But the prodigal expenditure and mismanagement of Henry kept on
increasing. At last the burden of taxation became too great to bear.
Bad harvests had caused a famine, and multitudes perished even in
London. Confronted by these evils, Parliament (S205) met in the Great
Hall at Westminster. Many of the barons were in complete armor. As
the King entered there was an ominous clatter of swords. Henry,
looking around, asked timidly, "Am I a prisoner?"
"No, sire," answered Earl Bigod (S172); "but we must have reform."
The King agreed to summon a Parliament to meet at Oxford and consider
what should be done. The enemies of this assembly nicknamed it the
"Mad Parliament" (1258); but there was method and determination in its
madness, for which the country was grateful.
With Simon de Montfort, the King's brother-in-law, at their head, they
drew up a set of articles, called the Provisions of Oxford, to which
Henry gave an unwilling assent. These Provisions practically took the
government out of the King's inefficient hand and vested it in the
control of three committees, or councils. (See Summary of
Constitutional History in the Appendix, p. x, S11.)