A.D. 12lfi.] CHARGES AGAINST THE KING 371 she did noi succeed him, consequently Otho ought not to succeed him; but the queen of ('astile was alive, who was his sister, and therefore succeeded, and on the death of the queen of ( astile, her children succeeded and ought to succeed. To this tin; pope replied, that the king of Castile ought to succeed as he was the male heir, or the queen of Leon as the (ddest female heir. The messengers replied, that when there were several heirs, who ought to sut feed a person, and the one who came first in succession, was still in the matter, or neglected to enter on his inheritance, the one who came after him in succession, if he. wished to enter on the inheritance, ought to be invested with it, according to approved custom, saving however the right of the other if he reclaimed it ; and therefore our lord Louis enters on the kingdom of Kngland as his own, and if there is any nearer relative who wishes to lay a claim in this matter, our lord Louis will do what is right in it. T,e third objection against king John. The pope then said that the kingdom of Kngland was his own and under his rule by reason of the fealty, which had been sworn to him concerning it, and also by reason of the revenue which was paid to him out of the kingdom ; and therefore, as he bad committed no crime. Louis ought not to make war on him, or to deprive him hy tone of the kingdom of England, especially as the king of Kngland held many possessions in fee of the king of France, for which he might make war on bini. In reply to this the messengers said, "War, and a just war, was entered upon against the king of England before that kingdom belonged to your holiness; but William Longsword and many others with him came with a powerful force from the kingdom of England, and inflicted many injuries and caused much loss to our lord Louis, therefore he may with justice make war against the king of England." T o this the pope replied, that, although the king of England made war on Louis, the latter ought not to have made war on him, but ought to have complained to his lord, namely the pope, to whom the king of Kngland as a vassal was subject. The messengers then said that the custom was, when war was made on any one by the vassal of another on his own authoritv, he «h o was attacked could make war on it η L