Page:Dickens - A Child s History of England, 1900.djvu/124

112 King Philip, summoned King John (as the holder of territory in France) to come before him and defend himself.

King John refusing to appear, King Philip declared him false, perjured, and guilty; and again made war. In a little time, by conquering the greater part of his French territory, King Philip deprived him of one third of his dominions. And, through all the fighting that took place. King John was always found, either to be eating and drinking like a gluttonous fool, when the danger was at a distance, or to be running away, like a beaten cur, when it was near.

You might suppose that when he was losing his dominions at this rate, and when his own Nobles cared so little for him or his cause that they plainly refused to follow his banner out of England, he had enemies enough.

But he made another enemy of the Pope, which he did in this way.

The Archbishop of Canterbury dying, and the junior monks of that place wishing to get the start of the senior monks in the appointment of his successor, met together at midnight, secretly elected a certain, and sent him off to Rome to get the Pope's approval. The senior monks and the King soon finding this out, and being very angry about it, the junior monks gave way, and all the monks together elected the Bishop of Norwich, who was the King's favorite. The Pope, hearing the whole story, declared that neither election would do for him, and that he elected. The monks submitting to the Pope, the king turned them all out bodily, and banished them as traitors. The pope and three bishops to the King, to threaten him with an Interdict. The King told the bishops that if any Interdict were laid upon his kingdom, he would tear out the eyes and cut off the noses of all the monks he could lay hold of, and send them over to Rome in that undecorated state as a present for their master. The bishops, nevertheless, soon published the Interdict, and fled.

After it had lasted a year, the Pope proceeded to his next step; which was Excommunication. King John was declared excommunicated, with all the usual ceremonies. King was so incensed at this, and was made so desperate by the disaffection of his Barons and the hatred of his people, that it is said he even privately