+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.
We declare and ordain, also, that the said King shall have full power to
govern freely in his kingdom and its dependencies, and shall be in the
state and in the enjoyment of plenary power, in and through everything,
even as he was before the aforesaid time.