Читать книгу Magna Carta: A Commentary on the Great Charter of King John. With an Historical Introduction онлайн

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After 1213, John’s alliance with Rome brought new dangers in its train. The united action of two tyrants, each claiming supreme powers, lay and spiritual respectively, threatened to exterminate the freedom of the English nation and the English Church. “The country saw that the submission of John to Innocent placed its liberty, temporally and spiritually, at his mercy; and immediately demanded safeguards.”^[63]

This union of tyrants naturally led to another union which checkmated it, for the baronial opposition allied itself with the ecclesiastical opposition. The urgency of their common need thus brought prelates and barons into line—for the moment. The necessary leader was found in Stephen Langton, who succeeded in preventing the somewhat divergent interests of the two estates from leading them in opposite directions.

All things were thus ripe for rebellion, and even for united rebellion; an opportunity only was required. Such an opportunity came in a tempting form in 1214; for the King had then lost prestige and power by his failure in the wars with France. He had lost the confidence of his subjects by his quarrel with Rome, and he failed to regain it by his reconciliation. He had lost the friendship of the national Church. His unpopularity and vacillating nature had been thoroughly demonstrated. Finally he had himself, in 1191, when plotting against his absent brother Richard, successfully attacked and ousted the Regent Longchamp from office, thus furnishing an example of rebellion, and of successfully concerted action against the central government.