next
parliament should be referred to the decision of certain arbitrators.
In the battle of Lewes about five thousand men are said to have fallen
on each side.

By this victory the royal authority was laid prostrate at the feet of
Leicester. The scheme of arbitration was merely a blind to deceive the
vulgar: his past conduct had proved how little he was to be bound by
such decisions; and the referees themselves, aware of the probable
result, refused to accept the office. The great object of his policy
was the preservation of the ascendency which he had acquired. To
Henry, who was now the convenient tool of his ambition, he paid every
exterior demonstration of respect, but never suffered him to depart
out of his custody; and, without consulting him, affixed his seal to
every order which was issued for the degradation of the royal
authority. The King of the Romans, a more resolute and dangerous
enemy, instead of being restored to liberty, was closely confined in
the castle of Wallingford, and afterward in that of Kenilworth; and
the two princes were confided to the custody of the new governor of
Dover, with instructions to allow of no indulgence which might
facilitate their escape. Instead of removing the sheriffs, a creature
of Leicester was sent to each county with the title of conservator of
the peace. This officer was empowered to arrest all persons who should
carry arms without the King's special license; to prevent all breaches
of the peace; to employ the _posse comitatus_ to apprehend offenders;
and to cause four knights to be chosen as the representatives of the
county in the next parliament.

In that assembly a new form of government was established, to last,
unless it were dissolved by mutual consent, till the compromise of
Lewes had been carried into full execution, not only in the reign of
Henry, but also of Edward, the heir-apparent. This form had been
devised by the heads of the faction to conceal their real views from
the people; and was so contrived that they retained in their own hands
the sovereign authority, while to the superficial observer they seemed
to have resigned it to the King and his council. It was enacted that
Henry should delegate the power of choosing his counsellors to a
committee of three persons, whose proceedings should be valid,
provided they were attested by the signatures of two of the number.
The King immediately issued a writ to the Earl of Leicester, the Earl
of Gloucester, and