A certain part of the county of Leicester is within the liberties of the Honours of Leicester, Winchester and Peverel, as a result of which this writ was passed on to the bailiffs of the aforesaid liberties, for the parts of the liberties on which a levy was to be made according to the terms of the writ, namely 4d on each carucate of land in the county, whether within liberties or without, by the assessment of all the community made in the full county court, which same bailiffs reply to me that none living within the aforesaid liberties is bound not willing to make any contribution to such expenses as are contained in this writ. Therefore nothing can be done at present, but this writ in the aforesaid liberties.

DOC 11) Writ of Summons to a Baron and Endorsements 1306

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Edward by the Grace of God king of England, Lord of Ireland and Duke of Aquitaine to his beloved and faithful Robert de Vere, Earl of Oxford, greeting. Since we have decided that our eldest son Edward shall be girded with the belt of knighthood at Whitsun next, God willing, and since an aid is due to us on such an occasion according to the rights of our crown, we command you and firmly enjoin you by the fealty and homage which you hold towards us that you be present in your own person before us and our council at Westminster, on the day after Trinity Sunday, to discuss with the prelates and magnates and great men of the kingdom and to decide should be done about an aid to us in this case, and to consent to whatever shall be decided in this matter. Alternatively you may send attorneys, having sufficient authority and instructions from you, to do the same. And send this writ back. Witness myself at Winchester 5th day of April in the thirty fourth year of our reign.

Endorsed:

Robert de Vere, Earl of Oxford, has deputed to act in his place John de Wascoyl and John Bouser.

16) Writ to Archbishop Winchelsey giving the Quod Omnes Tangit formula, 1295.

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The king to the venerable father in Christ Robert, by the same grace Archbishop of Canterbury, primate of all England, greeting. As a most just law, established by the careful providence of sacred princes, exhorts and decrees that what affects all, by all should be approved (Quod omnes tangit ab omnes debet approbetur), so also, very evidently should common danger be met by means provided in common. You know sufficiently well and it is now as we believe, divulged through all regions of the world, how the king of France has fraudulently and craftily deprived us of our land in Gascony.. He has gathered together for the conquest of our kingdom a very great fleet and an abounding multitude of warriors... and he now proposes to destroy the English language altogether from the earth..., if his power should correspond to the detestable proposition of the contemplated injustice, which God forbid. Because, therefore, 'darts seen beforehand do less injury', and your interest especially, as that of the rest of the citizens of this same realm, is concerned in this affair, we command you, strictly enjoining you in the fidelity and love in which you are bound to us, that on Sunday next after the feast of St Martin, in the approaching winter, you be present in person at Westminster, citing beforehand (praemunientes) the dean and chapter of your church ..(and the proctors of the lower clergy) to be present along with you, having full and sufficient power from the same chapter and clergy to 'treat' ordain and do, along with the rest of the prelates and principal men and other inhabitants of our kingdom, how dangers and threatened evils of this kind are to be met, Witness the king at Wingham, the thirteenth day of September...

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BIBLIOGRAPHY (in order of historiography)

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