ken never to bear
arms again. In vain King Henry appealed privately to every peer, asking
if his fidelity might be relied on. From every side defiant messages
came back. The citizens of London, as their wont was, were
exceptionally disloyal. Then he sent the Legate to his brother, urging
peace. Cornwall refused to listen. At last, driven into a corner, the
King begged for time, and it was granted him, until the first Monday in
Lent. When that day came, the nobles assembled in grand force at
London, to come to a very lame and impotent conclusion. Earl Richard of
Cornwall, the King's brother, suddenly announced that he and his new
brother-in-law, Montfort, had effected a complete reconciliation. The
other nobles were very angry at the desertion of their leader, and
accused him, perhaps not untruly, of having been bribed into this
conduct: for Cornwall was quite as extravagant, and nearly as
acquisitive, as his royal brother. Just at this time died Joan, Queen
of Scotland, the eldest sister of King Henry, of rapid decline, while on
her way home from England; and her death was quickly followed by that of
Hubert's great enemy, the Bishop of Winchester. The filling up of the
vacant see caused one of the frequent struggles between England and
Rome. The Chapter of Winchester wished to have the Bishop of
Chichester: the King was determined to appoint the Queen's uncle,
Guglielmo of Savoy; and, as he often did to gain his ends, Henry sided
with Rome against his own people.

The disruption between the Greek and Latin Churches being now an
accomplished fact, the Archbishop of Antioch went the length of
excommunicating the Pope and the whole Roman Church, asserting that if
there were to be a supreme Pontiff, he had the better claim to the
title. This event caused a disruption on a small scale in Margaret's
bower, where Beatrice scandalised the fair community by wanting to know
why the Pope should not be excommunicated if he deserved it.

"Excommunicate the head of the Church!" said Hawise, in a horrified
tone.

"Well, but here are two Churches," persisted Beatrice. "If the Pope can
excommunicate the Archbishop, what is to prevent the Archbishop from
excommunicating the Pope?"

"Poor creature!" said Hawise pityingly.

"The Eastern schism is no Church!" added Eva.

"Oh, I do wish some of you would tell me what you mean by a Church!"
exclaimed Beatrice, earnestly, laying down her work. "What makes one
thing a Chu