ed a delay; promised that, at the festival of Easter,
he would give them a positive answer to their petition; and offered
them the archbishop of Canterbury, the bishop of Ely, and the earl
of Pembroke, the mareschal, as sureties for his fulfilling this
engagement.[***] The barons accepted of the terms, and peaceably
returned to their castles.

[* M. Paris, p. 175.]

[** M. Paris, p. 176,]

[*** M Paris, p 176. M. West. p. 273]

During this interval, John, in order to break or subdue the league of
his barons, endeavored to avail himself of the ecclesiastical power, of
whose influence he had, from his own recent misfortunes, had such fatal
experience. He granted to the clergy a charter, relinquishing forever
that important prerogative for which his father and all his ancestors
had zealously contended; yielding to them the free election on all
vacancies; reserving only the power to issue a conge d'elire and to
subjoin a confirmation of the election; and declaring that, if either of
these were withheld, the choice should nevertheless be deemed just
and valid.[*] He made a vow to lead an army into Palestine against the
infidels, and he took on him the cross, in hopes that he should receive
from the church that protection which she tendered to every one that had
entered into this sacred and meritorious engagement.[**] And he sent
to Rome his agent, William de Mauclere, in order to appeal to the pope
against the violence of his barons, and procure him a favorable sentence
from that powerful tribunal.[***] The barons, also, were not negligent
on their part in endeavoring to engage the pope in their interests: they
despatched Eustace de Vescie to Rome; laid their case before Innocent
as their feudal lord; and petitioned him to interpose his authority
with the king, and oblige him to restore and confirm all their just and
undoubted privileges.[****]

Innocent beheld with regret the disturbances which had arisen in
England, and was much inclined to favor John in his pretensions. He had
no hopes of retaining and extending his newly-acquired superiority over
that kingdom, but by supporting so base and degenerate a prince, who was
willing to sacrifice every consideration to his present safety: and he
foresaw, that if the administration should fall into the hands of those
gallant and high-spirited barons, they would vindicate the honor,
liberty, and independence of the nation, with the same ardor which they
now ex