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ROGER OF WENDOVER Flowers of history. The history of England from the descent of the saxons to A.D. 1235. vol.1
page 452
which I bear to all of you, do hereby grant liberty to God's holy ehurch, that I will not make it subject to sale or let it out to farm, nor, when an archbishop, bishop, or abbat is dead, will I receive anything from the domain of the ehurch, or of its vassals, until a successor is appointed to it: and all the evil customs by which the kingdom of England has been unjustly oppressed, I hereby annul, which evil customs I here in part enumerate.
If any of my barons, earls, or others, who hold of me, shall die, his heir shall not redeem his lands, as he was accustomed to do in the time of my father, but shall pay a
just and lawful relief for the same : in the same way, also, the vassals of my barons shall pay a just and equitable relief to resume their lands from their lords. And, if any of my barons or others shall wish to give his daughter or sister, or niece or eousin, to any one in marriage, he may communicate with me thereon ; but I will not take anything from him for a licence, nor will I prevent him from giving her in marriage, unless it be to a man who is my enemy. And if any of my barons or others shall die, leaving a daughter to be his heir, I will give her in marriage together with her inheritance with the consent of my barons ; and if, when the husband is dead, the wife remains alive without children, she shall have her dowry and her right of marriage, neither will I give her in marriage against her own will. But if the wife remains alive having children, she shall have her dowry and right of marriage, whilst she shall keep her person according to law, neither will I give her in marriage against her own consent, and the lands of the children shall be in the custody of the wife, or some near relation, according to what is just and right, and I command my vassals to conduct themselves in the same way towards the sons, daughters, and wives of their vassals.
As regards the monetage in common use, which was taken throughout the cities and counties, which was not so in the time of king Eadward, I utterly annul and prohibit it ; and if any one shall be taken, either moneyer or other, with false money, let justice be done upon him according to law. I forgive all the pleas and debts which were due to the king my brother, except my farms, and except such as were contracted for the inheritances of others, or for those things
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