ticles of peace and security, and the offence be notified to four Barons of the aforesaid five and twenty, they, the four Barons, shall go to our Lord the King, or to his Justiciary, if the King shall be out of the Kingdom, and laying open the grievance shall petition to have it redressed without delay; and if the King shall not amend it, or his Justiciary shall not amend it for him, if the King shall be out of the Kingdom, within a reasonable time determined upon in the aforesaid Charter,—the four Barons shall refer the case to the remainder of the twenty-five, and they, the twenty-five, with the whole community of the land, shall distrain and distress the King by all the means which they can; that is to say by taking his Castles, Lands, Possessions, and in every other manner which they can, until amendment shall be made according to their decision, saving the persons of the King and Queen and of their children, and when the grievance shall be redressed, they shall obey our Lord the King as before: and whosoever of the Kingdom is willing, may swear to obey the orders of the aforesaid five and twenty Barons, and harrass the King with them to the extent of his power, and the King shall give public and free leave to any to swear to them that are willing to swear; and he shall not prohibit any from swearing: also, all those of the land who of themselves and of their own accord will not swear to join with the five and twenty Barons, to distrain and distress the King, the King shall make them

swear to the same such as is aforesaid, by his command. Also, if any of the aforesaid five and twenty Barons shall die or remove from the land or by any other way be prevented from putting the things aforesaid into execution, the five and twenty may elect another in his place, by their own decision, who shall be sworn in a similar way with the rest. Also in all things that are committed to the charge of these five and twenty Barons, if when they be all assembled, and between themselves they should disagree upon any thing, or some of them when called cannot or will not come, whatever be agreed upon by the greater part, shall be as firm and valid as if all the five and twenty had given their consent; and the aforesaid five and twenty shall swear, that all the aforesaid they will faithfully observe, and will cause to be observed, with their whole power. (63). Moreover the King shall make them secure by the engagements of the Archbishops and Bishops, and of Master Pandulph, that he will not procure from our Lord the Pope, any thing by which any part of this Covenant shall be revoked or lessened, and if any such thing be obtained, let it be considered as null and void.

OR

The Great Charter of King John,

Granted June 15th, A. D. 1215,

IN THE SEVENTEENTH YEAR OF HIS REIGN.

TRANSLATED FROM THE ORIGINAL PRESERVED IN THE ARCHIVES OF LINCOLN CATHEDRAL.

vernors, Officers, and to all Bailiffs, and his faithful subjects,-Greeting. Know ye, that We, in the presence of God, and for the salvation of our own soul, and of the souls of all our ancestors, and of. our heirs, to the honour of God, and the exaltation of the Holy Church and amendment of our Kingdom, by the counsel of our venerable fathers, Stephen Archbishop of Canterbury, Primate of all England, and Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church,

Henrici Dubliniensis Archiepiscopi, Willielmi Londoniensis, Petri Wintoniensis, Joscelini Bathoniensis et Glastoniensis, Hugonis Lincolniensis, Walteri Wigorniensis, Willielmi Coventrensis, et Benedicti Roffensis, Episcoporum; Magistri Pandulfi Domini Papa Subdiaconi et familiaris, Fratris Eimerici, Magistri Militia Templi in Anglia, et nobilium virorum Willielmi Marescalli Comitis Pembrochia, Willielmi Comitis Sarisburiæ, Willielmi Comitis Warrenie, Willielmi Comitis Arundelliæ, Alani de Galweia Constabularii Scotia, Warini filii Geroldi, Huberti de Burgo Senescalli Pictavia, Petri filii Hereberti, Hugonis de Neville, Matthei filii Hereberti, Thomæ Basset, Alani Basset, Philippi de Albiniaco, Roberti de Roppelay, Johannis Marescalli, Johannis filii Hugonis, et aliorum fidelium nostrorum; In primis concessisse Deo, et hac presenti Charta nostra confirmasse pro nobis et hæredibus nostris in perpetuum:-(I.) quod Anglicana Ecclesia libera sit, et habeat jura sua integra et libertates suas illæsas, et ita volumus observari, quod apparet ex eo quod libertatem electionum, que maxima, et magis necessaria reputatur Ecclesiæ Anglicanæ, mera et spontanea voluntate, ante discordiam inter nos et Barones nostros motam, concessimus, et charta nostra confirmavimus, et eam obtinuimus a Domini Papa Innocen tio Tertio confirmari: quam et nos observavimus, et ab hæredibus nostris in perpetuum bona fide volumus observari. Concessimus etiam omnibus