BRITTON.
BOOK I.
OF THE AUTHORITY OF JUSTICES AND OTHEE OFFICERS, AND OF PERSONAL PLEAS INCLUDING PLEAS OK THE CROWN.
Prologue.
EDWARD * by the grace of God, king of England, lord of Ireland, and duke of Aquitaine, to all his faithful people and subjects of England and Ireland, peace and grace of salvation.
Desiring peace among the people who by God's permission are under our protection, which peace cannot well be without law, we have caused such lasvs as have heretofore been used in our realm to be reduced into writing according to that which is here ordained. And we will and command, that throughout England and Ireland they be so used and observed in all points, saving to us the power of repealing extending restricting and amending them, whenever we shall see good, by the assent of our earls and barons and others of our Council;2 saving also to all persons such customs as by prescription of time have been differently used, so far as such customs are not contrary to law.
1 Edward I.
2 ' This Preamble or Prologue is divided into two parts ; first,
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CHAPTER I.
Of the Authority of Justices.
1. First, with regard to ourselves and our Court, we have ordained, that, inasmuch as we are not sufficient in our proper person to hear and determine all the complaints of our said people, we have distributed our charge in several portions, as is here ordained.
2. We will that our jurisdiction he superior to all jurisdictions in our realm; so that in all kinds of felonies trespasses and contracts, and in all manner of other actions personal or real, we have power to give, or cause to be given, such judgment as the case re-
tlie regal style, where he says, " Edward &c. :"' and then the salutation, where he says, "and we will and command &c. ;" affirming a prerogative in his person, that what he thinks right ought to be held to be law ; according to the saying, " Quod principi placuit pro lege habetur." Because peace cannot be without law, nor law without a king : who can change the laws and establish others, but not without the assent of the Earls and others of his Council: ' quiaubi voluntasuniusintoto dominatur, ratio plurimum succumbit.' (Note in MS. N.) This note is cited by Selden as from a MS. in his possession : Diss. ad Flet. p. 408. The passage from the Civil Law, " Quod principi &c." (Inst. lib. i. tit. 2. § 6. Dig. lib. i. tit. 4. 1.1) was imported into English Law by Glanvill, in his Prologue, and was a frequent subject of controversy with subsequent writers. See Bracton f. 107; Fleta 16, 17. See also Selden. Diss. ad Flet. 466.
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quires without any other process, whenever we have certain knowledge of the truth, as judge. And the Steward of our household shall take our place within the verge of our household; and his office shall extend to the hearing and determining the presentments of the articles of our Crown, when we shall see good.
3. Further, we will that Justices Itinerant be assigned to hear and determine the same articles in every county and franchise every seven years ; and that our Chief Justices of Ireland and Chester have the like power.
4. With respect to the Justices assigned to follow us and hold our place wheresoever we shall be in England, we will that they have cognizance of amending false judgments, and of determining appeals and other pleas of trespass committed against our peace, and that their jurisdiction and record shall extend so far as we shall authorise by our writs.
5. "We will that the Earl of Norfolk, by himself or another knight, be attendant upon us and upon our Steward, to execute our commands and the attachments and executions of our judgments and those of our Steward throughout the verge of our house, so long as he shall hold the office of Marshal.
6. In our household let there be a Coroner to execute the business of the Crown throughout the verge and wheresoever we shall be or come within our realm ; and let the same person or some other be assigned to assay all weights and measures in every our verge throughout our realm according to our standards ; and these two duties he shall not fail to do bv reason of
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any franchise, unless such franchise be granted in fee farm or in alms by us or our predecessors.
7. In every county let there be a sheriff who shall be attendant on our commands and those of our Justices ; and let him have record of pleas pleaded before him by our writs ;a and under the sheriffs let there be hun-dredres Serjeants and beadles attendant on the sheriffs. And in every county let there be coroners chosen for keeping the pleas of our peace, as shall be authorised in the chapters concerning their office, and let them have record of things relating to their office.
8. Moreover our will is, that there be Justices constantly remaining at Westminster, or at such other place as we shall be pleased to ordain, to determine common pleas according as we shall authorise them by our writs ; and these Justices shall have record of the proceedings held before them by virtue of our writs.
9. Also our will is, that at our Exchequers at West-minster and elsewhere our Treasurers and our Barons there have jurisdiction and record of things which concern their office, and to hear and determine all causes relating to our debts and seignories and things incident thereto, without which such matters could not be tried; and that they have cognizance of debts owing to our debtors, by means whereof we may the more speedily recover our own.
10. And we will, that Justices be assigned in every county to have cognizance in such causes of petty
1 The text may admit of another interpretation. But see c. 28, E. 1, and note there.
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assises and other matters, as we shall assign them by our letters patent, of which causes we will that they have record. Let Justices also be appointed to deliver the gaols in every county, once in every pleadable week,1 while they find anything to do ; and let them likewise have record of the pleas brought before them and of their judgments.
11. And although we have granted to our Justices to bear record of pleas pleaded before them, yet we will not that their record be any warrant to them in their own wrong, nor that they be permitted to erase their rolls or amend them or record contrary to the enrollment. And we will that the power of our Justices be limited in this manner, that they go not beyond the articles of our writs, or of presentments of jurors, or of plaints before them made, save that they shall have the cognizance of vouchers to warranty, and of other incidental matters without which the original causes could not be determined. And we forbid, that any have power of amending any false judgment of our Justices, except the Justices who follow us in our Court, who are authorised by us for that purpose, or ourselves, with our Council; for this we specially reserve to our own jurisdiction.
12. We forbid all our Coroners and Justices, and all
1 The same rule is laid down in c. 12. s. 5, where the expression is chescune simeyne en tens pledable. Mr. Kelham interprets this as excluding times prohibited by the church (see book ii. c. 21 s. 1) ; but the whole passage appears to require further explanation. See Kelham's Britton, p. 8. n. (24.)
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others to whom we have given authority of record, that any, except our Steward and our Justices of Ireland and of Chester, without our leave substitute another in his place, to do any act of which he himself ought to make record ; and if anything be done before such substitutes, we will that it be of no force, though it should be of abjuration or outlawry.
13. We will also, that in counties and hundreds, and in every freeholder's Court, the Courts be held by the suitors; the like in cities boroughs and franchises, and in sheriffs' Tourns and in view of frankpledge.
CHAPTER II.
Of Coroners.
1. And because our will is, that coroners shall in every county be the principal guardians of our peace, to bear record of the pleas of our Crown, and of their views, and of abjurations and outlawries, we will that they be chosen according as is contained in our statute concerning their election ; and when they shall be chosen, we will that in full County they take the oath before the sheriff, that they will lawfully and without demanding any reward make their inquests and enrollments, and do whatsoever belongs to the office of coroner.
2. Also, we will, when any felony or misadventure has happened, or if treasure be found under ground and wickedly concealed, and in case of rape of women,
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or of the breaking of our prison, or of a man wounded near to death, or of any other accident happening, that the coroner do speedily, as soon as he is informed of it, give notice to the sheriff and the bailiff of the place, that at a certain day he cause to appear before him, at the place where the accident happened, the four adjacent townships and others if need be, whereby he may inquire of the truth of the casualty. And when he is come, let him swear the townships upon the Holy Evangelists, that they will speak the truth of such articles as he shall demand of them on our behalf. And in this case, and at the sheriffs1 tourns, and at view of frankpledge, and in the office of escheators, and in our presence before our Steward, and in the eyre of our Justices, we will that people be sworn though our writ come not.
3. Afterwards, let the coroner with the jurors go and view the body, and the wounds and blows, or if any one hath been strangled or scaldeda or by other violence oome to his end; and immediately after the view, let the body be buried. And if the coroner find the body buried before such view made, let him make an enrollment thereof; but let him nevertheless not fail to have the body disinterred, and view it openly, and have it viewed by the townships.
•t. Those who are summoned, and come not to the coroner's inquest, shall be in our mercy at the coming of our Justices at the next assises in that county, if
1 Perhaps, suffocated,—a sense suggested by Carpentier. Du-flunge, Gloss, s. v. excaldare.
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such defaults be entered in the roll of the coroners ; so that neither our coroners, nor our escheators, nor any mere inquirers, have authority to amerce any one for any default.
5. "When the coroner shall have a sufficient number by whom he may make his inquests, let him in the first place inquire, whether such person was killed by felony or misadventure; and if by felony, whether the felony was committed in or out of a house, or whether in a tavern, or at a wrestling-match or other meeting. Then let it be inquired, who were present at the fact, great and small, male and female ; and who are guilty of the fact, and who of aid, or of force, or of commandment or consent, or of knowingly receiving such felons. And if the coroner on the first inquiry suspect concealment of the truth, or that there is need of further inquiry, and that by others, let inquiry be made again and again ; but let him not for any contrariety in the verdicts alter or curtail his enrollment in any point. And further, he must inquire of the manner of the killing, and with what weapon, and of all the circumstances.
6. And let the sheriff forthwith cause all those who shall be indicted to be taken, if they be found. If they be not found, let the coroner inquire, who they are who have withdrawn themselves on that account; and let the sheriff forthwith seize their lands into our hand simply, without removing bailiffs or putting in any one on our behalf, until the parties are convicted by judgment or cleared of the felony. Next, let him seize
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all their chattels into our hand, and appraise them by good inquest, and that, whether they be the chattels of villains, who have fled and are suspected, or of freemen, and cause the value to be enrolled in the coroner's roll, and the goods to be delivered to the townships to be answered for to us, in case the person indicted shall either refuse to submit himself to justice in our Court, or be afterwards attainted as a felon. Afterwards let it be inquired, whether any of the persons indicted ever by virtue of our writ of menace found surety of our peace to the person killed ; and let the names of the mainpernors be enrolled according as shall be found by the verdict.
7. If there be any one who would seek vengeance of the death by appeal of felony, let the male, of what age soever he be, be received before the female; and the next of blood before one more remote. And if the plaintiff is willing to prosecute his appeal within the year and day, let him find in full county two sufficient pledges, distrainable to the sheriff of the county in whose bailiwick the felony was committed, that he will prosecute his appeal according to the law of the land, and thereupon let him be admitted thereto. Then let the coroner enter his appeal and the names of his-pledges. Afterwards, let the bailiff of the place where the felony was committed be commanded to have the-bodies of the appellees at the next county court to answer to the plaintiff.
8. And if he appeal several, some of the fact and some of the force or accessory facts, to every appeal let
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two pledges to prosecute be entered ; and let the appeal be entered separately against each person. If the bailiff at the second county court testify that he could not find them, then let it be awarded that the principals appealed of the fact be solemnly demanded that they do come to our peace, to take their trial for the felony whereof the}7 are appealed ; and let them be so demanded from county court to county court until they appear or be outlawed. And if the plaintiff makes default at any county court, then let the exigent1 stand over till our coming into the county or the Eyre of the Justices ; and if the plaintiff will resume his appeal, let him on finding other pledges to prosecute be received thereto, so as he pray it within the year and day.
