tines and Urbanists
distracted Europe for several years; and each party damned the other
as schismatics, and as rebels to the true vicar of Christ. But this
circumstance, though it weakened the papal authority, had not so great
an effect as might naturally be imagined. Though any king could easily,
at first, make his kingdom embrace the party of one pope or the other,
or even keep it some time in suspense between them, he could not
so easily transfer his obedience at pleasure: the people attached
themselves to their own party, as to a religious opinion; and conceived
an extreme abhorrence to the opposite party, whom they regarded as
little better than Saracens, or infidels. Crusades were even undertaken
in this quarrel; and the zealous bishop of Norwich, in particular,
led over, in 1382 near sixty thousand bigots into Flanders against the
Clementines; but after losing a great part of his followers, he returned
with disgrace into England.[*] Each pope, sensible, from this prevailing
spirit among the people, that the kingdom which once embraced his cause
would always adhere to him, boldly maintained all the pretensions of his
see, and stood not much more in awe of the temporal sovereigns, than if
his authority had not been endangered by a rival.

We meet with this preamble to a law enacted at the very beginning of
this reign: "Whereas divers persons of small garrison of land or other
possessions do make great retinue of people, as well of esquires as of
others, in many parts of the realm, giving to them hats and other livery
of one suit by year taking again towards them the value of the same
livery, or percase the double value, by such covenant and assurance,
that every of them shall maintain other in all quarrels, be they
reasonable or unreasonable, to the great mischief and oppression of the
people, etc."[**]

* Froissard, liv. i. chap. 133, 134. Walsing. p. 298, 299,
300. etc. Knyghtor., p. 2671.

** I Richard, II. chap. 7

This preamble contains a true picture of the state of the kingdom. The
laws had been so feebly executed, even during the long, active, and
vigilant reign of Edward III., that no subject could trust to their
protection. Men openly associated themselves, under the patronage of
some great baron, for their mutual defence. They wore public badges, by
which their confederacy was distinguished. They supported each other
in all quarrels, iniquities, extortions, murders, robberies, and oth