The First English Revolution by Jobson Adrian;

Author:Jobson, Adrian; [Jobson, Adrian]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

5 CIVIL WAR

The road to Lewes, February–May 1264

The Mise of Amiens constituted a titanic diplomatic success for King Henry. Confirming unreservedly his own philosophy of kingship, the award had annulled the Provisions and he was free to appoint his own officials once more. Henry now enjoyed the public endorsement of both Louis IX and the pope, the continued political support of whom would prove to be crucial over the coming years. Yet the Mise was not the comprehensive victory that it appeared to be. There was no formal commitment from Louis to offer Henry any material support ‘beyond what was already required of him by the terms of the Treaty of Paris.’1 Nor did it end the quarrel between the king or Montfort, as its unqualified dismissal of the baronial case provided a suitable pretext on which to reject the arbitration’s verdict. The Montfortians had asserted that the Provisions were a natural extension of Magna Carta. In making his judgement, however, Louis had been careful to differentiate between Magna Carta and the Provisions. They likewise contended that this was an error, a view widely echoed in England. Even Thomas Wykes, the royalist chronicler, believed that the French monarch had acted with ‘less wisdom and foresight than was necessary.’2 Thus when Montfort brazenly repudiated the Mise ‘to conserve the Provisions of Oxford, because they were founded on that Charter’, he avoided accusations of ‘bad faith’ even though he had sworn in advance to abide by the terms of the arbitration.3

From Amiens, the news of the Mise travelled fast. Some chroniclers alleged that Louis had exceeded his powers during the arbitration, a view unsupported in the submissions that were presented to him.4 The one-sided nature of the award was, others believed, due to the malevolent influence of Queen Eleanor who had ‘deceived and beguiled by the serpentlike fraud and speech of a woman.’5 In London, the citizens had ‘wholly declined’ the Mise and proceeded to fortify the city.6 Joining them in their defiance were the ‘barons of the Cinque Ports’ and ‘nearly all the middle class of people throughout the Kingdom of England.’7 Montfort himself, having disregarded Louis’ plea for a renunciation of all rancour, now embarked upon the renewal of the armed struggle. Throughout the negotiations that preceded Amiens, he had refrained from retaliating against Roger Mortimer’s earlier provocative raids on his Herefordshire estates. But as soon as reports of the Mise reached Montfort at Kenilworth, his sons were despatched to the Marches with a mandate to ravage his lands.8 Welsh support for this move was secured with the restoration of the former alliance with Llywelyn. Wigmore Castle, Mortimer’s base in Herefordshire, was the first fortress to fall. This initial success was quickly consolidated with the surrender of castles held by Roger Clifford and Thomas Corbet.9 Worcester was sacked on 28 February by the combined forces of Robert de Ferrers, the youthful Earl of Derby, Henry de Montfort and Peter de Montfort. This wanton act, which included the destruction of its Jewish quarter, marked a rapid escalation in the violence.

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