in the Hustings at London And I find by Fleta that it is vsed in other liberties as the Hustings of Winchester Lincolne Yorke and the Cinque ports lib. 2. cap. 55. in principio Gavelkind is by M. Lamberd in his Exposition of Saxon words verbo Terra ex scripto compounded of three Saxon words gyfe cal cin omnibus cognatione proximis data But M. Verstegan in his restitution of decayed intelligence cap. 3. calleth it Gavelkind quasi giue all kind that is giue to each child his part It signifieth in our common lawe a custome whereby the lands of the father is equally diuided at his death amongst all his sons or the lād of the brother equally diuided among the brethren if he haue no issue of his owne Kit. fol. 102. This custome is said to be of force in diuers places of England but especially in Kent as the said Authour reporteth shewing also the cause why Kentish men rather vse this custome then any other province viz. because it was a composition made betweene the Conquerour and them after all England beside was conquered that they should enioy their auncient customes whereof this was one For M. Camden in his Britannia pag. 239. saith in expresse words thus Cantiani eâ lege Gulielmo Normano se dediderunt vt patrias consuetudines illaesas retinerent illamque inprimis quam Gavelkind nominant Hac terrae quae eo nomine censentur liberis masculis ex aequis portionibus dividuntur vel foeminis si masculi non fuerint adding more worth the noting viz. Hanc haereditatem cùm quintum decimum annum attigerint adeunt sine Domini consensu cuilibet vel dando vel vendendo alienare licet Hac filii parentibus furti damnatis in id genus fundis succedunt c. This custome in diuers gentlemens lands was altered at their owne petition by Act of Parlament anno 31. H. 8. cap. 3. But it appeareth by 18. H. 6. cap. pri that in those daies there were not aboue thirty or forty persons in Kent that held by any other tenure See the new Termes Gavelet and Gavelkinde Gawgeour gaugeator seemeth to come of the French Gawehir i. in gyrum torquere It signifieth with vs an Officer of the Kings appointed to examin all tunnes hogsheades pipes barels and tercians of wine oile hony butter and to giue them a marke of allowance before they bee sold in any place And because this marke is a circle made with an iron instrument for that purpose it seemeth that from thence he taketh his name Of this office you may find many statutes the first whereof is anno 27. Ed. 3. commonly called the statute of prouision or Purveyours cap. 8. Geld signifieth with the Saxons pecunia vel tributum See Gyld Genets aliâs Ienets See Furre Gentleman generosus seemeth to be made of two words the one French gentil i. honestus vel honesto loco natus the other Saxon Mon as if you would say a man well borne The Italian followeth the very word calling those gentil homini whom we call Gentlemen The Spaniard keepeth the meaning calling him Hidalgo or Hyod'algo that is the son of some man or of a man of reckoning The Frenchmen call him also gentil houme so that gentlemen bee those whom their bloud and race doth make noble and knowne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greeke in Latine Nobiles Smith de Repub. Anglor lib. 1. cap. 20. vnder this name are all comprised that are aboue Yeomen so that Noblemen be truly called gentlemen But by the course and custome of England Nobilitie is either maior or minor the greater containes all titles and degrees from Knights vpward the lesser all from Barons downward Smith vbi supra cap. 21. The reason of the name as I take it groweth from this that they obserue gentilitatem suam that is the race propagation of their blood by giuing of armes which the cōmon sort neither doth nor may doe For by the coate that a gentleman giueth he is knowne to be or not to be descended from those of his name that liued many hundred yeares since Howbeit that this is neglected where substance faileth to maintaine the countenance For many of great birth fall to pouerty whose posteritie liuing and labouring in want haue small encouragement to looke after the titles of their auncesters and so in time slippe into the number of the ignoble sort yet if they by their vertue or fortune can againe aduaunce themselues to sufficient abilitie the Herald out of his obseruations can restore them to the coat of their progenitors and now and then helpe them to one that their auncestors neuer ware Gentiles homines see in Tiraquel de Nobilitate cap. 2. pag. 53. Tully in his Topickes thus saith of this mater Gentiles sunt qui inter se eodem sunt nomine ab ingenuis oriundi quorum maiorum nemo servitutem servivit qui capite non sunt diminuti And in the first booke of his Tusc questions hee calleth Tullum Hostilium one of the kings of Rome gentilem suum Generall Issue vid. Issue Gestu fama is a writ Lamb. Eirenarcha lib. 4. ca. 14. pag. 531. Gygge milles were for the fulling of woollin cloth and forbidden anno 5. Edward 6. cap. 22. Gild alias Geld Gildare commeth from the Saxon word Gildan i. soluere Lamb. in his explica of Saxon words saith verb. Contubernalis It is vsed as a verb and as a substantiue also and as it is a substantiue it is latined Gilda and signifieth a tribute or sometime an amercement or thirdly a fraternity or company combined together by orders and lawes made among themselues by the princes licence M. Camden citeth many antiquities by which it appearreth to signifie a tribute or taxe as pa. 135. 139. 159. 168. 178. M. Crompton in his iurisdictions fol. 191. sheweth it to be an amercement as footgeld and fol. 197. he interpreteth it to be a prestation within the forest in these words To be quit of all manner of Gelds is to be discharged of all manner of prestations to be made for gathering of sheues of corne of lambe and of wolle to the vse of Foresters Againe M. Camden pag. 349. diuiding Suffolke into three parts calleth the first Gildable because tribute is thence gathered the second libertatem S. Edmundi The third libertatem S. Etheldredae And the statutes anno 27. Ed. 3. stat 2. ca. 13. anno 11. H. 7. ca. 9. vse Gildable in the same sense and so doth the statute anno 27. H. 8. ca. 26. From this M. Lamberd vbi supra is likewise perswaded that the common word Gild or Gildhall doth proceede being a fraternity or communalty of men gathered into one combination supporting their common charge by a mutuall contribution And in the register originall fol. 219. b. I reade Gildam mercatoriam that is the Gilde merchaunt which I haue heard to be a certaine liberty or priuiledge belonging to Merchants whereby they are
holders of the countie for the choice of a new coroner to certifie into the chanceries both the election and the name of the partie elected and to giue him his oath See Westm 1. ca. 10. and Fitzh nat br fo 163. and the Register orig fo 177. Coroner coronator is an auncient officer of this land so called because he dealeth wholly for the king and crowne There be fower of them commonly in euery countie and they are chosen by the freeholders of the same vpon writ and not made by leters patents Crompt Iurisd fo 126. This officer though now he be some inferiour gentleman that hath some smattering in the lawe yet if we looke to the statute of Westm 1. ca. 10. we shall finde that he was wont and ought to be a sufficient man that is the most wise and discreete knight that best will and-may attend vpon such an office Yea there is a writ in the Register Nisi sit miles so 177. b. whereby it appeareth that it was fufficient cause to remooue a coroner chosen if he were not a knight and had not a hundred shillings rent of freehold And the Lord cheife Iustice of the kings bench is the soueraigne coroner of the whole realme in person i. wheresoeuer he remaineth libro assisarum fo 49. 5. coron Coke li. 4. casu de Wardens c. of the Sadlers fo 57. b. His office especially concerneth the plees of the crowne but if you will reade at large what aunciently belonged vnto him reade Bracton li. 3. tra 2. c. 5. de officio coronatorum circa homicidium and ca. 6. de officio coronatoris in the sauris inventis ca. 6. de officio coronatorum in raptu virginium and ca. 8. de officio coronatorum de pace plagis and Britton in his first chapter where he handleth it at large Fleta also in his first booke cap. 18. and Andrew Horns mirrour of Iustices li. 1. ca. del office del coroners but more aptly for the present times Stawnf pl. cor li. 1. ca. 51. Note there be certaine coroners speciall within diuers liberties as well as these ordinarie officers in euerie countie as the coroner of the verge which is a certaine compas about the kings court whome Crompt in his iurisd fo 102. calleth the coroner of the kings house of whose authoritie see S. Ed. Cokes reportes lib. 4. fo 46. a. b. And I know certen charters belonging to colledges and other corporations whereby they are licēsed to appoint their coroner within their owne precincts Farder of this office see also Fitzh nat br fo 76. A. B. S. Thomas Smith li. 2. ca. ca. 21. de repub Anglo and Lamb. eirenarcha li. 4. ca. 3. pa. 380. And the office of the coroner in Scotland what it is read M. Iohn Skene de verbo signifi verbo Iter. Corporation corporatio is that which the civile law calleth vniversitatem or collegium a bodie politique authorised by the kings charter to haue a common seale a head officer one or more and members able by their common consent to graunt or to receiue in law any thing within the compas of their charter euen as one man may doe by law all things that by lawe he is not forbidden and bindeth the successours as a single man bindeth his executour or heyre See Brokes his abridgment titulo Corporation and the newe Tearmes of lawe eodem Corpus cum causa is a writ issuying out of the Chauncerie to remoue both the bodie and the record touching the cause of any man lying in execution vpō a iudgement for debt into the Kings bench c. there to lye vntill he haue satisfied the iudgement Fitzh nat br fol. 25◠E. Corrector of the staple is an officer or clerke belonging to the staple that writeth and recordeth the bergains of Merchants there made anno 27. Ed. 3. stat 2. cap. 22. 23. The Romanes called them Mensarios Corruption of blood is an infection growing to the estate of a man attainted of felonie or treason and to his issue For as he leeseth all to the Prince or other lord of the fee accordingly as his case is so his issue cannot be heires to him or to any other auncester of whom they might haue claimed by him And farder if he were noble or a gentleman before he and his children are made vnnoble and vngentle in respect of the father Newe Tearmes of the lawe Corse present are words borowed from the French signifying a mortuarie anno 21. H. 8. ca. 6. The true French is corps praesentè i. the bodie presented or tendered The reason why the mortuarie is thus also tearmed seemeth to be for that where a mortuarie was wont to be due the bodie of the best beast was according to the law or custome offered or presented to the priest Corselet is a French word signifying a litle bodie in Latine corpusculum It is vsed with vs for an armor to couer the whole bodie or trunke of a man anno 4. 5. Ph. Mar. cap. 2. where with the pikemen commonly set in the front and flanks of the battaile are armed for the beter resistance of the enemies assaults and the surer guard of the gunners placed behind or within them being more sleightly armed for their speedier issuing in and out to discharge their peeces See Barrets discourse of Warre lib. 3. dialog 2. Cofenage cognatione is a writ that lyeth where the tresaile that is tritavus the father of the besaile or of the great grandfather is seysed in his demesn as of see at the day of his death of certaine lands or tenements and dyeth and then a straunger entreth and abateth For then shall his heyre haue this writ of cosenage the forme whereof see in Fitz. nat br fol. 221. Of this also reade Britton at large cap. 89. Cosening is an offence vnnamed whereby any thing is done guilefully in or out of contracts which cannot be fitly termed by any speciall name West parte 2. simbolaeogr titulo Indictments sect 68. It is called stellionaius in the ciuile lawe of stellio the beast which is lacertae genus virsutissimum as Cuiacius in his paratitles calleth it and quo nullum animal homini invidet fraudulentius Plinie li. 3. ca. 10. Cotage cotagium is a house without land belonging vnto it anno 4. Ed. pri statut primo And the inhabitant of such a house is called a cotager But by a later statute no man may builde a cotage but he must lay 4. acres of ground vnto it 31. Eli. ca. 7. Cote is a kind of resuse wolle clung or clotted together that it cannot be pulled asunder anno 13. R. 2. stat 1. ca. 9. It signifieth also as much as cotage in many places as also it did among the Saxons Verslegan in his Restitut of decayed intelligēce in antiquities Covenable rationabilis is a French word signifying fitte or convenient or suteable covenably endowed anno 4. H. 8. ca. 12. It is aunciently written
