Constitutional history -- England -- Sources; Magna Carta
All those, moveover, in the land who of themselves and of their own
accord are unwilling to swear to the twenty five to help them in
constraining and molesting us, we shall by our command compel the same
to swear to the effect foresaid. And if any one of the five and twenty
barons shall have died or departed from the land, or be incapacitated
in any other manner which would prevent the foresaid provisions being
carried out, those of the said twenty five barons who are left shall
choose another in his place according to their own judgment, and he
shall be sworn in the same way as the others. Further, in all matters,
the execution of which is entrusted to these twenty five barons, if
perchance these twenty five are present and disagree about anything, or
if some of them, after being summoned, are unwilling or unable to be
present, that which the majority of those present ordain or command
shall be held as fixed and established, exactly as if the whole twenty
five had concurred in this; and the said twenty five shall swear that
they will faithfully observe all that is aforesaid, and cause it to be
observed with all their might. And we shall procure nothing from
anyone, directly or indirectly, whereby any part of these concessions
and liberties might be revoked or diminished; and if any such things
has been procured, let it be void and null, and we shall never use it
personally or by another.
62. And all the will, hatreds, and bitterness that have arisen between
us and our men, clergy and lay, from the date of the quarrel, we have
completely remitted and pardoned to everyone. Moreover, all trespasses
occasioned by the said quarrel, from Easter in the sixteenth year of
our reign till the restoration of peace, we have fully remitted to all,
both clergy and laymen, and completely forgiven, as far as pertains to
us. And on this head, we have caused to be made for them letters
testimonial patent of the lord Stephen, archbishop of Canterbury, of
the lord Henry, archbishop of Dublin, of the bishops aforesaid, and of
Master Pandulf as touching this security and the concessions aforesaid.
63. Wherefore we will and firmly order that the English Church be free,
and that the men in our kingdom have and hold all the aforesaid
liberties, rights, and concessions, well and peaceably, freely and
quietly, fully and wholly, for themselves and their heirs, of us and
our heirs, in all respects and in all places forever, as is aforesaid.
An oath, moreover, has been taken, as well on our part as on the part
of the barons, that all these conditions aforesaid shall be kept in
good faith and without evil intent. Given under our hand - the above
named and many others being witnesses - in the meadow which is called
Runnymede, between Windsor and Staines, on the fifteenth day of June,
in the seventeenth year of our reign.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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