nobles who accompanied him, disgusted to find how little reverence and favour he possessed in his own country, went back indignant (Matt. Paris, v. 737). Meanwhile Richard spent Christmas in Cornwall (Wykes, p. 123). His object now was to provide money for the expenses of his projected journey to be crowned at Rome.
Pope Alexander IV, although he had long wished well to Richard, was embarrassed on every side, and had no wish to offend the king of Castile (Ricordano Malespini, in Muratori, Rerum Ital. Script. viii. 986, and ‘Ann. Salisburg.’ in Mon. Germ. Script. ix. 794). But by sending a legate to Germany he had practically taken Richard's side, and was now doing the best he could to further his interests. Already in 1258 Milan and all the Italian towns allied with the church were supporting Richard (Lübecker Urkundenbuch, p. 234). The Romans chose him senator for life. All seemed ready for the coronation journey.
On 18 June 1260 Richard again crossed to Germany (Wykes, p. 124). Between 27 June and 8 July he was at Cambray. He was at Worms from 20 Aug. to 17 Sept. (Böhmer-Ficker, Regesta, v. 1006–7). He now granted the Wetterau to his friend and chamberlain, Philip of Falkenstein, and Alsace to Bishop Werner of Strassburg, while patching up an old feud between that town and Worms (Gebauer, pp. 165–71; Ann. Worm. pp. 60, 65). On 4 Oct. he was at Boppard. On 24 Oct. he was back again in England.
On 25 May 1261 the death of Alexander IV deprived Richard of his best chance of being crowned emperor. The new pope, Urban IV, soon leant towards Alfonso. Alfonso was willing to accept Urban's arbitration. Richard's sense of dignity had always prevented him from submitting his claims to the pope's discretion. Urban summoned both kings before his court, but Richard put off sending a representative, and nothing was done. At last, as Richard grew to despair of his claims, he agreed to submit to the arbitration of Clement IV, whom he knew to be personally more favourable to him. But there were long delays before any direct action was taken. A fourth pope, Gregory X, at last began to seriously bestir himself about the business; but Richard died before any decision was reached.
While Richard thus failed to obtain permanent papal recognition, he was almost equally unsuccessful in enforcing his claims in Germany. During his absence the opposition grew. In June 1261 Werner, archbishop of Mainz since 1259, proposed that if he remained longer absent, Conradin, son of Conrad IV and grandson of Frederick II, should be appointed king in his stead. On 21 June 1262 he paid a third visit to the empire (Wykes, p. 131; cf. Liber de Antiquis Legibus, p. 50). He travelled through Flanders and Brabant to Aachen, where on 6 Aug. he confirmed to Ottocar of Bohemia both his hereditary lands and his new acquisitions of Austria and Styria, thus finally conciliating the strongest prince of the empire (Miranda, p. 13; cf. Gebauer, pp. 421 sq.). He was at Frankfurt on 17 Sept. He had some difficulty in making peace with Werner of Mainz, but his old enemy, Arnold of Trier, was now dead, and the new archbishop of Trier was his friend. Accompanied by Werner, Richard again proceeded south. On 16 Oct. he had reached Hagenau, where he sought in vain to mediate between the citizens of Strassburg and their bishop (‘Bellum Waltherianum’ in Mon. Germ. Script. xvii. 113). Later, on 5 Nov., he was at Schlettstadt, where he granted a charter (Gebauer, pp. 390–1). He was back at Hagenau on 18 Nov., and, after visiting Mainz, was at Trier on 23 Jan. 1263. On 10 Feb. he was again in England. No doubt the impossibility of drawing supplies from England accounts for the short duration and limited success of his stay (Fœdera, i. 421).
Richard's brief visits to Germany did not withdraw him from English politics. In 1260 he went to London during Henry's absence abroad, and called a parliament for 25 April (Liber de Antiquis Legibus, p. 44). Late in 1261 he was called in as arbiter to decide the important question whether the king or the barons had the right to nominate sheriffs, and early in 1262 he decided in favour of the king (Fœdera, i. 415; Royal Letters, ii. 198). On 15 July 1263 he secured a temporary truce after war had broken out between king and barons (Lib. de Ant. Leg. p. 55). When the conflict became inevitable in 1264, King Richard warmly took up his brother's side, and was denounced by the patriotic song-writers (Carmen de Bello Lewensi, p. 13; cf. Rishanger, De Bello, p. 140 n.) In February he was at Windsor and Oxford, organising resistance in conjunction with his nephew Edward. In revenge, in March, the Londoners plundered and devastated his Isleworth estates, and destroyed his house at Westminster (Wykes, pp. 140–1). Before Lewes, the barons offered a large sum of money to Richard if he would procure peace (Wykes, pp. 148–9; Wright, Political Songs, p. 69, Camd. Soc.). But Richard joined Edward in urging resistance (Rishanger, De Bello, p. 30). At the battle of Lewes, Richard