9. But whether those who were appealed of consenting and of accessory facts withdraw themselves or appear, no exigent shall run against them, nor shall they be compelled to answer to the plaintiff before judgment be pronounced in the case of the principal. But if the principal be outlawed, then let exigents be immediately awarded against the accessories. And when any of them is outlawed, or hath withdrawn himself and is suspected, let the coroner inquire of whose tithing or whose mainpast such fugitive was, and make his enroll-
1 The exigend or exigent is the writ or precept in pursuance of which an absent defendant is exacted or required at the county court, with a view to his outlawry. The name and the practice still continue. See Tcrmes de la ley, s. v. Exigent; 3 Blackst. •Comm. 283. App. xix. ; 4 ib. 319.
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meat according to the verdict; and let him inquire of the lands and chattels of every fugitive, and in what place he has had property elsewhere than in his bailiwick. And if they appear before the outlawry of the principal, let them be replevisable, and immediately after outlawry of the principal, Jet them come and answer to the plaintiff.
10. If the felony was committed out of a dwelling-house, then let the coroner inquire, who first found the body, and let him or them, if there be several, women as well as men, young as well as old, be taken and released by pledges, until our coming into the county or the Eyre of the Justices; and let the coroner cause their names and the names of the pledges to be imbrc-viated.
11. We forbid every coroner, upon pain of imprisonment and heavy ransom, to make his inquests of felonies accidents or other things belonging to his office, by procurement of friends,1 or to remove a juror on the challenge of any party, or to take anything by himself or other, or suffer anvthing to be taken by his clerk or any person belonging to him, for the executing of his office; or to erase, or alter, or practise any kind of fraud in his rolls, or suffer it to be done.
12. If he finds that any one has come to his death by accident, then let him inquire bv what accident, whether he was drowned, or fell, or whether he was killed without felony prepensed of any other, or was a
1 The meaning appears to be : by procuring friends of the parties implicated to make up the jury.
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felon of himself; and if he was drowned, whether in the sea, or in an arm of the sea, in fresh water, or in a well, or ditch, and by what occasion he was drowned; also from what vessel he fell, and what things were in such vessel, and to whose hands they came, and of what value they were, and who first found the body. If in, a well, then let it be inquired, whose the well was. If. by a fall, whether it was from a mill, or from a horse, or a house, or a tree. If from a mill, what things were then moving in the mill, who owned the mill, and the value of the things therein then moving; and likewise of houses, horses, trees, and carts.
13. If the person was killed, then let it be inquired,, whether it was done by man or beast or any other thing; if by man, whether by the person himself, or by another ; and if by another, whether the misadventure happened by chance, or from necessity to avoid death ; if by a beast, whether by a dog or other beast) and whether the beast was set on to do it, and en* couraged to such mischief, or not, and by whom, and so of all the circumstances.
14. Of such as are drowned within our realm by falling from a vessel not at sea, our will is, that the vessel and whatsoever shall be found therein be appraised as a deodand and enrolled by the coroner, that is to say, whatsoever was moving; for if a man happens to fall from a ship under sail, moth ing can be deemed the cause of his death, except the ship itself and the things moving in it ; but the merchandise lying at the bottom of the ship, is not presumed to be the occasion of his
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'death, and so in like cases. And of those drowned in 'fountains and wells, we will, as in the other cases, that the coroners admit to mainprise the first finders, and enroll their names and the names of their pledges; and 'of those who have come to their death by carts or mills, and in the like cases, let the coroner make his inquests and enrollments as above directed where persons are drowned.
15. Whenever the coroner takes his inquest on the body of a person feloniously killed, let him cause one or more of kin to the deceased on the side of the father or mother to appear before him in proof of Englishery according to the custom of the country, and enroll their names.
16. We will also that the coroners receive the confessions of felonies made by approvers in the presence of the sheriff, whom we intend to be his controller in every part of his office; and let them cause such confessions to be enrolled. And when any man has fled to church, we will that the coroner as soon as he has notice of it, command the bailiff of the place, that he cause the neighbours and the four nearest townships to appear before him at a certain day at the church where the fugitive shall be ; and in their presence he shall receive the confession of the folony ; and if the fugitive pray to abjure our realm, let the coroner immediately do what is incumbent on him. But if he does not prav abjuration, let him be delivered to the township to keep at their peril.
17. Tf the coroner be to take an inquest of rape, let
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him carefully inquire into all the circumstances of the force and of the felony, and make enrollment of the presumptive signs, such as stains of blood, and tearing of clothes. If of a wounding, let him inquire with what weapon, and of the length and depth of the wound. Let him likewise enter in his roll all judgments of death given in his bailiwick by any other than our Justices ; and in such cases, we will that their rolls be a record. And whereas it is declared above, that coroners ought to make enrollments of appeals of felonies of the death of a man, let them do the like in appeals of rape, robbery, larceny, and in appeals of every other kind of felony.
18. It also belongs to their office to inquire of ancient treasure found in the earth, of wreck of the sea, of sturgeons and whales, as soon as they shall have notice thereof; and to attach and let to raainprise those who have found or made away with them, and to enroll their names, and to secure such findings for our use. And we will that our sheriffs and bailiffs be attendant on our coroners, and execute their precepts.
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CHAPTEK III.
Of Eyres of Justices.
1. With respect to our coming, and the Eyre of our Justices, \ve will that general proclamation be solemnly made in the markets cities and boroughs throughout the county, as well within franchises as without, that all the freemen of the count}7, and four men and the provost of every vill, and all the mainpernors and those who have been let to mainprise throughout the county, appear at a certain day, which shall be forty days distant at least, before us, or such Justices as shall be named in our precept to keep the eyre in the same county : and that all those who claim any franchise in the same county be the same day before us or the same Justices, and that every one show distinctly in writing what franchises he claims ; and that all those, Avho have any complaints to make against our ministers or bailiffs or those of others or any persons whatsoever, be there at the same day, to exhibit such complaints and iind pledges to prosecute ; and that the sheriff of the county have there all such writs as have been adjourned until the eyre, and all the assizes of novel disseisin, niortdancester, darrein presentment, utrum, and of dower, and all the prisoners and attachments. And meantime we will command our Justices of the bench, that they adjourn all the pleas of the
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Bounty and send them before us or such Justices itinerant in that county, so that they be there at the day named.
2. And as to the coming of our Justices, our will is, that as soon as they be come to the place appointed for holding the eyre, they produce the authority they have of us by our letters patent, and cause them to be read in the hearing of the people ; and afterwards let him who is first named in the letters, show and declare to the people the occasions and advantages of their coming into that county; this done, let them receive the essoins of the common summons, which shall be immediately determined and adjourned. Then let the essoins of pleas of land be received; and let these be adjudged and the fourth day after adjourned.
3. Next let the letters whereby any persons whatever claim to hold franchises in that county be received, and let their claims be enrolled, and a transcript of the same enrollment be delivered to the sheriff; and as to all such franchises as are not claimed, let tlTe sheriff be commanded to seize them into our hands by way of distress, and be answerable to us for the issues, until those who shall claim them have saved their defaults for not attending the summons; and let them L,hen answer by what warrant they have held them.
4. Afterwards let the Justices take the wands of the .heriff, and of the lords of the franchises, and of all the other inferior bailiffs, and then let the sheriff swear, that he will duly execute the lawful commands of our Justices, and will well conceal the secrets and counsels
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of their eyre, so help him God and the Saints. And after this oath is taken, let the wand be delivered back to him. Then let the sheriff present all his officers and bailiffs, clerks and others, by whom the precepts of the Justices and executions of their judgments are to be performed ; and let them all take the same oath that the sheriff took, and their wands be delivered back to them.
5. And if there be any archbishop, bishop, abbot or prior, earl or baron, or other, that claims the franchise of return of our writs, let him take the same oath that the sheriff took ; or let them take their wands in their hands, and present such bailiffs in their stead as will take the oath for them, and for \\ hose acts they will be answerable as to that which to their office shall belong: and then let the wands be delivered by those lords to their bailiffs. Afterwards let proclamation be made, that all persons belonging to franchises, except the bailiffs, depart unto their own homes until further summons or until a certain day.
6. Next let the bailiffs of the sheriff swear, that they will truly present two or four1 of their bailiwick, or more or less, who are not appealed of any crime, nor are appellors, and such as shall best know and will
1 According to the so-called Statute of uncertain date, but probably of the early part of the reign of Edwaid I, entitled ' de sacramento ministrorumregis,' two knights orprodes homes were to be chosen by the bailiffs, and twelve knights or prodes homes to be chosen of themselves and others of their hundred by the first two. According to Bracton and Fleta/ow knights were to be first chosen. Cf. Blackst. Comm. vol. iv. p. 302.
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inquire and discover secret acts concerning the breach of our peace. And when the names are given in, let those come and swear, that they will lawfully associate to themselves such others, by whom the truth may best appear. Afterwards, let them, together with those whom they have chosen for the most sufficient, swear, that they will lawful presentment make of such chapters as shall be delivered to them in writing, and that in this they will not fail for any love, hatred, fear, reward, or promise, and that they will conceal the secrets,1 so help them God, and the Saints. And then let the chapters be read to them, and delivered to every dozen separately.2
7. Afterwards, let proclamation be made, that none presume to amerce any man for making default in a court baron or hundred, who shall at that time be before us or our Justices ; and that no market be kept within ten miles, except in the town where our Justices shall be, if the town is not able to find sufficient provision for such as shall abide there; and that, if any
1 This clause of the oath is not in Bracton or Fleta, nor in the statute ' for oaths of the king's officers.' In MS. N. a form of oath is given in French nearly resembling that in the text, and concluding,' mes vostre conseil e de ceste eyre biane loialmente-celeray.'
2 ' He [qu. the Justice] shall then read the articles distinctly in English. And that which they shall present, he shall put first in a roll, which shall be their note and shall remain with them. And afterwards of that and the other things, by command and direction of the more prudent of the twelve, he shall make his. chief roll.' (Note in MS. N.)
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person be come \vbo has no business on hand, he shall wake his attorney, if he please, and depart home.
8. Afterwards, let the coroners, or their heirs, be v.ommanded to deliver to the Justices their rolls since the last eyre ; and we will that the Justices seal them under their seals, and forthwith without any examination deliver the rolls back to them, so that thev be every day with their clerks before the Justices, while they have occasion for them.
