MONTFORT, Simon de, Earl of Leicester (c. 1200- 1265), a great political leader, and sometimes even referred to as the “founder of the English House of Commons,” born in France about the beginning of the 13th century, was the fourth and youngest son of Simon IV. de Montfort and of Alice de Montmorency. Of his early life and education nothing is known, the first definitely recorded fact about him being that in April 1230 he was in England and had attached himself to the service of Henry III., who granted him a temporary pension of 400 marks, with a promise of the earldom which his father had held. In the following year he did homage for the honour of Leicester, and in 1232 the king confirmed to him all the land with appurtenances which had belonged to the late earl in England. But, though thus formally admitted to the ranks of the English baronage, he did not for several years succeed in making way against the strong dislike in which “aliens” were now held, and until 1236 most of his time was spent, in considerable poverty, abroad. In that year, however, he attended the king’s marriage to Eleanor of Provence as lord high steward, and thenceforward began to take part in the business of the royal council. Handsome, talented, and brave, he gained the love of Eleanor, widow of the earl of Pembroke, and sister of the king, to whom he was privately married at Westminster on 7th January 1238, Henry himself giving away the bride. When the fact became known, the indignation of the baronage and of the people had almost broken out in open rebellion, and, after Simon had with difficulty averted this by propitiating his brother-in-law, Richard, earl of Cornwall, he found it necessary to go to Rome to meet the objections which the church had raised on the ground of an ...