Note 465 — MAGNA CARTA. (continued 2)

These three aids were carefully specified, and a reasonable rate was stipulated for, but not defined. In this respect the treatment here accorded to aids is less satisfactory than that of reliefs in chapter 2, which carefully defined the amount to be paid. It is probable that the framers of the present chapter relied on existing usage, which seems to have regarded the normal aid as one-fifth of the normal relief, i.e. as 20s. per knight’s fee. An alternative explanation is also possible, that the same “common counsel” which had the right to veto extraordinary aids, was also expected to determine the reasonable amount of the ordinary aids.