An island story; a child's history of England . low and stained, yet we treasure it greatly for thememory of what it was and is to us. It is kept safely inLondon, in the British Museum. Some day you will gothere and look at it. John sealed the Magna Charta because he had nochoice, but he never meant to keep the promises itcontained. And he did not keep them. He sent toFrance for soldiers, and when they came he made war onhis own people. He asked his friend the Pope for help,and the Pope helped him by excommunicating all thebarons, by laying London under Interdict, and by telling-John that he n
An island story; a child's history of England . low and stained, yet we treasure it greatly for thememory of what it was and is to us. It is kept safely inLondon, in the British Museum. Some day you will gothere and look at it. John sealed the Magna Charta because he had nochoice, but he never meant to keep the promises itcontained. And he did not keep them. He sent toFrance for soldiers, and when they came he made war onhis own people. He asked his friend the Pope for help,and the Pope helped him by excommunicating all thebarons, by laying London under Interdict, and by telling-John that he need not keep his promises. But the people of England said that this was a matterwith which the Pope had nothing to do, and so they paidno attention to him. The church bells rang; there waspreaching, praying, and singing in the churches, andpeople were married, and buried, and christened as Pope was very angry, but he could do nothing. Then, as John still went on his wicked way, thepeople sent to France and asked Louis, the son of the. u bo THE STORY OF THE GREAT CHARTER 177 King of France, to come to fight against John, promisingto help him and to make him King of England. Louis came, but there was little need for him tofight, as very shortly John died. While crossing theWash to meet Louis he, his army and all his treasurewere overtaken by the tide. John himself was nearlydrowned, and his crown, his jewels and the baggage of thearmy were lost. A few days later John died. Some say that hedied of anger and grief, others that he was poisoned,others that his death was caused by eating a great manyraw peaches and by drinking a quantity of new cider toogreedily. No king of England has ever been so bad as was a bad son, a bad brother, a bad king and a badman. Yet out of his wicked reign great good came to theEnglish nation. The loss of Normandy, which was caused by Johnscruelty, proved to be a blessing to England. Normanlords no longer came to England expecting to fi
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