Page:A History and Defence of Magna Charta.djvu/18

xii concedendo, that no tallage or aid ſhould be laid or levied, by the King or his heirs, in this realm, without the good will and aſſent of the archbiſhops, biſhops, earls, barons, knights, burgeſſes, and other freemen of the commonalty of this realm: and by authority of parliament holden in the five and twentieth year of the reign of King III. it is declared and enacted, that from henceforth, no perſon ſhall be compelled to make any loans to the King againſt his will, becauſe ſuch loans were againſt reaſon, and the franchiſe of the land; and by other laws of this realm it is provided, that none ſhall be charged by any charge or impoſition, called a benevolence, nor by ſuch like charge, by which the ſtatutes beforementioned, and other good laws and ſtatutes of this realm, your ſubjects have inherited this freedom, that they ſhould not be compelled to contribute to any tax, tallage, aid, or other like charge, not ſet by common conſent in parliament.

“ nevertheleſs, of late, divers commiſſions, directed to ſundry commiſſioners in ſeveral counties with inſtructions, have been iſſued, by means whereof, your people have been, in divers Places, aſſembled, and required to lend certain