The Copybook: Readings in history and literature

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The Signing of the Great Charter by Clay Lane

King John promised his nobles respect, but he was not a man to regard his word as his bond.

1

The Prophecy of Peter of Pomfret by George McKinnon Wrong

Peter foretold that King John would cease to be England’s sovereign, and he was right, though John still wore his crown.

2

Selections from the Great Charter from The Great Charter

By the Great Charter of 1215, King John promised that his ministers would not meddle in the Church or stuff his Treasury with taxes on trade.

3

The Battle of Lewes by D. H. Montgomery

The Battle of Lewes in 1263 took place just a few miles from the Battle of Hastings two centuries before it, and was arguably as important.

4

The Provisions of Oxford by D. H. Montgomery

When King Henry III’s barons turned up to his council wearing full armour, he realised he had to mend his ways.

5

The Good Reign of Bad King John by Thomas Babington Macaulay

Lord Macaulay believed that the disastrous reign of King John brought the country together.

6

The Langbaurgh Charter by Clay Lane

Peter de Brus and his tenants agreed to work together after King John ordered a crackdown on unpaid rents.

Magna Carta