The British nation a history / by George MWrong . ad piled uj) hugedebts by letting the Pope use Englands credit for a warin Sicily, and at last, in 1257, he practically confessedbankruptcy. A papal agent came promptly threateningexcommunication and the interdict if the pledges of Eng-land were not met. Simon de Montfort, who now becomes leader as thechampion of English liberties, was hardly an English-man. His fa-ther, a noble ofAquitaine, hadthe glory, as itseemed to themediaeval world, of beingthe destroyer of the hereticAlbigenses. Through hismother, Simon had someclaim to the estates and
The British nation a history / by George MWrong . ad piled uj) hugedebts by letting the Pope use Englands credit for a warin Sicily, and at last, in 1257, he practically confessedbankruptcy. A papal agent came promptly threateningexcommunication and the interdict if the pledges of Eng-land were not met. Simon de Montfort, who now becomes leader as thechampion of English liberties, was hardly an English-man. His fa-ther, a noble ofAquitaine, hadthe glory, as itseemed to themediaeval world, of beingthe destroyer of the hereticAlbigenses. Through hismother, Simon had someclaim to the estates and titleof the earldom of Leices-ter. He came to England,secured his title, and af-ter the death of the youngWilliam Marsluill, Earl ofPembroke, married his wid-ow, Henrys sister English nobles wereangry at the success of theforeigner, and Henry hadno love for but rather fearedhis brother-in-law. Thisproud, ambitious, resolute,active, unscrupulous man, read the spirit of his age betterperhaps than any one else. He saw that the time had. ;x DE MoxTFOKT (Father OF Simon) (h. 1-218). From a window iit Cliartres alwut the sliioUl and la-ad-piece. THE STRUGGLE AGAINST ROYAL DESPOTISM 119 come to j)lace government in England on a broader basis,and that the despotic rule of the early Williams and Henryscould no longer survive, A real national sentiment andnational life now existed, and yet the body which may nowbe called the Parliament that spoke for the nation wascomposed of only the baronage and the higher clergy: thesmaller landholders, the country gentlemen, or knights ofthe shire, and the merchants, had no voice in the nationscouncils. What ulterior designs were working in thedeep mind of Simon when he began to champion thecause of the people, we do not know. Though jjersonallydevout, he opposed the Church, and this he would hardlyhave done had he aimed to become king. The peopleloved him as no other leader of that age was loved. In April,
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