A.D. 1215. ] ENFORCEMENT OF THE CIIAIÎTF.rt. .123 //oie the king of England by letters patent ordered the aforesaid liberties to he observed. After this king John sent his letters patent throughout all the English territories, strictly ordering all the sheriffs o f (hewhole kingdom to make the inhabitants in their jurisdictions of every rank, swear to observe the above-written laws ami liberties, and also, as far as lay in tlieir power, to annoy and harass him, the king, by taking his eastles till he fulfilled'all the above-mentioned terms, as contained in the charter. After which, many nobles of the kingdom came to the king asking him for tlieir rights of land and possessions, and the custody of the eastles, which, as they said, belonged to them by hereditary right; but the king delayed this matter till it was proved on the oath of liege men, what of right was due to each ; and, the morti fully to effect this, he fixed the Kit!» of August as a day for them all to come to Westminster. Nevertheless he restored to Stephen archbishop of Canterbury the castle of Rochester and the Tower of London, mure to pain the good-will of the prelates and nobles, granted free elections in ali the churches of England ; and the king himself, as well as the nobles andj prelates, procured a confirmation of this charter and grant from the pupe, and, for better security, the king's charter was inserted, scaled iti the pope's warrant of continuation. The twenty-five barons chosen were as follow : — The earls of Clare, Albemarle, Gloucester, Winchester, and Hereford ; earls Robert,Kogor, .Marshall the younger, Robert Kitz-Walter the elder, Gilbert ile Clare, Kustacc do Vesey, Hugh liigod, William Mcrsbrav mayor of London, Gilbert de Laval, Robert de Roos constable of Chester, Richard Percy, John l-'itz-Robert, William Malet, Geoffrey ile Say, Roger de Mowbray, William of 1 luntinglield, Richard de Montfichet, and William dc Albeney. These twenty-tive barons,at the king's request,'swore on theii souls that they would observe these customs in every point, and would compel the king to observe them by force, if he should by chance wish to withdraw his consent. The following nobles swore on their souls to obey the commands of the twenty-live barons ; the earl of Clare, the earl of Arundel, earl Warrenne, Henry Doyly, Hubert de Bourg, Matthew Viu-Herbcrt, Robert Pinkncy, Roger Huscarl, Robert de Newburg, Henry de Pont Omar, Ralph de la Haye, Henry de Ilrentlield, Warren t'itz-Gcralil, Thomas Basset, William de Rokeland, William St. John, Alan Basaci, Richard de Bankes, Hugh de Renerai, Jordan de Sackville, Ra. Musgard, Ri Alleovast, Robert de Re pel e, Andrew ile Beauchamp, Walter of I'unstable, Walter l'olioth, l'adikes, John Marshal, Philip de Albeney, William Pare, Ralph de Nornianville, William de Parcy, William Agorlun, Kngcrus ili- Pratesi, William de Cirent, Roger de Xuchn, Roger l-'it/-Bernard, and Godfrey ile Craeonibe, who all swore that they would obey theicom mauds of the twentv-fivc barons." γ 2