A beginner's history

by William H. Mace

Then Henry II, the grandson of William the Conqueror, came to the throne. He was like his ancestor in many ways. He could brook no opposition. He was short and powerfully built. "He had red hair, a bull neck, and bow legs." He was careless about his dress, but was a hard worker. He saw that England needed order first. He therefore first of all compelled the nobles to behave by destroying some of their castles and driving the soldiers, which they had hired, back to France.

Trial by jury

He changed the way of finding out whether or not a man was guilty. Instead of employing the "ordeal by fire," by water, or by battle, he sent judges around to different places. These judges called together sixteen good men who told them about those who they thought had broken the law. These men made up the Grand Jury.

Twelve other men were selected to examine into all the facts of a given case before the man was condemned or set free. This way of "trying men by jury" was a great improvement over the old way. In these ways Henry II brought the evildoers in England, whether high or low, to obey the law or be severely punished. England was now once more an orderly country.

John a worthless king

307. King John and the Pope. The son of Henry II, John, was about the worst king that England ever had. John was bad; he would not keep a promise, was a great liar, was cruel, was cowardly, was a traitor and a tyrant.

All the churches closed

Ever since the days of William the Conqueror the kings of England had been the dukes of Normandy. In a war with the French king, John lost all of Normandy. The Pope named as Archbishop of Canterbury a man whom John opposed. The Pope and John quarreled. "The Pope closed every church in England. No bells rang to call the people to prayer or to service on the Sabbath. No priest could preach. The dead could not be buried; the living might not marry. Every church stood silent and grass grew about the doors."

The Pope called on the king of France to take John's place, for in the eyes of the Pope John was no longer king of England. John turned about and begged for the Pope's mercy. He promised to submit to his will and to pay him a large amount of money each year.