We Came This Way: The Magna Carta

A certain German one said, Dutch tough England. And a certain Frenchman said, A nation of shopkeepers. And an Italian added. In England there are sixty different religions, and only one source. And finally an Englishman.

This fortress built by nature for herself against infection and the hand of war. This happy breed of men. This little world, this precious stone, set in the silver sea. which serves it in the office of a wall or as a moat defensive to a house against the envy of less happy lands.

This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England. There you have it, soldier, from the states, four views of England. What will you have, soldier? Well, I take a beer, but in England, the beer is warm.

They like it that way. They drive to the left. An English custom? They're coffee. Yes? Well, it ain't coffee. I admire your restraint. Of course, R-T isn't T. Oh, granted, I'll tell you another thing.

Confidentially, this place is lousy with tradition. I see like Westminster Abbey. That's a ticket. Or the Tower of London. Uh-huh. Or Magna Carta. Mmm. I don't know about that. Better leave Magna Carta alone. I see.

You're a scholar. Ah, plumbers helper. Sure, that's what I was. Did you ever hear the plumbers code? Well, Section 26 is the magna-cotta of the plumbing business. Let me say it to you. You're not now, soldier.

I'm going to tell you something of the first magna-cotta. Is that so? Ain't you gonna wear fancy clothes? Not even a ruffle. Oh, will you tell it like in the moon pictures? Gadsooks and fursuits and stuff like that?

Not if I want to get paid, I won't. Just sit back and listen, soldier. For no matter your name and accent or where your father was born, in a sense England is your ancestral home. This is your tongue and this your habit and your beginning.

You and I, soldier, we came this way. The NBC University of the Air presents, we came this way, a new historical series for home and overseas. With John W. Vander Cook as the narrator, we present Chapter 1, a story of Magna Carta, in We Came This Way.

On the outermost verge of Europe, sundered from the mainland by the running Channel C, float the islands of Britain. There was a time once, perhaps in the year 2000, before the Christian era, when Britain was a part of the continent and the Thames was tributary to the River Rhine.

A land lay naked and frost-bitten under the poor ice-capped until there came a melting of snows and a rising of seeds which inundated the shallows of Dover. And perhaps in the years 700 before Christ, there came upon Britain a second inundation, an inundation of men, fair of hair, and big of borer.

The Celts, and the Celts remained as conquerors over the primitive inhabitants, until they too in the first century of the modern era, yielding before the Romans. In the angry tumultuous years that followed the invader continued to come. Angles, Saxons, Dutes, Frigian Vikings, the Norsemen of the day, and 1066 the Normans under William the Conqueror. Thus an Englishman, a complex of races, an amalgam, a melting

of fusion, and yet also a breed of pot. It was this blending of Gaelic speaking, Anglo-Saxon speaking, French speaking people, who in the reign of King John planted a seed of liberty, which men call Magna Carta.

Some men stumbled into evil, some are forced into evil unwillingly, some have a talent for it. In the year of our Lord 1200 and 3, the throne of England was occupied by a man with a talent for evil.

It may be said with truth that he was the worst king in the history of England, therefore John, a man of genius. Now it happened that many nobles looked upon John as usurper, for young Arthur, the son of John's elder brother, was still alive, and this became a cause for brooding and discontent, until in the month of April of the year 1203, Arthur fell prisoner to John

and was seized and laid in a dungeon. Who is it? Who's there? What do you want? King John. Uncle John, is it you? In the name of God, like a candle, let me see your face.

No candles, Arthur. What is you, John? A candle, Sire? Nefu. Yes? What is it? Your candle is out. John, no. No, please. Not a dagger, not while I'm on hand. O! S! I'll sit for further, I'm on hand!

If the nobles knew they held their tongues, for John was absolute ruler over England.

Besides, there was greater cause for murmuring in the next few years, for the French possessions of the Crown fell to fill up Augustus. Normandy, Auschieu, Poit-ous, fallen and forever lost to England, While John read, the people grew witness under the burden of his taxes.

They're corn to sell, I have herring to sell, I have sold to sell, I have fine sold good wife. Indeed it is, Chapman. And the herring? No, I had taken from the North Sea before mickleness a week, he's taken good wife, he's cheap.

I haven't even the half of a farthing good, sir. Uh... Texas? Texas. Good wife, can you tell me what's come over England? Haven't you heard, sir? John's come over us. Like a plague and a corruption.

Amen, good sir. But, Cap, the King's man watches. And I have feached to sell, I have gone to sell, I have sold to sell. It's Walter, that's an uncommon surly face you wear this morning.

Your Majesty should go among his subjects more. He will see it's not so uncommon. A surly face and a surly tongue I see. Some days, sigher, more than tongues will speak. It's Walter, my friend. Your speech exceeds discretion.

