had broken their most solemn written engagements; and
the insincerity of John was notorious, At this period
there were no effective constitutional checks against the
King; and so a rude device was hit upon, in its nature
really impracticable, by which John granted, in effect, to all
his subjects a qualified liberty of rebellion. The whole
The twenty-five baronage were to elect a council of
“onservators. twenty-five barons charged to take care
with all their might that the provisions of the Charter
were carried into effect. If the King or any of his officers
should violate the Charter in the smallest particular, these
barons, or four of their number, were to complain to the
King, or in his absence to the Justiciar, and demand instant
redress. If no redress be given within forty days, ‘the
said five-and-twenty barons, together with the commonalty
The national unity Of the whole land (communa totius
“ecognised. ferree) shall distrain and distress us in
all possible ways, by seizing our castles, lands, possessions
and in any other manner they can, till the grievance is
redressed according to their pleasure, saving harmless our
own person and the persons of our queen and children ;
and when it is redressed they shall obey us as before,
And any person whatsoever in the land may swear that he
will obey the orders of the five-and-twenty barons aforesaid
in the execution of the premises, and will distress us,
jointly with them, to the utmost of his power; and we
publicly and freely give liberty to anyone that shall please
to swear this, and never will hinder any person from
taking the same oath, As to all those in the land who wil}
not of their own ‘accord swear to join the five-and-twenty
barons in distraining and distressing us, we will issue
orders to make them take the same cath ag aforesaid?