Manwood saith that extortion is Colore officis and not virtute officii parte 1. of his forest lawes pag. 216. M. Crompton in his Iustice of peace fol. 8. hath these words in effect wrong done by any man is properly a trespas but excessiue wrong done by any is called extortion and this is most properly in officers as Shyreeues Maiors Baylifes Escheatours and other officers whatsoeuer that by colour of their office worke great oppression and excessiue wrong vnto the Kings subiects in taking excessiue rewarde or fees for the execution of their office Great diuersity of cases touching extortion you may see in Cromptons Iustice of peace fol. 48. b. 49. 50. See the difference betweene colore officij virtute vel ratione officij Plowd casu Dives fol. 64. a. This word is vsed in the same signification in Italy also For Cavalcanus de brachio regio parte 5. num 21. thus describeth it Extortio dicitur fieri quando Iudex cogit aliquod sibi dari quod non est debitum vel quodest vltrà debitum vel ante tempus petit id quod post administratam iustitiam debetur Extreats See Estreats Eyre See Eire F FAculty facultas as it is restrained from the original and actiue signification to a particular vnderstanding in lawe is vsed for a priuiledge or especiall power graunted vnto a man by fauour indulgence and dispensation to do that which by the common lawe he cannot doe as to eate flesh vpon daies prohibited to mary without bans first asked to hold two or more ecclesiasticall liuings the sonne to succeede the father in a benefice and such like And for the graunting of these there is an especiall officer vnder the Archbishop of Canterbury called Magister ad facultates the Master of the faculties Fag anno 4. Ed. 4. cap. 1. Faint and false action seeme to be Synonima in Litleton fol. 144. For faint in the French tongue signifieth as much as fained in English Faint pleader falsa placitatio commeth of the French feint a participle of the verbe feindre i. simulare fingere and pledoir i. placitare It signifieth with vs a false covenous or collusory maner of pleading to the deceipt of a third partie anno 34. 35. H. 8. cap. 24. Faire aliás Feire feria commeth of the French foire and signifieth with vs as much as Nundinae with the Civilians that is a solemne or greater sort of market granted to any towne by priuiledge for the more speedie and commodious prouision of such things as the subiect needeth or the vtterance of such things as we abound in aboue our owne vses and occasions both our English and the French word seeme to come of Feriae because it is alwaies incident to the priuiledge of a Faire that a man may not be arested or molested in it for any other debt then first was contracted in the same or at least was promised to be payed there an 17. Ed. 4. cap. 2. anno 1. R. 3. cap. 6. Faire pleading see Beau pleader Faitours seemeth to be a French word antiquated or something traduced For the moderne French word is faiseur i. factor It is vsed in the statute anno 7. R. 2. cap. 5. And in the euill part signifying a bad doer Or it may not improbably be interpreted an idle liuer taken from faitardise which signifieth a kind of numme or sleepy disease proceeding of too much sluggishnesse which the Latines call veternus For in the said statute it seemeth to be a Synonymon to Vagabound Falke land aliâs Folke land See Copi-hold and Free-hold False imprisonment falsum imprisonamentum is a trespasse coÌ„mitted against a man by imprisoning him without lawefull cause it is also vsed for the writ which is brought vpon this trespasse Fitz nat br fol. 86. K. 88. P. v. Broke h. t. See the new booke of Entries verbo False imprisonment Falso iudicio is a writ that lyeth for false iudgement giuen in the county Hundred Court Baron or other courts being no court of record be the plea reall or personall Register originall fol. 15 Fitzh nat br fol. 17. See the new booke of Entries verbo False iudgement False prophecies See Prophecies Falso returno breâ—â—im is a writ lying against the Syreeue for false returning of writs Register iudic fo 43. b. Falsifie seemeth to signifie as much as to proue a thing to be false Perkins Dower 383. 384. 385. Farding or farthing of golde seemeth to be a come vsed in auncient times containing in valew the fourth part of a noble viz. twenty pence siluer and in weight the sixth part of an ounce of gould that is of fiue shillings in siluer which is threepence and something more This word is is found anno 9. H. 5. stat 2. ca. 7. thus Item that the king doe to be ordained good and iust weight of the noble halfe noble and farthing of gould with the rates necessary to the same for euery city c. by which place it plainly appeareth to haue bene a coine as well as the noble and halfe noble Farding deale aliâs Farundell of land Quadrantata terrae signifieth the fourth part of an acre Crompt Iurisd fol. 220. Quadrantata terrae is read in the register orig fol. 1. b. where you haue also Denariata â—bolata solidata librata terrae which by probabilitie must rise in proportion of quantitie from the farding deale as an halfepeny peny shilling or pound rise in valew and estimation then must â—bolata be halfe an acre denariata the acre solidata twelue acres librata twelue score acres and yet I find viginti libratas terrae vel reditus Regist original fol. 94. a fol. 248. b. Whereby it seemeth that librata terrae is so much as yeeldeth twenty shillings per annum and centum soliditas terrarum tenement orum redituum fol. 249. a. And in Fitz. nat br fol. 87. F. I find these words viginti libratas terrae vel reditus which argueth it to be so much land as twenty shillings per annum See Furlong Fate or Fat is a great wooden vessell which among brewers in London is ordinarily vsed at this day to measure mault by containing a quarter which they haue for expedition in measuring This word is read anno 1. H. 5. cap. 10. anno 11. H. 6. cap. 8. Fealtie fidelitas commeth of the French feaulte i. fides and signifieth in our common lawe an oath taken at the admittance of euery tenent to be true to the Lord of whom he holdeth his land And he that holdeth land by this onely oath of fealty holdeth in the freest maner that any man in England vnder the king may hold because all with vs that haue fee hold per fidem fiduciam that is by fealtie at the least Smith de Repub. Anglor li. 3. cap. 8. for fidelitas est de substantia feudi as Dwarenus saith de feud cap. 2. num 4. and Mathaeus de afflictis decis 320.
cap. 11. is the sorting or culling out the good from the bad As garbling of spice is nothing but to purifie it from the drosse and dust that is mixed with it It may seeme to proceed from the Italian garbo that is finenesse neatnesse Gard Custodia commeth of the French garde being all of one signification It signifieth in our common lawe a custodie or care of defence but hath diuers applications sometimes to those that attend vpon the safetie of the Prince called Yeomen of the Guard somtime to such as haue the education of children vnder age or of an Idiot sometime to a writte touching wardshippe Which writs are of three sorts one called a right of guard or ward in French droit de gard Fitzh nat br fol. 139. the second is eiectment de gard Idem fol. 139. L. the third is rauishment de gard Idem fol. 140. F. G. See Gardem see Ward Gardein Custos commeth of the French gardien and yet the German Warden is neare vnto it It signifieth generally him that hath the charge or custodie of any person or thing but most notoriously him that hath the education or protection of such people as are not of sufficient discretion to guide themselues and their owne affaires as children and Idiots being indeede as largely extended as both Tutor and Curator among the Civilians For whereas Tutor is he that hath the gouernment of a youth vntill he come to 14. yeares of age and Curator he that hath the disposition and ordering of his substance afterward vntil he attaine to 25. yeares or that hath the charge of a franticke person during his lunacie the common Lawyers vse but onely Gardien or Gardian for both these And for the better vnderstanding of our English lawe in this thing you must know that as tutor is either testamentarius or à Praetore datus ex lege Atilia or lastly legitimus so we haue three sortes of Gardeines in England one ordained by the father in his last will another appointed by the Iudge afterward the third cast vpon the Minor by the lawe and custome of the land Touching the first a man hauing goods and chatels neuer so many may appoint a gardein to the bodie or person of his child by his last will and testament vntill he come to the age of fourteene yeares and so the disposing or ordering of his substance vntill what time he thinketh meet and that is most commonly to the age of 21. yeares The same may he do if he haue lands to neuer so great a valew so they hold not in capite of the king nor of any other Lord by knights seruice And in the former case if the father appoint no Gardein to his child the Ordinarie may appoint one to order his moueables and chatels vntill the age of 14. yeares at which time he may chuse his guardian accordingly as by the the ciuill lawe he may his Curator For we hold all one rule with the Civilians in this case and that is Invito curator non datur And for his lands if he hold any by copie of court rolle commonly the Lord of the fee appointeth him a guardian vntill he come to the age of 14. yeres and that is one next of kind to the Minor of that side that can hope for least profitby his death If he hold by charter in socage then the next of kind on that side by which the land commeth not is the guardian and hereupon called guardian in socage And that which is said here of socage seemeth to be true likewise in petit sergeantie anno vicesimo octauo Edvardi primi statuto primo And the reason of this Fortescue giueth in his booke intituled A commendation of the politique lawes of England cap. 44. viz. because there might be suspition if the next kinsman on that side by which the land descendeth should haue the custody and education of the child that for desire of his land he might be entised to worke him some mischiefe Lastly if a man dye seised of lands holding by knights seruice leauing his heire in minoritie that is vnder 21. yeares the Lord of the fee hath by law the custodie both of the heire and his land vntill he come to age See the statute anno 28. Ed. prim statut prim And the reason of this Fortescue likewise giueth for that hee to whom by his tenure he oweth knights seruice when he can performe it is likeliest to traine him vp in martiall and ingenious discipline vntill he be of abilitie But Polidore Virgil in his Chronicle lib. 16. saith that this was Movum vectigalis genus excogitatum to helpe Henry the third being oppressed much with pouertie by reason he receiued the kingdome much wasted by the wars of his aun cestours and therefore needing extraordinarie helpe to vphold his estate yet the 33. chapter of the Grand Custumary maketh mention of this to haue bene vsed by the Normans and I thinke this the truer opinion Here it is to be obserued whether land in knights seruice hold in capite or of another Lord or some of the King and some of another If of the king whether of the king alone or not all is one For the king in this case is guardian to the heires both person and land by his prerogatiue Stawnf praerog cap. 1. If he hould of a common Lord it is either of one alone or more if of one onely then is he guardian of both person and lands if of more then the Lord of whome he houldeth by the elder tenure is guardian of the person and euery one of the rest hath the custodie of the land holden of him selfe If the prioritie of the tenure cannot be discerned then is he guardian of the person that first happeth him Termes of the lawe Stawnf vbi supra whom you may reade more at large which Author fol. 19. maketh mention of gardeyn in feit and Gardeyn in droit that is in deed and in lawe I take the first to be him that hath purchased or otherwise obtained the ward of the Lord of whom the land holdeth the second him that hath the right by his inheritance and seignorie old nat br fol. 94 Then is there gardein per cause de gard which is he that hath the wardship of a Minor because he is guardian of his Lord being likewise in minoritie Stawnf vbi supra fol. 15. Of this you may reade Skene de verb. signif verbo Varda by whom you may learn great affinitie and yet some difference betweene the lawe of Scotland and ours in this point Guardia is a word vsed among the Feudists for the Latine custodia and guardianus seu guardio dicitur ille cui custodia commissa est lib. Feudo 1. titulo 2. tit 11. Gardeyn of the spiritualties Custos spiritualium vel spiritualitatis is he to whom the spirituall iurisdiction of any Diocesse is committed during the vacancy of the see anno 25. H. 8. cap. 21. And I take that the
