ause they knew that religion was not at stake
in the Pope's effort to secure his political power in Italy, but also
because the Papal court was known to be hopelessly corrupt, it being a
matter of common talk that all things were for sale at Rome. The
clergy indeed were less than ever in a condition to resist the king
without support. Grossetete was dead, and the Archbishop of
Canterbury, the queen's uncle, Boniface of Savoy, whose duty it was to
maintain the rights of the Church, was a man who cared nothing for
England except on account of the money he drew from it. Other
bishoprics as well were held by foreigners. The result of the weakness
of the clergy was that they were now ready to unite with the barons,
whom they had deserted in =1244= (see p. 195). Henry's misgovernment,
in fact, had roused all classes against him, as the townsmen and the
smaller landowners had been even worse treated than the greater
barons. In =1257= one obstacle to reform was removed. Richard of
Cornwall, the king's brother, who was formidable through his wealth
and the numbers of his vassals, had for some time taken part against
them. In =1257= he was chosen king of the Romans by the German
electors, an election which would make him Emperor as soon as he had
been crowned by the Pope. He at once left England to seek his fortunes
in Germany, where he was well received as long as he had money to
reward his followers, but was deserted as soon as his purse was empty.

16. =The Provisions of Oxford. 1258.=--The crisis in England came in
=1258=, whilst Richard was still abroad. Though thousands were dying
of starvation in consequence of a bad harvest, Henry demanded for the
Pope the monstrous sum of one-third of the revenue of all England.
Then the storm burst. At a Parliament at Westminster the barons
appeared in arms and demanded, first, the expulsion of all foreigners,
and, secondly, the appointment of a committee of twenty-four--twelve
from the king's party and twelve from that of the barons--to reform
the realm. The king unwillingly consented, and the committee was
appointed. Later in the year Parliament met again at Oxford to receive
the report of the new committee. The Mad Parliament, as it was
afterwards called in derision, was resolved to make good its claims.
The scheme of reinforcing Parliament by the election of knights of the
shire had indeed been suffered to fall into disuse since its
introduction in =1254=, yet every tenant-in-chief