Henry the Second
1154-1189 and His Sons 1189-1216
In 1154, while Barbarossa was reigning in Germany, Henry II, one
of England's greatest monarchs, came to the throne.
Henry was the son of Geoffrey Plantagenet (Plan-tag'-e-net),
Count of Anjou in France, and Matilda, daughter of King Henry I
and granddaughter of William the Conqueror. Count Geoffrey used
to wear in his hat a sprig of the broom plant, which i
Latin "planta genista." From this he adopted the name Plantagenet,
and the kings who descended from him and ruled England for more
than three hundred years are called the Plantagenets.
Henry II inherited a vast domain in France and managing this in
addition England kept him very busy. One who knew him well said,
"He never sits down; he is on his feet from morning till night."
His chief assistant in the management of public affairs was Thomas
Becket, whom he made chancellor of the kingdom. Becket was fond of
pomp and luxury, and lived in a more magnificent manner than even
the king himself.
The clergy had at this time become almost independent of the king.
To bring them under his authority Henry made Becket Archbishop of
Canterbury, thus putting him at the head of the Church in England.
The king expected that Becket would carry out all his wishes.
Becket, however, refused to do that which the king most desired
and a quarrel arose between them. At last, to escape the king's
anger, Becket fled to France and remained there for six years.
At the end of this time Henry invited him to come back to England.
Not long after, however, the old quarrel began again. One day
while Henry was sojourning in France, he cried out in a moment of
passion, while surrounded by a group of knights, "Is there no one
who will rid me of this turbulent priest?"
Four knights who heard him understood from this angry speech that
he desired the death of Becket, and they went to England to murder
the Archbishop. When they met Becket they first demanded that he
should do as the king wished, but he firmly refused. At dusk that
same day they entered Canterbury Cathedral, again seeking for him.
"Where is the traitor, Thomas Becket?" one of them cried.
Becket boldly answered, "Here am I--no traitor, but a priest of
god."
As he finished speaking the knights rushed upon him and killed him.
The people of England were horrified by this brutal murder. Becket
was called a martyr and his tomb became a place of pious pilgrimage.
The Pope canonized him and for years he was the most venerated of
English saints.
King Henry was in Normandy when the murder occurred. He declared
that he had had nothing whatever to do with it and he punished the
murderers.
But from this time Henry had many troubles. His own sons rebelled
against him, his barons were unfriendly, and conspiracies were
formed. Henry thought that God was punishing him for the murder
of Becket and so determined to do penance at the tomb of the saint.
For some distance before he reached Canterbury Cathedral where
Becket was buried he walked over the road with bare head and feet.
After his arrival he fasted and prayed a day and a night. The
next day he put scourges into the hands of the cathedral monks and
said, "Scourge me as I kneel at the tomb of the saint." The monks
did as he bade them and he patiently bore the pain.
Henry finally triumphed over his enemies and had some years of
peace, which he devoted to the good of England.
In the last year of his life, however, he had trouble again. The
king of France and Henry's son Richard took up arms against him.
Henry was defeated and was forced to grant what they wished. When
he saw a list of the barons who had joined the French king he
found among them the name of his favorite son John, and his heart
was broken. He died a few days later.
Henry's eldest surviving son, Richard, was crowned at Westminster
Abbey in 1190. He took the title of Richard I but is better known
as "Cœur de Lion" ("the lion-hearted"), a name which was given
him on account of his bravery. He had wonderful strength and his
brave deeds were talked about all over the land.
With such a man for their king, the English people became devoted
to chivalry, and on every field of battle brave men vied with another
in brave deeds. Knighthood was often the reward of valor. Then,
as now, knighthood was usually conferred upon a man by his king or
queen. A part of the ceremony consisted in the sovereign's touching
the kneeling subject's soldier with the flat of a sword and saying,
"Arise, Sir Knight." This was called "the accolade."
Richard did not stay long in England after his coronation. In 1191
he went with Philip of France on a Crusade.
The French and English Crusaders together numbered more than one
hundred thousand men. They sailed to the Holy Land and joined an
army of Christian soldiers encamped before the city of Acre. The
besiegers had despaired of taking the city but when reinforced they
gained fresh courage.
