The Angevins and the Charter (1154-1216): The Beginning of English Law, the Invasion of Ireland and the Crusades
History
The Angevins and the Charter (1154-1216): The Beginning of English Law, the Invasion of Ireland and the Crusades
Great Britain -- History -- Angevin period, 1154-1216 -- Sources; Magna Carta
At this moment the King sent him word by his knights to come to him
without delay, and render to him a full account of all the receipts of
the revenues of the kingdom during the time that he had been his
Chancellor. And, in particular, he was questioned with reference to
thirty thousand pounds of silver; on which the archbishop made answer:
"My lord the King knows that I have often rendered him an account with
reference to all the demands he is now making upon me before my election
to the Archbishopric of Canterbury. But, upon my election to that See,
the King's son, Henry, to whom the kingdom was bound by its oath, and
all the barons of the exchequer, and Richard de Lucy, the justiciary of
England, released me before God and the Holy Church, from all receipts
and reckonings, and from all secular exactions on behalf of our lord the
King, and thus, free and acquitted, was I elected to the administration
of the duties of this office; and for that reason do I refuse to plead
any further." The King, upon hearing this, said to his barons: "Make
haste and pronounce judgment upon this person, who, being my liege-man,
refuses to take his trial in my court"; on which they went forth and
pronounced that he deserved to be arrested and placed in confinement. On
hearing this, the King sent to him Reginald, Earl of Cornwall, and
Robert, Earl of Leicester, to inform him of the judgment that had been
pronounced upon him: who accordingly said to him: "Listen to the
judgment pronounced upon you." To this, the bishop made answer: "In the
name of Almighty God, and under penalty of excommunication, I forbid you
this day to pronounce judgment upon me, inasmuch as I have appealed unto
the presence of our lord the Pope." While the above-named earls were
carrying this answer to the King, the archbishop went forth from the
chamber, and going through the midst of them, reached his palfrey, and
mounting it, left the palace, all the people shouting after him and
saying: "Where are you going, traitor? Stop and hear your sentence!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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