The pontiff gave Henry the crown of Sicily with a C.O.D. on it, which
Henry could not raise without the assistance of Parliament. Parliament
did not like this, and the barons called upon him one evening with
concealed brass knuckles and things, and compelled him to once more
comply with the regulations of Magna Charta, which promise he rigidly
adhered to until the committee had turned the first corner outside the
royal lawn.

[Illustration: THE BARONS COMPELLED HENRY III. TO PROMISE COMPLIANCE
WITH THE MAGNA CHARTA.]

Possessing peculiar gifts as a versatile liar and boneless coward, and
being entirely free from the milk of human kindness or bowels of
compassion, his remains were eagerly sought after and yearned for by
scientists long before he decided to abandon them.

Again, in 1258, he was required to submit to the requests of the barons;
but they required too much this time, and a civil war followed.

Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester, at the head of the rebellious
barons, won a victory over the king in 1264, and took the monarch and
his son Edward prisoners.

Leicester now ruled the kingdom, and not only called an extra session of
Parliament, but in 1265 admitted representatives of the towns and
boroughs, thereby instituting the House of Commons, where self-made
men might sit on the small of the back with their hats on and cry "Hear!
Hear!"

The House of Commons is regarded as the bulwark of civil and political