Magna Carta (1297)
1297 c. 9
The Latin Indorsement beginning “Magna Carta” is at the bottom of Membrane 38, of the Roll, being the last of the three Membranes on which are entered The Inspeximus and Confirmation of the Great Charter and of the Charter of the Forest, the Charter of Confirmation in French, and the King's Pardon; in Order as they are printed from hence [Statutes of the Realm, volume 1, page 114] to the End of page 124. In all former Printed Copies the Great Charter and the Charter of the Forest, as granted by King Henry III. and confirmed by King Edward I. have been inserted under the ninth year of K. Henry III. See the Collection of Charters of Liberties preceding the Statutes [in Statutes of the Realm, volume 1], and Chapter II. of the Introduction prefixed to [the same] Volume. The Various Readings marked L. are from the Charter of Inspeximus 25 Edw. I, under the Great Seal preserved among the Archives of the City of London. See page 33, of the Charters of Liberties [in Statutes of the Realm, volume 1].
EDWARD by the Grace of God King of England, Lord of Ireland, and Duke of Guyan, X3to all Archbishops, Bishops, &c. We have seen the Great Charter of the Lord Henry sometimes King of England, our Father, of the Liberties of England in these words:
HENRY by the Grace of God King of England, Lord of Ireland, Duke of Normandy and Guyan, and Earl of Anjou, to all Archbishops, Bishops, Abbots, Priors, Earls, Barons, Sheriffs, Provosts, Officers, and to all Bailiffs, and other our faithful Subjects, which shall see this present Charter, Greeting: Know Ye, that We, unto the honour of Almighty God, and for the salvation of (X4) the souls of our Progenitors and Successors [Kings of England,] to the advancement of Holy Church and amendment of our Realm, of our meer and free will, have given and granted to all Archbishops, Bishops, Abbots, Priors, Earls, Barons, and to all [Freemen] of this our Realm, these Liberties following, to be kept in our Kingdom of England for ever.
I Confirmation of Liberties.
FIRST, We have granted to God, and by this our present Charter have confirmed, for Us and our Heirs for ever, that the Church of England shall be free, and shall have all her whole Rights and Liberties inviolable. We have granted also, and given to all the Freemen of our Realm, for Us and our Heirs for ever, these Liberties under-written, to have and to hold to them and their Heirs, of Us and our Heirs for ever.
II–VI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F1
VII. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F2
VIII. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F3
IX Liberties of London, &c.
THE City of London shall have all the old Liberties and Customs [which it hath been used to have]. Moreover We will and grant, that all other Cities, Boroughs, Towns, and the Barons of the Five Ports, and all other Ports, shall have all their Liberties and free Customs.
X. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F4
XI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F5
XIII. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F6
XIV. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F7
XV–XVI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F8
XVII. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F9
XVIII. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F10
XIX–XXI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F11
XXII. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F12
XXIII. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F13
XXIV. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F14
XXV. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F15
XXVI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F16
XXVII–XXVIII. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F17
XXIX Imprisonment, &c. contrary to Law. Administration of Justice.
NO Freeman shall be taken or imprisoned, or be disseised of his Freehold, or Liberties, or free Customs, or be outlawed, or exiled, or any other wise destroyed; nor will We not pass upon him, nor X5condemn him, but by lawful judgment of his Peers, or by the Law of the Land. We will sell to no man, we will not deny or defer to any man either Justice or Right.
XXX. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F18
XXXI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F19
XXXII. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F20
XXXIII. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F21
XXXV. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F22
XXXVI–XXXVII. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F23
General Saving. Observance of these Liberties. Subsidy, in respect of this Charter and Charter of the Forest.
Reserving to all Archbishops, Bishops, Abbots, Priors, Templars, Hospitallers, Earls, Barons, and all Persons, as well Spiritual as Temporal, all their X6free Liberties and free Customs, which they have had in time passed. And all these Customs and Liberties aforesaid, which We have granted to be holden within this our Realm, X7as much as appertaineth to Us and our Heirs, we shall observe; and all Men of this our Realm, as well Spiritual as Temporal, X8as 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 contained in our Charter of Liberties of our Forest, the Archbishops, Bishops, Abbots, Priors, Earls, Barons, Knights, Freeholders, and other our Subjects, have given unto Us the Fifteenth Part of all their Moveables. And We have granted unto them on the other part, (X9) 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. These being Witnesses; Lord X10B. Archbishop of Canterbury, E. Bishop of London, J. Bishop of Bathe, P. of Winchester, H. of Lincoln, R. of Salisbury, W. of Rochester, W. of Worcester, J. of Ely, H. of Hereford, R. of Chichester, W. of Exeter, Bishops; the Abbot of St. Edmonds, the Abbot of St. Albans, the Abbot of X11Bello, the Abbot of St. Augustine’s in Canterbury, the Abbot of Evesham, the Abbot of Westminster, the Abbot of X12Bourgh St. Peter, the Abbot of Reding, the Abbot of Abindon, the Abbot of Malmsbury, the Abbot of Winchcomb, the Abbot of Hyde, the Abbot of Certesey, the Abbot of Sherburn, the Abbot of Cerne, the Abbot of X13Abbotebir, the Abbot of Middleton, the Abbot of Seleby, the Abbot of Cirencester; H. de Burgh X14Justice, H. Earl of Chester and Lincoln, W. Earl of Salisbury, W. Earl of Warren, G. de Clare Earl of Gloucester and X15Hereford, W. de Ferrars Earl of Derby, W. de Mandeville Earl of Essex, H. de Bygod Earl of Norfolk, W. Earl of Albemarle, H. Earl of Hereford, J. Constable of Chester, R. de Ros, R. Fitzwalter, R. de Vyponte, W. de Bruer, R. de Muntefichet, P. Fitzherbert, W. de Aubenie, F. Gresly, F. de Breus, J. de X16Monemue, J. Fitzallen, H. de Mortimer, W. de Beauchamp, W. de St. John, P. de Mauly, Brian de Lisle, Thomas de Multon, R. de Argenteyn, G. de Nevil, W. de Mauduit, J. de Balun, and others. (X17)
We, Ratifying and approving these Gifts and Grants aforesaid, confirm and make strong all the same for Us and our Heirs perpetually, and by the Tenor of these Presents do renew the same: Willing and granting for Us and our Heirs, that X18this Charter and all and singular his Articles for ever shall be stedfastly, firmly, and inviolably observed; X19and if any Article in the same Charter contained yet hitherto peradventure hath not been kept X20We will and by authority royal command from henceforth firmly they be observed.
In Witness whereof We have caused these our Letters Patents to be made. X21T. Edward our son at Westminster, the twenty-eighth day of March in the twenty-eighth year of our Reign.
The original text of this Act was not modern English. The traditional translation appears first with obsolete characters modernised. The original text (as an image) appears second.The full reference to the chapter numbers of this Statute includes c. 37 of which has been partly repealed.