The Magna Carta

Question

+ (1) FIRST, THAT WE HAVE GRANTED TO GOD, and by this present charter have confirmed for us and our heirs in perpetuity, that the English Church shall be free, and shall have its rights undiminished, and its liberties unimpaired.

TO ALL FREE MEN OF OUR KINGDOM we have also granted, for us and our heirs for ever, all the liberties written out below, to have and to keep for them and their heirs, of us and our heirs:

(2) If any earl, baron, or other person that holds lands directly of the Crown, for military service, shall die, and at his death his heir shall be of full age and owe a 'relief', the heir shall have his inheritance on payment of the ancient scale of 'relief'.

(7) At her husband's death, a widow may have her marriage portion and inheritance at once and without trouble. She shall pay nothing for her dower, marriage portion, or any inheritance that she and her husband held jointly on the day of his death. She may remain in her husband's house for forty days after his death, and within this period her dower shall be assigned to her.

(8) No widow shall be compelled to marry, so long as she wishes to remain without a husband.

(9) Neither we nor our officials will seize any land or rent in payment of a debt, so long as the debtor has movable goods sufficient to discharge the debt.

(20) For a trivial offence, a free man shall be fined only in proportion to the degree of his offence, and for a serious offence correspondingly, but not so heavily as to deprive him of his livelihood.

(30) No sheriff, royal official, or other person shall take horses or carts for transport from any free man, without his consent.

(31) Neither we nor any royal official will take wood for our castle, or for any other purpose, without the consent of the owner.

(32) We will not keep the lands of people convicted of felony in our hand for longer than a year and a day, after which they shall be returned to the lords of the 'fees' concerned.

(38) In future no official shall place a man on trial upon his own unsupported statement, without producing credible witnesses to the truth of it.

+ (39) No free man shall be seized or imprisoned, or stripped of his rights or possessions, or outlawed or exiled, or deprived of his standing in any way, nor will we proceed with force against him, or send others to do so, except by the lawful judgment of his equals or by the law of the land.

+ (40) To no one will we sell, to no one deny or delay right or justice.

* (63) IT IS ACCORDINGLY OUR WISH AND COMMAND that the English Church shall be free, and that men in our kingdom shall have and keep all these liberties, rights, and concessions, well and peaceably in their fullness and entirety for them and their heirs, of us and our heirs, in all things and all places for ever.

English translation of the Magna Carta

Question
Use the passages to answer the question. Select Passage 1 and Passage 2.

How is the word law used differently among each text?

(1 point)
Responses

Law refers to religious law in the Magna Carta, while it refers to secular law in the Declaration of the Rights of Man.
Law refers to religious law in the Magna Carta, while it refers to secular law in the Declaration of the Rights of Man.

Law only applies to property owners in the Magna Carta, while it refers to those who pay taxes in the Declaration of the Rights of Man.
Law only applies to property owners in the Magna Carta, while it refers to those who pay taxes in the Declaration of the Rights of Man.

Law refers to feudal law in the Magna Carta, while it refers to general principles of law in the Declaration of the Rights of Man.
Law refers to feudal law in the Magna Carta, while it refers to general principles of law in the Declaration of the Rights of Man.

Law only applies to the noble class in the Magna Carta, while it applies to those of the National Assembly in the Declaration of the Rights of Man.
Law only applies to the noble class in the Magna Carta, while it applies to those of the National Assembly in the Declaration of the Rights of Man.
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Answer 1

To answer the question regarding how the word "law" is used differently among the texts, we should analyze the passages from the Magna Carta.

In the provided text from the Magna Carta, "law" is often associated with legal judgments and procedures that apply primarily to the free men of the kingdom, rather than to all subjects universally. The references to lawful judgment and rights appear to focus on the feudal system, where rules and legal decisions affect landowners and their inheritances, marriages, and property rights.

Given this context, the most accurate interpretation of how "law" is used in the Magna Carta compared to another potential text (like the Declaration of the Rights of Man) is:

Law refers to feudal law in the Magna Carta, while it refers to general principles of law in the Declaration of the Rights of Man.

This response emphasizes the distinct legal frameworks at play in each document, where the Magna Carta deals with specific rights related to the feudal system, while the Declaration of the Rights of Man would likely address broader, more universal concepts of rights and justice applicable to all citizens.