Cœur de Lion now performed deeds of valor which gave him fame
throughout Europe. He was the terror of the Saracens. In every
attack on Acre he led the Christians and when the city was captured
he planted his banner in triumph on its walls.
So great was the terror inspired everywhere in the Holy Land by
the name of Richard that Moslem mothers are said to have made their
children quiet by threatening to send for the English king.
Every night when the Crusaders encamped, the heralds blew their
trumpets, and cried three times, "Save the Holy Sepulchre!" And
the Crusaders knelt and said, "Amen!"
The great leader of the Saracens was Saladin. He was a model of
heroism and the two leaders, one the champion of the Christians and
the other the champion of the Mohammedans, vied with each other in
knightly deeds.
Just before one battle Richard rode down the Saracen line and
boldly called for any one to step forth and fight him alone. No
one responded to the challenge, for the most valiant of the Saracens
did not dare to meet the lion-hearted king.
After the capture of Acre Richard took Ascalon (As'-ca-lon). Then
he made a truce with Saladin, by which the Christians acquired the
right for three years to visit the Holy City without paying for
the privilege.
Richard now set out on his voyage home. He was wrecked, however, on
the Adriatic Sea near Trieste. To get to England he was obliged
to go through the lands of Leopold, duke of Austria, one of
his bitterest enemies. So he disguised himself as a poor pilgrim
returning from the Holy Land.
But he was recognized by a costly ring that he wore and was taken
prisoner at Vienna by Duke Leopold. His people in England anxiously
awaited his return, and when after a long time he did not appear
they were sadly distressed. There is a legend that a faithful
squire named Blondel went in search of him, as a wandering minstrel
traveled for months over central Europe, vainly seeking for news
of his master.
At last one day, while singing one of Richard's favorite songs near
the walls of the castle where the king was confined, he heard the
song repeated from a window. He recognized the voice of Richard.
From the window Richard told him to let the English people and
the people of Europe know where he was confined, and the minstrel
immediately went upon his mission.
Soon Europe was astounded to learn that brave Richard of England,
the great champion of Christendom, was imprisoned. The story
of Blondel is probably not true, but what is true is that England
offered to ransom Richard; that the Pope interceded for him; and
that finally it was agreed that he should be given up on the payment
of a very large sum of money. The English people quickly paid the
ransom and Richard was freed.
The king of France had little love for Richard, and Richard's own
brother John had less. Both were sorry that Cœur de Lion was at
liberty.
John had taken charge of the kingdom during his brother's absence,
and hoped that Richard might pass the rest of his days in the prison
castle of Leopold.
As soon as Richard was released, the French king sent word to John,
"The devil is loose again." And a very disappointed man was John
when all England rang with rejoicing at Richard's return.
Upon the death of Richard, in 1199, Arthur, the son of his elder
brother Geoffrey, was the rightful heir to the throne. John,
however, seized the throne himself and cast Arthur into prison.
There is a legend that he ordered Arthur's eyes to be put out with
red hot irons. The jailor, however, was touched by the boy's prayer
for mercy and spared him. But Arthur was not to escape his uncle
long. It is said that one night the king took him out upon the
Seine in a little boat, murdered him and cast his body into the
river.
Besides being a king of England, John was duke of Normandy, and
Philip, king of France, now summoned him to France to answer for
the crime of murdering Arthur. John would not answer the summons
and this gave the king of France an excuse for taking possession
of Normandy. He did so, and thus this great province was lost
forever to England. Nothing in France was left to John except
Aquitaine (A-qui-taine'), which had come to him through his mother.
John's government was unjust and tyrannical, and the bishops and
barons determined to preserve their rights and the rights of the
people. They met on a plain called Runnymeade, and there forced
John to sign the famous "Magna Carta" ("Great Charter").
Magna Carta is the most valuable charter ever granted by any sovereign
to his people. In it King John names all the rights which belong
to the citizens under a just government, and he promises that no
one of these rights shall ever be taken away from any subjects of
the English king. For violating this promise one English king lost
his life and another lost the American colonies.
Magna Carta was signed in 1215. A year after he signed it the king
died. His son, Henry III, succeeded him.
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