9. Afterwards, let the presentments upon the chapters delivered to the dozens be received in writing ; and let the same be indented, so that the Justices may have one part thereof and the other may remain with the presenters. The chapters which are to be delivered to them are not however of any certain number; for as crimes increase, so much the ehapters and other remedies increase. Some of these chapters are concerning counterfeiters, murders, accidents, and other matters, as will appear from the following heads.
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CHAPTER IV.
Of the Chapters of the Eyre.
In the first place, let the old articles presented in the last eyre in that county touching breaches of our peace, which then remained undetermined, be inquired of, heard, and determined. Of our mortal enemies abiding in our land presentment cannot properly be made,1 but accusation and appeal, as will appear in the chapter of appeals.
CHAPTER V.
Of counterfeiting the seal and coin ; and of the trial of felons.
1. Let inquiry be made of forgers, and not only of such as counterfeit our seal, but of all those who shall have in any way falsified our seal, as those who have fraudulently hung it to any charter without our leave, or when it has been stolen or robbed or otherwise obtained, have sealed writs therewith without other
1 This appears to be a correction of Fleta 24 (li. 1. cap. 20. sect. 1), who puts treason as the first article of the eyre. It does not appear among the matters enumerated by Bracton, or in the Capitula Itineris (Stat. incert. temp.) But compare post. c. 30.
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authority. And also of forgers who have counterfeited our coin, or put more alloy in it than according to the form and usage of our mint ought to be put, or that have coined money, whether good or bad, in our realm without our leave. Likewise of those who have clipped our coin or otherwise impaired it. Of those also who have brought into our realm counterfeit money in any way resembling ours in despite and damage of us and our people.
2. Upon presentment of this felony, we will that the sheriff do cause all those who are indicted of it to be instantly taken, and their bodies kept safely in prison; and that they be brought before us or our Justices; and, to the intent that no one may be unprepared with his answer, let those who are so taken have fifteen days at least, if they pray it, to provide their defence, and in the meantime let them be safely kept. And when they shall appear in judgment before us or before our Justices, let them be there arraigned by the sheriff or other officer on our behalf, and indicted of the felony according to the nature of the presentment. And if they will not put themselves upon their acquittal,1 let them be put to their penance, until they
1 That is, if they reiuse to be tried by an inquest or jury. This sort of trial appears, in theory at least, not to have been considered valid either in criminal or civil causes, without the consent of the parties. Compare liv. ii. c. 20. § 2. So in liv. iii. c. 23. § 4, the consent of the party is extorted by the alternative of a judgment against him. It has been a question, whether the penance here described, which is referred to in Stat. "West. I. c. 12, as prisone forte ef (Jure, «as introduced by that Statute.
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pray to do it; and let their penance be this, that thev be barefooted, ungirt and bareheaded, in the worst place in the prison, upon the bare ground continually night and day, that they eat only bread made of barley or bran, and that they drink not the day they eat: nor eat the day they drink, nor drink anything but water, and that they be put in irons.
3. If one indicted of felony alleges clergy, and be found to be a clerk and claimed by the ordinary, let it be inquired how he is suspected ; and if the presenters upon inquiry find that there are no certain grounds
Coke contends (2 Inst. 178) that it was previously used in cases of appeals, (see post. c. 24. s. 7. ; Fie. 51, § 33), but was extended by that Statute to indictments at the king's suit. Others have observed that no trace of it is to be found in any authorities anterior to the reign of Edward I; and examples have been cited from earlier records, showing that by the practice of the previous reign, the inquest might be taken by jury without the consent of the prisoner, either voluntary or enforced. (See Hale, Pleas of the Crown, vol. ii. p. 321 ; Kelham's Britton, p. 35.) This might appear to be in some degree confirmed by the general statement of Glanville, that in cases of treason where there was no appellor, but the prisoner was accused by common fame, the truth was to be inquired by inquests and interrogations before the Justices. (Glan. li. 14. c. 1.) On the other hand, it does riot appear to have been observed, that Bracton, although lie does not mention the particular means employed, expressly refers to a prisoner on trial for felony being forced to put himself upon the inquest per patriam. " Istam vero formam inquisitionis per patriam servabunt justiciarii generaliter in omnibus inquisition-ibus quee faciendse sunt pro morte hominis, ubi quis se posuerit super inquisitionem sive sponte sive per cautelam inductus sive per r^cessitatem." Brae. 143 6.
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for suspicion, let the judgment be that ne be entirely acquitted ; and if he is believed to be guilty, let his chattels be appraised, and his lands taken into our hands, and his body delivered to the ordinary;1 and if the ordinary deliver him out of prison before due acquittance according to the purgation of clerks, or if he keep him so negligently as to let him escape, or out of malice keep him in such manner as to prevent his coming to his purgation, and be convicted thereof, —in each of these cases let the ordinary be in our mercy.2 And according as the ordinary shall certify us of the acquittance3 of those clerks, we will cause restitution to be made them of their goods, if they Lave not fled from our peace.*
1 If the principal accused refused to put himself on the country, and claimed clergy, the accessories could not be attainted of felony. A case to this effect is cited in the note in MS. ^V. as having occurred at Lincoln. ' The accessory put himself on the country and by Sir John del Ille was commanded to the gallows. But Sir Elias de Preston said " Repeal that judgment, for the principal never put himself, and is not yet attainted." And he was ordered back to prison and afterwards made his fine for ten pounds.' John del Isle was a bai'on of the exchequer from 23 Ed. I. to 12 Ed. II. (Foss, Judges, vol. iii. p. 270). Elias de Preston is not mentioned in Mr. Foss's work.
2 • The amercement shall be 100s. at least; and 100Z. for att escape from prison.' (Note in MS. N.)
3 ' Et sic habet ordinarius recordum in eodem.' (Note in MS. Ar.)
4 ' Hence the inquest may be had, whether the clerk put himself thereupon or not, for two things ; namely, to know for what
[I, *111.
4. For we will that Holy Church retain her liberties unimpaired, so that she have cognizance of judging of mere spirituality, of testaments, of matrimony, of bastardy, of bigamy, and in the felonies of clerks, and in the correction of sins, provided the ordinaries take of the laity no money nor the value thereof, nor give judgment of any property except concerning testament and matrimony and mere spirituality, and of the repairs of churchyards and defects in churches, and of mortuaries, and of tithes, without prejudice to us.
5. And if any ordinary, either in person or by his proctor, demands one who is a mere layman, or a bigamist,1 or of such other condition that he ought not to enjoy the privilege of Holy Church, we will that he be committed to prison and punished by fine ; and so of a proctor who presents himself for the ordinary without warrant in writing.
6. If any felons will confess their crimes and accuse others and become approvers, let them be put out of penance, and let their confessions be presently received
cause he ought to be delivered to the bishop, and also for his chattels, whether he has forfeited them by his flight.' (Note in MS. N.)
1 Bigamus in the canon law is he that has married two or more virgins successively, or that has married a widow. See Coke, Inst. Pt. ii. p. 273 ; Blackstone, Comm. vol. iv. p. 163. By the council of Lyons, A. IX. 1274, Bigamiwere declared to be ' omni privilegio clerical! nudati,et coertioni fori ssficularis addicti.'and forbidden under anathema to assume the tonsure. (Sext. Deer, tit. 12.) This was confirmed in England as to benefit of clergy by the Statute 4 Ed. I, thence called Statutum de bigamis.
I, *12.]
and enrolled by the coroner, and from that day forward let them have of the sheriffs three halfpence a day for their support.
7. When persons appealed at the eyre shall appear for trial, and demand judgment, whether they ought to answer concerning an act done before the last eyre and not then presented in that county, in all such cases they shall be put to their answer,1 because we will not that felonies remain unpunished ; and if the article was not presented in the last eyre, the presenters for that hundred in the former eyre shall be in our mercy for the concealment, and any of them found to be living shall be punished by imprisonment and fine.
8. When the defendants have put themselves upon the country, and the jurors are come into court, they may be challenged in the following form. Sir, this man ought not to be upon the jury, because he indicted me, and I presume of him and all those who indicted me, that they still bear the same ill will against me as when they indicted me. And we will that, where a man's life is at stake, this exception shall be allowed. They may also be challenged in many other ways besides this, as shall be shown in treating of exceptions. And when the accused either cannot or will not challenge the jurors, or there are juror's enough unchallenged, to the number of twelve, let them go to the book. If there are not sufficient, let the challenges be
1 This is mentioned as a valid exception by Bracton, who cites a case of the 9 Hen., III. hi affirmance of it. Brae. 116 b. 140 b. 141 ; soFleta49 (§6).
[1, *12 I.
tried; and if the challenges be found true, so that there are not full twelve remaining, let another day be appointed, and let the sheriff summon more.
9. When they are to swear, let them swear one after another, that they will speak the truth of what shall be demanded of them on our part, so help them God and the Saints. And let no falsehood be ever knowingly practised; for they cannot swear in a matter of greater moment, than in that of life and member. Afterwards let the jurors be charged of what fact they are to speak the truth. And then let them go and confer together, and be kept by a bailiff, so that no one speak to them; and if any one does so, or if there be any one among them who is not sworn, let him be committed to prison, and all the rest amerced for their folly in suffering it.
10. If they cannot all agree in one mind, let them be separated and examined why they cannot agree; and if the greater part of them know the truth and the other part do not, judgment shall be according to the opinion of the greater part. And if they declare upon their oaths, that they know nothing of the fact, let others be called who do know it ;* and if he who put
1 The statements of the text as to receiving the verdict of a majority, arid as to impanelling a fresh inquest in criminal cases require to be examined and compared with other authorities. Section 12 appears to be inconsistent. See a learned note by Mr. Kelham upon this passage in his translation of the first book of Britton, and the authors there cited. The question as to the right of the judge in criminal cases to discharge a jury without
I, *13.]
himself on the first inquest will not put himself on a new jury, let him be remanded back to penance till he consents thereto.
11. We will also, that if any man, who is indicted of a crime touching life and limb, and perceives that the verdict of the inquest, on which he has put himself, is likely to pass against him, desires to say that any one of the jurors is suborned to condemn him by the lord, of whom the accused holds his land, through greediness of the escheat, or for other cause by any one else, the Justices thereupon shall carefully examine the jurors, whether they have any reason to think that such slander is true. And often a strict examination is necessary ; for in such case inquiry may be made, how the jurors are informed of the truth of their verdict; when they will say, by one of their fellows, and he perad-venture will say, that he heard it told for truth at the tavern or else\vhere by some ribald or other person unworthy of credit; or it may happen that he, or they, by whom the jurors have been informed, were intreated or suborned by the lords, or by the enemies of the person indicted, to get him condemned ; and if the Justices find this to be the fact, let such suborners be apprehended and punished by imprisonment and fine.
