title: King John: And the Road to Magna Carta
author:  Stephen Church 
description: "Church is a scholarly and readable authority who has devoted his career to King John's reign. He picks his way through the intrigues at court, clarifying waters muddied by patchy, often contradictory sources, and acts as an important corrective to the views of 'unconvincing' chroniclers, such as Roger of Wendover."<b><i><b><i>Telegraph</i> (UK)</b></i></b><br /><br />
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  # The Magna Carta
  
  
  ##### (The Great Charter)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Preamble:
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  John, by the grace of God, king of England, lord of Ireland, duke of
  
  
  Normandy and Aquitaine, and count of Anjou, to the archbishop, bishops,
  
  
  abbots, earls, barons, justiciaries, foresters, sheriffs, stewards,
  
  
  servants, and to all his bailiffs and liege subjects, greetings. Know
  
  
  that, having regard to God and for the salvation of our soul, and those
  
  
  of all our ancestors and heirs, and unto the honor of God and the
  
  
  advancement of his holy Church and for the rectifying of our realm, we
  
  
  have granted as underwritten by advice of our venerable fathers,
  
  
  Stephen, archbishop of Canterbury, primate of all England and cardinal
  
  
  of the holy Roman Church, Henry, archbishop of Dublin, William of
  
  
  London, Peter of Winchester, Jocelyn of Bath and Glastonbury, Hugh of
  
  
  Lincoln, Walter of Worcester, William of Coventry, Benedict of
  
  
  Rocheste