The king passed an equitable law, that the goods of a vassal should not
be seized for the debt of his lord, unless the vassal be surety for the
debt; and that the rents of vassals should be paid to the creditors of
the lord, not to the lord himself. It is remarkable, that this law was
enacted by the king in a council which he held at Verneuil, and which
consisted of some prelates and barons of England, as well as some of
Normandy, Poictou, Anjou, Maine, Touraine, and Brittany and the statute
took place in all these last-mentioned territories,[*] though totally
unconnected with each other;[**] a certain proof how irregular the
ancient feudal government was, and how near the sovereigns, in some
instances, approached to despotism, though in others they seemed
scarcely to possess any authority. If a prince, much dreaded and
revered like Henry, obtained but the appearance of general consent to
an ordinance which was equitable and just, it became immediately an
established law, and all his subjects acquiesced in it, If the prince
was hated or despised; if the nobles, who supported him, had small
influence; if the humors of the times disposed the people to question
the justice of his ordinance; the fullest and most authentic assembly
had no authority. Thus all was confusion and disorder; no regular idea
of a constitution; force and violence decided every thing.

The success which had attended Henry in his wars, did not much encourage
his neighbors to form any attempt against him; and his transactions with
them, during several years, contain little memorable. Scotland remained
in that state of feudal subjection to which he had reduced it, and
gave him no further inquietude. He sent over his fourth son, John, into
Ireland, with a view of making a more complete conquest of the island;
but the petulance and incapacity of this prince, by which he enraged the
Irish chieftains, obliged the king soon after to recall him.[***]

[* Benedict. Abbas, p. 248. It was usual for the
kings of England, after the conquest of Ireland, to summon
barons and members of thai country to the English
parliament. Molineux's case of Ireland, p. 64, 65, 66.]

[** Spelman even doubts whether the law were not
also extended to England. If it were not, it could only be
because Henry did not choose it; for his authority was
greater in that kingdom than in his transmarine dominions.]

[*** Benedict. Abbas, p. 437,