I will, however, take this opportunity of repeating thofe particulars to you, which I mentioned in our last converfation, as, by perufing them at your leifure, you may pollibly imprint them fo in your memory, as on occafion to be of fome ule to you.

First, that, though the legs, arms, and head of a human body, being folid parts, are fpecifically fomewhat heavier than fresh water, yet the trunk, particularly the upper part, from its hollowness, is fo much lighter than water, as that the whole of the body, taken together, is too light to fink wholly under water, but fome part will remain above, until the lungs become filled with water; which happens from drawing water into them in#tead of air, when a perfon, in the fright, attempts breathing, while the mouth and noftrils are under

water.

2dly, That the legs and arms are fpecifically lighter than faltwater, and will be fupported by it; fo that a human body would not fink in falt-water, though the longs were filled as above, but from the greater fpecific gravity of the head.

3dly, That therefore a perfon throwing himself on his back in

4thly, That, in fresh water, if a man throws himself on his back, near the furface, he cannot long continue in that fituation, but by a proper action of his hands on the water. If he uses no fuch action, the legs and lower part of the body will gradually fink till he comes into an upright pofition, in which he will continue fufpend. ed, the hollow of the breaft keeping the head uppermost.

5thly, But it in this erect pofition the head is kept upright above the fhoulders, as when we ftand on the ground, the immerfion will, by the weight of that part of the head that is out of water, reach above the mouth and noftrils, perhaps a little above the eyes, fo that a inan cannot long remain fufpended in water with his head in that polition.

6thly, The body continued fufpended as before, and upright, if the head be leaned quite back, fo that the face looks upwards, all the back part of the head being then under water, and its weight confequently in a great measure fupported by it, the face will remain above water quite free for breathing, will rife an inch higher every inspiration, and fink as much every expiration, but never fo low as that the water may come over the mouth.

7thly, If therefore a perfon, unacquainted with fwimming, and falling accidentally into the water, could have prefence of mind fuffi

cient to avoid struggling and plunging, and to let the body take this natural pofition, he might continue long fafe from drowning, till perhaps help would come. For, as to the cloaths, their additional weight, while immerfed, is very inconfiderable, the water fupporting it; though, when he comes out of the water, he would find them very heavy indeed.

But, as I faid before, I would not advise you or any one to depend on having this prefence of mind on fuch an occafion, but learn fairly to fwim, as I with all men were taught to do in their youth; they would, on many occurrences, be the fafer for having

that kill, and on many more the happier, as freer from painful apprehenfions of danger, to fay nothing of the enjoyment in fo delightful and wholefome an exercise. Soldiers particularly fhould, methinks, all be taught to fwim; it might be of frequent ufe either in furprizing an enemy, or faving themfelves. And, if I had now boys to educate, I fhould prefer thofe fchools (other things being equal) where an opportunity was afforded for acquiring fo advantageous an art, which, once learnt, is never forgotten. I am, &c.

B. FRANKLIN,

:

ANTIQUITIES,

An Account of the Events produced in England, by the Grant of the Kingdom of Sicily, to Prince Edmund, Second Son of King Henry the Third. By Thomas Áttle, Efq.

TH

HE grant of the kingdom of Sicily by Pope Innocent the Fourth to Prince Edmund, will be found upon enquiry to have produced the greatest events in their confequences, that ever appeared in the annals of England. Amongst others, the affociation of the barons against King Henry the Third; the appointing confervators of the peace in the feveral counties, and the fettling the democratical part of our conftitution upon a permanent bafis, by Simon Montfort, Earl of Leicefter, whilst the king was his prifoner.

As the king's wars with his barons have not been generally attributed to his connections with Sicily, and foreign hiftorians being almost filent upon this head, I flatter myself that an account of this tranfaction may be acceptable to the fociety.

The emperor Frederick, who died in 1250, by his will shared his kingdoms amongst his children. He gave the Ifle of Sicily to his fon Henry, whom he had by his third wife Ifabella of Eng

land, fifter to King Henry the Third. But the Emperor Conrade the Fourth, his fucceffor, being

at

war with Pope Innocent the Fourth, that Pontiff attempted to feize upon Sicily and, apprehending that this attempt might be attended with great expence, he endeavoured to perfuade Richard Earl of Cornwall, third brother to King Henry the Third, to accept of the crown of Sicily; flattering himself, that the earl's immenfe wealth would enable him to fupport his military operations: but Richard, being a prince of great œconomy, declined the offer. The Pope afterwards offered the crown of the Two Sicilies to King Henry the Third, who refufed the prefent; being unwilling to deprive his nephew Henry of his kingdom. However, Conrade, having put his brother Henry to death, and made himself mafter of Sicily, was in the year 1253 poifoned, as is fuppofed, by his baitard-brother Manfred, who ufurped the throne of that kingdom. Hereupon Pope Innocent the IVth, improving the opportunity, made himself mafter of Naples; but Conradine, the fon of the late emperor, continuing the war, the Pope found himself unable to maintain the which army he had fent to Naples. In this exigency he applied once more to

the king of England, and offered him the crown of Sicily for his fecond fon Edmund; obferving, that as his nephew Henry was dead, there was no further room for his fcruples.

