National Republican., 1883-02-28
TIE MAGMA cuARTA.
The Great Parchment Found I'm Tailor
shop Aftcr Being Lost 400 Years.

Ine Great parchment fOunu IN n IauOf
shop Amer Being Lost 400 Years.
This great chartor--the "Charter Of Liber-
ties Of the English People," as IL was called
was in fact careful revision and reproduc-
ti6n Of the old Anglo-Saxon principles and
tenets of governments which had been sup
pressed by the Norman conquerors and their
immediate successors. But never mind that
Suffice IL to say IL was a grant forever, from
the king to the people, Of the rights of lib
erty and life After it had become known
that the king (John) would at length sign it,
the charter was drawn up on parchment with
great care, the most expert scriveners having
been engaged to perform the engrossing,
and when IL had been completed it was
taken TO the royal presence, where the
signing was done. One of the largest sheets
or skins of vellum TO be procured had been
put to the use, and there was room on the
margin for the signatures Of the king and all
the great barons, besides the ailixing of their
seals. A grand celebration followed the con-
summation of the work, after which knowl-
edge of the great charter and its provisions
was given to the people at large, TO which end
n copy was made, duly attcstcd, for each and
every county in the kingdom. And mind
you, this document was vOluminous. Moth
ing which those old liberty demanding barons
could think of had been forgotten. There
were more than fifty separate sections, and
many of those sections contained each a
volume in itself.
Well, copies were made from the original
and then copies were made from copies and
not only were copies of the charter sent to
proper officers throughout the realm, but
many Of the barons had copies for themselves,
The original draft--the grand document OF
all, tho one parent of all cOpies--was laid
away so carefully that no one could find It,
However, that generation did not care so
much about it, The attested copies were
good enough. But succeeding generations
were anxious TO see the original Magma Chdrtd
the document whereunto was affixed the sig
nature and seal of John Lakeland, and on
which, too, the stout old barons had put their
hands, either to write their names or to make
their marks. But IL was not to be found.
The eager ones searched high and low, far
and near, but without avail. 1t was be-
lieved at length that the great original
had been unfortunately destroyed. And SO
the matter rested for a long, long time, as we
| shall SO.
The great charter was made in the begin
ming of the thirteenth century. Early in the
| seventeenth century-i00 years later-SiI
Robert Cotton, the celebrated antiquary
chanced one day to have his attention at.
tracted TO curious looking piece of parch
ment, its margin thCkly armed with broad
seals, which tailor had laid out upon his
board just ready to cut 1t up into measures
lie sprang forward and held the wOrkman's
hand; when 10 and behold there lay the true
magma charter THE great original, with its
| signatures and its seals all intact. The tailor
said he had obtained it with a lot of old papers
| that he had purchased of man who had re
Gently rented a suit of apartments which had
| in olden times, been occupied by firm o.
sCrivoncrs. Sir Robert bought the precious
| document for triiling sum.