the walls of a castle he was besieging, in the year 1199, having reigned ten years.
24. Prince John was now made king of England, but he had no lawful right to the throne, as prince Arthur, the orphan son of an elder brother, was living, and was the true heir, according to the rules of succession.
25. But this unfortunate prince was made prisoner, in Normandy, by his wicked uncle, and most people believe he met with a violent death.
26. It was a very serious misfortune for the country when the king happened to be a bad man, because the government was, at that time, despotic; that is, the king made the laws himself, and had the power of doing whatever he pleased; whereas, now, the laws are made by the parliament; so that, before any new act can be passed, a great many good and clever men must agree to it, which is a great protection to the people.
27. However, king John was compelled much against his will, to make some very good laws, and the reason of this was, that his tyranny was felt by the nobles even more than the common people, for their estates were often unjustly seized, and they were obliged to give him large sums of money to get them back