12. And if the jurors are in doubt of the matter and not certain, the judgment ought always in such case to be for the defendant. If they say that he is not guilty of the felony, the award shall be, that he go quit, and
a verdict, has been discussed in modem times in the case o£ Regina v. Charlesivorth, 1 Best and Smith, 460.
[I, *13 f>.
that he have restitution of his lands and of all his goods. And if they find that he is guilty, as he hath offended by treason against us, let him be drawn and condemned to death.
13. In felony of counterfeiting there lies no appeal, except between the accuser on our behalf and the accused, and between the approved, who has confessed the felony, and him whom he has appealed as his accomplice, and between a person found in possession, and another whom he shall vouch to \varrant; for in these cases no suit lies, except ours.
14. "With regard to false writs or writs disavowed or writs of false judgment, found in any person's possession, we will, that such persons be arrested and detained in prison, until the}7 are warranted, or until those whom they have vouched have either put themselves on their defence or are outlawed ; and if the vouchees are outlawed, or if they have vouched such as are not known in the county, then we will, that they either acquit themselves by the county or be put to penance. If they are warranted by those who cannot justify those writs according to the laws and usages of our realm, let judgment be given against the warrantors; and if the vouchee refuses to warrant, then the course of law is such as shall be afterwards mentioned. And with respect to false and clipped money and money counterfeited like our coin, let proceedings be taken according to the statutes concerning our coin, or according to what is laid down concerning false writs found in any one's possession.
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CHAPTER VI.
Of Homicides.
1. Let inquiry also be made of homicides and murders ; and our will is, that those, who command aid or counsel others to kill, be indicted of this felony as well as the principal actors. And inasmuch as this felony may be committed under colour of judgment through malice of the judge, or under some other pretence, a£ by false physicians and bad surgeons, and by poison and sundry other ways, our pleasure is, that all those who have committed such secret felonies be indicted ; and also those who falsely for hire, or in any other manner, have condemned, or caused to be condemned, any man to death by means of a false oath.
2. According to the presentment of this article let it be commanded, that all those who are indicted be apprehended ; and if any one suspected of this crime be dwelling out of the county, let his lands be immediately seized, and his chattels appraised and delivered to the townships ; and let him afterwards be put in exigent until he appear or be outlawed. And when any felons appear in judgment to answer of their felony, our will is, that they come barefooted, ungirt, uncoifed, and bareheaded, in their coat only, without irons or any kind of bonds,1 so that they may not be deprived of
1 In MS. N. the above words, which probably originally stood
[I, *14 *.
reason by pain, nor be constrained to answer by force, but of their own free will; and then, agreeably to the presentment against them, let them be indicted.
3. If the prisoners are found guilty, let their judgment be death for death, and let their movable goods be ours, and their heirs disinherited; we will also have the year and day of their inheritances, of whomsoever they are holden, that they may remain one year and one day in our hands, so that we neither cause the tenements nor the woods to be destroyed or wasted,1 nor the meadows to be ploughed, as was wont to be done in memory of felonies attainted, such tenements being excepted whereof the felons were not invested or seised in their demesne as of fee ; for of such lands as they held for term of life or years, or by fresh disseisin, or in fee farm rendering annually the true value, or in mortgage or on like condition, we will take nothing.
as in the text, are erased and altered, in the same hand as the notes frequently cited, as follows : "en lour peiore cote hors de trop gros fers e hors de trop gros liens." This may serve to show that the practice was not so indulgent as the rule laid down Incur author.
1 It was the opinion of Bracton that the year and day were given to the king in lieu of the right of laying waste the lands of felons. The Great Charter (c. 23) appears implicitly to give up the claim to waste, and to have been so understood by Bracton and the authors of Fleta and Britton (Brae. 129 ; Fie. liv. i. c. 28, §6). But both rights were afterwards insisted on (Brae. 129, 129 b; Stat. Preerog. Reg. 17 Ed. II.) ; and such appears to be the present law in cases of murder. See Hawkins's Pleas of the Crown (8th ed.), vol. ii. p. 638.
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We will also, that their lands aliened after commission of their felonies, be escheated to the lords of the fees, so that immediately after judgment given it shall be lawful for those lords to demand by our writ of escheat the tenements so aliened.
4. If any man be found killed, and another be found near him with the knife or other weapon in his hand all bloody, wherewith he killed him, the coroner shall be presently fetched, and in his presence the felon shall, upon the testimony of those who saw the felony done, be judged to death. The like when a person is found in a house, or other place where one shall be found killed,1 and the person found alive is neither hurt nor wounded, and has not raised the hue and cry, and has not charged any with the felony, and shall not be able to do so.
5. We will also, that the heirs of felons, begotten before the felony committed, be disinherited of every inheritance which may fall to them on the part of the blood of the felon attainted by judgment; and heirs
1 Bractori (137, 137 6) mentions the two instances here given, as cases of presumptive guilt, in which there is no need of proof, .sew per corpus seu per pat Ham, either by duel or jury ; and this, lie says, is an old established law, antique constitutio. I find no mention either in Bracton or Fleta of judgment of death for homicide before the coroner. Cf. Mag. Char. c. 17. The coroner's presence was required at capital trials in courts of lords. Ante, c. 2. s. 17. In the Year Book 30, 31 Ed. I, app. ii. p. 545, a thief taken with the mainour is adjudged to death, by the custom of Yorkshire, coram quatuor villatis. Compare post c. 16. s. 1.
[I, *15 J.
begotten after the felony committed, shall be excluded from all manner of succession to the inheritance, as well on the part of the mother as on the part of the father; the wives also of felons shall not hold in dower any tenement assigned them by such husbands.
CHAPTER VII.
Of Murder.
Murder is the felonious killing of a person unknown, whereof it cannot be known by whom it was done. And our will is, that for every murder the hundred in which it shall be committed be amerced,1 and if the act is found to have been done in two hundreds, let both the hundreds be amerced in proportion to the extent of each hundred. And it shall not be adjudged murder, where any of kin to the deceased can be found, who can prove that he was an Englishman and thus make presentment of Englishery ; nor, although the person killed was a foreigner, if he lived long enough to accuse the felons himself ; nor where any felon shall be apprehended for the fact ; nor in case of accident or mischance ; nor where any man shall have taken sanc-, tuary for the felony ; nor in any case where the felon shall be known, so that the felony may be punished by outlawry or otherwise attainted; nor where two or more persons have feloniously killed each other, although they be unknown or aliens.
l' At 100s.' (Note in MS. N.).
I, ](?.]
CHAPTER VIII.
Of Accidents.
An accident is that which occasions the death of a man without felony, as where people die suddenly by any sickness, or fall into the fire or into the water, and there lie until they are quite dead. A mischance is where a man is killed by a fall from a tree, ship, boat, cart, horse, or mill, or in the like cases, where no felon v is committed, and in which there is no need of raising the hue and cry, or making any presentment by the kindred of the deceased or by the township at the next county court, but the coroner's inquest is sufficient. In such mischances, the things which caused the death shall be adjudged to us as deodands, as is mentioned before in the chapter concerning the office of coroner. And where a man is felon of himself, his chattels shall be adjudged ours, as the chattels of a felon, but his inheritance shall descend entire to his heirs.
[I, *16 5.
CHAPTER IX.
Of Treasons.
1. Treason consists of any mischief, which a man knowingly does, or procures to be done, to one to whom he pretends to be a friend. And treasons may be either great or little, of which some require judgment of death, some loss of limb, pillory, or imprisonment, and others lighter punishment, according to the nature of the case.
2. Great or high treason is to compass our death or to disinherit us of our kingdom, or to falsify our seal, or to counterfeit our coin, or to clip it. A person may likewise commit great treason against others in several ways, as by procuring the death of any one who trusts him; as for instance those who poison their lords or others, and those who lead persons into such perils, that they lose life and member or chattels.
3. The judgment in high treason is to be drawn and to suffer death for the felony. The same judgment is incurred by those, who in appeals of felony are attainted of having counterfeited or otherwise falsified the seal of their lord, of whose dependence or homage thev are, or of adultery with the wives of their lords, or of violation of the daughters of their lords or the nurses of their children. And if a woman be attainted of any treason, let her be burnt.
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•i. Where persons are attainted of crimes of this nature at our suit, let them be sentenced for falsifying a seal, if the act be of small consequence, to judgment of pillory only, or to lose an ear ; but if the act be of importance and heinous, as touching disherison or lasting damage, they shall then be judged to death. And of the other offence let Holy Church have correction.
CHAPTER X.
Of Arsons.
Let inquiry also be made of those who feloniously in time of peace have burnt others' corn or houses, and those who are attainted thereof shall be burnt,1 so that they may be punished in like manner as they have offended. The same sentence shall be passed upon sorcerers, sorceresses, renegades, sodomites, and heretics publicly convicted.2
1 As to this punishment for arson by burning, which is not mentioned in Bractoii or Fleta, see a record of 5 Hen. III. cited by Sir Samuel Clarke in his edition of the first book of Fleta, c. 18. p. 36 11. (d), and by Mr. Kelham in his notes on the first book of Britton, p. 40.
2 It seems that as to these offences, though the king's court was in general ancillary to the ecclesiastical tribunal, it sometimes acted independently. ' Burners of corn and houses, wives guilty of treason against their husbands, sorcerers, sodomites, renegates, and misbelievers, run in a leash (currunt en une leesse) as to their sentence of being burned. But the inquirers of Holy
[i, *n.
CHAPTER XI.
Of Burglars.
Let inquiry also be made of burglars. Such we hold to be all those who feloniously in time of peace break churches, or the houses of others, or the walls or gates of our cities or boroughs. Infants under age, and poor people, who through hunger enter the house for victuals under the value of twelve pence, are excepted ; as are also idiots and madmen, and others, who are incapable of felony ; and those, who enter into any tenement of seisin in respect of some right which they think they have, are not held to be burglars. The punishment of such felons is death.
CHAPTER XII.
Of Prisoners.
1. Let inquiry also be made of those who have broken our prison; for to escape from the prison of another is no felony. We will that a prison be accounted
Church shall make their inquests of sorcerers, sodomites, rene-gates, and misbelievers ; and if they find any such, they shall deliver him to the king's court to be put to death. Nevertheless, if the king by inquest find any persons guilty of such horrible sin, hf> may put them to death, as a good marshall of Christendom (come bon Mareschal de la Chrestienete).' (Note in MS. N.)