My monarch has not noted for his discretion. Like a good retort. So you heard about the wench. Which one? Your Majesty. Which one? You speak like the Queen. I speak like myself, Sire. And you speak to bold Fitzwalter.

Even a king may be to bold your Majesty. Truly. How, my friend, you have text each Baron for the hire of mercenary soldiers. So I did. There are no mercenary soldiers. Come to think of it, you're quite right.

The Barons wish the return of their money, Your Majesty. Ha ha ha ha ha ha! Look outside, Fitzwalter. What do you see? The cemetery of Majesty? Excellent! Tell the Baron that when the cemetery gives back, so also will King John.

Thus, Mary England and the reign of King John, the hostility and the fear lay like a sleeping thing, while John levied assessments and extorted payment from his subjects. Then it came about that Hubert, the archbishop of Canterbury, died, And the monks disputed the bishop, says to his successor.

The candidates of the rival factions went before the pope, and innocent the third being an astute man ruled for neither, but named Stephen Langton instead. And King John grew mightily in sense. I do not meddle in the affairs of Rome, that Rome not meddle in the affairs of England.

Pembroke! Yes, you're Majesty. Do you know this Langton? No, Messiah. No, except that he is a cardinal of the Church in the new Archbishop of Canterbury. Perhaps a cardinal in Rome, but not an Archbishop in Canterbury.

Then broke my orders. Yes, sir. Langton has refused admission to England. Am I understood? Very well, sir. Good. Now, we shall teach his holiness that John will pay no tripling. Bembroke or to your men to seize church property throughout London at once, Bembroke.

Bembroke, Bembroke! Coming your Majesty. Does he think to frighten me? I am John of England. I'm the king. I think you're pardon, Sire. I do not know. Oh, it'd be still you fool. The Pope has placed England under an interdict.

I see through it, Bembroke. He seeks to turn the people against me. It won't work, do you hear? It won't work. Prior, admit us to the church. No. The doors of the churches of England are closed.

It is the interdict. What are you waiting for, woman? For the bells, Brian. No church bells ring in England, woman. It is the interdict. Confess a dying old man of his sins, Father. I cannot. The last sacrament is forbidden under the interdict.

There was none to strive him. Let him at least be buried in consecrated ground. I cannot help you. My heart bleeds for you but I cannot help you. It is forbidden by the intellect. This is your doing, John.

There are. I am your king. You know how to address a king? Yes, Your Majesty. I know how to address a king. I have no liking for your tone, Fitzwalter. You quibble with me, Sire, a time when the church is withdrawn from the kingdom?

I ask you, Fitzwater. Where is your loyalty? To the Pope or to your king? Morelingling partners, that question, your Majesty. Answer your traitor. It is for you to answer your Majesty. Do you want my answer?

Yes. Very well. Since you seem to be concerned for the church, I give you leave to inform the Pope of Rome that the lands of the bishops are hereby declared forpents. You do not know what you are saying, Sire.

Why? The emissaries of his holiness are on their way with messages. Tell them to turn back your veggies. To turn back this water. Or if they set foot in this palace on my honor as a Christian, I shall have their eyes torn from their heads.

In the year 1209, innocent the third declared King John excommunicated. At once the men of Wales rose in rebellion, and John summoned his barons to go to war, and many barons refused. You are their leader, Fitzwater.

You had no proof of that, Sire. Good for you that I do not. Your head would be in the executioner's basket. I do not doubt you, Sire. Leader are no leader, Fitzwater. Inform my barons that those who stay at home must remain loyal, and I shall take measures to assure their loyalty.

Lord Pembroke! You called, Sire. Come on our good Barons, my lord, and take from each a child. What purpose, Your Majesty? I speak to Pembrox, sir, not to you. But since you ask this Walter, I shall tell you.

The children shall be my hostage. But your Majesty! You think I am without wit, its Walter. I know how to command loyalty. Yes, the Barons will be loyal, even to an excommunicated King. You shall have none of my children, John.

I see. Your husband trembles at the knee and so he sends his lady Matilda. Well Matilda, return to your castle and order your husband here. No, John. I do not return. And you take no child of mine as hostage.

And pray, why not? Because once you took your own nephew, Arthur as hostage. And you killed him with your own murderous hair. God, Caesar! Will you murder me also? No, Matilda. I am a gentleman.