giuen to matrimonie Fourthly at 14. yeares she is enabled to receiue her land into her owne hands and shall be out of ward if she be of this age at the death of her ancestor Fiftly at sixteene yeares she shal be out of ward though at the death of her auncestor she was within the age of fourteen yeres The reason is because then she may take a husband able to performe Knights seruice Sixtly at 21. yeares she is able to alienate her lands and tenements Instit iure com cap. 24. Touching this mater take further these notes perspicuously gathered At the age of 14. yeares a striplin is enabled to chuse his owne guardian and to claime his land holden in socage Dyer fol. 162. which Bracton limiteth at fifteene yeares li. 2. cap. 37. num 2. with whom Glanvile also agreeth lib. 7. cap. 9. And at the age of fourteene yeares a man may consent to mariage as a woman at 12. Bracton vbi supra At the age of fifteene yeres a man ought to be sworne to keepe the kings peace anno 34. Edw. 1. Stat. 3. The age of 21. yeares compelleth a man to be knight that hath twentie pounds land per annum in fee or for tearme of life anno 1. Edw. 2. stat 1. and also enableth him to contract and to deale by himself in all lawfull causes appertaining vnto his estate Which vntill that time he cannot with the security of those that deale with him This the Lombords settle at 18. yeares as appeareth by Hotomans disputations in libros feudorum l. 2. c. 53. ver decimo octauo anno which power the Romans permitted not vsque ad plenam maturitatem and that they limited at 25. yeares lib. 1. in fine Î . de maior 25. an l. fin Co. de Legit tut in principio titulo de curat in Institut The age of twelue yeares bindeth to appearance before the Sheriffe and Coroner for enquirie after roberies an 52. H. 3. cap. 24. The age of 14. yeares enableth to enter an order of religion without consent of parents c. anno 4. H. 4. cap. 17. Age prier aetatem precari or aetatis precatio is a petition made in count by one in his minoritie hauing an actioÌ„ brought against him for lands coming to him by discent that the action may rest vntill he come to his full age which the Court in most cases ought to yeeld vnto This is otherwise in the ciuill lawe which inforceth children in their minoritie to answer by their tutors or curatours Î . de minor 25. an Agenhine See Haghenhine Agist agistare seemeth to come of the French gift 1. iacet hauing gasir in the Infinitiue moode whence commeth the nowne gisme a lying in child-bed or rather of gister i. stabulari a word proper to a Deare cùm sub mensem Maium è locis abditis in quibus delituit emigrans in loco delecto stabulari incipit vnde commoda propinqua sit pabulatio Budaeus in posteriori libro philologiae Where also he saith that giste est idem quod lustrum vel cubile Or it may be probably deduced from the Saxon word Gast 1. hospes It signifieth in our common lawe to take in and feede the â—â—tell of straungers in the kings forest and to gather the money due for the same to the kings vse Charta da Foresta an 9. H. 3. cap. 9. The Officers that do this are called agistors in English Guest-takers eodem cap. 8. Cromptons iurisdic fol. 146. These are made by the kings leters patents vnder the great seale of England of whom the King hath foure in number within euery forest where he hath any pawnage called agistors or Gist-takers And their office consisteth in these foure points in agist ando recipiendo imbreviando certificando Manwood parte prima Of Forest lawes p. 336. 337. whome you may reade more at large Their function is tearmed Agistment as agistment vpon the sea banks anno 6. H. 6. cap. 5. Agreement agreamentum i. aggregatio mentium is the assent or coÌ„cord of more to one thing this by the author of the newe tearmes of lawe is either executed or executory which you may read more at large in him exempified by cases Ayde auxilium is all one in signification with the French aide and differeth in nothing but the onely pronunacitioÌ„ if we take it as it is vsed in our vulgar language But in the common lawe it is applied to divers particular significations as sometime to a subsidie anno 14. Ed. 3. stat 2. ca. 1. sometime to a prestation due from tenents to their Lords as toward the releife due to the Lord Paramount Glanvile li. 9. cap. 8. or for the making of his sonne knight or the marying of his daugnter idem eodem This the King or other Lord by the auncient lawe of England might lay vpon their tenents for the knighting of his eldest sonne at the age of 15. yeares or the mariage of his daughter at the age of seuen yeares Regist orig fol. 87. a. and that at what rate them selues listed But the Statute Westmin 1. anno 3. Edw. 1. ordained a restraint for to large a demand made by common persons being Lords in this case and tyed them to a certaine rate And the Statute made anno 25. Ed. 3. stat 5. cap. 11. prouideth that the rate set downe by the former Statute should hold in the King as well as in other Lords Of this I find mention in the Statute an 27. H. 8. ca. 10. This imposition seemeth to haue descended to vs from Normandie for in the grand custumarie cap. 35. you haue a Tractate intituled des aides chevelz 1. de auxilys capitalibus whereof the first is a faire l'aynè filz de son seigneur chevalier i. ad filium primogenitum militem faciendum the second son ainee fille marier i. ad filiam primogenitam maritandam And the third a rechapter le corps de son seigneur de prison quand il est prius per la guerre an Duc. i. ad corpus dominisui de prisona redimendum cùm captus fuerit pro bello Ducis Normandiae Also I find in Cassanaeus de coÌ„suet Burg. Quòd dominus accipit à subditis pro dotanda filia pa. 122. which seemeth to be all one with this our imposition and also in Vincentius de Franchis descis 131. where he calleth it adiutorium pro maritanda filia Whence it appeareth that this custome is within the kingdome of Naples also Touching this likewise you may reade these words in Maenochius lib. 2. de arbitrat Iud. quast centuria 2. cap. 181. Habent saepissimè feudorum possessores Domini multa in carum ditionibus privilegia multasque cum locorum incolis connentiones inter quas illa vna solet nominari vt possit Dominus collectam illis indicere pro solutione dotium suarum filiarum cura matrimonio collocantur Hoc aliquando Romae observarum à Caligulafuisse in illius vita
scribit Suetonius cap. 42. Hodiè hic vsus in subalpina regione est frequens vt scribit Iacobinus de Sancto Georgio in tractu de homagiis col 8. Etiam pro filia quae religionem ingreditur non modò pro vna filia sed pluribus filiabus non tamen pro secundis nuptijs exigitur In which place the said author maketh mention of diuers other Civilians and feudists that record this custome to be in other places Of this aide our Fleta writeth thus sicutetiam quaedam consuerudines quaeservitia non dicuntur nec concomitantia seruitiorū ficut rationobilia auxilia ad filium primogenitum militem faciendum vel ad filiam primogenitā maritandam quae quidem auxilia sunt de gratia non de iure pro necessitate indigentia dominicapitalis Et non sunt praedialia sed personalia secundùm quod perpendi poterit in breui ad hoc prouiso c. This word ayde is also particularly vsed in matter of pleading for a petition made in court for the calling in of helpe from another that hath an interest in the cause in question and is likely both to giue strength to the party that prayeth in aide of him and also to auoide a preiudice growing toward his owne right except it be preuented For example when a tenent for terme of life by courtesie tenent in taile after possibility of issue extinct for tearme of yeares at will by elegit or tenent by statute merchant being impleaded touching his estate may petere auxilium that is pray in ayde of him in the reuersion that is desire or intreate the court that he may be called in by writ to alledge what he thinketh good for the maintenance both of his right and his owne Termes of the lawe Fitzh mentioneth both prier en ayde and prier ayde de patron c. auxilium petere à patrono nat br fol. 50. d. and the new booke of entries verbo Ayde de parcener auxilium de parcionario fol. 411. columna 4. This the later practitioners in the ciuill lawe call authoris laudationem vel nominationem Emericus in pract titulo 48. This ayde prier is also vsed sometime in the kings behoofe that there be no proceeding against him vntill the kings Councell be called and heard to say what they thinke good for the auoyding of the kings preiudice or losse touching the cause in hand For example if the kings tenent holding in chiefe be demaunded a rent of a common person he may pray in ayde of the king Also a citie or borough that hath a fee ferme of the king any thing being demaunded against them which belongeth the reunto may pray in ayde of the King c. Tearms of the law of this thing you may read the statute de big amis a. 4. Ed. 1. ca. 1. 2. 3. anno 14. Ed. 3. stat 1. ca. 14. The civile law in suites begunne betweene two alloweth a third to come in pro interesse and he that commeth in for his interrest commeth either assistendo or opponendo c. The former is like to this ayde prier the other to that which our common lawyers call Receyte Looke Receyte Aile avo commeth of the French aieul i. avus signifieth a writ that lieth where the grādfather or great grandfather called of our common lawyers besayle but in true French bisaieul was seised in his demaines as of fee of any land or tenement in fee simple the day that he died and a stranger abateth or entreth the same day and dispossesseth the heire Fitzh nat br fo 221. Alderman aldermannus is borrowed from the saxon Ealderman signifying as much as Senator in latine Lamb. in his explica of Saxon words verbo senator See Roger Hoveden parte poster suorum annal fo 346. b. Aler sans iour is verbatim to goe without day the meaning whereof is to be finally dismissed the courte because there is no day of farder appearāce assigned Kitchin fo 140. Ale-tastor is an officer appointed in every court leete and sworne to looke to the assise and the goodnes of bread and ale or beere within the precincts of that Lordship Kitchin fo 46. where you may see the forme of his oath Alias v. Capias alias Alien alienare commeth of the French aliener and signifieth as much as to transferre the propertie of any thing vnto another man To alien in mortmaine is to make over lands or tenements to a religious companie or other body politike Stawnf praero fo 48. looke Mortmayn To alien in fee isto sel the fee simple of any land or tenement or of any incorporeall right West 2. ca. 25. anno 13. Ed. 1. Alien alias alion alienigena commeth of the latine alienus and signifieth one borne in a straunge country It is ordinarily taken for the contrarie to Denizen or a naturall subiect that is one borne in a straunge country and neuer heere infranchised Broke Denizen 4. c. And in this case a man born out of the land so it be within the limits of the Kings obedience beyond the sease or of English parents out of the Kings obedience so the parents at the time of the birth be of the Kings allegiance is no alien in account but a subiect to the King Statute 2. a. 25. Ed. 3. ca. vnico commonly called the Statute De natis vltra mare Also if one borne out of the kings allegiance come and dwell in England his children if he beget any heere be not aliens but denizens Termes of the lawe See Denizen Allaye Allaia is vsed for the temper and mixture of siluer and gold anno 9. H. 5. Stat. 2. cap. 4. Stat. 1. eiusdem anni cap. 11. The reason of which allay is with a baser mettall to augment the waight of the siluer or gold so much as may counteruaile the Princes charge in the coining Antonius Faber de nummariorum debitorum solutionibus cap. 1. Allocatione facienda is a writ directed to the Lord Treasurer and Barons of the Exchequer vpō complaint of some accountant commaunding them to allow the accountant such sums as he hath by vertue of his office lawfully and reasonably expended Register orig fol. 206. b. Alluminor seemeth to be made of the French allumer i. accendere incendere inflammare it is vsed for one that by his trade coloureth or painteth vpon paper or parchment And the reason is because he giueth grace light and ornament by his colours to the leters or other figures coloured You shall find the word an 1. R. 3. ca. 9. Almaine riuets be a certaine light kind of armor for the body of a man with sleeues of maile or plates of iron for the defence of his armes The former of which words seemeth to shewe the countrie where it was first invented the other whether it may come from the French verb revestir 〈◊〉 superinduere to put on vpon another garment I leaue to farther consideration Almner elecmosinarius is an officer of the
