the complete frustration of the object desired. From the recognition of Alexander by Henry the Second, sprang the long series of misfortunes which attended the strife with Becket, the overthrow of all his best schemes for emancipating England from a part at least of the tyranny of Rome, and the defeat of his efforts to render the civil law of the land the judge of all men in civil cases, under whatsoever denominations the parties might appear. This is clearly and distinctly shown in the history of a more advanced period of Henry's reign.

Similar

After having made his escape from Rome, and having been driven by the dangers that surrounded him into Campania, Alexander sent legates to the Kings of England and France, in order to claim. their assistance in establishing his right. legates were despatched about the same time to those monarchs by Victor; and the mind of the King of France was now far more taken up and affected by the schism in the Church, than by the wrongs which he conceived had been done to him by Henry, or by the war which he had commenced against that prince. The envoys of Alexander were busy in France at the conclusion of the truce which we have noticed, in the end of June 1161,* and had

*It is not known whether Alexander dated his letters from the period of his election, or the period of his consecration; but I find a letter from him, dated in September, in the third year of his pontificate, and addressed to Henry, and urging him to

evidently a share in bringing it about.

Scarcely

was it concluded, when Louis called a synod to meet at Beauvais, in order to examine into the rights of the two claimants to the papacy, and to determine upon the course of France. It would appear that Henry was now completely reconciled to the French monarch, and cooperated with him in regard to the papal controversy; for almost at the same time that Louis held the synod in Beauvoisis, Henry called a similar assembly of the clergy of his continental dominions to assemble at Neufmarché, in Normandy. Shortly after a synod was called in England likewise; and the result was in all instances the same-the recognition of Alexander, and the rejection of Victor. One particular, however, is worthy of notice in the reply of the assembly held in England, which is, "that the Council declared it would be contrary to their duty, and to the prejudice of the majesty of the crown, to pass any judgment upon the matter; and they therefore merely tendered their approbation of the claims of Alexander as advice to their sovereign."

make peace with the King of France; the date assigned to it is 1162, but it bears on the face of it no other date than the year of the pontificate, and I am rather inclined to imagine that it should be placed earlier.

* Lord Lyttleton implies, that the Synod of Beauvais was held in 1160, after Henry's return from Toulouse; but it is clearly proved by Don Vaissette that it took place in the month of July,

in 1161.

Perhaps the very tone of this reply might mislead Henry into a belief that he would always find prelates as humble and unambitious as those who now dictated it.

It appears that Louis and Henry agreed in the most cordial manner to act together in regard to the papacy; and immediately after the decision of the Gallican and Anglican Churches had been obtained, they determined to call a new general council to assemble at Toulouse, and examine once more the claims of the two prelates. This fact evidently shows, both that the Kings of England and France were once more upon terms of friendship, and that Henry's claim to Toulouse had been silenced for the time either by admission or compromise; as the treaty of peace, which he had concluded with Louis in the preceding year, had ended at Whitsuntide 1161. As Henry and Louis were both to be present at the Council, it is not probable that the English monarch would have consented that the place of meeting should be at Toulouse, had he not been able to appear there as a friend rather than an

enemy.

Though matters had been thus proceeding unfavourably to Victor in France and England, neither that Prelate nor the Emperor had been inactive in endeavouring to promote his interests in those countries. Messengers had been sent by Frederic to urge both upon Henry and Louis the decision of the Council of Pavia. The English monarch was the Emperor's friend and ally; and it was certainly

far more Henry's interest to conciliate Frederic, and support his power, than to follow where Louis led, and seat one of the French faction in the chair of St. Peter. Frederic's influence might therefore well be great with the English monarch. Such, however, was not the case with Louis; but there, Victor employed interest of another kind. The Count of Champagne was his relation, and was at this time very powerful in the Court of the King of France. His voice, then, was constantly and eagerly raised in favour of Alexander's opponent; while Victor applied himself earnestly to engage some of the Bishops and Nobles of France to support him, writing with his own hand to many of them, and, as in the case of the Lord of Montpelier, sending a legate to some even of the nobility, as to sovereigns of the highest station.

Little progress, however, was made either by the representations of Frederic, or the solicitations of Victor himself. The King of France, indeed, wavered in some degree, in consequence of the entreaties and remonstrances of the Count of Champagne; but still the opinion of the English and French clergy was of much weight; and the greater part of those who appeared as judges at Toulouse, had already announced their sentence in the synods of Beauvais and Neufmarché. The cause of Victor, herefore, was not likely to be more fortunate at Toulouse, than that of Alexander had been at Pavia. The assembly was respectable, indeed;

for besides the Kings of France and England, there were the Legates of the two aspirants to the Tiara, five Cardinals, a hundred Bishops and mitred Abbots, and Ambassadors from the Emperor and the King of Castile, as well as a number of noblemen and gentlemen of France and Normandy. As far as we can now judge, however, the meeting was not near so numerous as that of Pavia; but it immediately proceeded to go through the appearance of examining the claims, and then unanimously decided in favour of Alexander.

It would have seemed after this event, that nothing remained for the monarchs of France and England, but at once to acknowledge Alexander in such a manner as to pledge themselves to his cause for ever. Such was not the case, however, though they both in all their acts recognised his authority, and suffered him to exercise the jurisdiction of Supreme Head of the Church, both in France and England. The Council of Toulouse excommunicated Victor, and all his adherents; and, as a matter of course, Victor, having possessed himself of a share in the thunderbolts of the Church, did not think fit to let them lie idle. The authority of the Council of Toulouse was denied by Victor and the Emperor, its decrees were held to be schismatical, and its Pope worthy of excommunication. In order that all this might be solemnly announced, a new Council was called by the Emperor at Lodi,