Upon the death of Richard, in 1199, Arthur, the son of his elder
brother Geoffrey, was the rightful heir to the throne. John, however,
seized the throne himself and cast Arthur into prison. There is a
legend that he ordered Arthur's eyes to be put out with red hot
irons. The jailor, however, was touched by the boy's prayer for
mercy and spared him. But Arthur was not to escape his uncle long.
It is said that one night the king took him out upon the Seine in
a little boat, murdered him and cast his body into the river.
[Illustration: PRINCE ARTHUR PLEADS WITH HIS JAILER]
Besides being a king of England, John was duke of Normandy, and
Philip, king of France, now summoned him to France to answer for
the crime of murdering Arthur. John would not answer the summons
and this gave the king of France an excuse for taking possession of
Normandy. He did so, and thus this great province was lost forever
to England. Nothing in France was left to John except A-qui-taine',
which had come to him through his mother.
John's government was unjust and tyrannical, and the bishops and
barons determined to preserve their rights and the rights of the
people. They met on a plain called Runnymeade, and there forced
John to sign the famous "Magna Carta" (_Great Charter_).
Magna Carta is the most valuable charter ever granted by any sovereign
to his people. In it King John names all the rights which belong
to the citizens under a just government, and he promises that no
one of these rights shall ever be taken away from any subjects
of the English king. For violating this promise one English king
lost his life and another lost the American colonies.
Magna Carta was signed in 1215. A year after he signed it the king
died. His son, Henry III, succeeded him.
[Illustration: JOHN SIGNING MAGNA CARTA]