is there another forge called the Hammer into which these bloomes are cast and by a workman called the hammer man againe chafed and made soft in a charcole fire blowne likewise with bellowes caused to goe by the water and after caried by the saide hammer man and put vnder the great hammer driuen also by the water And so the saide bloomes are drawen fashiōed and made into such barres of iron of diuers sortes and formes as we see commonly sould Of these you may reade in the statut anno 27. Elizab. ca. 19. See Baye Bloodwit blodwita is compoūded of 2. Saxon words blout i. sanguis and wit for the which we haue the word wite still in the West parts of England signifying a charging of one with a fault or an vpbraiding And Speight in his expositions vpon Chawser saith that to wit is as much as to blame To twit in some other places of this land signifieth as much as to hitte in the teeth or to vpbraide This bloodwit is a wot◠vsed in charters of liberties aunciently graūted and signifieth an amercement for shedding of blood So that whosoeuer had it giuen him in his charter had the penaltie due for shedding of blood graunted vnto him Rastall in his exposition of words Skene de verbo signif writeth it bludveit and saith that veit in english is iniuria vel misericordia and that bludveit is an amercement or vnlawe as the Scottishmen call it for wrong or iniurie as bloodshed is For he that is infest with bludveit hath free libertie to take all amercements of courts for effusion of blood Fleta saith quod significat quietantiam misericordiae pro effusione sanguinis li. 1. ca. 47. Bockland See Charterland See Copie bould and Free hould Bonis arrestandis is a writ for the which See Arrestandis bonis Bonis non amovendis is a writ to the Shyreeues of London c. to charge them that one condemned by iudgement in an action and prosecuting a writ of errour be not suffered to remooue his goods vntill the errour be tried Register orig fo 131. b. Borow burgus vel burgum may either come from the French burg i. pagus or from the Saxon borhoe i. vadium pignus It signifieth here in England a corporate towne that is not a Citie anno 2. Ed. 3. ca. 3 namely all such as send Burgesses to the Parlament the number whereof you may see in M. Cromptons Iurisd fo 24. It may probably be thought that it was aunciently taken for those companies consisting of ten families which were combyned to be one anothers pledge or borhoe See Bracton li. 3. tractat 2. ca. 10. See Headborowe and Borowhead and M. Lambard in the duties of constables pa. 8. Lynwood vpon the prouinciall vt singula de censibus speake to this effect Aliqui interpretātur burgum esse castrum vel locum vbi sunt crebra castra vel dicitur burgus vbi sunt per limites habitacula plura constituta But then setting downe his owne opinion he defineth it thus Burgus dici potest villa quacunque unque alia a ciuitate in qua est vniuersit as approbata And that he proueth oute of the 11. booke of Iustinians Godex titulo de fund rei priuatae 65. et l. 6. eius tituli where burgus is termed corpus some deriue it from the greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. turris see M. Skene de verbo signif verbo Borghe The late author M. Verslegan in his restitution of decaied intelligences saith that burg or burnh whereof we say yet Borough or Bourrow metaphorically signifieth a towne hauing a wall or some kinde of closure about it also a Castell All places that in old time had among our auncesters the name of borrough were places one way or other fensed or fortified Bordlands signifie the demeasns that lords keepe in their hands to the maintenance of their bord or table Bract. li. 4. tractat 3. ca. 9. nu 5. Borowhead alias Headborowe capitalis plegius by M. Lamberds opiniō in his treatise of Cōstables is made vp of these two words borhoe i. pledge and bead and signifieth a head orchiefe pledge And in explication of this and other Saxon words of this nature he maketh an excellent rehearsall of some auncient customes of England during the reigne of the Saxons which you may reade This borowhead in short was the head or cheife man of the Decurie or Borhoe that there he speaketh of chosen by the rest to speake to doe in the name of the rest those things that concerned them See Borowholders Borowhowlders aliàs Bursholders be quasi borboe ealders signifing the same officers that be called borowheads Lamb. in the duties of Constchles Bracton calleth them Borghie Aldere li. 3. tractat 2. ca. 10. Borow english is a custumarie descent of lands or tenements whereby in all places where this custome holdeth lands and tenemenrs descend to the yongest sonne or if the owner haue no issue to his yongest brother as in Edmunton Kitchin fo 102. And the reason of this custome as Litleton saith is for that the yongest is presumed in lawe to be least able to shift for himselfe Borow goods divisable I finde these words in the statute of Acton Burnel anno 11. Ed. 1. statute vnico and dare not confidently set downe the true meaning of them But as before the statute of 32. 34. H. 8. no lands weare diuisable at the common law but in auncient baronies so perhaps at the making of the foresaide statute of Acton burnel it was doubtfull whether goods were deuisable but in auncient borowes For it seemeth by the writ de rationabili parte bonorum that aunciently the goods of a man were partible betwene his wife and children Bote signifieth compensation Lamb explication of Saxon words Thence cōmeth manbote aliâs monbote that is compensation or amends for a man slaine which is bound to another For farder vnderstanding whereof it is to be seene in K. Inas lawes set out by M. Lamberd ca. 96. what rate was ordeined for the expiation of this offence See Hedgebote Plowbote Howsebote reade M. Skenede verbo signif verbo Bote. Botiler of the king pincerna regis anno 43. Ed. 3. ca. 3. is an officer that prouideth the Kings wines who as Fleta li. 2. ca. 21. saith may by vertue of his office out of every shippe loaden with sale wines vnum doleum eligere in prora navis ad opus regis aliud in puppi pre qualibet pecia reddere tantùm 20. solid mercatori Si autem plura inde habere volucrit bene licebit dum tamen precium fide dignorum iudicio pro rege appenatur Bowbearer is an vnder officer of the forest as M. Crompton in his iurisdict fo 201 setteth down sworne to the true performance of his office in these words I will true man be to the master forister of this forest to his lieuerenent and in the absence of them I shall truly oversee
the partie himselfe detaineth it and refuseth to bring it in Regist orig fo 152. b. In like maner may be said of certificando de statuto mercatorio eodem fo 148. and de certificando in cancellarium de inquisitione de idemptitate nominis fo 195. and certificando quando recognitio c. and certificando quid actum est de breui super statutum mercatorium fo 151 certificando si loquela Warantiae fo 13. Cessor is he that ceseth or neglecteth so long to performe a dutie belonging vnto him as that by his cesse or cessing he incurreth the daunger of lawe and hath or may haue the writ cessavit brought against him Old nat br fo 136. And note that where it is saide in diuers places the tenent cesseth without any more words such phrase is so to be vnderstood as if it were said the tenent ceseth to doo that which he ought or is bound to doe by his land ortenement Cessavit is a writ that lyeth in diuers cases as appeareth by Fitzh nat br fo 208. vpon this generall grounde that he against whome it is brought hath for 2. yeares foreslowne to performe such seruice or to pay such rent as he is tied vnto by his tenure and hath not vpon his land or his tenement sufficient goods or catells to be distreined Consult more at large with Fitz. vpon this vbi supra with Fleta li. 5. ca. 34. § visa sunt and with the Termes of lawe See Cessauit de cantaria Register orig fo 238. Cessavit de feodi firma eodem fo 237. Cessavit per biennium eodem folio etiam eodem See the newe booke of entrise verbo Cessavit Cestui qui vie is in true French cestui a vie de qui i. he for whose life any land or renement is graunted Perkins graunts 97. Cestui qui vse ille cuius vsui vel ad cuius vsum is broken french and thus may be bettered Cestui al vse de qui It is an ordinarie speech among our common lawyers signifying him to whose vse any other man is infeoffed in any lands or tenements See the newe booke of entrise verbo vses and in Replevin fo 508. colum 3. verbo Trespas fo 606. fo 123. a. b. colum 3. n◠7. Chafe waxe is an officer in chauncery that fitteth the waxe for the fealing of the writs and such other instruments as are there made to be sent out This officer is borowed from the French For there calefactores cerae sunt qui regiis literis in Cancellaria ceram imprimunt Corasius Chase chacea commeth of the French chasser 1. sectari belluas apros cervos It signifieth two things in the commō lawe First as much as actus in the civil lawe that is a dryving of catell to or from any place as to chase a distresse to a fortlet Old nat br fo 45. Secondly it is vsed for a receite for deere and wilde beasts of a middle nature betweene a forest and a parke being commonly lesse then a forest and not endued with so many liberties as the courtes of attachment Swaine mote and Iustice seate and yet of a larger compas and stored with greater diuersity both of keepers and wilde beasts or game then a park And Crompton in his booke of Iurisdictions fo 148. saith that a forest cannot be in the hands of a subiect but it forthwith looseth the name and becommeth a chase and yet fo 197. he saith that a subiect may be lord and owner of a forest which though it seeme a contrariety yet be both his sayings in some sort true For the king may giue or alienate a forest to a subiect yet so as when it is once in the subiect it leeseth the true property of a Forest because that the courts called the Iustice seate the Swain mote and Attachment foorthwith doe vanish none being able to make a Lord chiefe Iustice in Eyre of the Forest but the king as M. Manwood well sheweth parte 2. of his Forest lawes cap. 3. 4. And yet it may be granted in so large a maner that there may be Attachement and Swainemote and a court equiualent to a Iustice seat as appeareth by him in the same chapter num 3. So that a chase differeth from a Forest in this because it may be in the hands of a subiect which a Forest in his proper true nature cannot and from a Parke in that that it is not inclosed and hath not onely a larger compasse and more store of game but of Keepers also and ouerseers See Forest Chalenge calumnia commeth of the French chalanger i. sibiasserere and is vsed in the commō lawe for an exception taken either against persons or things persons as in assise to the Iurors or any one or more of them or in a case of felonie by the prisoner at the barre Smith de rep Anglor lib. 2. cap. 12. Britton ca. 52. Bracton lib. 2. tract 2. cap. 22. Against things as a declaration old nat br fol. 76. Chalenge made to the Iurours is either made to the array or to the polles Chalenge to the array is when the whole number is excepted against as partially empaneled chalenge to or by the polle when some one or more are excepted against as not indifferent Termes of the law Chalenge to the Iurours is also divided into Chalenge principall and Chalenge per cause i. vppon cause or reason Chalenge principall otherwise by Stawnf pl. cor fol. 157. 158. called peremptorie is that which the lawe alloweth without cause alledged or farder examination Lamberd Eirenar lib. 4. cap. 14. as a prisoner at the barre arraigned vpon felonie may peremptorily chalenge to the number of 20. one after another of the Iurie empaneled vpon him alledging no cause but his owne dislike and they shall be still put off and new taken in their places But in case of high treason no Chalenge peremptorie is allowed an 33. H. 8. cap. 23. Fortescue saith that a prisoner in this case may chalenge 35. men c. 27. but that law was abridged by anno 25. H. 8. cap. 3. I cannot here omit to note some difference that in mine opinion I obserue betweene Chalenge principall and Chalenge peremptorie finding peremptorie to be vsed onely in maters criminall and barely without cause alledged more then the prisoners owne phantasie Stawnf pl. cor fol. 124. but principall in ciuill actions for the most part and with naming of some such cause of exception as being found true the lawe alloweth without farder scanning For example if either partie say that one of the Iurors is the sonne brother cousin or tenent to the other or espoused his daughter this is exception good and strong enough if it be true without farder examination of the parties credit And how farre this chalenge vpon kinred reacheth you haue a notable example in Plowden casu Vernon against Maners fol. 425. Also in the plee of the death of a man
