The Minority of Henry the Third

until John's death had always been, and was again to be for many generations, a factor of great, perhaps we should rather say of the very greatest importance : the character and will of the King. Thenceforth neither the Council as a body, nor any member of it, could do any act in the King's name without consulting him and obtaining his sanction ; nor could they, if the King desired anything to be done which lay within the limits of his regal powers as defined in October, 1223, prevent him from doing it, except by persuading him to give up his desire in deference to their advice. The circumstances by which such abnormal authority had become connected with the justiciarship had ceased to exist; that office was once more reduced within its proper limits; and if Hubert now aspired to rule England in Henry's name, the only way in which he could do so was by acquiring and keeping complete personal ascendency over Henry himself. If, however, the papal mandates which brought about this altered condition of things had really been procured by Peter des Roches, in the hope that when Hubert's official importance was thus diminished he himself might regain the foremostplace in his old pupil's confidence and become the chief 1223 adviser of the Crown in Hubert's stead, he was doomed to wait a long time for the fulfilment of his hope. Until Henry's final coming of age and for many years after, so far as the King's policy was dictated by any one, it was dictated by Hubert de Bu...