demands to On January 6, 1215, the barons in arms presented their demands They preto the king at the Temple, and, at his urgent request, conceded sent their a respite until after Easter, in order that he might have time the king at for consideration.1 combination success. assemble in the Temple, Jan. 6, 1215. In this interval John did all he could to break up the combinaJohn attion against him. He granted a separate charter to the Church, tempts to giving freedom of election of bishops and abbots; he ordered break up the the sheriffs to administer the oath of allegiance and fealty to the against him; freemen of every shire; he assumed the Cross, in order to gain the special protection of the Church as a crusader; and he attempted to detach the barons by offering them special terms. But the National party continued firm and united. The barons, but without strengthened by numerous adhesions since the Councils of St. Alban's and St. Paul's, assembled in arms at Stamford; The barons and when the stipulated time had expired without an answer arms at from the king, marched under the leadership of Robert Fitz Stamford Walter, "Marshal of the army of God and of the Holy Church in London. England," to Brackley, in Northamptonshire. Here the king sent to ask their demands, but when these were submitted to him, peremptorily refused to grant them. The barons now continued their march to London, which they entered on May 24, amidst the acclamations of the citizens. The support of the Londoners The support seems to have decided the contest. The small, but by no means of the unimportant, section of the baronage, which had hitherto re- decides the mained faithful to the king, now went over to the confederacy, contest. and with them most of the officials of the Curia Regis and Exchequer and even of the king's household.3 and march to Londoners Deserted by all but a few personal adherents, chiefly of foreign John, deextraction, and utterly incapable of further resistance, John serted by all accepted the articles of the barons, which were embodied in the personal Great Charter at Runnymede, on June 15, 1215.* altare, quod si rex leges et libertates jam dictas concedere diffugeret, ipsi ei werram tam diu moverent ut ab ejus fidelitate se subtraherent, donec eis [per] cartam sigillo suo munitam confirmaret omnia quae petebant. Matt. Paris [Chron. Maj., ed. Luard, ii. 583]. 1 Deinde cum festinatione [rex] Londonias veniens, apud Novum Templum hospitio sese recepit. Venientesque ad regem ibi supradicti magnates, in lascivo satis apparatu militari, petierunt quasdam libertates et leges regis Eadwardi cum aliis libertatibus, sibi et regno Angliae et ecclesiae Anglicanae concessis, confirmari, prout in carta regis Henrici primi et legibus praedictis asscriptae continentur. Audiens autem rex postulabat inducias usque ad clausum Pascha. Matt. Paris [Chron. Maj., ed. Luard, ii. 584]. 2 First granted November 21, 1214; re-issued January 21 following. 8 Blackstone, Introduction to the Charters. 4 [The Law Books of Bracton, Britton and Fleta hardly refer to it. It was reserved to the jurisprudence of much later days to take especial cognisance of the text of this famous document. Cf. Blackstone, "The Great Charter," Oxf. 1759; Coke, Inst. ii. pp. 1-78; Stubbs, Select Charters, p. 289.-ED.] adherents, grants the Charter. Clause 1. the Church. ANALYSIS AND SUMMARY OF THE CHARTER. Magna Charta contains, in addition to the preamble, sixtythree clauses inserted without much regard to orderly arrangement. Its chief provisions may be conveniently grouped and summarised as follows: Commencing with the declaration that the Church of England shall be free (" quod Anglicana ecclesia libera sit") with all her The following text of John's Charter in the original Latin accords with the copy in Stubbs' Select Charters (pp. 288-297), except that the clauses and sentences omitted in Henry III.'s re-issues have been placed within brackets. [JOHANNES Dei gratia Rex Angliae, Dominus Hyberniae, Dux Normanniae et Aquitanniae, Comes Andegaviae, archiepiscopis, episcopis, abbatibus, comitibus, baronibus, justiciariis, forestariis, vicecomitibus, praepositis, ministris et omnibus ballivis et fidelibus suis salutem. Sciatis nos intuitu Dei et pro salute animae nostrae et omnium antecessorum et haeredum nostrorum, ad honorem Dei et exaltationem sanctae ecclesiae, et emendationem regni nostri, per consilium venerabilium patrum nostrorum, Stephani Cantuariensis archiepiscopi totius Angliae primatis et sanctae Romanae ecclesiae cardinalis, Henrici Dublinensis archiepiscopi, Willelmi Londoniensis, Petri Wintoniensis, Joscelini Bathoniensis et Glastoniensis, Hugonis Lincolniensis, Walteri Wygornensis, Willelmi Coventrensis, et Benedicti Roffensis episcoporum ; magistri Pandulfi domini papae subdiaconi et familiaris, fratris Eymerici magistri militiae templi in Anglia; et nobilium virorum, Willelmi Mariscalli comitis Penbrok, Willelmi comitis Saresberiae, Willelmi comitis Warenniae, Willelmi comitis Arundelliae, Alani de Galweya constabularii Scotiae, Warini filii Geroldi, Petri filii Hereberti, Huberti de Burgo senescalli Pictaviae, Hugonis de Nevilla, Mathei filii Hereberti, Thomae Basset, Alani Basset, Philippi de Albiniaco, Roberti de Roppelay, Johannis Mariscalli, Johannis filii Hugonis, et aliorum fidelium nostrorum.] 