I, *17 &]
a place limited by us within certain bounds for the keeping of the bodies of men, which bounds we forbid on pain of death any one to pass with a felonious intent of escaping ; and if any one having such intent is taken, and is attainted of compassing that felonious intent, let him receive judgment of death.1
2. If the prisoner was in the custody of any one claiming the wardenship in fee, let the franchise be seized into our hands. And if the prisoner, who made his escape, has escaped from the custody of any one of our officers, let that officer be amerced at 100s. in the eyre of the Justices. And if he who thus escaped was an approver, let the warden be ransomed at our will. If any prisoner escape from the custody of a township, let the township be in our mercy in the eyre of the Justices, according to the custom of the country ; and if from the custody of a private person, let such person be amerced; and if any gaoler be suspected of having consented to the escape, let him be taken and indicted for consenting to the felony; and if he be found guilty of consenting, let him have judgment of death.
3. As to prisoners, we will that none be put in irons but such as have been apprehended for felony, or are imprisoned for trespasses committed in parks or
1 This passage may serve to assist in ascertaining the age of the present book. By theStat. de frangentibusprisonam (23 Ed. I.) it was enacted that none should undergo sentence of life or limb for breaking of prison only. See Introduction by the Editor.
[I, *18.
vivaries, or detained for arrears of accounts; and we forbid their being put to any pain or torture otherwise than by law they ought,1 or that any person be disseised, while in prison, of anything which shall belong to him. Their lands and goods shall be seized into our hand, but without ousting anything; the prisoners and their families shall be supported out of their own goods as long as they remain in prison, and none of their bailiffs shall be removed, nor others put in. And when they have lawfully acquitted themselves, all that was theirs shall be delivered back to them ; and if anything belonging to them shall in the mean time have been removed, we will in such case afford our especial aid to recover it and to punish the offenders. But if judgment of death pass upon them, we will that then, and not before, our officers put out their wives and their bailiffs, and cause their chattels and lands to be seized into our hand, and that their movable goods be appraised by inquest of office of the coroner, and delivered to the townships, who shall be answerable to us in the eyre of the Justices.
4. If any person die in prison, our pleasure is, that the coroner go and view the body and take a true inquest of his death, in what way it has happened. And if the inquest find that his death was hastened by
1 ' Note, that for a felon slain in prison judgment of homicide shall be given. For, though he was lawfully condemnable for the felony, yet it is necessary that it pass by judgment. For we ought not to hold them absolutely felons until the law has condemned them.' (Note in MS. N.)
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the harsh keeping of his gaolers, or by pain unlawfully inflicted on him, then let the body be buried, and let all tLose, who are indicted as being the cause of his death, be immediately apprehended and detained as felons homicides.
5. And we will, that in time pleadable our gaols be •delivered once in every week of all prisoners deliverable, such being excepted as are not to be delivered •without our special command.
6. Prisoners shall in general be answerable to such as shall implead them as long they remain in prison; others shall likewise be answerable to them ; and essoins shall be allowed to them, as well as to others, neither shall they lose anything by any default. But prisoners apprehended for felony we will by no means suffer to implead or be im pleaded by any one, unless for some greater felony, so that a greater felony be not stifled or covered by a less. But our will is, that such prisoners may allege as an exception in every lesser plea whereof they shall be impleaded, not being the cause for which they have been apprehended, whether the plea be moved against them before their apprehension or after, that they are not bound to answer such pleas, until they are acquitted of the greater cause for which they are detained.
7. We forbid any one to take money, or the value thereof, for receiving prisoners, or to delay receiving them, or to take for the keeping any prisoner more than four pence, on pain of ransom and fine. Of the poor let nothing be taken, and let no prisoner
[I, *19.
be longer detained for default in payment of such fees.
*8. And we will, that whatever contracts shall be made in prison by prisoners not taken or detained for felony shall be held valid, unless made under such distress as includes fear of death or torture of body ; and in such case they shall reclaim their deed, as soon as they are at liberty, and signify the fear they were under to the nearest neighbours and to the coroner; and if they do not reclaim such deeds by plaint within the year and day, the deeds shall be valid.
9. Those who claim the custody of any prison in fee shall not detain a prover, who has confessed himself to be a felon and appealed others of the felony, beyond a day and a night, but shall send him forthwith to our prison which is in our own hand, on peril of forfeiting the said custody ; and no other person shall keep in prison any one apprehended for felony beyond a day and a night, but shall send him forthwith to our prisonl on pain of ransom. And therefore with respect to this article, let it be inquired, who has imprisoned another or detained him wrongfully in his custody, or in our prison maliciously and wrongfully under colour of
!This rule was subject to an exception, where there was a franchise of Infangthef or Utfangthef ; for the lord might keep chose in his prison whom he could judge in his court. Brae. 122b, 123. The abbot of Peterborough in the parliament of 3 Ed. I. established his right to keep in his own prison twenty-nine prisoners of his liberty appealed of homicide in the county court of Northampton. Chron. Petroburg. p. 21.
I, *19 &.]
judgment ; and let such as shall be convicted thereof be punished by imprisonment and by ransom, which shall be greater or less in proportion to the offence.
*CHAPTER XIII.
Of Outlaws.
1. In the next place, let inquiry be made of felons outlawed, and of such as have abjured the realm for felony, who have returned without our leave; and of those who knowingly receive them. And because it is needful that every one should know the danger of receiving such persons, our will is, that all who are of the age of fourteen years1 or upwards shall take an oath to us, that they will be faithful and loyal to us, and will neither be felons nor assenting to felons ; and that every one be in some tithing and pledged by their tithingmen, except persons in religion, clerks, knights and their eldest sons, and women ; and let the obli-
1 Bracton (1246) and Fleta (p. 40) mention the age of twelve years as the time of taking the oath ; and this is in some degree confirmed by the terms of the Stat. Marl. c. 25. The Mirror, however, as printed (p. 13, 283), agrees with our author in fixing the time at fourteen years. Coke (2 Inst. 121, 147) cites both Britton and the Mirror as naming the age of twelve, and says, that where old books mention sometimes fourteen years, it is hut misprinted. The mistake, however, if it be one, appears to run through all the manuscripts. Compare Brae. 115 b, where the age of fifteen is mentioned as the time for persons of higher station to take a similar oath.
[I, *20.
gation of the pledge be this, that if they do not produce those for whom they are pledged, to be amenable to justice in our Court when required, the tithingmen with the tithings shall be in our mercy. With regard to clerks, knights, persons of religion, and women, our pleasure is that the head of every household be answerable for all his chief domestics, and that they answer for those under them. As to guests, we will that every one answer for his guest that he shall have harboured for more than two nights together, so that the first night he shall be deemed a stranger and uncouth,1 the second night a guest, and the third night a hoghenhine.2
2. And for the maintaining of peace, we will that when a felony is committed, every one be ready to pursue and arrest *the felons, according to our Statutes of Winchester, with the company of horns and voices from township to township, until they are either taken or have been pursued as far as the chief town of the county or franchise. We will also, that every one who flies from our peace forfeit his chattels to us for such flight, if he be suspected of felony, although he be afterwards acquitted of the principal fact. And if it be murder or other felony concerning the death of a man, let such felony be presented at the next county court by one or more townships, and by the first finder and the kindred of the person killed, that is to say, by •one or more of kin on the part of the father, or on the
1 Anglo-Saxon, uncuo, unknown.
2 Anglo-Saxon, agen hina, his own hind or domestic.
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part of the mother, according to the custom of the county.
3. If one or more be appealed of the death, and others of the force and accessory facts, let the principals be first demanded at three county courts to come and answer concerning the felony, and if they do not come at the fourth court, and are not mainprised to appear at the fifth, they shall be outlawed at the fourth.1 A woman however cannot properly be outlawed because she is not appointed to any tithing or to the law, but she may be waived, which is equivalent to outlawry.
4. As to the punishment of outlaws in their lifetime for their felonies, their judgment shall be this, that, since they will not be amenable to the law, they be forejudged from all law, and put out of our peace, and be answerable to all, and none to them, and be judged felons, as shall also all those who knowingly receive them or bear them company after their outlawry ; and he who shall kill them shall be acquitted of their death, except in cases where they shall offer to surrender themselves or where they might have been otherwise taken; neither in appeals shall they be heard against any man ; and if they are taken, and found
1 The practice has been to proclaim a fugitive at five county courts, so that he is not adjudged an outlaw until the fifth ; and Bracton agrees with this practice. He says, however, that the proceeding at the first court is merely a calling of the fugitive, and is not part of the outlawry, and therefore the fifth court is t-alled the fourth. Brae. 125 6.
[I, *21.
to be outlawed by record of the roll of the coroner, they shall be hanged, and their chattels shall be ours, and their heirs disinherited of every kind of inheritance.
CHAPTER XIV.
Of Tnlatory, or being restored to law.
1. Inlawry in many cases ought to be granted of, right, and in others it may be of favour; and, where of favour, the outlaws ought always to carry about them our charter, containing the release of the outlawry before pronounced against them, that they may not fail to be protected by us, when they shall have occasion. But if they have been legally and deservedly outlawed, such release will not avail them to recover any of the lands or chattels which were theirs before the outlawry pronounced against them, or to demand any inheritance or debts, or any manner of remedy for an injury which they shall before have suffered.
2. Inlawry ought of right to be granted in these cases, namely, where a man has been outlawed before the fourth county court, or without suit and without command of the Justices Itinerant after their eyre ended, or without our writ, or where there was not a regular succession of county courts, or if the outlawry was not in the county court, or not in the presence of the coroner; or if the outlaw at the time of pronouncing the outlawry, was under the age of fourteen
I *21 &.]
years,1 or out of his right mind, or deaf, or an idiot, or out of our realm, or detained in prison ; or if the cause of outlawry be found null, as if the man who was supposed to have been killed be still alive, or if the outlawry was pronounced in any other county than where the felony was committed, or if the outlaw was then in our service in war or castle, or if it be found that the occasion of the outlawry was not felony.
3. In these and other like cases, if the outlaws return and surrender themselves to our prison, and acquit themselves of the principal fact, the Justices shall certify us thereof; and we will immediately, as of right, command by our writs the sheriff of that county and the counties adjoining, that they cause the peace of such outlaws to be proclaimed in cities and in boroughs, in fairs and in markets, and cause it to be solemnly declared that the cause of the outlawry is found to be false, and that the outlaws be restored to their lands and inheritances, saving to us their chattels, if they shall have given occasion of suspicion by flight.
4. We will that those who by malicious contrivance sue any man to an outlawry in any other county than where the principal fact was committed, and are convicted thereof, shall be banished our realm for their malice.
5. And although a person be rightfully and deservedly outlawed, yet it may appear that he was dead before the outlawry pronounced against him; in which
1 See note to chap. xiii. s. 1. ante, p. 48.
[I, *22.
case bis heirs shall enjoy their inheritance, because the ancestor did not live to have judgment passed upon him.
