ievances. Henry, partly allured by the
hopes of supply, partly intimidated by the union and martial appearance
of the barons, agreed to their demand, and promised to summon another
parliament at Oxford, in order to digest the new plan of government, and
to elect the persons who were to be intrusted with the chief authority.

This parliament, which the royalists, and even the nation, from
experience of the confusions that attended its measures, afterwards
denominated the "mad parliament," met on the day appointed; and as all
the barons brought along with them their military vassals, and appeared
with an armed force, the king, who had taken no precautions against
them, was in reality a prisoner in their hands, and was obliged to
submit to all the terms which they were pleased to impose upon him.
Twelve barons were selected from among the king's ministers; twelve more
were chosen by parliament: to these twenty-four unlimited authority was
granted to reform the state; and the king himself took an oath, that he
would maintain whatever ordinances they should think proper to enact for
that purpose.[**] Leicester was at the head of this supreme council,
to which the legislative power was thus in reality transferred; and all
their measures were taken by his secret influence and direction.

* Annal. Theokesoury.

** Rymer, vol. i. p. 655. Chron. Dunst. vol.i. p. 334.
Knyghton p. 2445.

Their first step bore a specious appearance, and seemed well calculated
for the end which they professed to be the object of all these
innovations; they ordered that four knights should be chosen by each
county; that they should make inquiry into the grievances of which
their neighborhood had reason to complain, and should attend the ensuing
parliament, in order to give information to that assembly of the state
of their particular counties;[*] a nearer approach to our present
constitution than had been made by the barons in the reign of King John,
when the knights were only appointed to meet in their several counties,
and there to draw up a detail of their grievances. Meanwhile the
twenty-four barons proceeded to enact some regulations, as a redress
of such grievances as were supposed to be sufficiently notorious. They
ordered, that three sessions of parliament should be regularly held
every year, in the months of February, June, and October; "that a new
sheriff should be annually elected by the votes of the freeholders in
each c