also a long discourse in Fleta li. 3. ca. 14. who expoundeth euery substantiall part of a deede of gift particularly in order Charter land terra per chartam is such sa a man holdeth by charter that is by euidence in writing otherwise called free-hold anno 19. H. 7. ca. 13. and Kitchin fo 86. these in the Saxons time were wont to be called bockland Idem fo 89. and Lamberd in his explication of Saxon words verbo Terra ex scripto which was held as he there saith with more commodious easier conditions then folkland was that is land held without writing And the reason he giueth because that was haereditataria libera atque immunis whereas fundus sine scripto censum pensitabat annuum atque officiorum quadam servitute est obligatus Priorēviriplerunque nobiles atque ingenui posteriorem rustici ferè pagani possidebant Illam nos vulgò freehold per chartam hanc ad voluntatem domini appellamus Thus farre M. Lamberd Charter partie charta partita is nothing but that which we call a paire of indentures conteining the covenants and agreements made betweene merchants or sea faring men touching their marine affaires anno 32. H. 8. cap. 14. Chartis reddendis is a writ which lyeth against him that hath charters of feofment deliuered him to be kept and refuseth to deliuer them old nat br fo 66. Register orig fo 159. Chase See Chace Chatell See Catell Chawnce medley Infortunium commeth of 2. french words chance i. lapsus and mesler i. miscere It signifieth in our common lawe the casuall slaughter of a man not altogether without the fault of the slayer Stawnf pl. cor li. 1. ca. 8. calleth it homicide by misaduenture West calleth it homicide mixt parte 2. symbol titulo Indictments sect 50. and there defineth it thus Homicide mixt is when the killers ignorance or negligence is ioyned with the chaunce as if a man loppe trees by an high way side by which many vsually trauell and cast doune a bowe not giuing warning to take heede thereof by which bowe one passing by is slaine In which case he offendeth because he gaue noe warning that the party might haue taken heede to himselfe See Skene de verbo signifi verbo Melletum Chaungeour is an officer belonging to the Kings mint whose function seemeth especially to consist in exchanging coine for gold or siluer in the masse brought in by merchants or others anno 2. H. 6. ca. 12. Chawntery cantaria is a Church or chapell endewed with lands or other yearely revenewe for the mantenance of one or moe priests daily to sing masse for the soules of the donours and such others as they doe appointe anno 37. H. 8. ca. 4. anno 1. Fd. 6. ca. 14. Check rolle seemeth to be a rolle or booke that conteineth the names of such as are attendants and in pay to great personages as their houshold servants It is otherwise called the chequer rolle anno 24. H. 8. ca. 13. anno 3. H. 7. ca. 13. seemeeth to haue one etymologie with eschequer Which see Chevage cheuagium commeth of the French chef i. caput It signifieth with vs a summe of money paid by villeins to their Lords in acknowledgment of their slauerie Whereof Bracton li. 1. ca. 10. saith thus chevagium dicitur recognitio in signum subiectionis dominij de capite suo It seemeth also to be vsed for a summe of a mony yearely giuen by a man to another of might power for his avowement maintenance and protection as to their head or leader M. Lamberds li. 2. ca. 5. etrenarch writeth it chivage or rather chiefage Chevisance commeth of the French chevir i. venir a chef de de quelque chose to come to the head or end of a busines to perfect a mater This word is vsed for bargayning anno 37. H. 8. ca. 9. anno 13. Eliza. ca. 5. 8. an 10. R. 2. cap. 1. anno 3. H. 7. cap. 5. Chief See Capite Chiefe pledge plegius vel vas capitalis an 20. H. 6. ca. 8. For the vnderstanding of this word See Borowhead Childwit commeth of the Saxon word child and wit which some say in that tongue is a terminatiō of certain words without signification as dom in christendom or hood in childehood with vs. But for the signification of wit see Bloodwit Childwit signifieth a power to to take a fine of your bondwoman begotten with child without your consent Rastall exposit of words Chimin chiminus commeth from the French chemin i. aditus via and signifieth in our common lawe a way It is diuided into two sorts the Kings high way and a priuate way Kitchin fo 35. The Kings highe way chiminus regius is that by which the Kings subiects and all others vnder his protection haue free libertie to passe though the propertie of the soyle of each side where the way lieth may perhaps belong to some priuate man A way priuate is that by which one man or more haue libertie to passe either by prescription or by charter through another mans ground And this is diuided into chymin in grosse and chymin appendant Kitchin fo 177. Chymin in grosse is that way which a man holdeth principally and solely in it selfe chimin apendant is that which a man hath adioyned to some other thing as appertinent thereūto For example if a man hire a close or pasture and couenāt for ingresse and egresse to and from the said close through some other ground by the which otherwise he cannot passe Or chimin in grosse may be that which the Civilians call personall as when one covenanteth for a way through another mans ground for himselfe and his heires chimin appendant on the otherside may be that which they call reall as when a man purchaseth a way through another mansground for such as doe or shall dwell in this or that house for euer or be owners of such a maner Chiminage chiminagium signifieth a tolle for wayfarage thorough the forest Cromptons Iurisd fo 189. and Manwood farte 1. of his forest lawes pa. 86. See Chimin The Feudists call it pedagium See Chimin Chirographer of fynes chirographus finium concordiarum commeth of the greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth a wrighting of a mans owne hand whereby he acknowledgeth a dept to another It signifieth in our common lawe him in the common bench office that ingrosseth fines in that court acknowledged into a perpetuall record after they be acknowledged and fully passed by those officers by whome they are formerly examined and that writeth and deliuereth the indentures of them vnto the party anno 2. H. 3. ca. 8. and. West Symbol parte 2. titulo fines sect 114. 129. Fitzh nat br fo 147. A. This officer also maketh two indentures one for the buier another for the seller and maketh one other indented peece containing also the effect of the fine which he deliuereth ouer to the custos breuium that is
pr. cap. 18. which reade See Fine Common plees communia placita is the kings Court now held in Westminster hall but in auncient time moueable as appeareth by the statute called Magna charta cap. 11. as also anno 2. Ed. 3. cap. 11. and Pupilla oculi parte 5. cap. 22. But M. Gwin in the Preface to his readings saith that vntill the time that Henry the third granted the great charter there were but two courts in all called the Kings courts whereof one was the Exchequer and the other the kings bench which was then called curia Domini regis and aula regia because it followed the court or king and that vpon the grant of that charter the court of common plees was erected and setled in one place certaine viz. at Westminster And because this court was setled at Westminster wheresoeuer the king lay thereupon M. Gwin vbi supra saith that after that all the writs ranne Quòd sit coram Iusticiariis meis apud Westmonasterium whereas before the partie was cōmanded by thē to appeare coram me vel Iusticiariis meis simply without addition of place as he well obserueth out of Glanvile and Bracton the one writing in Henry the seconds time before this court was erected the other in the later end of Henry the thirds time who erected this court All ciuill causes both reall and personall are or were in former times tryed in this court according to the strict lawe of the realme and by Fortescue cap. 50. it seemeth to haue bene the onely court for reall causes The chiefe Iudge thereof is called the Lord chiefe Iustice of the common plees accompanied with 3. or 4. assistants or associates which are created by leters patents from the king and as it were enstalled or placed vpon the bench by the Lord Chaunceler and lord chiefe Iustice of the court as appeareth by Fortescue cap. 51. who expresseth all the circumstances of this admission The rest of the officers belonging to this court are these the custos breuium three Protonotaries otherwise called Prenotaries Chirographer Filazers 14. Exigenters 4. Clerke of the warrants Clerke of the Iuries or iurata writs Clerke of the Treasurie Clerke of the kings siluer Clerke of the essoins Clerke of the outlawries Whose distinct functions looke in their places See Common bench Common day in plee of land an 13. R. 2. stat 1. cap. 17. signifieth an ordinarie day in the court as Octavis Michaelis quindena pascae c. as you may see in the statute made anno 51. H. 3. concerning generall dayes in the bench Common house of parlament is vsed for the nether house because the commōs of the realme that is the knights of the shires and burgeses possesse that house Crompton iurisd 9. Commotes seemeth to be compounded of the prepositiō con and mot i. dictio verbum and signifieth in Wales a part of a shire as a hundred anno 28. H. 8. ca. 3. It is written commoithes anno 4. H. 4. ca. 17. and is vsed for a gathering made vpon the people as it seemeth of this or that hundred by welsh minstrels Common law comunis lex hath three diuers significatiōs which see in the author of new termes of law verbo Common law Communi custodia is a writ that lyeth for that lord whose tenent houlding by knights seruice dyeth and leaueth his eldest sonne vnder age against a straunger that entreth the land and obtaineth the ward of the body It may seeme to take the name from the common custom or right in this case which is that the lord haue the wardship of his tenent vntill his full age or because it is common for the recouery both of land and tenent as appeareth by the forme thereof Old nat br fo 89. See also the Register orig fo 161. a. Communi placito non tenendo in scaccario is a writ directed to the treasurer and barons of the exchequer forbidding them to hould plee betweene two common persons in that court neither of them belonging toward the said court Register orig fo 187. b. Companion of the garter is one of the knights of that most noble and honourable order anno 24. H. 8. ca. 13. See Garter Compromis compromissum is a mutuall promise of two or more parties at difference to referre the ending of their controuersies to the arbitriment and equitie of one or more arbitratours West defineth is thus parte 2. Symbol titulo Compromise sect pri A compromise or submission arbitrium compromissum submissio is the faculty or power of pronouncing sentence betweene persons at controuersie giuen to arbitratours by the parties mutuall priuate consent without publique authority Computo is a writ so called of the effect because it compelleth a baylife chamberlaine or receiuer to yeld his accoumpt Old nat br fo 58. It is founded vpon the statut of Westm 2. ca. 2. anno 13. Ed. i. which for your beter vnderstanding you may read And it lyeth also for executours of executours anno 15. Ed. 3. statut de prouis victuall ca. 5. Thirdly against the garden in socage for waste made in the minority of the heire Marlb ca. 17. And see farder in what other cases it lyeth Register orig fo 135. old nat br vbi supra Fitzh nat br fo 116. Concealers be such as finde out concealed lands that is such lands as priuily are kept from the king by common persons hauing nothing to shew for them anno 39. Eliza. ca. 22. They be so called a concelando as mons a mouendo per antiphrasin Concord concordia is in the common law by a peculiar signification defined to be the very agreement betweene parties that intend the leuying of a fine of lands one to the other how and in what maner the land shall passe For in the forme thereof many things are to be considered West parte 2. Symbol titulo Fines and concords sect 30. whome read at large Concord is also an agreement made vpon any trespas cōmitted betweene two or more and is diuided into a concord executory and a concord executed See Plowden casu Reniger Fogassa fo 5. 6. where it appeareth by some opinion that the one bindeth not as being imperfect the other absolute and tyeth the parties and yet by some other opinion in the same case it is affirmed that agreements executory be perfect and doe noe lesse binde then agreements executed fo 8. b. Concubinage concubinatus is an exception against her that sieweth for her dower whereby it is alleadged that shee was not a wife lawefully maried to the party in whose lands shee seeketh to be endowed but his concubine Britton ca. 107. Bract. li. 4. tract 6. ca. 8. Condition conditio is a rate maner or lawe annexed to mens acts staying or suspending the same and making them vncertaine whether they shall take effect or no West parte 1. symb li. 2. Sect. 156. In a lease there may be two sorts of conditions condition collaterall or condition annexed to
