Whitsuntide. The citizens were less friendly to him than the archbishop. From Cologne Richard slowly marched up the Rhine, scattering money, grants, and confirmations with a lavish hand. The majority of the estates of the Lower Rhineland were strongly on his side. The Duke of Brabant was the only important exception. But the Upper Rhineland was more divided. His supporters, the elector of Mainz and the count palatine, were confronted by the elector of Trier and the towns of Worms and Speyer, which banded together in fierce opposition to Richard. But the non-appearance of Alfonso of Castile deprived his partisans of their chance. Richard gradually made headway, and bade fair to become effective lord of all the Rhineland. He made a long stay at Mainz in the summer and early autumn (Böhmer-Ficker, Regesta, v. 997). On 18 Sept. he entered Oppenheim in triumph. On 20 Sept. he proceeded south to Weissenburg (ib. v. 999). Finding that the Germans did not like his large English following, he prudently sent them home about Michaelmas (Matt. Paris, vi. 653). Next year he showed his sympathy with England by sending fifty ships laden with provisions to relieve a scarcity (ib. iv. 673). Before winter set in Richard was again in the Lower Rhineland. On 29 Oct. he was at Liège, and on 28 Nov. at Neuss. On 27 Feb. 1258 he was at Siegburg (Lacomblet, ii. 243). In April and May 1258 he was again at Aachen. He was more at home there than anywhere else in Germany. The citizens received from him many new privileges (ib. ii. 238). The one German building in which his hand can be traced is the so-called curia of King Richard, which was the town-hall of the city until the building of the larger and more imposing later town-hall (Miranda, pp. 19–28). It still survives in part, and is used to keep the local archives.
In the summer of 1258 Richard made a second expedition into the Upper Rhineland. John, bishop of Lübeck, writing to that city in July (Urkundenbuch der Stadt Lübeck, erster Theil, pp. 233–5; Böhmer-Ficker, Regesta, v. 1000), describes him as orthodox, prudent, strenuous, wealthy, well connected, energetic, and moderate. His power was at length generally acknowledged throughout the Rhineland. Worms and Speyer alone held out. About May Richard sent Archbishop Gerhard of Mainz to try and win them over. He failed, and on 16 June Richard was at Oppenheim collecting an army to march against the rebel cities. On 25 July Richard made his triumphal entry into Worms, where he gave presents and privileges both to the Jews and Christians (‘Ann. Wormatienses,’ p. 60, in Pertz, Mon. Germ. Scriptores, xvii. 60; Böhmer-Ficker, Regesta, v. 1001). Everywhere the bishops were on his side, and the Worms annalist complains that they took advantage of the situation to invade the liberties of the cities (Ann. Worm. p. 59). At last even the archbishop of Trier and the Duke of Brabant agreed to submit to Richard if Alfonso did not appear in person (Matt. Paris, v. 649; Regesta, v. 1002). A papal legate joined Richard's train. The Italian cities began to acknowledge him. He got at least as far as Basel (‘Chron. Elenhardi’ in Mon. Germ. Script. xvii. 122).
Richard's power in Germany never reached a greater height. But his recognition by the Rhineland meant very little, and the rest of Germany was quite unaffected by his influence. The silence of the German chroniclers as to his movements shows how little interest was taken in him. Moreover, he was only loved because of his money; and, despite strenuous efforts to raise fresh supplies at home, his purse was now exhausted (Fœdera, i. 377). At Basel the princes began to desert him. On 6 Oct. he was at Speyer, and on 19 Oct. at Worms (Regesta, v. 1003). In the winter he suddenly resolved to return to England, hoping to get fresh resources. The Germans were angry at his departure, the English barons feared his coming. Richard went home through Cambray, whence he reached Arras on 14 Jan. 1259 (Böhmer-Ficker, Acta Imperii Selecta, pp. 310–11). At Saint-Omer a deputation of English magnates told him that he could only be allowed to land in England after he had taken an oath to observe the provisions of Oxford. Even the king advised this step (Royal Letters, ii. 132). Richard swore that he had no peer in England, and reproached the English barons for presumptuously reforming the realm without consulting him. But he promised to take the oath.
On 27 Jan. 1259 Richard, with his queen and younger son Edmund, landed at Dover. He was met by Henry III and Archbishop Boniface; but the barons would allow neither king to enter Dover Castle. Next day he went to Canterbury, where he took, in the chapter-house of Christ Church, the oath exacted by the barons (Matt. Paris, v. 735–6). The Earl of Gloucester, who administered it, was careful to address him merely as ‘Earl of Cornwall.’ On 2 Feb. the two kings entered London, which was richly adorned in their honour. The citizens especially welcomed Richard, since his German candidature had opened for them new avenues of trade. Richard was present at the parliament of 9 Feb. The few German
