A.D. 1216. FIRST CHARTER OF HENRY III. This first reissue of the Great Charter took place in the council at which, under the influence of the legate, the mass of the prelates and the barons who were not committed to the French party swore fealty to the king. The omissions and additions in this edition are very significant. All the merely temporary provisions of the Great Charter of John are left out as a matter of course, as well as the clauses which were intended to secure the execution of them. The most important omissions are those of the articles which restricted the king's power of increasing his revenue, such as those touching the ferm of the counties, the debts of the Jews, and the alterations in the forest law; and most especially that which forbids the levying of an aid over and above the three ordinary ones, without the consent of the Commune Consilium regni.' The ministers seem to have felt that in the present state of affairs it would be foolish to bind the young king by the terms which were necessary to bind his father, and that as they themselves were likely to have the administration of the country for some years, it would be imprudent to tie their own hands. It must be considered also that some of the most determined opponents of the royal power were in arms against the king, and that thus one element of the compromise was wanting. The archbishop, whose political foresight would have discerned the danger of omitting the 12th and 14th clauses, was at Rome. It is curious to mark the papal sanction given by Gualo to the Charter, the original enactment of which had subjected the barons to the sentence of excommunication. The minor alterations are characterised by the increased authority allowed to feudal lords over their vassals, and the relaxation of the terms defining the royal appointment of judges. Whilst the taxative power of the Crown is thus unfettered, its judicial control over the feudatories seems to be weakened; and this denotes perhaps the spirit of the compromise. In the 42nd article, however, the ministers guard against the suspicion of dishonest dealing with the Charter the omitted clauses are merely respited, and a promise is made of full consideration and ready completion of all that shall conduce to the wellbeing of the body politic. HENRICUS Dei gratia rex Angliae, dominus Hyberniae, dux Normanniae et Aquitanniae, et comes Andegaviae, archiepiscopis, episcopis, abbatibus, comitibus, baronibus, justitiariis, forestariis, vicecomitibus, praepositis, ministris, ballivis et omnibus fidelibus suis, salutem. Sciatis nos intuitu Dei et pro salute animae nostrae et omnium antecessorum et successorum nostrorum, ad honorem Dei et exaltationem sanctae ecclesiae et emendationem regni nostri, per consilium venerabilium patrum nostrorum domini Gualonis tituli Sancti Martini presbiteri cardinalis apostolicae sedis legati, Petri Wintoniensis, R. de Sancto Asapho, J. Bathoniensis et Glastoniensis, S. Exoniensis, R. Cicestrensis, W. Coventrensis, B. Roffensis, H. Landavensis, Menevensis, -Bangorensis et S. Wygornensis, episcoporum ; et nobilium virorum Willelmi Mariscalli comitis Penbrociae, Ranulfi comitis Cestriae, Willelmi de Ferrariis comitis Derebiae, Willelmi comitis Albemarlae, Huberti de Burgo Justitiarii nostri, Savarici de Maloleone, Willelmi Brigwerre patris, Willelmi Brigwerre filii, Roberti de Curtenay, Falkesii de Breaute, Reginaldi de Vautort, Walteri de Lascy, Hugonis de Mortuo Mari, Johannis de Monemute, Walteri de Bello campo, Walteri de Clifford, Rogeri de Clifford, Roberti de Mortuo Mari, Willelmi de Cantilupe, Mathaei filii Hereberti, Johannis Mariscalli, Alani Basset, Philippi de Albiniaco, Johannis Extranei et aliorum fidelium nostrorum :1. Imprimis illaesas. Concessimus nostris; as in the charter of John, the intermediate clause on freedom of election being omitted. 2. Si quis feodorum; as in the charter of John, art. 2. 3. Si autem haeres alicujus talium fuerit infra aetatem, dominus ejus non habeat custodiam ejus nec terrae suae, antequam homagium ejus ceperit; et postquam talis haeres fuerit in custodia, cum ad aetatem pervenerit, scilicet viginti unius anni, habeat haereditatem suam sine relevio et sine fine, ita tamen quod si ipse dum infra aetatem fuerit, fiat miles, nihilominus terra remaneat in custodia domini sui usque ad terminum praedictum. 4. Custos-praedictum est. M. C. Joh. art. 4. 5. Custos-carucis; M. C. Joh. art. 5, ending thus et omnibus aliis rebus ad minus secundum quod illam recepit. Haec omnia observentur de custodiis archiepiscopatuum, episcopatuum, abbatiarum, prioratuum, ecclesiarum et dignitatum vacantium, excepto quod custodiae hujusmodi vendi non debent. 6. Haeredes disparagatione. M. C. Joh. art. 6, omitting the concluding words. 7. Vidua—dos sua, M. C. Joh. art. 7, adding, nisi prius ei fuerit assignata, vel nisi domus illa sit castrum; et si de castro recesserit, statim provideatur ei domus competens in qua possit honeste morari quousque dos sua ei assignetur secundum quod praedictum est. 8. Nulla tenuerit. M. C. Joh. art. 8. 