Chapter XI: Arthur Returns to Sea
The last years of King John's reign saw a resplendent golden age for his kingdoms. With their rights guaranteed, the people worked harder and happier than ever before and England. With the nobles reigned in, they were hesitant to push back against the times, seeing a rise in prosperity and power amongst the peasant class. England quickly became the most the most advanced and powerful kingdom in all of Europe. But the years had tamed the John's voracious appetite for power and he grew weary of rule. Soon, Richard found himself more and more as his father's regent as John disappeared for other, more lively, pursuits. The first of John's royal decrees to celebrate the victory was to go on pilgrimage. From his notes, it seems that it was something he wanted to do many years before but simply never could with the realm always needing his guidance. Now, with things starting to sort themselves out, he set his trip forward to the Holy Land.
The pilgrimage is a tale unto its own, as many of you will know from famous story “Peregrinatio de Regem” or “The Journey of the King”. We could hardly go into the full details of the story, but we will do our best to summarize. Barely a few days after leaving England, the night after arriving in Holland, John and his company were sleeping in a countryside inn when the kitchen maid dropped a bucket of fat in the fire after tripping over a stool. Soon the inn was ablaze and the king himself was one of many in a chain of men passing buckets of water to the inn from the well. Eventually the fire was put out in the small hours of the morning and a tired king fell asleep on the grass with the peasants.
A few miles outside of Cologne, days later, John wrote of an a crisis of faith as he struggled to come to terms with his own mortality. At forty four, he wasn't getting any younger and thoughts of death kept creeping at the door. The thoughts weighted heavily on him but it seems he overcame them here, for the better. Months later he arrived in Jerusalem itself. The city made an enormous impression upon him; he returned with great zeal in faith and in desire for knowledge. Within months of returning to England he set upon expanding the growth of the Church in all his kingdoms. He spent all his fortune building churches and cathedrals across Wales, England, Ireland and Aquitaine and pushed his lords towards building up the church land within their demesne.
The years passed and John readied the kingdoms for Richard's ascent. He ensured the continued loyalty of the Irish by expanding the power of Duke Conchobar of Munster by both enriching him through gifts and honoring him with the title of Seneschal of Ireland. He paid homage to all his English, French and Occitan vassals by visiting them and giving them gifts in Richard's name. Most importantly, he officially buried the hatchet with Duke Owain of Gwynedd by declaring him to be cupbearer for England and High King of Wales. Owain was so taken back by the gesture that he formally appoligized for any and all acts against John and proclaimed him to the true king of the Welsh.
The years passed and John's governance was just, kind and, even, enlightened. The people loved him and the bards sang songs in his honor. Sadly it was not to last. According to him, on the 24th of June, 1217, John was walking alone on the battlements one night when a bright light appeared before him and spoke, telling him of God's pleasure with his rule. The next morning he was found in a ditch on the other side of the castle walls. The king deteriorated quickly little more than a week passed before he became incapable for rule. He was barely awake most of the time and when he was he spent hours mumbling about his place in heaven.
The lords were quick to act and gathered in an assembly to decide on the matter of the king. Two weeks passed and the debates were intense. Everyone knew what had to be done but it was the manner of which to do it that mattered the most to the lords now. They loved John and they knew the people loved John, but the kingdoms could not rule themselves. Finally they came to the decision that Richard would take the throne in place of his father, ruling in his stead. John would still officially be king and would provide council if necessary. It should be recognized that, from this point forth, Richard was the king. John kept the title out of respect and admiration for the man but it was his son that ruled now. Half a year later, on the 12th of December, 1217, John died.
And so the saga of John finally came to an end, but his effects had an everlasting impact on all of Europe. His reign ushered in the Age of Enlightenment and monarchs across Europe attempted to match his ability to expand the size, wealth and power of his kingdoms whilst maintaining the throne. The power of the people grew tremendously under John's rule and the idea of a middle class started to sprout from the buried seed. Richard would go on to unite the rest of France under English rule and declared himself the second Charlemagne. Finally, with expanded powers, the lords of England, Wales and France would never accept total rule from a monarch again and the seeds of democracy were sown.
John would never see the mighty English Empire that was borne from his reign, but it would never have happened without him.
