But that gain was immense.

Nor was the price as hard to pay as it seems to modern eyes.

The Pope stood too high above earthly monarchs, his claims, at least as Innocent conceived and expressed them, were too spiritual, too remote from the immediate business and interests of the day, to make the owning of his suzerainty any very practical burthen.

John could recall a time when his father was willing to own the same subjection as that which he was about to take on himself.

He could recall the parallel allegiance which his brother had pledged to the Emperor.