learned men in the lawe reteined of councell with the King in the said court Of this Court M. Gwin in the preface to his readings thus speaketh The court of the Duchy or Countie Palatine of Lancaster grew out of the graunt of king Edward the third who first gaue the Dutchy to his sonne Iohn of Gawnte and endowed it with such royall right as the Countie Palatine of Chester had and for as much as it was afterward extinct in the person of king Henry the fourth by reason of the vnion of it with the Crowne the same king suspecting himselfe to bee more rightfully Duke of Lancaster then king of England determined to saue his right in the Dutchy whatsoeuer should befal of the Kingdome and therefore hee separated the Dutchy from the Crowne and setled it so in the naturall persons of himselfe and his heires as if he had bin no king or Politique bodie at all In which plight it continued during the reigne of K. Henry the 5. and Henry the 6. that were descended of him But when King Edw. the 4. had by recouery of the Crowne recontinued the right of the house of Yorke hee feared not to appropriate that Dutchy to the Crowne againe and yet so that hee suffered the Court and Officers to remaine as he founde them And in this maner it came together with the Crowne to King Henry the 7. who liking well of that policy of King H. the 4. by whose right also hee obteined the Kingdome made like separation of the Dutchy as hee had done and so left it to his posterity which doe yet inioy it Dumfuit infra aetatem is a writ which lyeth for him that before hee came to his full age made a feofment of his land in fee or for terme of life or in taile to recover them againe from him to whome he conveied them Fitzh nat br fol. 192. Dum non fuit compos mentis is a writ that lieth for him that being not of sound memory did alien any lands or tenements in fee simple fee tayle for terme of life or of yeeres against the alienee Fitzh nat br fol. 202. Duplicat is vsed by Crompton for a second leters patent graūted by the Lord Chauncelour in a case wherein he had formerly done the same and was therefore thought void Cromptons Iurisd fol. 215. Dures Duritia commeth of the French dur i. durus vel durete i. duritas and is in our common lawe a plee vsed in way of exception by him that being cast in prison at a mans suite or otherwise by beating or threats hardly vsed sealeth any bond vnto him during his restraint For the lawe holdeth this not good but rather supposeth it to be constrained Brooke in his Abridgement ioyneth Dures and Manasse together i. duritiam minas hardnes and threatning See the newe booke of Entries verbo Dures and the new Termes of law E A EAlderman Aldermannus among the Saxons was as much as Earle among the Danes Camden Britan. pag. 107. If yee goe to the true etimologie of the word mee thinketh it shoud sound more generally so much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the Graecians or Senator with the Romanes who were rather Councellers at large then bestowed vpon any particular office as Comites were See Countie And that signification we retaine at this day almost in all our Cities and Borowes calling those Aldermen that are Associates to the Chiefe Officer in the common councell of the Towne anno 24. H. 8. ca. 13. or sometime the cheife officer himselfe as in Stawnford Earle Comes in M. Camdens opinion pag. 107. is a word made by the Danes of Ealderman a word of the Saxons M. Lamberd seemeth notwithstanding to acknowledge that Earle is originally a Saxon word Explica of Sax. words verbo Paganus and interpreteth it Satrapam which word the Romaines borowing of the Persians applied to those that were praefecti provinciarum M. Verslegan in his restitution of decaied intelligence deriueth it from two Netherland words ear i. honor and ethel i. nobilis wherein I leaue the reader to his owne iudgement This title in auncient time was giuen to those that were associates to the king in his councels and Marshall actions as Comes was to those that folowed the Magistrates in Roome and executed their offices for them as their deputies and died alwaies with the man Zasius hath of this word thus much Comitū originem in Doctoribus non invenimus sed noveris cam dignitatem vetustissimam esse Nam Cor. Tacitus in libello de Germania scribit apud priscos vsu fuisse receptum vt cuilibet principi seu Duci exercitus duodecim comites assignarentur ideo dictos quia comitarentur eos à Ducum latere non decederent Comitū itaque originē Germanis moribus ortum esse dictus receptissimus autor testis est Quapropter quod in duodecimo libro Codicis aliqui tituli de Comitibus largitionum c. inscribuntur usurpationem Imperatoris ex Germanorum ritibus sumptam credo But the Conquerour as M. Camd. saith gaue this dignitie in fee to his nobles annexing it to this or that countie or province and allotted them for their maintenance a certaine proportion of monie rising from the Princes profits for the pleadings and forfeitures of the province For example he bringeth an aunent Record in these words Henricus 2. Rex Anglie his verbis Comitem creauit Sciatis nos fecisse Hugonet Bigot Comitē de Nortfolk sc de tertio denario de Norwic. Northfolke sicut aliquis comes Angliae liberiùs comitatum suum tenet Which words saith the same author an ould booke of Battell Abbie thus expoundeth Consuetudinaliter per totam Angliammos antiquitùs inoleverat Comites provinciarum tertium denarium sibi obtinere inde Comites dicti And another booke without name more fully Comitatus a Comite dicitur aut vice versa Comes autem est quia tertiam portionem eorum quae de placitis proveniunt in quolibet Comitatu percipit Sed non omnes Comites ista percipiunt sed hii quibus Rex haereditariò aut personaliter concessit You may reade M. Fern in Lacyse nobility something to this effect pa. 12. But he saith that one Duke or Earle had diuers Shires vnder his gouernment as a viceroy and had lieuetenants vnder him in euery particular Shire called a Shyreeue That one Earle was dignified by the appellation or more rhen one Shyreeue it appeareth by diuers of our auncient Statutes as namely by the sentēce of excommunication pronounced by the Bishops against the infringers of the great Charter charter of the forest anno 38. H. 3. Roger Bigot is named Earle both of Northfolke and Southfolke and anno 1. Ed. 3. Thomas Earle of Lancaster and Leycester Humsrey Bohum Earle of Hereford and Essex Dyer fo 285. nu 39. At these daies as long since the kings of England make Earles by their charters of this or that Countie giuing them no
hath in time wrought other vses of this concord which in the beginning was but one as namely to secure the title that any man hath in his possession against all men to cut off intayles and with more certaintie to passe the interest or the title of any land or tenement though not controuerted to whome we thinke good either for yeares or in fee. In so much that the passing of a fine in most cases now is it but mera fictio iuris alluding to the vse for the which it was invented and supposing a doubt or controuersie where in truth none is and so not onely to worke a present prescription against the parties to the concord or fine and their heires but within fiue yeares against all others not expresly excepted if it be leuied vpon good consideration and without Couin as women couert persons vnder 21. yeares or prisoners or such as be out of the realme at the time when it was acknowledged Touching this mater see the statutes anno 1. Rich. 3. cap. 7 anno 4. H. 7. cap. 24. anno 32. H. 8. cap. 36. anno 31. Elizab. ca. 2. This fine hath in it fiue essentiall parts the originall writ taken out against the conizour the kings licence giuing the parties libertie to accord for the which he hath a fine called the Kings siluer being accompted a part of the Crownes reuenew Thirdly the concord it selfe which thus beginneth Et est concordia talis c. Fourthly the note of the fine which is an abstract of the original concord and beginneth in this maner Sc. Inter R. querentem S. E. vxorem eius deforciantes c. Fifthly the foot of the fine which beginneth thus Hac est finalis concordia facta in Curia domini Regis apud Westm à die Paschae in quindecim dies anno c. So as the foote of the fine includeth all containing the day yeare and place and before what Iustice the concord was made Coke vo 6. casu Teye fol. 38. 39. This fine is either single or double A single fine is that by which nothing is graunted or rendred backe againe by the Cognizeese to the Cognizours or any of them A double fine containeth a graunt and render backe againe either of some rent common or other thing out of the land or of the land it selfe to all or some of the Cognizours for some estate limiting thereby many times Remainders to straungers which be not named in the writ of couenant West vbi supra sect 21. Againe a fine is of the effect deuided into a fine executed and a fine executory A fine executed is such a fine as of his owne force giueth a present possession at the least in law vnto the Cognizee so that he needeth no writ of Habere facias seisinam for the execution of the same but may enter of which sort is a fine sur cognizance de droit come ceo que il ad de son done that is vpon acknowledgement that the thing mentioned in the concord be ius ipsius cognizati vt illa quae idem habet de dono Cognitoris West sect 51. K. and the reason of this seemeth to be because this fine passeth by way of release of that thing which the cognizee hath already at the least by supposition by vertue of a former gift of the cognizour Cokes reports li. 3. the case of fines fo 89. b. which is in very deed the surest fine of all Fines executorie be such as of their owne force doe not execute the possession in the Cognizeese as fines sur cognizance de droit tantùm fines sur done graunt release confirmation or render For if such fines be not leuied or such render made vnto them that be in possession at the time of the fines leuied the cognizees must needs siew writs of Habere facias seisinam according to their seuerall cases for the obtaining of their possessions except at the leuying of such executory fines the parties vnto whom the estate is by them limited be in possession of the lands passed thereby for in this case such fines doe inure by way of extinguishment of right not altering the estate or possession of the Cognizee but perchaunce bettring it West vbi supra sect 20. Touching the forme of these fines it is to be considered vpon what writ or action the concord is to be made and that is most commonly vpon a writ of couenant and then first there must passe a paire of indentures betweene the Cognizour and Cognizee whereby the Cognizour couenanteth with the cognizee to passe a fine vnto him of such or such things by a day set down And these indentures as they are first in this proceeding so are they saide to lead the fine vpon this couenant the writ of couenant is brought by the Cognizee against the cognizour who therevpon yeeldeth to passe the fine before the Iudge and so the acknowledgement being recorded the cognizout and his heires are presently concluded and all straungers not excepted after fiue yeares once passed If the writ wherevpon the fine is grounded be not a writ of couenaunt but of warrantia chartae or a writ of right or a writ of mesn or a writ of custome and seruices for of all these fines may also be founded West vbi supra sect 23. then this forme is obserued the writ is serued vpon the party that is to acknowledge the fine and then he appearing doth accordingly See Dier fo 179. nu 46. This word fine sometime signifieth a summe of money paide for an Income to lands or tenements let by lease sometime an amends pecuniarie punishment or recompence vpon an offence committed against the king and his lawes or a Lord of a maner In which case a man is said facere finem de transgressione cum Rege c. Regist Iud. fol. 25. a. and of the diuersity of these fines with other mater worth the learning see Cromptons Iustice of peace fol. 141. b. 143. 144. and Lamberds Eirenarcha libro 4. ca 16. pa. 555. But in all these diuersities of vses it hath but one signification and that is a finall conclusion or ende of differences betweene parties And in this last sence wherein it is vsed for the ending and remission of an offence Bracton hath it li. 2. ca. 15. nu 8. speaking of a common fine that the Countie payeth to the king for false iudgemēts or other trespasses which is to be assessed by the Iustices in Eyre before their departure by the oath of knights and other good men vpon such as ought to pay it with whome agreeth the statute anno 3. Ed. pri ca. 18. There is also a common fine in leetes See Kitchin fo 13. a. v. common fine See Fleta l. 1. ca. 48. Fines pro licentia concordandi anno 21. H. 8. c. 1. See Fine Fine force seemeth to come of the french adiectiue fin and the substantiue force i. vis The adiectiue fin signifieth sometime as much as
