l«vi MEDLEYAL CIVILIZATION moment when John Lackland, beaten by the King of France, needed their support. While threatening to abandon him they obliged him, in 1-215, to swear a solemn oath that in the future he would respect all the liberties, that is, all the rights of the freemen of his kingdom. His promises were drawn up in an act of sixty-three articles, which the king sealed with his own seal. This is the famous Magna Oharia. Here are the two important articles: "Xo levy of money shall be established throughout the kingdom unless by order of the common council of our kingdom." "No freeman shall be arrested, imprisoned, banished, exiled or attaint in any way; we will not seize, nor cause to be seized, any one except through the common judg- ment by his equals, and according to the custom of the country/' Thus the king pledged himself: (i) To respect the property of his subjects and no longer to take their money except by their consent. (2) To respect their persons in not chastising them save after a regular trial and sentence. These wore still nothing but promises; no power O"»uld prevent the king from violating them, and he does often violate them. But each king on his acces- sion renews these promises (there have been thirty- three ratifications of the Magna Cliarta), and this vow at least warns him of his duties. They are inscribed in a solemn act that is known to all Englishman; it recalls to them that they have the right to be neither taxed nur arrested according to the good pleasure of the king. Out of these ideas grew the two institutions which uill ever guarantee their liberty, i.e., the parlia- ment and the jury. The Magna Charta has established