You will murder yourself. Yes. They go to the dungeon guards and the first man who gives her water to drink or bread to eat will answer to me. Would you? Would you starve me, John? Come, Matilda. You will starve quite well by yourself. Quite so. Drink your own tears and feed on your own

fat. Take her away. It is not the pain but the cause which makes Martyrs and perhaps somewhere in England there is a monument to the lady Matilda de Brose who died a martyr's death, and also perhaps to Geoffrey Archdeacon of Westminster, who suffered a leaden collar to be tightened around his neck, because he would permit no priests

to accompany the armies of an excommunicated and evil king. There were many martyrs in England, some were hanged and some were suffocated, and some were starved. And whether through fear of God or because he learned that innocent the third had authorized the king of France to lead a whole egg crusade against England. John yielded the pork and met

with a papal legged to Dover. Do you, John, submit to his holiness and do him homage? Why do you think I summoned you, fool? Do you, John? Or do you not? Very well I do. Do you accept Stephen Langton as Archbishop of Canterbury? Call Philip of France off and I'll accept the devil himself. You, John, or do you not? I do, I do, I do, I do, be quick, man, be quick.

Promise to make full restitution to the church and to the bishops, monks, clerks, and all those at the church and you have wrongfully deprived the property and rights. Oh, what a dull, dull fellow-mallords. I do, man. You seem to show no contrition, my son. Contration is your business, not mine. Now, send this accursed Stephen Langton to me and let's be done with

the mamory so you're Langton sire I am the Archbishop of Canterbury good I am the King of England remember that I am instructed sire to lift the sentence of excommunication fine it's just in time in time your Majesty to be candid I have founded a slight inconvenience I dare say your Majesty I think I like you

Langton I'll tell you something there are some grudges I do not forget no no not you Philip. Philip Augustus of France. He might do not forget, and he will not soon forget me. I prepare for war, Archbishop War for the glory of England.

Our good day, sir. Our war chests are somewhat depleted. We must take steps to replenish them. Be silent gentlemen. Thank you, sirs. Which of you is Giles the barber? I, sir. I'm he. Excellent. Do you pull teeth, Giles? As quick as any barber in England, sir. Never mind that.

Can you pull teeth slowly, eh? Slowly, sir? Very slowly, Giles. Can you break a tooth in the socket? It happened sometimes, sir. But it's not a good thing. Oh, my needs, it is a sovereign good.

There are some usurers in Bristol who say they have no money. Pull their teeth, childs. Slow, sir. Exactly. One tooth each day until they heal their money. Suppose I pull all their teeth and they have no money.

No doubt they will be dead by then. The Barons are not bound to serve you abroad, Sire. Speak for yourself, Fitzwater. Gladly. My knights and I do not follow you to France. And if you try to compel a Sire...

Finish my good Fitzwater. You're about to say if I try to compel you, I should first have to fight a war at home. Yes. But decent men, there is no comfort. No counsel. No consolation.

Except in resistance to you. I think I dislike you less when you do not make speeches. It is no idle speech, Your Majesty. Your adult fellow Fitzwalter. It will be a pleasure to kill you someday.

But not now, Your Majesty. No. Not now. First, I have a score to settle with the King of France. Your turn will come later, Fitzwalter. Archbishop, there are some in England who wish to know whether they can count on you.

And you among the sum Fitzwalter? I am among them, Archbishop. I am a servant of the Church, sir. Rebellion is not for the Church. I am sworn to uphold John. John fights an evil war in France.

Do you also uphold that? Do you ask me to be disloyal to my country? I am an Englishman. In times like this, Archbishop, the best Englishman is one who speaks against this key. Are you with us, sir?

I cannot be with you, Fitzwalter. Wait. No, I cannot be with you, but I will not be against you." The pattern shames. John and France fighting in a doomed cause. The nobles, the middle class, and the church at home waiting for him to fail.

And in France, King John failed and signed the humiliating piece of September 18th, 1214. And John and his bedraggled armies returned to England. Instead of showing a face of humility, John spoke arrogantly. Fits water I demanded tax from you.

Indeed, Sire. From you and from every Baron who did not follow me to France. Do you force the issue, Sire? Force. Exactly, Fits Water. The word is force. I shall communicate your wish to the Baron, Sire.

The man is a better word, Fits Water. Yes, Your Majesty. The man is a better word. In solemn convocation on November 20th, 1214, the Barons of England met with Robert Fitzwalter and Stephen Langton, Archbishop of Canterbury.

They spoke of their common humiliation and of the corruption that beset the land. They spoke wearily and with fear of John, and some counseled moderation. I think I will say it's a much better way to approach the world.

No, I say no. You cannot resist moderately, but he will not compel you moderately. You counsel rebellion, Fitzwalder. Yes, my lord. I'm not afraid of the word. I am. If we resist the king, our peasants in time will resist us.

They will, my lord, if you give them cause for resistance, and it will not be such a bad thing. Come, come, Fitzwalder. You don't mean that. Why not? You betray your class, sir. You do. If your peasants resist you for good cause.