Frauk almoine libera Eleemozyna in french frank Ausmone signifieth in our common lawe a tenure or title of lands Britton cap. 66. nu 5. saith thus of it Franke almoyne is lands or tenements bestowed vpon God that is giuen to such people as bestow themselues in the seruice of God for pure and perpetuall almes whence the feoffours or giuers cannot demaund any terrestriall seruice so long as the lands c. remaine in the handes of the feoffees With this agreeth the grand custumary of Normandie cap. 32. Of this you may reade Bracton at large lib. 2. cap. 5. 10. See Fitzh nat br fol. 211. See the new booke of Entries verbo Franke Almoine But Britton maketh another kind of this land c. which is giuen in almes but not free almes because the tenents in this are tyed in certain seruices to the feoffor Pritton vbisupra Frank bank francus bancus in true french franc banc signifieth word for word a free bench or seate and among our lawe writers it seemeth to be vsed for copyhold lands that the wife being espoused a virgin hath after the decease of her husband for her dower Kitchin fol. 102. Bracton lib. 4. tract 6. cap. 13. nu 2. hath these wordes Consuetudo est in partibus illis quòd vxores maritorum defunctorum habeant francum bancum suum de terris sockmannorum tenent nomine dotis Fitzher calleth it a custome whereby in certaine cities the wise shall haue her husbands whole lands c. for her dower Nat. br fol. 150. P. See Plowden casu Newis fol. 411. Frank chase Libera chasea is a libertie of free chase whereby all men hauing ground within that compasse are prohibited to cut downe wood or discouer c. without the view of the forester though it be his owne demesne Cromptons Iurisdictions fol. 187. Frank fee feudum francum seu liberum is by Brooke tit Dimesn num 32. thus expressed That which is in the hand of the King or Lord of any maner being auncient demesn of the Crowne viz. the Demesnes is called frank fee and that which is in the hands of the tenents is auncient demesn onely see the Register original fol. 12. a. Whereby it seemeth that that is frank see which a man holdeth at the common lawe to himselfe and his heires and not by such seruice as is required in auncient demesn according to the custome of the maner And again I find in the same booke fol. 14. b. a note to this effect that the lands which were in the handes of king Edward the Saint at the making of the booke called Doomesday is auncient demesn and that all the rest in the realme is called frank fee with the which note Fitzherb agreeth na br fol. 161. E. So that all the land in the realme by this reason is either auncient demesn or frank fee. The new expounder of the lawe termes defineth frank fee to be a tanure in fee simple of lands pleadable at the common lawe and not in auncient demesn See Fachineus lib. 7. cap. 39. who defineth feudum francum esse pro quo nullum seruitium praestatur Domino with whom agreeth Zasius de fendis parte 12. saying that therefore it is feudum improprium quia ab omni seruitio liberum Frank ferme Firma libera is land or tenement wherein the nature of fee is chaunged by feofment out of knights seruice for certaine yearely seruices and whence neither homage wardship mariage nor releife may be demaunded nor any other seruice not contained in the feofment Britton ca. 66. nu 3. see Fee ferme Frank law libera lex See Cromptons Iustice of peace fol. 156. b. where you shall finde what it is by the contrary For he that for an offence as conspiracy c. leeseth his franke lawe is said to fall into these mischiefs first that he may neuer be impaneled vppon any iury or assise or otherwise vsed in testifiing any truth Next if he haue any thing to doe in the kings court he must not approch thither in person but must appoint his attourney Thirdly his lands goods and chatelsmust be seised into the kings hands and his lands must be estreaped his trees rooted vp and his body committed to prison For this the said authour citeth the booke of Assises fo 59. Conspiracy F. 11. 24. Ed. 3. fo 34. See Conspiracy Frank mariage liberū maritagiū is a tenurein taile speciall growing from these words in the gift comprised Sciant c. me M. H de W. dedrsse concessisse praesenti charta mea confirmasse I. A. filio meo Margeriae vxori eius filiae verae T. N. in liberū marit agium vnum messuagium c. West parte i. Symbol li. 2. sect 303. The effect of which words is that they shall haue the land to them and the heires of their bodies and shall doe no fealty to the donour vntill the fourth degree See new Terms of law Glanuile li. 7. ca. 18. Bracton li. 2. ca. 7. nu 4. where he diuideth maritagium in liberum seruitio obligatum See Mariage Fleta giueth this reason why the heires doe no seruice vntill the fourth discent ne donatores vel eorum haeredes per homagii receptionem a reuersione repellantur And why in the fourth discent and downeward they shall doe seruice to the donour quia in quarto gradu vehementer praesumitur quòd terra non est pro defectu haeredum donatariorum reversura libro tertio ca. 11. in princ Frankpledge Franoiplegium is compounded of Franc. i. liber and pleige i. fideiussor and signifieth in our common law a pledge or surety for free men For the auncient custome of England for the preseruation of the publique peace was that euery free borne man at fourteene yeares of age after Bracton religious persons clerks knights and their eldest sonnes excepted should finde suerty for his truth toward the King and his subiects or else be kept in prison whereupon a certaine number of neighbours became customably bound one for another to see each man of their pledge forthcomming at all times or to answere the transgression committed by any broken away So that whosoeuer offended it was forthwith inquired in what pledge he was and then they of that pledge either brought him forth within 31. daies to his aunswere or satisfied for his offence This was called Frank pledge causa qua supra and the circuit thereof was called Decenna because it commonly consisted of 10. houshouldes And euery particular person thus mutually bound for himselfe and his neighbours was called Decennier because he was of one Decenna or another This custome was so kept that the shyreeues at euery county court did from time to time take the oaths of yonge ones as they grew to the age of 14. yeares and see that he were combined in one dozen or another whereupon this braunch of the shyreeues authority was called visus Franciplegu view of frankpledge See
day of his appearance by reason of the said common summons or otherwise But otherwise it is where a man is let to bayle to foure or two men by the lord Iustice in eyre of the Forest vntill a certaine day For there he is alwayes accounted by the lawe to be in their ward and custody for the time And they may if they will keepe him in ward or in prison all that time or otherwise at their will So that he that is so bayled shall not be said by the lawe to be at large or at his owne libertie Thus farre M. Manwood The myrror of Iustices maketh a difference also betweene pledges and mainpernours saying that pledges are more generall that mainpernours are bodie for bodie lib. 2. cap. de trespasse venial and lib. 3. cap. des pledges mainpernours When mainprises may be granted and when not see Cromptons Iustice of peace fol. 136. c. vsque 141. and Lamberd Eiren. lib. 3. cap. 2. pag. 336. 337. 338. 339. 340. See also Britton fol. 73. a. cap. Des pledges mainpernours the author of the Myrror of Iustices saith that pledges bee those that bayle or redeeme any thing but the body of a man and that mainpernours be those that free the body of a man And that pledges therefore belong properly to reall and mixt actions and mainpernours to personall Maintenance manutentio vel manutenentia is a French word and signifieth an vpholding of a cause or person metaphorically drawne from the succouring of a young child that learneth to goe by ones hand In our common lawe it is vsed in the euill part for him that secondeth a cause depending in suite betweene others either by lending of mony or making friends for either partie toward his help anno 32. Henr. 8. cap. 9. And when a mans act in this kinde is by lawe accounted Maintenance and when not see Broke titulo Maintenance and Kitchin fol. 202. seqq and Fitz. nat br fol. 172. and Cromptons Iurisdict fol. 38. The writ that lyeth against a man for this offence is likewise called Maintenance Termes of the lawe verb. Maintenance Speciall maintenance Kitchin fol. 204. seemeth to bee maintenance most properly so tearmed Of this see Cromptons Iustice of peace fol. 155. b. and the new booke of Entries verbo Maintenance Maintenance vid. Nouos terminos Iuris Make facere signifieth in the common lawe to performe or execute as to make his lawe is to performe that lawe which he hath formerly bound himselfe vnto that is to cleare himselfe of an action commenced against him by his oath and the oathes of his neighbours Old nat br fol. 161. Kitchin fol. 192. which lawe seemeth to be borowed of the Feudists who call these men that come to sweare for another in this case Sacramentales Of whom thus saith Hotoman in verbis foundal Sacramentales a sacramento i. iuramento diccbantur â—i qui quamuis res de qua ambigebatur testes non fuissent tamen ex eius cuius res agebatur animi sententia in eadem quae ille verba iurabant illius vide licet probitate innocentia confisi Nam tum demum adhibebantur cùm testes nulli extarent See the rest The formall words vsed by him that maketh his lawe are commonly these Heare O ye Iustices that I doe not owe this summe of money demaunded neither all nor any part thereof in maner and forme declared so helpe me God and the contents of this booke To make seruices or custome is nothing else but to performe them Old nat br fol. 14. To make oath is to take an oath Maletent in the Statute called the Confirmation of the liberties of c. anno 29. Ed. prim cap. 7. is interpreteted to be a tolle of 40. shillings for euery sacke of wooll Stow in his Annals calleth it a Maletot pag. 461 See also the Statute de tallagio non concedendo an 34. eius stat 5. Malin See Marle Manbote signifieth a pecuniary compensation for killing of a man Lambard in his exposition of Saxon words verbo Aestimatio Of which reade Roger Houeden also in parte poster suorum annal fol. 344. a. b. Mandamus is a writ that lyeth after the yere and day wheras in the meane time the writ called diem clausit extremum hath not bene sent out to the Excheatour for the same purpose for the which it should formerly haue bene sent forth Fitzh nat br fol. 253. B. See Diem clausit extremum Mandamus is also a charge to the shyreeue to take into the kings hands all the lands and tenements of the kings widowe that against her oath formerly giuen marieth without the kings consent Register fol. 295. b. See Widow Mandatum is a commaundment iudiciall of the king or his Iustices to haue any thing done for the dispatch of iustice wherof you shall see diuersity in the table of the Register iudiciall verbo Mandatum Maner Manerium seemeth to come of the French manoir i. domicilium habitatio M. Skene de verbo significatione verbo Manerium saith it is called Manerium quasi Manurium because it is laboured with handy worke by the Lord himselfe It signifieth in our common law a rule or gouernmeÌ„t which a man hath ouer such as hould land within his fee. Touching the originall of these maners it seemeth that in the beginning there was a certaine compasse or circunt of ground graunted by the king vnto some man of worth as a Baron or such like for him and his heires to dwell vpon and to exercise some iurisdiction more or lesse within that compasse as he thought good to graunt performing him such seruices and paying such yearely rent for the same as he by his graunt required and that afterward this great man parcelled his land to other meaner men inioyning them againe such seruices and rents as he thought good and by that meanes as he became tenent to the king so the inferiours became tenents vnto him See Perkins Reseruations 670. and Andrew Horns booke intituled the mirrour of Iustices li. 1. ca. du Roy Alfred See the definition of a Maner Fulb. fol. 18. And this course of benefiting or rewarding their nobles for good seruice haue our kings borowed from the Emperours of Rome or the Lombard kings after they had setled themselues in Italy as may well appeare by Antonius Contius in methodo feudorum c. i. de origine libris Feudorum And I finde that according to this our custome all lands houlden in fee throughout Fraunce are diuided into Fiefz and arrierfiefz whereof the former are such as are immediatly graunted by the king the secoÌ„d such as the kings feudataries doe againe graunt to others Gregorii Syntagm lib. 6. an 5. nu 3. But the inconstancy of mans estate and the mutability of time hath brought to passe that those great men or their posterity haue alienated these Mansions and lands so giuen them by their Prince and others that had none haue by ther welth
