搜索
TheMagnaCarta(TheGreatCharter)1215(Clausesmarked(+)arestillvalidunderthecharterof1225,butwithafewminoramendments.Clausesmarked(*)wereomittedinalllaterreissuesofthecharter.Inthecharteritselftheclausesarenotnumbered,andthetextreadscontinuously.ThetranslationsetsouttoconveythesenseratherthantheprecisewordingoftheoriginalLatin.)JOHN,bythegraceofGodKingofEngland,LordofIreland,DukeofNormandyandAquitaine,andCountofAnjou,tohisarchbishops,bishops,abbots,earls,barons,justices,foresters,sheriffs,stewards,servants,andtoallhisofficialsandloyalsubjects,Greeting.KNOWTHATBEFOREGOD,forthehealthofoursoulandthoseofourancestorsandheirs,tothehonourofGod,theexaltationoftheholyChurch,andthebetterorderingofourkingdom,attheadviceofourreverendfathersStephen,archbishopofCanterbury,primateofallEngland,andcardinaloftheholyRomanChurch,HenryarchbishopofDublin,WilliambishopofLondon,PeterbishopofWinchester,JocelinbishopofBathandGlastonbury,HughbishopofLincoln,WalterBishopofWorcester,WilliambishopofCoventry,BenedictbishopofRochester,MasterPandulfsubdeaconandmemberofthepapalhousehold,BrotherAymericmasteroftheknighthoodoftheTempleinEngland,WilliamMarshalearlofPembroke,WilliamearlofSalisbury,WilliamearlofWarren,WilliamearlofArundel,AlandeGallowayconstableofScotland,WarinFitzGerald,PeterFitzHerbert,HubertdeBurghseneschalofPoitou,HughdeNeville,MatthewFitzHerbert,ThomasBasset,AlanBasset,PhilipDaubeny,RobertdeRoppeley,JohnMarshal,JohnFitzHugh,andotherloyalsubjects:+(1)FIRST,THATWEHAVEGRANTEDTOGOD,andbythispresentcharterhaveconfirmedforusandourheirsinperpetuity,thattheEnglishChurchshallbefree,andshallhaveitsrightsundiminished,anditslibertiesunimpaired.Thatwewishthissotobeobserved,appearsfromthefactthatofourownfreewill,beforetheoutbreakofthepresentdisputebetweenusandourbarons,wegrantedandconfirmedbycharterthefreedomoftheChurch'selections-arightreckonedtobeofthegreatestnecessityandimportancetoit-andcausedthistobeconfirmedbyPopeInnocentIII.Thisfreedomweshallobserveourselves,anddesiretobeobservedingoodfaithbyourheirsinperpetuity.TOALLFREEMENOFOURKINGDOMwehavealsogranted,forusandourheirsforever,allthelibertieswrittenoutbelow,tohaveandtokeepforthemandtheirheirs,ofusandourheirs:(2)Ifanyearl,baron,orotherpersonthatholdslandsdirectlyoftheCrown,formilitaryservice,shalldie,andathisdeathhisheirshallbeoffullageandowea`relief',theheirshallhavehisinheritanceonpaymentoftheancientscaleof`relief'.Thatistosay,theheirorheirsofanearlshallpay£100fortheentireearl'sbarony,theheirorheirsofaknightl00s.atmostfortheentireknight's`fee',andanymanthatoweslessshallpayless,inaccordancewiththeancientusageof`fees'(3)Butiftheheirofsuchapersonisunderageandaward,whenhecomesofageheshallhavehisinheritancewithout`relief'orfine.(4)Theguardianofthelandofanheirwhoisunderageshalltakefromitonlyreasonablerevenues,customarydues,andfeudalservices.Heshalldothiswithoutdestructionordamagetomenorproperty.Ifwehavegiventheguardianshipofthelandtoasheriff,ortoanypersonanswerabletousfortherevenues,andhecommitsdestructionordamage,wewillexactcompensationfromhim,andthelandshallbeentrustedtotwoworthyandprudentmenofthesame`fee',whoshallbeanswerabletousfortherevenues,ortothepersontowhomwehaveassignedthem.Ifwehavegivenorsoldtoanyonetheguardianshipofsuchland,andhecausesdestructionordamage,heshalllosetheguardianshipofit,anditshallbehandedovertotwoworthyandprudentmenofthesame`fee',whoshallbesimilarlyanswerabletous.(5)Forsolongasaguardianhasguardianshipofsuchland,heshallmaintainthehouses,parks,fishpreserves,ponds,mills,andeverythingelsepertainingtoit,fromtherevenuesofthelanditself.Whentheheircomesofage,heshallrestorethewholelandtohim,stockedwithploughteamsandsuchimplementsofhusbandryastheseasondemandsandtherevenuesfromthelandcanreasonablybear.(6)Heirsmaybegiveninmarriage,butnottosomeoneoflowersocialstanding.Beforeamarriagetakesplace,itshallbe'madeknowntotheheir'snext-of-kin.(7)Atherhusband'sdeath,awidowmayhavehermarriageportionandinheritanceatonceandwithouttrouble.Sheshallpaynothingforherdower,marriageportion,oranyinheritancethatsheandherhusbandheldjointlyonthedayofhisdeath.Shemayremaininherhusband'shouseforfortydaysafterhisdeath,andwithinthisperiodherdowershallbeassignedtoher.(8)Nowidowshallbecompelledtomarry,solongasshewishestoremainwithoutahusband.Butshemustgivesecuritythatshewillnotmarrywithoutroyalconsent,ifsheholdsherlandsoftheCrown,orwithouttheconsentofwhateverotherlordshemayholdthemof.(9)Neitherwenorourofficialswillseizeanylandorrentinpaymentofadebt,solongasthedebtorhasmovablegoodssufficienttodischargethedebt.Adebtor'ssuretiesshallnotbedistraineduponsolongasthedebtorhimselfcandischargehisdebt.If,forlackofmeans,thedebtorisunabletodischargehisdebt,hissuretiesshallbeanswerableforit.Iftheysodesire,theymayhavethedebtor'slandsandrentsuntiltheyhavereceivedsatisfactionforthedebtthattheypaidforhim,unlessthedebtorcanshowthathehassettledhisobligationstothem.*(10)IfanyonewhohasborrowedasumofmoneyfromJewsdiesbeforethedebthasbeenrepaid,hisheirshallpaynointerestonthedebtforsolongasheremainsunderage,irrespectiveofwhomhehold