleman who had come over in his train, and who had solemnly declared on his deathbed that his master had sworn when once on the throne of England to banish all John's enemies.[199] Just when matters seemed to be approaching a crisis and the barons were wavering in their allegiance, John died (19th October, 1216).
CHAPTER IV.
The barons desert Louis.
Although London remained faithful to Louis after John's death, the barons began to desert him, one by one (quasi stillatim),[200] and to transfer their allegiance to John's eldest son, a boy of nine years of age, who had been crowned at Gloucester soon after his father's death, the disturbed state of the country not allowing of his coming to London for the ceremony.[201]
Defeat of Louis at Lincoln, 20th May, 1217.
After his defeat at Lincoln (20th May, 1217), by William the Marshal, Earl of Pembroke, one of Henry's guardians, Louis beat a hasty retreat to London and wrote to his father, the French king, to send him military assistance, for without it he could neither fight nor get out of the country.
Fitz-Walter and Muntfichet made prisoners.