Cum autem pro Deo et ad emendacionem Regni nostri et ad melius sopiendum discordiam inter nos et barones nostros ortam hec omnia predicta concesserimus, volentes ea integra et firma stabilitate in perpetuum gaudere, {fa}cimus et concedimus eis securitatem subscriptam; videlicet quod barones eligant viginti quinque barones de regno quos voluerint, qui debeant pro totis viribus suis observare, tenere, et facere observari, pacem et libertates quas eis concessimus et hac presenti carta nostram confirmavimus, Ita scilicet quod si nos vel Iusticiarius noster vel ballivi nostri vel aliquis de ministris nostris in aliquo erga aliquem deliquerimus vel aliquem articulorum pacis aut securitatis transgressi fuerimus et delictum ostensum fuerit quatuor baronibus de predictis viginti quinque baronibus illi quatuor barones accedant ad nos vel ad Iusticiarium nostrum, si fuerimus extra regnum, proponentes nobis excessum: petent ut excessum illum sine dilacione faciamus emendari. Et si nos excessum non emendaverimus vel si fuerimus extra Regnum Iusticiarius noster non emendaverit infra tempus quadraginta dierum computandum a tempore quo monstratum fuerit nobis vel Iusticiario nostro si extra Regnum fuerimus predicti quatuor barones referant causam illam ad residuos de illi viginti quinque baronibus et illi viginti quinque barones cum communia totius terre distringent et gravabunt nos modis omnibus quibus poterunt, scilicet per capcionem castrorum terrarum possessionum et aliis modis quibus poterunt donec fuerit emendatum secundum arbitrium eorum salva persona nostra, et regine nostre et liberorum nostrorum. Et cum fuerit emendatum intendent nobis sicut prius fecerunt. Et quicumque voluerit de terra iuret quod ad predicta omnia ex[s]equenda parebit mandatis predictorum viginti quinque baronum, et quod gravabit nos pro posse suo cum ipsis et nos publice et libere damus licenciam iurandi cuilibet qui iurare voluerit et nulli umquam iurare prohibebimus. Omnes autem illos de terra qui per se et sponte sua noluerint iurare viginti quinque baronibus de distringendo et gravando nos cum eis, faciemus iurare eosdem de mandato nostro sicut paedictum est. Et si aliquis de viginti quinque baronibus decesserit, vel a terra recesserit, vel aliquo alio modo impeditus fuerit, quo minus ista predicta possent exsequi qui residui fuerint de predictis viginti quinque baronibus eligant alium loco ipsius, pro arbitrio suo, qui simili modo erit iuratus quo et ceteri. In omnibus autem que istis viginti quinque committuntur exsequenda, si forte ipsi viginti quinque presentes fuerint, et inter se super re aliqua discordaverint, vel aliqui ex eis summoniti nolint vel n{e}quant interesse, ratum habeatur et firmum quod maior pars eorum qui presentes fuerint providerit vel preceperit ac si omnes viginti quinque in hoc consensissent; et predicti viginti quinque iurent quod omnia antedicta fideliter observabunt, et pro toto posse suo facient observari. et nos nichil impetrabimus ab aliquo, per nos nec per alium, per quod aliqua istarum concessionum et libertatum revocetur vel minuatur. Et, si aliquid tale impetratum fuerit irricum sit et inane et numquam eo utemur per nos nec per alium.
SINCE WE HAVE GRANTED ALL THESE THINGS for God, for the better ordering of our kingdom, and to allay the discord that has arisen between us and our barons, and since we desire that they shall be enjoyed in their entirety, with lasting strength, for ever, we give and grant to the barons the following security:
The barons shall elect twenty-five of their number to keep, and cause to be observed with all their might, the peace and liberties granted and confirmed to them by this charter.
If we, our chief justice, our officials, or any of our servants offend in any respect against any man, or transgress any of the articles of the peace or of this security, and the offence is made known to four of the said twenty-five barons, they shall come to us - or in our absence from the kingdom to the chief justice - to declare it and claim immediate redress. If we, or in our absence abroad the chief justice, make no redress within forty days, reckoning from the day on which the offence was declared to us or to him, the four barons shall refer the matter to the rest of the twenty-five barons, who may distrain upon and assail us in every way possible, with the support of the whole community of the land, by seizing our castles, lands, possessions, or anything else saving only our own person and those of the queen and our children, until they have secured such redress as they have determined upon. Having secured the redress, they may then resume their normal obedience to us.
Any man who so desires may take an oath to obey the commands of the twenty-five barons for the achievement of these ends, and to join with them in assailing us to the utmost of his power. We give public and free permission to take this oath to any man who so desires, and at no time will we prohibit any man from taking it. Indeed, we will compel any of our subjects who are unwilling to take it to swear it at our command.
If one of the twenty-five barons dies or leaves the country, or is prevented in any other way from discharging his duties, the rest of them shall choose another baron in his place, at their discretion, who shall be duly sworn in as they were.
In the event of disagreement among the twenty-five barons on any matter referred to them for decision, the verdict of the majority present shall have the same validity as a unanimous verdict of the whole twenty-five, whether these were all present or some of those summoned were unwilling or unable to appear.
The twenty-five barons shall swear to obey all the above articles faithfully, and shall cause them to be obeyed by others to the best of their power.
We will not seek to procure from anyone, either by our own efforts or those of a third party, anything by which any part of these concessions or liberties might be revoked or diminished. Should such a thing be procured, it shall be null and void and we will at no time make use of it, either ourselves or through a third party.
