A. D. 1213. . 379 



tion *, except thofe purchafed by Richard I for his crufade, the navies 

 fitted out for war being merely the whole mercantile fhipping of the 

 kingdom, prefTed into the fervice : fo that in thofe times the owners 

 could never call their vefTels their own f . 



1 21 5, June 15"" — The oppreffions and mifcondudl of King John 

 brought on a civil war, which was now concluded by figning the fam- 

 ous Magna Charta, or Great Charter of the liberties of the people 

 of England, or, indeed, more truely fpeaking, of the clergy and barons; 

 for the great body of the people were as yet of too little importance to 

 have much attention paid to their concerns. Of the numerous articles 

 of this charter, the following are thofe by which the interefts of the 

 commercial part of the community were likely to be affeded. 



By the fourth fecSion, the guardians of a minor are prohibited from 

 deflroying or wafting the men or goods belonging to the eftate, the pea- 

 fants attached to the lands being the property of their mafter as much 

 as the cattle, and held in no higher eftimation. 



§ 10, 11) The debts of a minor ihall bear no intereft during his 

 minority, whether they be owing to a Jew, to the king, or to any other 

 perfon J. 



§ 1 2) No tax fhall be impofed but by the general council of the king- 

 dom ; except for the king's ranfom if taken prifoner, for making his 

 oldeft fon a knight, and for once marrying, his oldeft daughter; and for 

 thefe the demands fhall be moderate. 



§ 13) 23) London, and other cities and towns, fliall enjoy their an- 

 tient privileges, and fhall not be compelled to build bridges, &c. unlefs 

 fuch as they are bound to build by antient rights. 



§ 20) No freeman fhall be amerced in a fum difproportionate to his 

 offence ; neither fliall a fine, upon any account, extend to the ruin of 

 his freehold, if a landed man ; of his merchandize, if a merchant; nor 

 of his farming utenfils, if a peafant. 



§ 27) The property of a freeman dying inteftate, after paying his 

 debts, fliall be divided among his nearefl relations. 



§ 28, 30, 31) The king's officers fhall not take any man's corn, or 



* Madox [Hijl. ofexch. c. 10, § 12] mentions quietly put up witli the velTels belonging to his 



king's (hips in the reign of Henry II : but the kijigdom, •which ought at all times to be ready for 



.luthorities produced in ths notes t, u, -z, do not his fervice, being detained in foreign countries, 



diftinguifti them as royal fhips ; and prcfently after l^Fa-iiera, V. iii,/. 400.] 



{note ^] we find three veflels employed on fimilar + This feenis to authorize intereft, though re- 



fervice in the fame reign,, exprefsly called ' fhips peatedly forbidden by ecclefiailical canons. The 



< of Shoreham.' lender, however, by this regulation ran a very un- - 



f A ftriking illuftration of the king's claim of fair rifle of being deprived of the income due from., 



tight to the fervices of all merchant (hips appears his capital. A man, whofe heir was young, was 



\n a letter, written by Edward II to the king of thereby debarred from the accommodation of raif- 



Norway upon the detention of three Englilh vef- ing moivey by borrowing, 

 fcls, which he concludes by faying, that he cannot 



3B 2. 



