Page:Readings in European History Vol 1.djvu/269

 I England in t/ic Middle Ages 233 King John, when he saw that he was deserted by almost all, so that out of his regal superabundance of followers he scarcely retained seven knights, was much alarmed lest the barons should attack his castles and reduce them without difficulty, as they would find no obstacle to their so doing. So he deceitfully pretended to make peace for a time with the aforesaid barons, and sent William Marshall, earl of Pembroke, with other trustworthy messengers, to them, and told them that, for the sake of peace and for the exaltation and honor of the kingdom, he would willingly grant them the laws and liberties they required ; he also sent word to the barons by these same messengers, to appoint a fitting day and place to meet and carry all these matters into effect The king's messengers then came in all haste to London, and without deceit did report to the barons all that had been deceitfully imposed on them ; they, in their great joy, appointed the i5th of June for the king to meet them at a field lying between Staines and Windsor. Accordingly, at the time and place pre-agreed upon, the king and nobles came to the appointed conference, and when each party had stationed themselves apart from the other, they began a long discussion about terms of peace and the aforesaid liberties. . . . At length, after various points on both sides had been discussed, King John, seeing that he was inferior in strength to the barons, without raising any difficulty, granted the underwritten laws, and liberties and confirmed them by his charter as follows : V. PRINCIPAL PROVISIONS OF THE GREAT CHARTER John, by the grace of God King of England, Lord of Ireland, 100. Princi- Duke of Normandy and Aquitaine, Count of Anjou, to the Pf ! P ro ~ archbishops, bishops, abbots, earls, barons, justiciars, foresters, Magna sheriffs, reeves, servants, and all bailiffs and to his faithful Charta. people, greeting: Know that by the suggestion of God and for the good of our soul and of those of all our predecessors and of our heirs, to the honor of God and the exaltation of holy Church, and