HENRY II
Henry, who considered that her enormous inheritance was ample compensation for her various moral lapses.
On his arrival in England Henry at once set about
restoring order. By reason of the large force he brought
with him from the continent the barons, who had been
playing havoc with the country's welfare for the last
nineteen years, were in no position to offer any effective
resistance when the King proceeded to demolish their
casdes and confiscate the booty wfcxh they had collected
during the previous reign. In order to guard against
any recurrence of lawlessness, Henry now set about
reforming the administration of justice and instituted
the system of itinerant judges which was the origin of
the modern Assizes. Having pacified his new kingdom,
Henry turned his attention to the continent, where he
soon embarked on a war with the French King for the
possession of Toulouse. With this campaign Engknd
had no direct concern, and Henry allowed his English
vassals to substitute a payment of money for the
customary fulfilment of their feudal obligations, thus
introducing an important modification in the feudal
system. In 1162 Henry took a step that was to have
important and unfortunate results some years later ;
he appointed as Archbishop of Canterbury one of the
ablest and most devoted of his ministers, Thomas a
Becket.
For many years the relations of Church and State had been growing more embittered throughout Europe. Hitherto England had escaped any definite rupture,
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