John, a timely reminder that much of what we believe is not necessarily true. Magna Carta is important not so much for what it says, but rather for what people wrongly believe it says. Even if what is does say is not true, that can still greatly influence the way people behave. Christianity is probably another such example where much of what its adherents state is mythical or plain wrong, but the beliefs nonetheless can be an influence for good.

There is a powerful argument that the French Declaration of the Rights of Man is a more influential document in that its terms resonate with us in the 21st century. As Lord Sumption pointed out in two recent addresses, the modern perception of Magna Carta owes more to Sir Edward Coke than the document itself. It was Coke that transformed the document from a technical catalogue of feudal grievances by a tiny minority into being a foundation document of the English constitution. It is not a perception that would have been recognised either by King John or his barons.

James, Given your extensive knowledge, perhaps you could enlighten us to what Disraeli's emaciation act adds to the common precepts relative to the Magna carta; i.e., does either document include/ratify the right to bear arms or verify/imply that a man's home is his castle?
Cheers, Rhrosty.

RHR. I think you mean the Emancipation Act, or more properly the Reform Act of 1867. That Act extended the franchise to working men, and made significant reforms to electoral boundaries, representation thereof etc. I claim no expertise in British history, but as far as I am aware the British have never had the right to bear arms. That is one of the first 10 amendments (the Bill of Rights) to the US constitution. The Magna Carta provided no such rights, and nor indeed did the much more important Declaration that I referred to in my comment above.

As I sit here I am looking at a Copy of the Magna Carta, well two actually. One a Copy of the original in Latin, the other an English translation. I them obtained them in York where I was given a private tour of the Museum.

How? may you ask did that come about. Well I walked into a building where there was this "Costume Party" going on. I thought, "they must be making a Documentary." They wern't. It was a full sitting of the High Court that day. The rooms there at the castle are a working Court. The Usher escorted me out & the Curator of the Museum was there & thought it was just so funny, so he took us on our own private tour of the Museum. I got to sit in the Penitentiary Docks where the Church Services for the Prisoners were held. One of the Four Original Copies of the Magna Carta is held there. The Curator said we have an Original in Australia. The only one outside the UK.

I'll read through it & give a commentary on some of the more unusual Clauses later.

Thanks James, I see the auto correct is still busy trying to make me look stupid? Not that it needed much help?

Hopefully, the removal and replacement of four corrupted programs will fix the spelling problem?
Cheers, Rhrosty