1. In primis concessisse Deo et hac praesenti carta nostra confirmasse, pro nobis et haeredibus nostris in perpetuum, quod Anglicana ecclesia libera sit, et habeat jura sua integra, et libertates suas illaesas; [et ita volumus observari; quod apparet ex eo quod libertatem electionum, quae maxima et magis necessaria reputatur ecclesiae Anglicanae, mera et spontanea voluntate, ante discordiam inter nos et barones nostros motam, concessimus et carta nostra confirmavimus, et eam optinuimus a domino papa Innocentio tertio confirmari; quam et nos observabimus et ab haeredibus nostris in perpetuum bona fide volumus observari.] Concessimus etiam omnibus liberis hominibus regni nostri, pro nobis et haeredibus rights and liberties inviolate, and expressly confirming the freedom of election which he had already granted by separate charter, John grants to all the freemen of the Kingdom (" words," remarks Sir Edward Coke, "which extend also to villeins, for they are accounted free against all men, saving against the lords ") the underwritten liberties: I.-Feudal Obligations. 2, 3. The heir (if of age) shall pay only "the ancient relief" Reliefs. -viz., in the case of an earl or baron, 100l.; of a knight, 100s. ; of one holding less than a knight's fee, less in proportion. A minor, who is in ward, shall have his inheritance, on coming of age, without relief or fine. By the charter of Henry I. reliefs were to be "justa et legitima." The sum is now defined. (Supra, pp 47, 59, 61.) 4, 5. Guardians shall take only reasonable fruits and profits, Wardships. without destruction or waste; and shall keep up the estate in proper condition during the wardship. By Henry I.'s charter, the widow or next of kin was to be the guardian. The Assize of Northampton (1176) directed that the lord of the fee should have the wardship. Magna Charta remedies the abuses of wardship. (Supra, pp. 47, 60.) nostris in perpetuum, omnes libertates subscriptas, habendas et tenendas, eis et haeredibus suis, de nobis et haeredibus nostris. 2. Si quis comitum vel baronum nostrorum, sive aliorum tenentium de nobis in capite per servitium militare, mortuus fuerit, et cum decesserit haeres suus plenae aetatis fuerit et relevium debeat, habeat haereditatem suam per antiquam relevium; scilicet haeres vel haeredes comitis, de baronia comitis integra per centum libras ; haeres vel haeredes militis, de feodo militis integro per centum solidos ad plus ; et qui minus debuerit minus det secundum antiquam consuetudinem feodorum. 3. Si autem haeres alicujus talium fuerit infra aetatem et fuerit in custodia, cum ad aetatem pervenerit, habeat haereditatem suam sine relevio et sine fine. 4. Custos terrae hujusmodi haeredis qui infra aetatem fuerit, non capiat de terra haeredis nisi rationabiles exitus, et rationabiles consuetudines, et rationabilia servitia, et hoc sine destructione et vasto hominum vel rerum ; et si nos commiserimus custodiam alicujus talis terrae vicecomiti vel alicui alii qui de exitibus illius nobis respondere debeat et ille destructionem de custodia fecerit vel vastum, nos ab illo capiemus emendum, et terra committatur duobus legalibus et discretis hominibus de feodo illo, qui de exitibus respondeant nobis vel ei cui eos assignaverimus; et si dederimus vel vendiderimus aliculi custodiam alicujus talis terrae, Marriage. Widows. 6. Heirs shall be married without disparagement, their near blood relations having notice beforehand. Henry I.'s charter bound the king to consult his baronage as to the marriage of heiresses. In the Articles of the Barons haeredes were to be married per consilium propinquorum de consanguinitate sua." In the Charter itself this is softened down to barely giving notice to the relations; and even this requirement was omitted in Henry III.'s re-issues. By a strained construction, the word "haeredes Iwas held to include male as well as female heirs. (Supra, pp. 48, 61.) 