the Golden Bull of Hungary, which was granted in the year 1222. It
was here enacted that, "As the liberties of the nobility, and of
certain other natives of these realms, founded by King Stephen the
Saint, have suffered great detriment and curtailment by the violence
of sundry kings impelled by their own evil propensities, by the
cravings of their insatiable cupidity and by the advice of certain
malicious persons, and as the 'nobiles' of the country had preferred
frequent petitions for the confirmation of the constitution of these
realms; so that, in utter contempt of the royal authority, violent
discussions and accusations had arisen, ... the King declares he is
now willing to confirm and maintain, for all times to come, the
nobility and freemen of the country in all their rights, privileges,
and immunities, as provided by the statutes of St. Stephen."

1. "That the 'nobiles' and their possessions shall not, for the
future, be subject to taxes and impositions.

2. "That no man shall be either accused or arrested, sentenced or
punished for a crime, unless he receive a legal summons, and until a
judicial inquiry into his case shall have taken place.

3. "That though the 'nobiles' and franklins shall be bound to do
military service at their own expense, it shall not be legal to force
them to cross the frontier of their country. In a foreign war, the
king shall be bound to pay the knights and the troops of the counties.

4. "The king has no right to entail whole counties and the high
offices of the kingdom.

5. "The king is not allowed to farm to Jews and Ishmaelites his
domains, the taxes, the coinage, or the salt mines."

The Golden Bull comprised thirty-one chapters, and seven copies were
made and delivered into the keeping of the Knights of St. John, the
Knights Templars of Hungary and Slavonia, the King, the Palatine, the
archbishops of Gran and Colocza, and the Pope. The thirty-first clause
gave every Hungarian noble a right of veto upon the acts of the king
if unconstitutional. This clause was, however, supposed to give an
undue power to the people, and was revoked in 1687.

Those magnates who, by the Golden Bull, were compelled to return the
land unjustly alienated by King Andrew, formed a conspiracy to
overthrow the monarchy, abolish the constitution, and divide the land
among themselves. The conspiracy was discovered in time to prevent its
execution, but Andrew lost courage and did not venture to insist o