6. If it be found that an outlawry was pronounced before the third county court, or that the proceedings in the county court were in any other manner erroneous, let the county be adjudged in our mercy ; and if it be found that the outlawry was pronounced in the absence of the coroner, and that the coroner was in fault, let the coroner be punished by imprisonment and fine. The like of abjurations made in his absence, although he send his rolls by his clerk or other person not properly authorised.
7. As to lands and tenements aliened by felons attainted after commission of their felonies, we will, that such alienations be voidable by the chief lords of the fees by means of our writs of escheat.
CHAPTER XV.
Of Rape.
Rape is a felony committed by a man by violence on the body of a woman, whether she be a virgin or not. Of such felonies let inquiry be made ; and whoever is attainted thereof, either at the suit of the woman by appeal of felony, or at our suit, shall have the same judgment as for the death of a man, whether the woman have consented after commission of the felony or not, as is contained in our Statutes of Westminster.
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CHAPTER XVI.
Of Larcenies.
1. Let careful inquiry also be made concerning robbers,1 thieves, and such like offenders ; as to whom our will is, that if those who rob, or steal the goods of another, amounting to twelvepence or more,2 be
1 ' A robber is he who by force in the day or night despoils another of his goods. A thief is he who carries off or steals another's goods in the absence of the owner, or in his presence but without his knowledge.' (Note in MS. N.)
2 In the time of Edward I. the price of a cow varied from 5s. to 12s., the price of a sheep from 8d. to 3s. Wheat varied from 2s. to 16s. the quarter, and in times of scarcity rose much higher. See Fleetwood's Chronicou Preciosum ; and see the provisions as to the assize of bread below, in c. xxxi. Rracton says that stealing a pig is a petty theft (Brae. 105) ; and we shall see below, in s. 7. p. 61, that stealing a sheaf of corn is so treated. The commentator in MS. JV. states that three halfpence (iiimailles) a day was a poor living for a man, and gives the following singular reason for 12(/. being fixed as the limit of petty larceny. ' At three halfpence a day, 12(1. would be eight days' wages ; and as a man going without sustenance for eight days might be expected to die on the ninth, the 12rf. has regard to the destruction of life, for which offence a man is rightfully put to death.' The same note asserts, that ' in France and many other countries beyond sea, thieves are put to death for less than in England, as for the value of sixpence or one penny.' By the Anglo-Saxon laws no mercy was to be shown to a thief of above the value of
[I, *22 I.
freshly pursued for the same by the owners, or by those out of whose custody the things were stolen or robbed, and the goods are found upon them, they shall be forthwith taken and brought to trial in the court of the lord of the fee, if he has the franchise of infangthief, or in our court in the hundred, or county, or elsewhere ; and the coroner shall be fetched forthwith, and in his presence the sakeber1 shall be heard in his own person, and if he claims the goods as stolen or robbed and there are lawful people as "witnesses to prove it, such robbers shall be immediately adjudged to death.
Sd. (Leg. Atheist, i. 1. Leg. Hen. I. lix. 20.) But by another law of Athelstan the sum is fixed at 12d. (Leg. Ath. v. 1.) Spelman points out the increased severity of the law arising from the change in the value of money. In quantam asperitatem ex rerum temporumque vicissitudine lex antiqua abripitur. Quod enim olim 12d. venit, hodie ssepe 20s., imo 40, vel pluris est. Nee vita hominis intei'ea oarior sed abjectior. (Spelm. Gloss, s. v. Laricinium.)
1 ' Sakbere is he from whom the chattels are stolen, and is so called from sak (English) which is enchesun in French, and bere which is porteur in French : as being he who bears the cause to go to the deliverance of the thief.' (Note in MS. N.) Compare Spelman, Gloss, s. v. Saoaburth, Sacaber; Thorpe's Glossary to ancient English laws, s. v. Sagemannus. The former part of the word appears to be the A. 8. Sacu, Germ. Sache, a cause or matter of contention, whence the legal term sak for jurisdiction. The latter part of the word is variously derived from the A. S. beran. to carry, the A. S. borh, a pledge or security, and the old Teutonic Bar (A. S. war) a man, whence the French and English Baron.
I, *23.1
2. If they are not taken freshly 1 upon the fact, although the goods are found upon them, they shall be permitted to answer, and then they may demand in \vhat manner the plaintiff intends to proceed against them, and if he answer, ' by words of felony,' then the thief shall be either sent to our gaol or let to main-prise until the next county court or until the next gaol delivery, and there the plaintiff shall make his suit by words of appeal, as will be explained below in treating of appeals. And if the fact was committed out of the lord's jurisdiction, or if the lord has not suitors sufficient to take the inquest, then such felons shall be forthwith sent to our county gaol. The sakeber, if he pleases, may bring an action for his goods, as lost; and then he shall not sue judgment of felony, but of trespass only; but when the sakeber has begun his suit in the form of felony, if he does not prosecute it, we may ourselves proceed to conviction of the felony
3. If the accused has any warrant within our realm, then he may defend himself by voucher; and if he vouches to warrant any person who gave him the tiling, or sold it, or otherwise made it over to him, let a day be given him to produce his warrant, if he be not then present ; and if he cannot produce him, let him be compelled to appear by the aid of our Court ; at which day if he fails to produce his warrant whom he has vouched, where he vouches him at his
1 The commentator in MS. N. explains the word freschement as denoting that the sakeber must make his suit the same day.
[I, *23 6.
own peril and without aid of our Court, he shall be-obliged to give some other answer, or be put to his penance, and the goods shall be delivered to the person who claims them. And when a person is vouched to warranty by aid of our Court, the sheriff, in whose bailiwick the warrant is expected to be found, shall be commanded to have his body at such a place on a certain day, either to undertake the warranty or to refuse it. If the sheriff returns that no such person is known in his bailiwick, the voucher shall be driven to his answTer in chief, or to his penance if he refuse to answer ; and if the sheriff returns that the vouchee is not found, then let our writ issue to the same sheriff, to cause him to be demanded from county court to county court until he either appear or be outlawed.
4. If the vouchee comes and enters into the warrant to defend the voucher in the possession of the thing, let the plea against the principal be suspended, and one commenced against the warrant. And if the wrarrant makes good his case, then let both the voucher and his warrant be acquitted, and the plaintiff be adjudged to prison for the reason which shall be given in the chapter of appeals. If judgment be given against the warrant, then the thing challenged shall be adjudged to the plaintiff, and the principal shall be indicted of the felony at our suit, upon presumption of his being an accomplice of the warrant, who is attainted of the felony.
5. If the principal has no one to vouch, he may say that he bought the thing challenged in such a year and on such a day, at such a fair or at such a market, in
I, *24.]
the presence of a great number of people, and paid a toll to the bailiffs for it. And if he vouches the testimony of the said bailiffs and others then present, and evidence is given accordingly, or if he puts himself on the country and is acquitted of the felony, and yet the prosecutor has proved that the thing challenged belonged to him, and that it was stolen from him or out of his custody, in such case he must be answerable to the owner, and make him satisfaction, and the judgment shall be, that the claimant recover the thing demanded, and that the person challenged go quit, and lose what what he gave for the thing; and if he can produce no such witnesses, let him acquit himself by the country. 6. If any one be indicted by presentment of robbery, or of larceny, or of cutting of purses, or of receiving of felons, or of enchantment, as those who send people to sleep,1 or of cheating by selling bad things for good, as pewter for silver, or latten for gold, or of other petty offences of the like nature, our will is that such be apprehended ; or, if they cannot be found, they shall be demanded, and their lands and chattels be seized into our hands; and if, when they are tried, the}' cannot acquit themselves of the felony, whether at our suit or another's, let them be condemned to be hanged,
1 This seems to give some support to the conjecture, that the experiments of mesmerism and animal magnetism, which have created so much interest in our times, were not unknown in the 13th century. Endormeurs de genz are mentioned as offenders in the Consuet. S. Oenov. f. 34. MS. cited in Ducange, Gloss, s. v. Dormitabilis. It is possible however that the effect may have been produced by drugs.
[I, *24 b.
or to lose an ear, or to the pillory, according to the greatness of their crime, and according as they have been habitual offenders or not.
7. In small thefts, as of sheaves of corn in harvest, or of pigeons or poultry, let the judgment be this, that if the thieves are not found to be otherwise of bad character, and the thing stolen is under the value of twelve pence, they shall be put in the pillory for an hour in the day, and be not admissible to make oath on any jury or inquest, or as witnesses; and the like as to all those who have been sentenced to undergo such punishments or the punishment of the tumbrel, or to lose a limb. And if these petty thieves are persons of bad character, or if they have offended out of mere wickedness, and not through want, then their sentence shall be to lose an ear, and be rendered infamous for ever, as above mentioned; and if they be found guilty of a second offence, then it shall be in the discretion of the Justices, either to judge them to death or order their other ear to be cut off ; and if they are convicted a third time, whether it be fora great or a small crime, and whether at our suit or another's, let them receive sentence of death.
8. As to cutpurses, if they have not been guilty of any other offence, let them be sentenced to the pillorv for the cutting of the purse ; and if there be anything else stolen by the prisoner under twelve pence or of that value, he shall lose one of his ears, and if the thing exceed the value of twelve pence, then judgment of death shall be passed upon him.
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CHAPTEE XVII.
Of Abjurations.
1. Concerning those who fly to churches for their crimes, our will is, that the coroner of the place go to them to inquire wherefore they have taken sanctuary, and hear their confessions ; and if they will neither confess felonv nor come out of church to be amenable
tj
to justice, they shall forfeit their chattels on account of their flight, and the coroner shall immediately cause their lands and their chattels to be seized into our hand, and their chattels to be valued and delivered to the township. The admission which they shall make that they are not willing to appear to answer to our peace, shall be entered in the roll, to the intent that they may never be under our peace, until they are acquitted in our Court of the crimes wherewith they shall be charged ; the coroner however is not obliged to go, unless he pleases, notwithstanding the fugitive is desirous of confessing felony and praying the favour of abjuration.
2. If the fugitives abide in sanctuary above forty days from the time of the coroner's first going to them,1 the whole county shall be charged with their custody,
1 Other authorities seem rather to show that the forty days were to be reckoned from the arrival in the church. See Brae. 136; Fie. 45, and compare Stat. 32 Hen. VIII. c. 12.
[I, *25 b.
and they accounted as felons or as persons out of our peace. And if they confess felony and pray to abjure our realm, and beg the protection of the church until they have provided for and settled their departure, then our pleasure is, that they have such protection for forty days from the day of the coroner's coming to them; and forthwith after the enrollment of their confession, let them be given in charge to the constables of the townships, that they may not in the meantime be allowed to escape out of sanctuary.
