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III.] GROWING IMPORTANCE OF THE KINGS. 29 the interdict in 1 200. Agnes died immediately after her dismissal, and Ingebiorg was taken back, but was treated more like a prisoner than a queen. 18. Arthur of Britanny, 1202. — On the death of Richard, the only surviving legitimate male descendants of Henry the Second were Richard's brother John and his nephew Arthur, Duke of Britanny, the son of Geoffrey, now four- teen years old. The question which of the two had the better hereditary right did not concern England, where the crown went by election; but it did concern the fiefs which were held of the French crown. It was still uncertain whether the doctrine of representation should be allowed, that is whether, in such a case, the son of the elder brother should succeed as standing in the place of his father, or whether the younger brother should succeed as nearer of kin than his nephew. Richard had at one time declared Arthur his heir, but his last declaration is said to have been in favour of John. In England and Normandy Arthur had no partisans : John received both duchy and kingdom without opposition. But in the other continental lands, as in Anjou, Maine, and Poitou, Arthur had many partisans, whom it was manifestly King Philip's policy to support. He acknowledged him as successor of Richard in all lands held of the French crown. But John bought off Philip by giving up the county of Evreu.r, and betrothing his eldest sister's daughter, Blanche of Castile, to Philip's eldest son, Lewis the Lion. Philip gave up all claims of Arthur to the Angevin succession, and only kept him at his court as Duke of Britanny, knowing John well enough to be sure that there would soon be fresh cause of war. So there was, when, in 1202, John carried off and married Isabel of Angoicleine., the be- trothed wife of Hugh de Liisignan, Count of La Marche, one of the chief nobles of Poitou. Hugh took up arms, and appealed to Philip, who, after a summons to John, which was not heeded, knighted young Arthur, and sent him off to join Hugh and the Poitevin barons. They laid siege to the castle of Alirabeau, the abode of Arthur's grandmother, Queen Eleanor, hoping that, if she were in their hands, they might gain much from her son, but she ie!d out till John came to her relief, and made all the besiegers prisoners. Arthur was taken first to Falaise, and thence to Rouen, whence he never came forth alive. 19. First French Conquest of Normandy. — A great outcry was raised that the youth had been murdered,