Let us not find disagreement among ourselves. The king is treacherous and a tyrant. We serve him well by our divisions. If you wish liberty from tyranny, show John the point of your daggers. Do you also counsel rebellion Archbishop Langton?

I counsel justice, my lord. I see. The twalter would show the point of his dagger, and the Archbishop would show the point of of the Scriptures. The two go well together, my lord. Very well. I say fight. The king will surely resist. What shall we do then? Awesome to comply. Will you take an oath on

it? Which war against the king of England if he refuses our condition? Yes, fight, fight and what say you, Archbishop? God bless you, gentlemen. It is a good day and a good deed. You address me, sir?

I address you, Archbishop. Your Majesty. Excommunicate them. Who, sir? The rebels. I know no rebels, Your Majesty. You lie. You are come to Mecha, sir. Excommunicate them, I say it is our order. I refuse, Your Majesty.

How dare you, sir? I dare many things, Your Majesty. Even to threaten you with excommunication. I'll have you broken. Save your breath, sir. There is nothing you can do, but sign the charter. I'll see them rot first.

You will sign Your Majesty. your Majesty. Thank God bless him your name Stephen Langton. I marvel that one man can be so wicked. That's why they want war they'll have. How will your Majesty wage war? Who stands allied to John? My loyal subjects. They're on unlift. My nobles. They march against your castles even now. My people. They would see you die like an animal in a ditch and raise

no finger to help you. My nobles I say, there are still some who are not rebels. Whoo. Which, Sire, but... My lord, Pembroke. Well, sir. Name them. Name your loyal nobles. The name should come ready to your lips.

Get out of my sight, church! People, nobles. All stand against, John of England. Get out of my sight, you traitor! But you will sign. Get out, I say! But you will sign. The devil right, you filthy tongue!

Yes, I... I will sign, I will sign. I'll get out! In the year of our Lord, 1215, on the 15th day of June, King John of England stood humbly on the south side of the Thames, and faced Stephen Langton in the nobles of the realm, standing in the marshy flat before.

John, by the grace of God, King of England, Lord of Ireland, Duke of Normandy and Aquitaine, and Earl of Arjou to the Archbishop, Bishops, habits, errands, Justices, and John was humble and also bitter. They have given me 25 over kings, he said, and he cursed Stephen Langton and Robert Fitzwalter, but he put his seal of beeswax to the charter.

This is the seed of liberty, the seed of English freedom, and the American Bill of Rights. Yet, if you look closely into the Charter, you will find no word of trial by jury, no single reference to the basic right of Habeas' office, and yet there was much within the 62 provisions of the Charter, which stands for today.

The Church is to be free and to hold its rights entire and its liberties uninjured. No free men shall be taken, or imprisoned, or dispossessed, or outlawed, or banished, or in any way destroyed. Nor will we go upon them nor send upon them except by legal judgment of his peers, or by the law of the land.

To no one will we sell, to no one will we deny or delay, write or justice. In short a government of laws and not of men. Yes, there is much in Magna Carta, which was not new even in the year 1215, and much that was feudal and unprogressive.

Yet Magna Carta is a tradition, a legend. Sometimes a legend can be more sovereign than a fact. I shall say it in another way. Magna Carta is by misinterpretation, the pillar of our freedom, the shield of our liberties, and the way we came.

Thanks, bud. I'm glad they gave him the works. He didn't sign it, soldier. But he put his seal to it? A seal of beeswax is as big as a saucer. Now, let me tell you about the magna card of the plumbing industry. Section 26 of the code.

Whereas in pursuing a Section 24 clause 1, Section 3, Geautical 2-way, all drains so as cesspools as very nice, soldier. Well, he ain't even begun. I get the point, though. All sorts of people have magna cardas, workers, business men, women, children, children, everybody has sold you. I guess so. Tell Garnet sure got around, didn't it?

Yes, soldier. It sure got around. The NBC University of the Air has brought you Chapter One of the new historical series, We Came This Way. Next week, We Came This Way will present a story of a feudal revolution in the 14th century. A handbook containing background information with suggestions for further reading is now in publication. We shall be happy to send you

at cost this valuable we came this way handbook, especially written for the current series. Send 25 cents to cover the cost of printing and mailing to we came this way post office box 30 station J New York 27 New York. This program is presented by the NBC University of the Air not only for

the listeners in this country, but also for our servicemen and women overseas to be transmitted to them wherever they are stationed through the Armed Forces radio service. Tonight's script was written by Morton Wishingrad and directed by Aira Avery. The music was conducted by Milton Catams. Members of the cast were Gilbert Mack, Bartlett Robinson, Cecil Roy,

Humphrey Davis, Joe DeSantis, Louis Van Ruten, John Merlin and Lon Clark. The narrator was John W. Vanderkook. This is the National Broadcasting Company.