served
these conditions, measures should be taken to pay his debts, and to
prosecute the claim of Edmund to the crown of the two Sicilies.

At the appointed day the great council, distinguished in our annals by
the appellation of the "Mad Parliament," assembled at Oxford. The
barons, to intimidate their opponents, were attended by their military
tenants, and took an oath to stand faithfully by each other, and to
treat as "a mortal enemy" every man who should abandon their cause.
The committee of reform was appointed. Among the twelve selected by
Henry were his nephew the son of Richard, two of his half-brothers,
and the great officers of state; the leaders of the faction were
included in the twelve named by the barons. Every member was sworn to
reform the state of the realm, to the honor of God, the service of the
King, and the benefit of the people; and to allow no consideration,
"neither of gift nor promise, profit nor loss, love nor hatred nor
fear," to influence him in the discharge of his duty. Each twelve then
selected two of their opponents; and to the four thus selected was
intrusted the charge of appointing fifteen persons to form the council
of state. Having obtained the royal permission, they proceeded to make
the choice with apparent impartiality. Both parties furnished an equal
number; and at their head was placed Boniface, the Archbishop of
Canterbury, who, if he were connected with the court from his
relationship to the Queen, was also known to lean to the popular
faction, through his jealousy of the superior influence of the King's
half-brothers. In reality, however, these elections proved the
declining influence of the Crown; for, while the chiefs of the
reformers were named, Henry's principal friends, his nephew and his
brothers, had been carefully excluded. In a short time the triumph of
Leicester was complete. The justiciary, the chancellor, the treasurer,
all the sheriffs, and the governors of the principal castles belonging
to the King, twenty in number, were removed, and their places were
supplied by the chiefs of the reformers, or the most devoted of their
adherents. The new justiciary took an oath to administer justice to
all persons, according to the ordinances of the committee; the
chancellor not to put the great seal to any writ which had not the
approbation of the King and the privy council, nor to any grant
without the consent of the great council, nor to any instrument
whatever which was