THE MISE OF AMIENS (1264).
Source.—Rymer's Fœdera, vol. i., pp. 433-434.
(This document is drawn up in the name of Louis IX., King of France. After a recapitulation of the letters of appeal sent to him by the King and Barons of England, he continues):
The aforesaid King of England on the one side, and the above-mentioned Barons on the other, have appealed to us concerning all the disputes between them, ... and have promised by an oath on the Holy Gospels that they will obey in all good faith whatever decision we decree and ordain regarding these disputes or some of them.... Therefore, having caused the said King in person, and certain of the Barons in person, and others by proxy, to appear before us, and having perceived that the provisions, ordinances, and statutes of Oxford, and the obligations resulting from them and brought about by them, have been of exceeding great hurt to the King's rights and honour, and have occasioned disturbances in the kingdom, depression and damage to the Church, and much loss to other persons—laymen and churchmen, natives and aliens—in the kingdom; believing, also, that even more serious results may reasonably be feared in the future; and bearing in mind, especially, that the lord Pope has already by his letters declared them null and void; in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, by our royal command and ordinance we declare null and void the aforesaid provisions, ordinances, and statutes—by whatever name they may be called—and whatever obligations result from them, or are occasioned by them.
We declare further, that, by virtue of the said provisions, or obligations, or ordinances, or of any power conceded in connection with them by the King, no one is to make new statutes, or to hold to or observe those already made, and on account of non-observance of the aforesaid statutes no one shall be deemed, capitally or otherwise, the enemy of another, or shall undergo any punishment on this account.
We decree, also, that all letters resulting from the aforesaid provisions shall be null and void, and shall be restored to the King by the Barons.
In addition, we declare and ordain that all castles which were handed over as a pledge for the carrying out of the provisions, or because of them, shall be freely restored by the said Barons to the King, to be held by the King as he held them before the time of the aforesaid provisions.
Further, that the aforesaid King may, freely and of his own will, elect, dismiss, and remove from office, the Chief Justice, the Chancellor, the Treasurer, counsellors, lesser justices, sheriffs, and all other officials and servants of his kingdom and household, as he did and was allowed to do before the time of the aforesaid provisions.
Further, we cancel and annul the statute which provides that for the future the kingdom of England shall be governed by native-born men, and that aliens shall leave the country not to return, except those whose continued residence is approved by the commonalty: we ordain that aliens may freely dwell in the said kingdom; and that the King may freely call whomsoever he pleases, both aliens and natives, to his council, even as he could before the aforesaid time.