From: History Today | Date: August 1, 1995| Author: | COPYRIGHT 1995 History Today Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan.  All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group.Copyright information

Simon de Montfort is one of the most puzzling figures in English history. His place in the national pantheon seems assured, but there is little agreement among scholars about the nature of his achievement or the principles, if any, that he died for.

Part of the problem is that de Montfort was a man of contradictions. A Frenchman settled in England, he led a campaign against the role of 'aliens' in English politics. A champion of limited monarchy, he was himself by temperament dictatorial. An advocate of government for the common good, he could be rapacious and self-seeking. A man ...