I had hoped to make some kind of poem out of phrases from the Magna Carta, but so far it’s just not happening. Maybe it’s better to just enjoy the language for its own absurdity.

There shall be standard measures of wine, ale, and corn (the London quarter), throughout the kingdom. There shall also be a standard width of dyed cloth, russet, and haberject, namely two ells within the selvedges.

All fish-weirs shall be removed from the Thames, the Medway, and throughout the whole of England, except on the sea coast.

People who live outside the forest need not in future appear before the royal justices of the forest in answer to general summonses, unless they are actually involved in proceedings or are sureties for someone who has been seized for a forest offence.

All evil customs relating to forests and warrens, foresters and warreners, are at once to be investigated in every county by twelve sworn knights of the country, and within forty days of their enquiry the evil customs are to be abolished completely and irrevocably.

All forests that have been created in our reign shall at once be disafforested. River-banks that have been enclosed in our reign shall be treated similarly.

No town or person shall be forced to build bridges over rivers except those with an ancient obligation to do so.