Our Legal Heritage: King AEthelbert - King George III, 600 A.D. - 1776: June 2011 (Sixth) EditionReilly, S. A.
History
Our Legal Heritage: King AEthelbert - King George III, 600 A.D. - 1776: June 2011 (Sixth) Edition
Reilly, S. A.
Law -- England -- History
AND ALL MEN OF THIS OUR REALM, AS WELL SPIRITUAL AS TEMPORAL (AS MUCH AS
IN THEM IS) SHALL OBSERVE THE SAME AGAINST ALL PERSONS IN LIKE WISE. AND
FOR THIS OUR GIFT AND GRANT OF THESE LIBERTIES, AND OF OTHER CONSTRAINED
IN OUR CHARTER OF LIBERTIES OF OUR FOREST, THE ARCHBISHOPS, BISHOPS,
ABBOTS, PRIORS, EARLS, BARONS, KNIGHTS, FREEHOLDERS, AND OUR OTHER
SUBJECTS, HAVE GIVEN UNTO US THE FIFTEENTH PART OF ALL THEIR MOVABLES.
AND WE HAVE GRANTED UNTO THEM ON THE OTHER PART, THAT NEITHER WE, NOR
OUR HEIRS, SHALL PROCURE OR DO ANY THING WHEREBY THE LIBERTIES IN THIS
CHARTER CONTAINED SHALL BE INFRINGED OR BROKEN. AND IF ANY THING BE
PROCURED BY ANY PERSON CONTRARY TO THE PREMISES, IT SHALL BE HAD OF NO
FORCE NOR EFFECT.
[ENFORCEMENT]
{Whereas we, for the honor of God and the reform of our realm, and in
order the better to allay the discord arisen between us and our barons,
have granted all these things aforesaid. We, willing that they be
forever enjoyed wholly and in lasting strength, do give and grant to our
subjects the following security, to wit, that the barons shall elect any
twenty-five barons of the realm they wish, who shall, with their utmost
power, keep, hold, and cause to be kept the peace and liberties which we
have granted unto them and by this our present Charter have confirmed,
so that if we, our Justiciary, bailiffs, or any of our ministers offends
in any respect against any man, or transgresses any of these articles of
peace or security, and the offense is brought before four of the said
twenty-five barons, those four barons shall come before us, or our Chief
Justiciary if we are out of the realm, declaring the offense, and shall
demand speedy amends for the same. If we or, in case of our being out of
the realm, our Chief Justiciary fails to afford redress within forty
days from the time the case was brought before us or, in the event of
our having been out of the realm, our Chief Justiciary, the aforesaid
four barons shall refer the matter to the rest of the twenty-five
barons, who, together with the commonalty of the whole country, shall
distrain and distress us to the utmost of their power, to wit, by
capture of our castles, lands, and possessions and by all other possible
means, until compensation is made according to their decision, saving
our person and that of our Queen and children; as soon as redress has
been had, they shall return to their former allegiance. Anyone in the
realm may take oath that, for the accomplishment of all the aforesaid
matters, he will obey the orders of the said twenty-five barons and
distress us to the utmost of his power; and we give public and free
leave to everyone wishing to take oath to do so, and to none will we
deny the same. Moreover, all such of our subjects who do not of their
own free will and accord agree to swear to the said twenty-five barons,
to distrain and distress us together with them, we will compel to do so
by our command in the aforesaid manner.
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