Page:A History and Defence of Magna Charta.djvu/191



I. The Capitula or articles on which the Magna Charta of K. John was framed, the original of which in Latin, with K. John’s ſeal to it, was found in the ſtudy of Dr. Warner, biſhop of Rocheſter, and afterwards came into the hand of Dr. Burnet, late biſhop of Saliſbury. It appears that this is the inſtrument mentioned by Matt. Paris, p. 254. Archiepiſcopus ſchedulam illam, &c. “The archbiſhop with other brought that ſchedule to the King, and recited before him all the Capitula, &c.” which though the King then rejected, he ſhortly after agreed to, as may be gathered from the next page of that hiſtorian.

II. A copy in French, or old Norman, of the Magna Charta of K. John complete, which agrees with the Latin one printed in Matt. Paris; it being cuſtomary in old times to make three copies of public acts and charters, viz. in Latin, French, and Engliſh. This which is printed here was kept in the records of France, and thence publiſhed by Luke Dachery in his Spicelegium.

Both the Capitula and the charter at large are likewiſe here tranſlated for the benefit of common readers.

They who are curious to have a more particular account of theſe copies, may conſult the appendix to a pamphlet publiſhed about the year 1689 (and ſince reprinted in the firſt volume of State Tracts in K. William’s reign) intitled, Reflections upon the opinions of ſome modern Divines, &c.