A Source Book for Mediæval History: Selected Documents illustrating the History of Europe in the Middle AgeThatcher, Oliver J. (Oliver Joseph)
History
A Source Book for Mediæval History: Selected Documents illustrating the History of Europe in the Middle Age
Thatcher, Oliver J. (Oliver Joseph)
Europe -- History -- 476-1492 -- Sources; Middle Ages -- Sources
2. We will never grant any new tolls or new mints within the territory
or jurisdiction of any one of the princes except by his consent and
desire. We will preserve and defend the ancient tolls and mints which
have been granted to their churches, neither infringing these rights
ourselves nor permitting anyone else to do so. We forbid anyone to
cheapen or confuse the coinage of the princes by making coins of similar
appearance.
3. We will never admit to citizenship in our cities the subjects of any
of the ecclesiastical princes, who have left the services of their lord
for any cause. We desire that the same consideration be shown by the
ecclesiastical princes to one another, and by the lay princes to the
ecclesiastics.
4. We forbid advocates to injure the property of churches committed to
their care. If they do so they shall restore the damage twofold, and pay
100 marks of silver to the royal treasury as a fine.
5. If the vassal of any of the ecclesiastical princes has been convicted
of offence against his lord by feudal law and has been ejected from his
fief, we will protect the lord in his retention of the fief, and if he
wishes to give the fief to us we will accept it without regard to the
love or hate of anyone. If the fief of an ecclesiastical lord has become
vacant by the above process or by the death of the holder, we will never
lay claim to it unless it is given to us by the will and desire of the
lord, and we will defend him in his possession of it.
6. If any of the ecclesiastical princes has excommunicated anyone and
has notified us of this by word of mouth or letter or by reliable
messengers, we will refuse to have any dealings with the excommunicated
person. Such a person shall be deprived of his rights before the law,
this deprivation not freeing him from the obligation of answering the
accusations against him, but destroying his right to bear testimony or
give judgment, or to bring suit against others.
7. And since the secular sword is intended to support the spiritual
sword, we declare that our ban shall follow upon the excommunication
pronounced by an ecclesiastical prince, if the excommunicated person is
not absolved within six weeks; the ban of the empire shall not be
revoked until the excommunication is withdrawn.
8. We have promised also to support and defend the princes by our
authority in all cases, and they have promised on their faith to aid us
to the best of their ability against any man who resists our authority.
9. We decree also that no buildings, castles, or cities shall be erected
upon ecclesiastical lands through the interests of the advocate or
through any other pretext. If such are erected without the consent of
those to whom the lands belong they shall be destroyed by the royal
authority.
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