to distinction that of having seen the beginnings of constitutional
government. England's Magna Charta was paralleled by the "Golden Bull"
of Hungary, a charter granted by the crusading King, Andrew, to his
tumultuous subjects.[23] In England the long reign of the weak Henry
III, son of John, took more and more from the power of the crown. He
was opposed by Simon of Montfort, who, to secure the affections and
support of the common people, summoned their representatives to meet
in a parliament with the knights and bishops. His "Mad Parliament"[24]
of 1258 contained the first shadow of a government by the people; his
later assemblies were still more democratic. Considered in this light
one likes to remember that Montfort's first assembly won its title of
"mad" by passing such excellent laws that none of those in power would
submit to them.

Following Henry III, Edward I came to the throne, a man of broad views
and legal mind. He confirmed and legalized the rights already attained
by his subjects, and centralized the authority of all Great Britain in
his own hands by conquering both Wales[25] and Scotland. The struggles
of Sir William Wallace and his devoted followers to throw off the
English yoke ended only in disaster.[26]

Edward, the most enlightened and perhaps the most brilliant sovereign
of the thirteenth century, endeavored to protect the Jews,[27] but was
finally compelled, by the clamor of his subjects, to expel the
unfortunate race from his domains. He, however, permitted the exiles
to take their wealth with them; and the scarcity thus created was one
of the contributing causes which compelled him to promise his
parliaments not to lay taxes without their consent. It was by this
power to control the purse of king and country that parliament finally
established itself as the supreme power in England. It "bought" each