Page:A History and Defence of Magna Charta.djvu/84

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HISTORY OF

charters of both Kings were alike. “In nullo inveniuntur diſſimiles.”

Two years the land reſted, enjoying their liberties which were punctually kept, till the King at a parliament at Oxford declared himſelf to be of full age, and took that occaſion to have a new ſeal, and to cancel the charter of the foreſts, as granted in his minority, and to cauſe all that would enjoy the benefit of that charter, to take out particular charters, under his new ſeal: for which they paid exorbitant fines, ſuch as his chief juſticiary pleaſed.

Upon this, and a great oppreſſion of his brother Richard ſoon after, the earls and barons were up in arms, and had drawn together a great body of men at Stanford, from whence they fend him a meſſage in very big words, That he, forthwith, make amends to his brother for the injury done him, the fault of which they lay upon the juſticiary; and that he ſhould immediately reſtore the charters of the foreſt which he had cancelled at Oxford, and ſend them to them ſealed, grievouſly denouncing, “That otherwiſe they would compel him with their ſwords.” Whereupon, he

called