their numbers, solemnly swore before the high altar, "that if the king refused to do them justice in the demands they were about to make, they would forthwith put themselves in arms, and withdraw their allegiance from him until such time as by his charter, sealed, he would condescend thereto. And they further concluded, that after the Christmas following, they would repair unto him in a body, to represent these their desires; that in the mean time they would every one make such provision of horse and arms, that, in case he refused to abide by his oath, made the preceding year at Winchester, to restore the laws of his ancestors, especially those of St. Edward, and to do right to every one, they would, by seizure of his castles, compel him thereto."

At the appointed time, pursuant to their promise and obligations, they repaired in the beginning of January to the new Temple at London, where the king then lodged, accoutred in military garb and equipage, and boldly charged him with his oath made at Winchester, in which he had consented to a confirmation of the laws of Edward the Confessor. John, far from complying with their request, resented their presumption, and at first sought to intimidate them; but at length, perceiving their power and unanimity, begged a respite till Easter, under the pretence of considering what might be done consistent with his royal dignity. The barons, willing to afford him no just ground of complaint, after mutual consultation, and the delivery of hostages to them, acceded to his request, and departed quietly to their several

homes. They saw their own strength, and were certain at any time to enforce their demands.

Freedom, says an elegant writer, could never have found a more favourable juncture for its exertions than under the government of a weak and vicious monarch, such as John was; whose resistance only served to give splendour to every opposition. Although he had granted the barons assurances of his good intentions, yet nothing was further from his heart than complying with their demands; for no sooner did he perceive the success of this evasion, than, consulting his own safety, he required a renewal of the fealty of all his subjects, and, to secure himself the better, assumed the cross as a protection to his arbitrary measures. But the barons, who well knew his duplicity, and had provided against it, by increasing their resources and their numbers, met at Stamford in the Easter week, with a mighty army, and on the Monday following came to Brackley. On this, John, in great alarm, dispatched Hubert archbishop of Canterbury, Marshal earl of Pembroke, and other trusty persons, to know of them what laws and liberties those were which they required, and received from the barons a schedule, containing for the most part the ancient laws and customs of the realm; the barons expressing at the same time, that if the king should refuse to confirm them by his sealed charter, they would make seizure of his castles, until he did condescend thereto.

The king, on receiving this instrument, flew into a violent passion, asked why the barons did not also

demand his kingdom, and swore that he would never grant to them such liberties as would make him their servant. But the confederacy were now too strong to fear much from the consequences of his resentment: they were no sooner told his answer than they immediately betook themselves to arms, appointed Robert Fitzwalter, one of their associates, to be their general, calling him the marshal of the army for God and holy church, and proceeded without further ceremony to make war upon the king. They besieged Northampton during fifteen days; they took Bedford; they were joyfully received into London. They wrote circular letters to all the nobility and gentlemen who had not yet declared in their favour, and menaced their estates with devastation in case of refusal or delay.

In the mean time the timid king was left at Odiham in Hampshire, with a mean retinue of only seven knights, where he vainly endeavoured to avert the storm by the mediation of his bishops and ministers; but at length finding himself totally forsaken, and perceiving it vain to contend, he again sent the earl of Pembroke, with a few of his retainers, to say that he would meet them at a proper day and place, and settle all differences.

The ground whereon the king's commissioners met the barons was between Staines and Windsor, at a place called Runnemede", still held in reverence by posterity

• From Runne, a Saxon word signifying council or deliberation, and Mede, a meadow. On the king's side appeared the archbishops of

as the spot where the standard of freedom was first erected in England. There the barons appeared with a vast number of knights and warriors, on the 15th day of June, while those on the king's part came a day or two after. Both sides encamped apart like open enemies. The debate between power and precedent is generally but of short duration. The barons, determined on carrying their aims, would admit of few abatements; and the king's agents being for the most part in their interests, few debates ensued. After some days the king, with a facility somewhat suspicious, signed and sealed the charters required of him charters which are the famous bulwark of English liberty." The first was called CHARTA COMMUNIS LIBERTATUM, or MAGNA CHARTA; the Charter of Liberties, or Great Charter; the other was called CHARTA DE FORESTA, or the Charter of

:

Canterbury and Dublin, with the bishops of London, Winchester, Lincoln, Bath, Worcester, Coventry, and Rochester; Pandolf, the pope's legate; and Aymeric, master of the knights templars in England and of the laity, William Marshal, earl of Pembroke; the earls of Salisbury, Warren, and Arundel; with the barons Alan de Galloway, William Fitz-Gerald, Peter and Matthew Fitz-Herbert, Thomas and Alan Basset, Hugh de Nevis, Hubert de Burgh, seneschal of Poictou; Robert de Roppesley, John Marshal, and Philip de Albiney. As for those on the barons' side, they were almost innumerable, according to Matthew Paris: the chief were, Robert FitzWalter, the general; Richard earl of Clare; Geoffry earl of Essex and Gloucester; Roger Bigod, earl of Norfolk and Suffolk; Saher earl of Winchester, Robert earl of Oxford, Hugh earl of Hereford, William Marshal the younger, Eustace de Vescie, William de Moubray, John Fitz-Robert, Roger de Monte Begom, William de Llanvaley, Richard de Percy, Robert de Ross, Peter de Bruis, Nicholas de Stubevil, Roger de Creissy, &c. &c.

the Forests. The former, which now goes by the name of MAGNA CHARTA, either granted or secured very important privileges to every order of men in the kingdom; namely, to the clergy, to the nobility, and to the people: and this charter still continues in force. The remaining history of this celebrated grant is short.

John, whose seeming passiveness was all dissimulation, had no sooner given his forced consent," than, thinking it stood not with the dignity of a king to be thus constrained, and repenting of what he had done, he caused his castles to be manned and fortified, and sent messengers to the pope (Innocent III.), offering to hold this his kingdom of him as his feudary, in case he would annul his grants made to the barons." The pontiff, tempted by so splendid a bait, warmly espoused his cause, and annulled the whole charter. The barons had recourse to foreign assistance, the flame of civil war was lighted, and a train of distractions ensued, which reduced the kingdom to extremity, and at length terminated in the death of the king; who fell, it is thought, the victim of his own pernicious policy.

Henry III. at the age of nine years was solemnly brought to the high altar at Westminster, by Walo, the pope's legate, and the bishops and noblemen of England, and taking his oath "that he would bear reverence to God and holy church, and exhibit justice to his people, abolish all evil laws and customs, as also cause the good laws to be observed," &c. was