of the Barons began firmly to oppose him. Two of them,
in particular, HUMPHREY BOHUN, Earl of Hereford, and ROGER BIGOD, Earl of
Norfolk, were so stout against him, that they maintained he had no right
to command them to head his forces in Guienne, and flatly refused to go
there. 'By Heaven, Sir Earl,' said the King to the Earl of Hereford, in
a great passion, 'you shall either go or be hanged!' 'By Heaven, Sir
King,' replied the Earl, 'I will neither go nor yet will I be hanged!'
and both he and the other Earl sturdily left the court, attended by many
Lords. The King tried every means of raising money. He taxed the
clergy, in spite of all the Pope said to the contrary; and when they
refused to pay, reduced them to submission, by saying Very well, then
they had no claim upon the government for protection, and any man might
plunder them who would--which a good many men were very ready to do, and
very readily did, and which the clergy found too losing a game to be
played at long. He seized all the wool and leather in the hands of the
merchants, promising to pay for it some fine day; and he set a tax upon
the exportation of wool, which was so unpopular among the traders that it
was called 'The evil toll.' But all would not do. The Barons, led by
those two great Earls, declared any taxes imposed without the consent of
Parliament, unlawful; and the Parliament refused to impose taxes, until
the King should confirm afresh the two Great Charters, and should
solemnly declare in writing, that there was no power in the country to
raise money from the people, evermore, but the power of Parliament
representing all ranks of the people. The King was very unwilling to
diminish his own power by allowing this great privilege in the
Parliament; but there was no help for it, and he at last complied. We
shall come to another King by-and-by, who might have saved his head from
rolling off, if he had profited by this example.

The people gained other benefits in Parliament from the good sense and
wisdom of this King. Many of the laws were much improved; provision was
made for the greater safety of travellers, and the apprehension of
thieves and murderers; the priests were prevented from holding too much
land, and so becoming too powerful; and Justices of the Peace were first
appointed (though not at first under that name) in various parts of the
country.

* * * * *

And now we come to Scotland, which was the great and lasting trou