New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-09-15
ENGLAND and ROME.
The Claims of the Papacy in the
Time of Henry III.

HENRY THE THIRD AND THE CHURCH: A
Study Of His Ecclesiastical Policy and OF the
Relations Between England and Rome. BY Alb
hot Gasquet. d. D. Svo, PIP xvi. AS The Mac
milan Company.
To disentangle the spiritual authority and in
fuence OF the Church Of Rome in the Middle
Ages from fits political power and to hold an
even balance between the forces Of nationality
and the unifyng power Of the Papal Empire
is no easy task. The period between King Johns
submission 20 the Pope and the reassertion or
English national independence under the Ed
wards was a critical time in the history of Eu-
rope; and the fair and careful study of the
earlier part Of this period-up TO the death OF
Henry uI-which is given by the Right kew.
Francis A. Gasquet in his story OF Henry III
and the church. is a valuable addition TO our
knowledge Of this momentous era.
In spite Of loyalty 10 his Church, Abbot Gas
uuet treats English national feeling with almost
as much respect as is accorded to 1t by Green
Although not quite so scathing in his condemna-
ton OF King John Green. he writes with
equal plainness OF Johns doubledealng and
self-seeking What makes the work OF special
value is the full quotation from contemporary
documents especially letters TO the Popes from
kings churchmen and barons in England, and
the replies 10 these letters. From these Abbot
Csasouet makes good his claim that England, on
the accession of Henry III, was no longer an
independent nation. but was considered by the
Pope as under his political overlordshlp-the
King Of England was as much under the power
CT the Pope as one of the great barons was sub
Sect 10 the King. The vital question then arose
could England be safely and properly gov
erned from Rome?
Abbot Gasouet IS not special pleader either
for or against the Papal claim. He has to a
remarkable degree the historical spirit, and his
motive throughout seems TO be the setting forth
Of the actual facts and the clear and reasonable
exclamation Of these facts. 1t cannot therefore
be accounted TO him as partisanship that in the
earlier chapters he shows that England's sub
mission TO the Pope secured the easy accession
of Henry III and averted the danger of England
becoming an adjunct OF France. Neither can
It be denied that in the main the rule OF Homo
RUS III was fair and good, and that it was
probably beneficial to England in the days Of
the Kings minority and weakness.
Even the best meaning Pope. however. suffered
from the disadvantage Of distance and OF de-
pendence on the advice and representations of
unreliable men who sought their own interests;
and Abbot Gasquet gives striking examples of
the misunderstanding and injustice which must
ensue from government under such circum-
stances. The Intervention OF the Pope in favor
of the scoundrelly Fake de Breaute is one OF
these instances. Breaute was summoned before
the Kings justices at Dunstable TO answer TO
more than thirty writs for having robbed
rious people. and he condemned 10 pay
heavy fines to the King. On hearing this. De
Breaute sent soldiers from Bedford Castle to
seize the persons Of the judges. Two Of them
escaped, but one was unfortunate enough to
fall into the hands OF the baron's retainers. On
the baron's refusal TO give up the judge, the
King laid seige to his castle. and before it fell
DE Breaute escaped TO Wales. The Pope on
King. admonishing him that you have rashly
taken UP arms against that noble man. Fake
de Breaute. We warn you." continues the
Popes letter. Eat once TO desist from the seige
of De Breautes castle, and not to punish the
aforesaid nobernan in any way" Government
and justice would be plainly impossible If an
irresponsible power could at any time intervene
in favor OF such criminal.
Pope Honorius erred from ignorance. and
through unfaithful counsel in his government of
England His successors cared little for the
good government of the country and sought
only 10 enrich themselves out of it's revenues
Gregory ks demands were not immoderats II
the suzerainty Of the Pope be acknowledged:
but when Gregory was succeeded by Innocent
" and later by Urban " the Papal demands
exceeded all bounds. Not having for the coun-
try the bowels Of affection" says Matthew
Paris, he sought only money from England
lidl lIlehldusllDlS Wen OF all rlcheS." 1t
fortunate for England that the Roman exactions
became intolerable. These exactions were levied
on the English Church as well as on the people
ht large. Beginning with one-thirtieth of the
church revenues, the Papal demands rose to
4e-third: and in 1858 Herlot the Papal Nuncio
met the barons IN Parliament at Oxford with q
demand for third part OF all their goods
movable and imnovable. These most harsh
and unheard of demands brought together
churchman and baron as Englishmen. Even
churchrnen who had never seen England until
their appointment to English benehces en-
braced the cause OF their adopted country; and
long before the Reformation released the greater
part OF England from the spiritual domination
Of Rome. politically the country was freed from
the thraldom into which King John had brought
her.
Into this part Of the story Abbot Gasquet does
not go. At the time OF King Henry's death the
tide OF nationality was rising; but the reform
movement OF Simon de Montfort had been put
down. and for two years the Papal claims had
been IN allegiance, owing TO the long delay in
electing successor TO Clement ". The story
as presented by Abbot Gasquet Is unfinished.
Whether the careful historian is preparing to
follow It up by study of the church IN the
days OF the Edwards. he does not say. It seems
hardly possible that he should have carried his
researches TO this point TO go no further and all
who become acquainted with the present work
VIII eagerly welcome continuation. One great