9. Nos vero vel ballivi-reddendum, M. C. Joh. art. 9; et ipse debitor paratus sit inde satisfacere, nec plegii-non habens, M. C. Joh. art. 9; unde reddat, aut reddere nolit cum possit, plegii-plegios. M. C. Joh. art. 9. The 10th, 11th, and 12th articles of the charter of 10. Civitas Londoniarum habeat omnes antiquas libertates et liberas consuetudines suas. Praeterea volumus et concedimus quod omnes aliae civitates et burgi et villae et barones de quinque portubus et omnes portus habeant omnes libertates et liberas consuetudines suas. M. C. Joh. art. 13. The 14th and 15th articles of the charter of John are omitted. II. Nullus-debetur. M. C. Joh. art. 16. 12. Communia-certo. M. C. Joh. art. 17. 13. Recognitiones-praedictas. M. C. Joh. art. 18. 14. Et si-minus. M. C. Joh. art. 19. 15. Liber homo-visneto. M. C. Joh. art. 17, ending proborum et legalium hominum de visneto. 16. Comites-delicti. M. C. Joh. art. 21. 17. Nullus clericus-ecclesiastici, M. C. Joh. art.22, omitting de laico tenemento suo. 18. Nec villa-debent. M. C. Joh. art. 23. 19. Nullus vicecomes-nostrae. M. C. Joh. art. 24. The 25th article of the charter of John is omitted. 20. Si aliquis-partibus suis. M. C. Joh. art. 26. The 27th article of the charter of John is omitted. 21. Nullus constabularius vel ejus ballivus capiat blada vel alia catalla alicujus qui non sit de villa ubi castrum situm est, nisi statim inde reddat denarios aut respectum inde habere possit de voluntate venditoris; si autem de villa fuerit, teneatur infra tres septimanas pretium reddere. M. C. Joh. art. 28. 22. Nullus-exercitu. M. C. Joh. art. 29. 23. Nullus vicecomes vel ballivus noster vel alius capiat equos vel carettas alicujus pro cariagio faciendo, nisi reddat liberationem antiquitus statutam, scilicet pro caretta ad duos equos decem denarios per diem, et pro caretta ad tres equos quatuordecim denarios per diem. M. C. Joh. art. 30. 24. Nec nos fuerit. M. C. Joh. art. 31. 34. Omnes mercatores, nisi publice ante prohibiti fuerint, habeant-terra nostra. M. C. Joh. art. 41. The 42nd article of the charter of John is omitted. 35. M. C. Joh. art. 43. 36. M. C. Joh. art. 44. The 45th article of the charter of John is omitted. 37. M. C. Joh. art. 46, adding, et sicut supra declaratum est. 38. Omnes forestae quae afforestatae sunt tempore regis Johannis patris nostri statim deafforestentur, et ita fiat de ripariis quae per eundem Johannem tempore suo positae sunt in defenso. M. C. Joh. art. 47. The articles 48 to 53, inclusive, of the charter of John are omitted. 39. M. C. Joh. art. 54. The 55th article of the charter of John is omitted. 40. Et si rex Johannes pater noster dissaisierit vel elongaverit Wallenses-nostris; as in M. C. Joh, art. 56. The 57th, 58th, and 59th articles of the charter of John are omitted. 41. M. C. Joh. art. 60. The remaining articles of the charter of John are omitted. 42. Quia vero quaedam capitula in priore carta continebantur quae gravia et dubitabilia videbantur, scilicet de scutagiis et auxiliis assidendis, de debitis Judaeorum et aliorum, et de libertate exeundi de regno nostro vel redeundi in regnum, et de forestis et forestariis, warennis et warennariis, et de consuetudinibus comitatuum et de ripariis et earum custodibus, placuit supradictis praelatis et magnatibus ea esse in respectu quousque plenius consilium habuerimus, et tunc faciemus plenissime tam de hiis quam de aliis quae occurrerint emendanda, quae ad communem omnium utilitatem pertinuerint et pacem et statum nostrum et regni nostri. Quia vero sigillum nondum habuimus, praesentem cartam sigillis venerabilis patris nostri domini Gualonis tituli Sancti Martini presbyteri cardinalis, apostolicae sedis legati, et Willelmi Mariscalli comitis Penbrokiae, rectoris nostri et regni nostri fecimus sigillari. Testibus omnibus praenominatis et aliis multis. Datum per manus praedictorum domini legati et Willelmi Mariscalli comitis Penbrokiae apud Bristollum duodecimo die Novembris anno regni nostri primo.-(Statutes of the Realm-Charters of Liberties, 14-16.) A.D. 1217. SUMMONS OF THE SHERIFF TO BRING UP The following writ directs the sheriff to collect the whole force of his county in arms: (1) the feudal levy in the proportion determined by the extent of the holdings of the tenants in chief; and (2) the force armed under the Assize of Arms on the nonfeudal principle. It was probably issued in preparation for the march of the Earl Marshall on London, whither Lewis had betaken himself after the battle of Lincoln. The writ bears the same relation to the summons of the barons to military service, as the summons to the county court bears to the summons to Parliament. (See below, A.D. 1231.) REX vicecomiti Berkescirae, salutem. Praecipimus tibi quod venire facias usque Oxoniam die Dominica proxima post festum Sancti Petri ad Vincula totum servitium quod archiepiscopi, episcopi, abbates et viri religiosi, comites et barones et omnes alii de ballia tua, quicunque fuerint, nobis debent; et venire facias illuc ad diem illum similiter omnes illos de ballia tua qui non sunt homines praedictorum et per catalla eorum et alia jurati sunt, promptos et paratos ad eundum in servitium nostrum quo eis praeceperimus. Quia etc. T. apud Oxoniam, XXII die Julii.-(Report on the Dignity of a Peer, App. p. 2.) |