7, 8. A widow shall receive freely, within forty days of her husband's death, her dowry and inheritance; and shall have her quarantine (forty days' residence) in the family mansion. She shall not be forced to re-marry; but if she wish to do so, must obtain the lord's consent. The king and other feudal lords sometimes forced the widows of their tenants to re-marry in order to gain the fine payable for consenting to the marriage. This abuse is here forbidden. et ille destructionem inde fecerit vel vastum, amittat ipsam custodiam, et tradatur duobus legalibus et discretis hominibus de feodo illo qui similiter nobis respondeant sicut praedictum est. 5. Custos autem, quamdiu custodiam terrae habuerit, sustentet domos, parcos, vivaria, stagna, molendina, et cetera, ad terram illam pertinentia, de exitibus terrae ejusdem; et reddat haeredi, cum ad plenam aetatem pervenerit, terram suam totam instauratam de carrucis et wainnagiis secundum quod tempus wainnagii exiget et exitus terrae rationabiliter poterunt sustinere. 6. Haeredes maritentur absque disparagatione, [ita tamen quod, antequam contrahatur matrimonium, ostendatur propinquis de consanguinitate ipsius haeredis.] 7. Vidua post mortem mariti sui statim et sine difficultate habeat maritagium et haereditatem suam, nec aliquid det pro dote sua, vel pro maritagio suo, vel haereditate sua quam haereditatem maritus suus et ipsa tenuerint die obitus ipsius mariti, et maneat in domo mariti sui per quadraginta dies post mortem ipsius infra quos assignetur ei dos sua. 8. Nulla vidua distringatur ad se maritandum dum voluerit vivere sine marito, ita tamen quod securitatem faciat quod se non maritabit sine assensu nostro, si de nobis tenuerit, vel sine assensu domini sui de quo tenuerit, si de alio tenuerit. 9. Nec nos nec ballivi nostri seisiemus terram aliquam nec redditum pro debito aliquo, quamdiu catalla debitoris sufficiunt ad debitum reddendum; nec pleggii ipsius debitoris distringantur quamdiu ipse capitalis debitor sufficit ad solutionem debiti; et si capitalis debitor defecerit in solutione debiti, non habens unde solvat, pleggii respondeant de debito; et, si voluerint, habeant terras et redditus mesne. 15. The king shall not empower mesne lords to exact other than Aids of the three ordinary aids-to ransom the lord's person, to knight his eldest son, and once to marry his eldest daughter,—and these of reasonable amount. 16. No one shall be compelled to render more than the due Services. service for a knight's fee or other free tenement. 29. No knight shall be compelled to pay for castle-guard, if he be Castlewilling to perform the service in person, or (on reasonable excuse) guard. by a proper deputy; and whilst on service in the army, he shall be free from the duty of castle-guard. 32. The king shall not hold the lands of convicted felons Lands of except for a year and a day, at the expiration of which time the felons. lands shall be given up to the lords of the fees. By the Common Law, the lands of a person attainted of treason were forfeited to the Crown; but on attainder of petittreason or felony, they escheated to the immediate lord, subject, however, in this case, to the king's right to hold them for a year and a day. (2 Hawkins, Pleas of the Crown, c. 49, ss. I, 2.) By the 54th George III. c. 145, the forfeiture was limited (except in the cases of treason, petit-treason, or murder) to the life interest of the offender: but the personal property of all felons continued liable to be forfeited to the Crown down to 1870. In former times attainder also worked "corruption of blood," the effect of which was to prevent any inheritance being claimed from or through the attainted person. This harsh law was considerably mitigated by the 54th George III. c. 145, and other statutes, and finally by the 33rd & 34th Vict. c. 23, passed in 1870, it was enacted that (with the single exception of forfeiture consequent upon outlawry) no confession, verdict, inquest, conviction, or judgment of or for treason, or felony, or felo-de-se, shall cause any attainder, or corruption of blood, or any forfeiture or escheat." debitoris donec sit eis satisfactum de debito quod ante pro eo solverint, nisi capitalis debitor monstraverit se esse quietum inde versus eosdem pleggios. [10. Si quis mutuo ceperit aliquid a Judaeis, plus vel minus, et moriatur antequam debitum illum solvatur, debitum non usuret quamdiu haeres fuerit infra aetatem, de quocumque teneat ; et si debitum illud inciderit in manus nostras, nos non capiemus nisi catallum contentum in carta.] [11. Et si quis moriatur, et debitum debeat Judaeis, uxor ejus habeat dotem suam, et nihil reddat de debito illo; et si liberi ipsius defuncti qui fuerint infra aetatem remanserint, provideantur eis necessaria secundum tenementum quod fuerit defuncti, et de residuo solvatur debitum, salvo servitio dominorum; simili modo fiat de debitis quae debentur aliis quam Judaeis.] [12. Nullum scutagium vel auxilium ponatur in regno nostro nisi per commune consilium regni nostri, nisi ad corpus nostrum redi |