(98) The charter thus obtained served as an
exemplar for the great charter of liberties which was to be subsequently
wrung from King John.

(M68)

Another charter was granted by the new king--a charter to the citizens of
London--granted, as some have thought, soon after his accession, and by way
of recognition of the services they had rendered him towards obtaining the
crown. This however appears to be a mistake. There is reason for supposing
that this charter was not granted until at least thirty years after he was
seated on the throne.(99)

(M69)

The chief features of the grant(100) were that the citizens were
thenceforth to be allowed to hold Middlesex to farm at a rent of L300 a
year, and to appoint from among themselves whom they would to be sheriff
over it; they were further to be allowed to appoint their own justiciar to
hold pleas of the crown, and no other justiciar should exercise authority
over them; they were not to be forced to plead without the city's walls;
they were to be exempt from scot and lot and of all payments in respect of
Danegelt and murder; they were to be allowed to purge themselves after the
English fashion of making oath and not after the Norman fashion by wager
of battle; their goods were to be free of all manner of customs, toll,
passage and lestage; their husting court might sit once a week; and
lastly, they might resort to "withernam" or reprisal in cases where their
goods had been unlawfully seized.

(M70)

Touching the true import of this grant of Middlesex to the citizens at a
yearly rent, with the right of appointing their own sheriff over it, no
less than the identity of the justiciar whom they were to be allowed to
choose for themselves for the purpose of hearing pleas of the crown within
the city, much divergence of opinion exists. Some believe that the
government of the city was hereby separated from that of the shire wherein
it was situate, and that the right of appointing their own justiciar which
the citizens obtained by this charter was the right of electing a sheriff
for the city of London in the place of the non-elective ancient
port-reeve. Others deny that the charter introduced the shire organization
into the government of the city, and believe the justiciar and sheriff to
have been distinct officials.(101) The latter appear to hold the more
plausible view. Putting aside the so-called charter of William the First,
granting to the citizens in express terms _civitat