Henry was weak enough to accept the offer, and not only fent the Fope all the money which he could borrow or extort from his fubjects, but was alfo fo indifcreet, as to engage for the payment of all the fums which the Pope might borrow for the placing Prince Edmund upon the throne of Sicily. The Pope, the better to carry on his defigns, and to amuse and pleafe the king, who was become exceedingly fond of this Sicilian connection, fent over into England Albert his notary, with inftructions to grant the kingdom of Sicily to Prince Edmund and his

heirs.

The Pontiff, finding that Henry was fo compleatly fallen into his fnare, fpared not the king's purfe, and drew away his money fo faft, that his ordinary revenue could not poffibly answer the expence. This put him upon various methods of obtaining money from his people, which rendered him exceedingly odious to them; but he was fo infatuated with the hopes of acquiring a kingdom for his fon, that he difregarded their complaints. Notwithstanding Pope Innocent was very fenfible, that it was out of the king's power to perform his engagements, he affifted him with his apoftolical authority in borrowing and fqueezing money from the clergy as well as from the laity; and when Henry was unable to fatisfy his demands, the Pope threatened to give the crown of Sicily to fome other prince;

but, his forces being defeated by thofe of Manfred between Troya and Foggia in the year 1254, he foon after died, as it is faid, of vexation. His fucceffor Alexander the Fourth, at a great expence, carried on the war again ft Manfred, who, having defeated the forces of his Holinefs near Nocera, was crowned king of the Two Sicilies.

Pope Alexander practifed the fame arts as his predeceffor upon the king of England, who, being ignorant of what had happened in Italy, was made the dupe of this defiguing Pontiff. And he, the better to conceal his intended impofitions upon Henry, fent the bifhop of Bononia to London with a bull, confirming his predeceffor's grant of the kingdom of Sicily to Prince Edmund, upon the following conditions, viz.

That Edmund fhould perform liege homage to the Pope.

That Sicily fhould be no longer divided; but that the two parts. fhould be under the government of one and the fame king.

That the king should make the Pope every year an acknowledgement of two thoufand ounces of pure gold.

That he fhould fend three hundred horfe for three months to serve the church in cafe of need.

That the churches of Sicily fhould enjoy their liberties, and that the Pope fhould quietly poffefs his rights to those churches.

That Edmund and his fucceffors, when they paid their homage, fhould fwear that they would never confent to be chofen emperors, on pain of lofing their crown, and being excommunicated.

That the church fhould keep

poffeffion of the Dutchy of Bene

vento.

That Edmund, when he came to the age of fifteen, fhould perform his homage in perfon; and until then the king his father fhould pay it for him. (The form of the homage is inferted in the inftrument.)

That it should be at the Pope's choice, whether he would have homage paid him by Edmund and his fucceffors in perfon or by proxy. And,

That Edmund fhould confirm and maintain the grants made by his predeceffors to the family of Hoemburch.

Befides the above conditions, there were many other conventions and inftruments for putting Edmund into poffeffion of the kingdom; feveral of which may be found in the Foedera; and many more are extant upon the patent, claufe, and charter rolls.

1

About the end of October, 1255, the ceremony of inveftiture was performed at London by the bishop of Bononia, in the prefence of the king and a numerous affembly of great men, by the fymbol of a ring which the Pope had fent for that purpose. The poor king wept for joy at this ceremony, and fent the Pope immediately after wards fifty thousand marks, and bound himself to fend two hundred thousand more within a ftated time; upon which account, the Pope granted the king the tenths of the revenues of the clergy.

Although the king's flatterers congratulated him upon this augmentation of glory, there were wifer people who were grieved to fee their fovereign fo great a dupe to the Pope; and perceived that

all the ready-money in the kingdom was not fufficient to bring about the undertaking in which he was embarked. In fhort, this Sicilian connection was become exceedingly unpopular, and the business grew more and more alarming. However, Henry being preffed by the Pope, was obliged to call a parliament, for fupplies; and he, to avoid oppofition, omitted fending writs to the refractory barons. In this parliament, the king introduced his fon cloathed in the Apulian habit, and made a fpeech, wherein he demanded large fupplies for placing him upon the throne of Sicily; but the barons, being fenfible of the ridiculous cheat impofed by the Pope, determined not to lavish the treasure of the kingdom upon fuch a chimerical project, abfolutely refused to comply with the king's demands; and affigned the following reafons for their refufal :

1. The great distance of that kingdom from England.

2. The difficulties of fecuring a free paffage through the territories of powers at enmity with the king of England, and perhaps favourers of his adverfary.

3. Manfred's being in poffef fion of Labor (Laboris) and other places through which the communication between the feveral parts of the kingdom is ufually carried

on.

4. The ftrength of the prince (Manfred) in the kingdom.

5. The alliance actually fubfifting between that prince, the na tives of Apulia, and the inhabitants of the adjacent countries.

6. Manfred's being in poffeffion of most of the cities, caftles, and fortreffes, of the kingdom.