3. Let the abjuration be made at the gate or fence l of the churchyard, in this manner. Hear this, you coroner and other good people, that I for such an act which I feloniously did, or assented to the doing thereof, will depart from the realm of England, (or the land of Ireland,) and will never return thereto unless by leave of the king of England or his heirs, so help me God and the Saints.
4-. Immediately after they shall choose for themselves2 some seaport, or passage into Scotland out of the realm, as far as which port or passage we admit them to our protection, provided they are not guilty of fraud. And then let them be forbidden on peril of life
1 Qu. Steps. See Duoange Gloss, s. l'. Scalarium : Roquefort Gloss, s. i\ Eschallier.
2 There is a note in the Year Book of 30 Ed. I. that he who wishes to abjure the realm shall take the port assigned him by the Coroner and no other. (Year Book 30 and 31 Ed. I. App. i. p. 509.) See also the Statutes of Wales (13 Ed. I.) c. 5. Brao-ton and Fleta agree with the text.
I, »26.]
and limb to turn aside anywhere out of the high road, until they have left the kingdom, or country, at that port or passage which the}7 have chosen, and no other, with all possible dispatch and without fraud. Let them then go with a wooden cross in their hands, barefooted, ungirded, and bareheaded, in their coat only. And we forbid any one under peril of life and lira b to kill them so long as they are on their road pursuing their journey ; nor shall they, or any other fugitives, be killed, if they can be taken in any other manner.
5. If such fugitives abide in sanctuary forty days after the coroner's coming to them, they shall be debarred thereafter from the favour of abjuration, and deemed as felons convict, so as to have no right of accusing or appealing any others ; and we forbid all laymen under forfeiture of life and limb, and clerks under pain of banishment from our kingdom during our pleasure, to give them any meat or drink after the said forty days, or to have any manner of communication with them.
6. We will and grant, that whenever any one has abjured our realm through fear, and it can be afterwards proved that he was not guilty of the felony which he confessed, he may safely return, saving to every one his suit; and in such cases the heirs of the fugitives shall not be disinherited, but their chattels shall notwithstanding be forfeited by reason of their flight.
T. And our will is, that all abjurations taken by any one, who shall have meddled with the office of coroner
[I, *26 I.
without being authorized thereto by us or our predecessors, shall be held void and may be disavowed and annulled ; the like, if the coroner, though authorized, he did not attend in his own person.
8. In abjurations made on account of our game, or other trespasses, let none be disinherited of his lands or tenements, but forfeit his chattels only.
CHAPTEE XVIII.
Of Treasure-trove, Wrecks, Waifs, and Estrays.
1. Concerning treasures found concealed in the earth, and concerning wrecks and waifs belonging to us, and sturgeons and whales, and other things found, which of right belong to and are detained from us, let careful inquiry be made, and of the names of those who found them, and to whose hands they have come, and to what amount. For treasure hid in the earth and found shall belong to us, but if found in the sea, it shall belong to the finder; and any person who shall find such treasure in the earth shall forthwith inform the coroner of the district or the bailiffs thereof; and the coroner shall go without delay and inquire, whether any of it has been carried off, and by whom, and save all that can be found for our use ; and those who carried it off shall be held to mainprise until the evre of the Justices; and if our Justices can convict the eloiners of malice, they shall be punished by imprisonment and fine, but if malice be not found, they shall be punished by amercement only.
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2. As to things lost and found above ground, if the owner demand them within the year and day, and can prove them to be his property, they shall be delivered to him ; so likewise to him who lost the things, provided he can prove the loss; and if the things are not claimed within the year and day, and the finder has caused them to be cried and published in the neighbouring markets and churches, then the finder may keep them.
3. Waifs or estrays, not challenged within the year and day, shall belong to the lord of the franchise, if he be rightfully seised of such franchise ; but if the lord did not cause the beast so found to be publicly cried in manner aforesaid, then no time shall run against the owner of the thing or beast, to bar him from replevy-ing it whenever he pleases ; and if the lord avow it to be his own, the person demanding it may either bring an action to recover his beast as lost, in form of trespass, or an appeal of larceny, by words of felony ; and if the lord by either proceeding be found guilty of a tor-tious detaining, he shall lose his franchise of estray for ever after.
4. With regard to wreck of sea found, the ordinance of our statutes shall be observed. Sturgeons taken within our dominions shall belong to us, saving to the persons who took them their reasonable costs and expenses ; and of whales caught within our jurisdiction the head shall belong to us and the tail to our consort, according to ancient usage.
[I, *27 I.
CHAPTER XIX.
Of the King's Rights.
1. "With respect to our seigniories, let inquiry be made of cathedral, parochial, and conventual churches, and of religious houses and hospitals in the county, what are of our advo wson ; and what ought to.be so, but are not; and who has deprived us of them, and ho\v; also what demesnes in the same county we hold in our hands, and what demesnes we and others hold of the ancient demesnes of our crown, and what by escheat and by purchase, and who hold such lands besides ourselves, and what the lands are severally worth according to their true value ; and of demesnes which ought to be ours and are not, how they have been aliened, and by whom, and who hold them. So likewise of seigniories and advowsons of churches.
2. Also of hundreds, Avhich ought to be held of us in chief and are not, inquiry must be made how they have been aliened, and by whom, and who now hold them, and from what time, and what is their true value by the year; likewise of the true value of the county, and how much rent the sheriff pays us a year, and how many of the hundreds are in our hands, and what each hundred is worth, and how much the bailiffs annually pay to us or any other for them.
3. Inquiry must also be made of customs and serv-
I, *23.]
ices due to us, whether they have been withheld, and by whom, and how long. The like with respect to suits due at our county court, our hundreds, and our manors, and at the tourns of our sheriff, and our views of frankpledge, and at our mills, whether they have been fully performed ; and if not, how they have been withheld, and from what time, and by whom; and so of all services which of right are due to us.
4. Inquiry shall also be made concerning escheats, «hich ought to fall to us by the felony of felons, or by the death of our tenants without heirs, or by any kind of reversion; and concerning the lands of Normans, and of felons who held of us in chief, which have been aliened after the commission of their felonies, and ought to be our escheats, who hold them, and from what time, and how much a year they are worth with their whole profits at the true value; the like as to lands and tenements held of other lords, and aliened by felons after the commission of their felony, without compounding with us for the year and waste.
5. Also concerning earldoms, baronies, knights' fees, grand and petty serjeanties, dismembered without our leave, inquiry must be made how they are held, and who hold them, and of whom, whether of us in chief, or by mesne. Also whether there be anything in arrear to us for any service or profit which of right belongs to us; and whether we have fully had the wardships, marriages, homages, reliefs, and heriots, wherever we ought to have them of right, and if not, by whom they have been withheld from us, and how
[I, *28 1>.
long, and what is their yearly value; so of all children, male and female, and widows, whose marriages belong to us, and who have been married without our leave, how often and to whom they have been married, and how much their lands are worth by the year.
6. Let inquiry also be made of all kinds of purpres-tures made upon us of lands or franchises; and those who shall be presented as deforceors and purprestors by fresh force since proclamation of the eyre, shall be summoned to appear at a certain day to answer for the wrong they have done, and the process against them shall be as in a plea of land by our writs of great and little Cape.
7. The deforceors also in the other articles aforesaid shall be summoned. And when any of them appears in court, and pleads that he found his ancestor seised and can prove it, the demand made without our writ shall be stayed, and those who are appointed to prosecute our right, shall immediately apply for a writ of right which is called a Prwcipe quod reddat noMs against the deforceor ; and if the writ be obtained for anything appendant to our crown, such as our ancient demesnes, let no time be limited in the count; and if the tenants desire to put themselves upon an inquest in form of the great assize, let them not be admitted thereto without the consent of us and our council, unless our attoreys in any such case are of opinion that a verdict will pass in our favour ; for we are bound to recover such rights of our crown as have been wrongfully aliened ; in which rights no man ought to aid him-
I *29.]
self by exception of long tenure, though he may by vouching to warranty, and by reasonable exceptions, as shall be hereafter set forth in treating of exceptions. And if the writ is obtained on our behalf concerning escheats or purchased lands which have been aliened, or other things which are not appurtenant to our crown, in such case the count ought not to go farther back than in a writ of right, and prescription shall run against us as well as against others.
8. Escheats deforced from us, shall be demanded bv writ of escheat. And as to suits withheld from us, the proceeding shall be by distress, for this prerogative we claim on account of the great delays which occur in writs of customs and services. With respect to our fees dismembered and held of us by mesne since the last eyre, our will is, that they be taken into our hands, and the sheriff be answerable to us for the issues of them, and they shall not be restored without our leave. And as to wardships and marriages detained from us, we will that proceedings shall be taken immediately without writ, and the penalty provided by our statutes shall be enforced against the deforceors.
9. And wTe will have it known to all, that if any man dies who held of us by knights' fee, or by grand serjeanty,—whether he held of the ancient demesnes of the crown, or lands escheated, or purchased,—and his inheritance after his death descends among several daughters as one heir, we will have the marriage of all the daughters as often as they shall be to marry ; and the like with regard to all widows, whose husbands
[I, *30.
held of us in chief ;and if it be presented that any one, whether male or female, whose marriage belongs to us, has been married without our leave, let all their lands and the lands of their husbands be immediately seized into our hands, and the sheriff shall answer to us for the issues, and they shall not be restored to them without our leave.
10. As to purprestures our will is, that such as are nusances shall be removed at the costs of those who have made them, and such as may be permitted to remain shall be taken into our hand, and the yearh' value thereof enrolled ; and according to the discretion of the treasurers and barons of our exchequers, they shall be let at fee farm to those who will give most for them.
CHAPTER XX.
Of Franchises.
1. Let inquiry also be made, what persons in the county claim to have return of our writs, or custody of our gaol, or that the Justices in eyre shall come into their franchises, or to have their own coroners, or chattels of felons, or view of frankpledge, or the franchise of infangthief and outfangthief and gallows, or fairs, or markets, or the execution of pillory or tumbrel, or to have wreck of sea, or to have pleas de vetito namio pleaded in their courts, or to have lestage, or amercements of their tenants, or traverse, or toll,
I *30 6.]
or estray, or murage, or pontage, or cheminage,1 or warren in his demense lands or in other lands, or to be quit of doing suit at our county court, or at sheriffs' tourns, or at our views of f rankpledge, or to be quit of lestage, murage, or pontage, or who claim any kind of liberty more than other people.
