If yesterday—14 June—seemed pre-destined to be a bad day for human freedom, today, 15 June, is a historic bright light for democracy and human equality. On this day in 1215, King John of England fixed his seal to the Magna Carta. Over time, this document has come to mark an important turning point in the understanding of human governance, constitutional law and the rights of man. Most importantly, the Magna Carta put limits on the absolute power of the King to do whatever he liked; the King was now subject to the Rule of Law, just like everybody else. For 800 years, under English Law, this document has provided the legal basis to rein-in a wannabe authoritarian. We need it as much today as we ever did.
In 1215, King John was in trouble. He was engaged in disastrous (and expensive!) foreign wars. His taxation was unfair and unpopular. And he was known for abusing his royal authority. A group of wealthy barons was organizing a rebellion. He was also clashing with the Catholic Church, in particular, Archbishop of Canterbury, Stephen Langton, to whose appointment he had strenuously objected. In order to quell a Civil War, King John met the barons at Runnymede, a "water- meadow" not far from Windsor which was considered "neutral territory." The document was "sealed" by the King in that marshy field alongside the Thames.
The Magna Carta established the primacy of the Rule of Law. Due Process was established, requiring access to swift and fair jurisprudence by courts of law. Habeus Corpus and Jury Trials were now guaranteed, ensuring that the judicial process would be as fair as possible for all. The Magna Carta provided the foundation of English Law. Five and a half centuries later, when America was establishing its founding documents, the Magna Carta had a great influence upon the Declaration of Independence, the US Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.
It is true that the Magna Carta originated as a practical arrangement—a peace agreement—between a King and an elite tier of entitled nobility (barons, landowners and the Church). However, over time, the Magna Carta's legacy has been expanded to provide a basis for modern declarations of universal human rights. Like the US Constitution, it is properly interpreted in an expansive way—one which ensures human rights for an increasingly expanding pool of people (as society evolves to include protections for previously marginalized peoples). This makes the Magna Carta incredibly important.
The heavy, cast iron bookends, shown above, were made by Bradley & Hubbard in Meriden, Connecticut, in the 1920's. They are modeled after the Ancient Greek Temple of Concordia which still stands in Agrigento, Sicily. Such Neoclassical architecture has become symbolic of the Judiciary—reasoned, precise, controlled, measured and timeless. Click on the photo above to learn more about this handsome pair of bookends.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
To arrange a visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only), please call 917-446-4248.