2. AV^e will therefore that the presentments upon such articles shall be pleaded in this manner. First, the claimants shall be ordered to appear by reasonable summons, as shall be mentioned in treating of summonses ; and then if the summons be attested and they make default, the franchise shall be taken into our hand, the sheriff answering to us for the issues, and so remain in our hand until the claimants appear and answer. And if those who make default have of their own wrong usurped such franchises upon us, they shall be distrained in such manner as shall be mentioned in the chapter concerning attachments in trespass and debt; and when they appear in court, if they cannot clear themselves of the personal wrongs committed against us to our disherison, let it then be awarded, that we recover the franchise, and that they be disinherited of the value thereof, or be in our mercy.
1 Murage was a tax for the repair of town-walls ; pontage, a toll taken on bridges, or for their repair ; cheminage, a toll exacted for the use of a way through a forest; traverse, a toll paid for passing through the limits of a town or lordship ; lestage or lastage, an impost in fairs and markets, calculated by the last, a measure by which several kinds of solid goods were sold. See Ducange, Glossary ; Comyns's Digest, s. v. Toll.
[I, *31.
3. But if it be found by their answer, that their ancestors died seised, then they shall not be obliged to answer without our writs, unless they choose to do so; but our attorneys shall immediately cause our writs of Quo warranto to be issued against them. By such writs they shall first be summoned to come and answer at a day certain, at which if they make default, the franchises shall be taken into our hand, as aforesaid, and so remain without any other summons, until we shall otherwise direct; so that they shall never be permitted to replevy such franchise if they do not answer forthwith. If in their answer they allege long possession, or vouch others to warrant who allege long tenure, in such case judgment shall be stayed for the determination of us and our council, whether such answer be a continuance of the wrong done to our crown, or a title of right in the tenants.
CHAPTER XXI.
Of various wrongs.
1. In the next place let it be inquired what persons have built castles or fortlets or houses of stone, crenellated and defensible ; and let those who have so done be summoned to come and answer, and show if they have any license from us or our ancestors for erecting or repairing such fortlets, and if they cannot produce any such license, let them be taken into our hand, either
I, *31 &.]
to be held by us or pulled down, according to our pleasure.
2. Afterwards, let inquiry be made of bridges and causeways, and of common highways destroyed, or otherwise in bad repair, who is bound to repair and amend them ; and such as are named in the presentment shall be attached to appear by personal distress. A.nd if it be found on their appearance in court, that any of them hold tenements of us, for the repairing of sucli ways, let the said tenements be taken into our hand, and the sheriff be charged to answer us for the issues, and to cause the repairs to be done; and where there is no tenement held of us by the performing of such services, our will is, that the persons who are bound to repair the ways, and have not done what they ought, shall be in our merc\r, and the sheriff shall be commanded that he cause them to be distrained by their beasts and chattels, and detain the distresses until they have amended the defects, and this as often as it shall be needful.
3. Let inquiry also be made concerning those, who since the first day of the last eyre have erected any gallows, pillory, or tumbrel ; and such persons as are indicted thereof shall be compelled by distress to come and answer ; and if on their appearing, they can neither show sufficient warrant for what they have done, nor deny that they have done it, let them be awarded to be in our mercy, and let the instruments be pulled down. Let inquiry also be made concerning those, who, not being our Justices or our coroners, have held pleas of felony and of important trespasses committed against
[I, *32.
our peace; and concerning those who have held pleas de vetito namio, or of debt exceeding forty shillings, or of trespass exceeding the same sura without our writs. And also concerning those who have the franchises of view of frankpledge and of ini'angthief, and have not the instruments of punishment which belong to such franchises, whereby such franchises have become disused.
4. Let inquiry also be made of those who keep their lands in warrens, other than those lands which they held in their demesne as of fee on the day of granting their charter of warren: or who have used any other franchise otherwise or more largely in any point than is warranted by the tenor of their charter whereby they ought to forfeit the whole for the abuse. Also of those who take fines for leave of beau pleader;1 and of those who hold pleas of persons not within their jurisdiction, and of all such as have aggrieved the people b^v distresses contrary to the ordinance of our statutes. Those who are accused thereof, shall be distrained to appear by the sheriff; and if on their appearance in court, they can neither deny the fact, nor justify what they have done, their court and their \varrens shall be taken into our hand without replevin.
1 It was forbidden by Stat. Marl. c. 11, (confirmed by Stat. West. 1. c. 8) that arbitary fines should be imposed in Justices)' Eyre, County Court, or Court Baron, pro pulchre placitando, that is, for license to amend a defective plea. But when such fines had become settled by custom they were allowed. See Coke Inst. pt. ii. p. 122.
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5. Inquiry shall also be made concerning those who have detained felons or provers above a day and a night in prison elsewhere than in our gaol under the custody of our own officers. And if any one has died in prison and been buried without view of the coroner, then let it be inquired who buried him, and of the manner of his death ; and those who are indicted and convicted of the first article shall lose their wardenship in fee, and if their offence extends farther, shall be punished more ; and as to the other article, the township where such bodies were buried shall be in our mercy, and if there be any felony, let those who shall be indicted answer it.
6. Afterwards let inquiry be made concerning weirs raised in common waters, and concerning waters and highways stopped or straitened or in other manner appropriated, and concerning watercourses diverted ; also of walls, houses, niarlpits, or ditches, made near the common road to the nusance of passers by, and of those \vho are guilty of such nusances; and of highways not widened, and of those who have neglected to watch according to the ordinance of our Statutes of "Winchester; and of landmarks and boundaries removed; and according to the presentment of these articles, let the abuses he redressed by view of the presenters at the cost of the offenders, and let the guilty be amerced in proportion to the damage they have done and the profit they have received therefrom.
7. Concerning those also who have tortiously dis-
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turbed the judgments of our Court, so that execution thereof cannot be made, or have knowingly broken the sequestrations of our officers ; and let such be punished by imprisonment or line.
8. Also concerning lands and tenements alienated in mortmain ; and let such lands and tenements be taken into our hand without replevin ; and the purchasers also shall be in our mercy and charged with the issues from one year after the purchase, and the sheriff shall be answerable to us for such issues.
9. Let inquiry be made of false weights and measures, and let such order be taken as shall be mentioned in the chapter concerning measures.
10. Let inquiry also be made of clerks who hold pleas of lay people concerning other matters than wills, marriages, or tithes, or who have adjudged any layman in Court Christian to any pecuniary payment, or in any other manner or case than in the articles aforesaid, or who have excommunicated lay people wrongfully, or wrongfully caused them to be apprehended and imprisoned ; of those also who have aggrieved others by maliciously serving them with two billsJ or summonses for the same day at different places; and let all such be punished by imprisonment and fine.
1 The text here is doubtful. The mention of abuses of ecclesiastical courts immediately preceding lends some support to the reading bulles, which appeared in the former printed editions of Britton. Bracton (f. 402 b.) has a form of prohibition issued to an ecclesiastical court from proceeding in a cause concerning an advowson under the authority of a letter of the Pope.
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11. Moreover let inquiry be made of those who have taken thefbote,1 of menders of clothes dwelling out of boroughs or cities;2 and also of tanners who follow the trade both of a tanner and of a butcher retailing meat;3 and of those who blanch the skins of beasts which have been stolen, that they may not be known again ; also of cooks who knowingly cook stale or stolen meat or any kind of flesh hurtful to the health of man for the purpose of retailing it ; also of forestallers ; and of those who take up more carts for our use than we need ; and of all other offenders against the form of our statutes; also concerning messengers and others, who go about aggrieving the people by representing themselves as in the service of those with whom they
1 ' Taking thefbote' is explained in a note in MS. N, as equivalent to letting thieves escape for reward. In the Statutes of Wales it is thus defined : ' De Thefbote, hoc est de emenda furti capta sine consideratione curise Regis.' (Stat. Wall. (12 Ed. 1.) o. 4.) The word appears to have originally signified the legal bote or composition for theft; and then to have been applied to the illegal compounding of theft, or taking money to maintain or connive at such offenders. See the Glossaries of Ducange and Spelman; Terms de la ley, s. v. Theftbote ; Coke, Inst. iii. 134.
2 ' It is forbidden,' says the commentator in MS. N., that any redubber of clothes or tanner or bleacher of skins (i. e. Wyttawi-ares), shall dwell elsewhere than in cities or boroughs, to avoid the mischief of receiving stolen goods. For a receiver may be the occasion of great wickedness, as is commonly said : Ne is non thef wythouten rescet.' As to whitetawers see Stat. Wall. (12 Ed. I.) c. 4; Cowel's Interpreter, s. v. Whitawarii.
3 This restriction of trade was at a later time established by Statute. Stat. 1 Jac. I. c. 22. s. 3.
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are not ; of those also who invent and report rumours and falsehoods concerning us ; of those also who flay or shear sheep ; and of those who have coursed in others' warrens without leave ; also concerning all harasokens, and blood feloniously shed since the last eyre ; and upon every such presentment, let a speedy remedy be applied with punishment either of life or limb or other penalty.
12. Further, let inquiry be made concerning those who did not appear before us or before our Justices the first day of the eyre according to their - ammons, and let such be amerced. The like concerning those who alienated their tenements against the eyre, that they might not be summoned upon juries or inquests.
13. Let inquiry also be made of customs used in the county differing from the common law, and what they are, and if there be any repugnant to the common law, let them be prohibited, unless they have been confirmed by us or our predecessors.
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CHAPTER XXII.
Of our Officers.
1. Let inquiry be made concerning our escheators and under escheators, and what lands they have seized into our hand in the county since the last eyre ; and of the several lands so seized let a separate inquiry be made of the true value of the profits which every part returned to them or might have returned to others during the time of their possession ; also of waste committed by them in parks and in vivaries, of venison, of fish, and of rabbits and of other destruction done by them in warrens and woods and in other things, and of the value thereof ; and of the chattels found in. such tenements or elsewhere and taken by them during the time the lands remained in their custody.
2. Inquiry is also to be made of all their receipts to our use and their own use, how much they have taken for endowing widows, or for suffering them to be endowed, or for permitting heirs being infants to continue with their mothers ; and also for making insufficient extents of land, or for certifying our \vardsiups and our marriages to be less than their real value, or for concealing anything which ought to turn to our profit ; •or for procuring or suffering false inquests to pass upon. the ages of our wards, or in any other thing, to our prej-
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udice ; and let such presentments as shall be made concerning these officers be enrolled and transmitted to the exchequer, and there determined. We reserve however the judgments upon great offences committed by them for our own determination.
3. In the next place let inquiry be made concerning the fees taken and frauds committed by coroners, their clerks, and officers, according to that which is contained in our Statutes of Exeter. Also of sheriffs and other officers, who for reward or entreaty or out of friendship for any man have concealed felonies committed in their bailiwicks, or suffered prisoners to remain unappre-hended, whether within franchises or without, or have let to mainprise prisoners who were not bailable, and have detained others who were bailable.