time exhorting them ne merces tam viles tanti emerent Parke parcus commeth of the French parquer i. vallo vel fossa circundare It signifieth with vs a peece of grounde inclosed and stored with wild beastes of chase Which a man may haue by prescription or the kings graunt Cromptons Iurisd fol. 148. M. Manwood parte pri of his Forest lawes pag. 148. defineth it thus A parke is a place of priuiledge for wilde beastes of venerie and also for other wild beasts that are beasts of the Forest and of the chase tam syluestres quam campestres And all those wild beastes are to haue a firme peace and protectioÌ„ there So that no man may hurt or chase them within the park without licence of the owner of the same Who also fol. 149. saith thus A parke is of another nature then either a chase or a warren is For a parke must bee inclosed and may not lye ope for if it doe that is a good cause of seisure of the same into the hands of the king as a thing forfeited as a free chase is if it be enclosed And moreouer the owner cannot haue action against such as hunt in his park if it lye open See Forest See Chase See Warren This word Parke Baldwinus deriueth a paradiso eumque locum esse dicit in quo varia animalia ad vsum voluptatis aut venationis includuntur possidentur adempta naturali libertate Ad tit de rerum divis in Institutionib Parco fracto is a writ which lyeth against him that violently breaketh a pound and taketh out beasts thence which for some trespas done vpon another mans ground are lawfully impounded Register originall fol. 166. Fitzh nat br fol. 100. Parish parochia commeth of the greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. Accolarum conuentus accolatus sacra vicinia it is vsed in the Cannon law some time for a Bishoprick But in our common law it signifieth the particular charge of a secular priest For euery church is either Cathedrall Couentuall or Parochiall Cathedrall is that where there is a Bishop seated so called a Cathedra Conuentuall consisteth of Regular clerks professing some order of religion or of Deane and chapter or other colledge of spirituall men Parochiall is that which is instituted for the saying of diuine seruice and ministring the holy Sacraments to the people dwelling within a certaine compas of ground neare vnto it Our Realme was first diuided into parishes by Honorius Archb of Canterbury in the yeare of our Lord. 636. Camden Britan. pag. 104. Of these parish churches I finde there were in England in the daies of H. 8. the number of 45000. Hotoman in his disputations de feudis ca. 2. maketh mention of this word parochia out of Pomponius Laetus in these words Nam sic quoque Pomponius Laetus veterem consuetudinem fuisse scribit eamque ab Imperat 〈…〉 Constantino repetitam vt Duc 〈…〉 praefectis Tribunis qui pro augendâ— Imperio consenuerant darentur agri villaeque vt necessaria suppet 〈…〉 quoad viuerent quas paroehias cabant And a litle after ver 〈…〉 inter feuda parochias hoc 〈…〉 est quod hae plerumque senibus 〈…〉 veteranis plerisque emeritae 〈…〉 dabantur qui cum de Rep. bene meriti essent publico beneficio reliquum vitae sustentabant aut si quod bellum nasceretur euocati non tam milites quà m magistri milituÌ„ viderentur Feuda vero plurimum Iâ—â—enibus robustis primo flore aetatis qui militiae munus sustinere poteraÌ„t imo verò vt posseÌ„t vt velleÌ„t c. Parlament parlamentum is a French word signifiing originally as much as Collocutio or colloquium but by vse it is also taken for those high courts of Iustice throughout the kingdome of Fraunce where mens causes and differences are publikely determined without farder appeale Whereof there be seuen in number as Paris Tolouse Gresnoble in Daulphene Aix in Prouence Bordeaux Diion in Bourgogine and Roan in Normandy Vincentius Lupanus de Magistrat Franc. lib. 2. cap. Parlamentum num 28. whereunto Gerard de Haillon addeth the eighth viz. Rhenes in Brettagne In England we vse it for the assembly of the king and the three estates of the Realme videlicet the Lords Spirituall the Lords Temporall and commons for the debating of maters touching the common wealth and especially the making and correcting of lawes which assembly or court is of all other the highest and of greatest authoritie as you may reade in Sir Thomas Smith de Repub. Anglo lib. 2. cap. 1. 2. Camd. Britan. pag. 112. and Cromptons Iurisd fol. pri seqq The institution of this court Polydor Virgil lib. 11. of his Chronicles referreth after a sort to Henry the first yet confessing that it was vsed before though verie seldome I find in the former prologue of the Grande Custumarie of Normandie that the Normans vsed the same meanes in making their lawes And I haue seene a monument of Antiquite shewing the maner of houlding this parlament in the time of King Edward the sonne of King Etheldred which as my note saith was deliuered by the discreeter sorte of the Realme vnto William the Conquerour at his commaundement allowed by him This writing beginneth thus Rex est caput principium finis parlamenti ita non habet parem in suo gradu Et sic ex Rege solo primus gradus est Secundus gradus est ex Archiepiscopis Episcopis Abbatibus Prioribus per BaroniaÌ„ tenentibus Tertius gradus est de procuratoribus cleri Quartus gradus est de Comitibus Baronibus aliis Magnatibus Quintus gradus est de militibus Comitatuum Sextus gradus est de civibus Burgensibus ita est parlamentum ex sex gradibus sed sciendum licet aliquis dictorum quinque graduum post Regem absens fuerit dum tamen omnes praemoniti fuerint per rationabiles summonitiones parlamentum nibilo minus censetur esse plenum Touching the great authoritie of this court I finde in Stowes Annalls pag. 660. that Henry the sixth directing his priuie seale to Richard Earle of Warwicke thereby to discharge him of the Captainship of Cales the Earle refused to obey the priuie seale and continued forth the said office because he receiued it by Parlament But one example cannot make good a doctrine And of these two one must needes be true that either the king is aboue the Parlament that is the positiue lawes of his kingdome or els that he is not an absolute king Aristotle lib. 3. Politico cap. 16. And therefore though it be a mercifull policie and also a politique mercie not alterable without great perill to make lawes by the consent of the whole Realme because so no one part shall haue cause to complaine of a partialitie yet simply to binde the prince to or by these lawes weare repugnant to the nature and constitution of an absolute monarchy See Bracton lib. 5.
if they thinke good And the later course is taken most commonly where there is feare of strife and contention betweene the kindred and freinds of the party deceased about his goods For a will proued only in common forme may be called into question any time within 30. yeares after by common opinion before it worke prescription Procedendo is a writ whereby a plee or cause formerly called from a base court to the Chaūcerie Kings bench or commō plees by a writ of priuiledge or certiorare is released and sent downe againe to the same court to be proceded in there after it appeareth that the defendant hath no cause of priniledge or that the mater comprised in the bille be not well proned Brooke hoctitulo and Termes of lawe Cooke vol. 6. fol. 63. a. See anno 21. R. 2. cap. 11. in fine leters of procedendo graunted by the keeper of the priuie scale See in what diuersitie it is vsed in the table of the originall Register and also of the Iudiciall Proces Processus is the maner of proceeding in euery cause be it personall or reall ciuile or criminall even from the originall writ to the end Britton fol. 138. a. where in there is great diuersitie as you may see in the table of Fitzh br verbo Proces and Brookes Abridgement hoc titulo And whereas the wtitings of our common lawyers sometime call that the proces by which a man is called into the court and no more the reason thereof may be giuen because it is the beginning or the principall part thereof by which the rest of the busines is directed according to that saying of Aristotle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Diucrs kinds of proces vpon Inditements before Iustices of peace See in Cromptons Iustice of peace fol. 133. b. 134. 135. But for orders sake I referre you rather to M. Lamberd in his tractat of ptocesses adioyned to his Eirenarcha who acording to his subiect in hand diuideth criminall proces either into proces touching causes of treason or selonie and proces touching inferiour offēces the former is vsually a capias capias aliâs exigi facias The second is either vpon enditement or presentment or information that vpon enditement or presentment is all one and is either generall and that is a venire facias ' vpon which if the partie be returned sufficient then is sent out a Distringas infinite vntill he come if he be returned with a Nibil habet then ifsueth out a Capias Capias aliâs Capias pluries and lastly an Exigifacias The speciall proces is that which is especially appointed for the offēce by statute for the which he referreth his reader to the 8. Chapter of his 4. booke being very different Processium continuando is a writ for the continuance of a proces after the death of the cheife Iustice in the writ of oyer and terminer Register originall fol. 128. a. Prochein Amy Proximus amicus vel propinquior is word for word a neere freind It is vsed in our common lawe for him that is next of kinde to a childe in his nonage and is in that respect allowed by lawe to deale for him in the managing of his affaires as to be his Gardian if he hold of any in socage and in the redresse of any wrong done vnto him be it by his Gardian if he be ward and hold in Chiualrie or any others Statut. West pri cap. 48. 3. Ed. pri and Westm 2. cap. 15. anno 13. Ed. pri Profe aliâs Prove is vsed for an Enquest anno 28. Ed. 3. cap. 13. Proclamation Proclamatio signifieth a notice publikely giuen of any thing whereof the King thinketh good to advertise his subiects So it is vsed anno 7. Rich. 2. ca. 6. Proclamation of rebellion is a publike notice giuen by the officer that a man not appearing vpon a Sub poena nor an attachment in the Starre Chamber or Chauncerie shal be reputed a rebell except he render himselfe by a day assigned Cromptons Iurisd fol. 92. See Commission of rebellion Proclamation of a fine is a notice openly and solemnly giuen at all the Assises that shall be holden in the Countie within one yeare after the ingrossing of the fine and not at the foure generall quarter sessions And these proclamations be made vpon transcripts of the fine sent by the Iustices of the Common plees to the Iustices of Assise and the Iustices of peace West parte 2. symbol titulo Fines sect 132. where also you may see the forme of the proclamarion Proclamare est palā valde clamare vsed by Tullie Liuie and the Civilians Π. Quibus ad liberta proclamare non licet And Proclamator signifieth him qui litem intendit vel causam agit Cicero de oratore lib. pri Non enim causidicum nescio quem neque proclamatorem aut rabulam hoc sermone conquirimus c. I reade in Fitzh nat br fol. 85. C. that the kings proclamation is sufficient to stay a subiect from going out of the Realme See the force of proclamations anno 31. H. 8. cap. 8. see also Proclamations in diuers cases Newe booke of Enteries verbo Proclamation Procters of the clergie procuratores cleri are those which are chosen and appointed to appeare for cathedrall or other Collegiat churches as also for the common clergie of euery Dioces at the Parlament whose choice is in this sort First the king directeth his writ to the Archebishop of each province for the summoning of all Bishops Deanes Archdeacons cathedrall and collegiat churches and generally of all the clergie of his prouince after their best discretion and iudgement assigning them the time and place in the said writ Then the Archebishops proceede in their accustomed course One example may serue to shew both The Archebishop of Canterbury vpō his writ receiued directerh his leters to the Bishop of London as his Deane provincial 1. § statuimui de poenis verb. tanquam in glos first citing himselfe petemptorily and then willing him to cite in like maner all the Bishops Deanes Archedeacons cathedrall and collegiate churches and generally all the Clergie of his Prouince to the place and against the day prefixed in the writ But directeth withal that one Proctor sent for euery Cathedrall or Collegiat Church and two for the bodie of the inferiour Clergie of each Diocesse may suffice And by vertue of these leters authentically sealed the said Bishop of London directeth his like leters seuerally to the Bishop of euery Diocesse of the Prouince citing them in like sort and commaunding them not onely to appeare but also to admonish the said Deanes and Archdeacons personally to appeare and the Cathedral 〈…〉 and collegiat Churches as also the common Clergie of the Diocesse to send their Proctors to the place and at the day appointed and also willeth them to certifie the Archbishop the names of all and euery so monished by them in a shedule annexed to their leters certificatorie The Bishops proceed accordingly and the
leters patents or by any one of the Kings Iustices of the Forest at his discretion in the generall Eyre or at such time as the Regard is to be made by vertue of the Kings writ directed to the Shyreeue of the Countie for that purpose The forme of which writ he there setteth downe After that pag. 192. he setteth downe his oath in these words You shall truly serue our souereigne Lord the King in the office of a Regarder in the Forest of Waltham You shall make the Regard of the same in such maner as the same hath beene accustomed to be made You shall raunge through the whole forest and through euery Bailiwicke of the same as the Foresters there shall lead you to view the said forest And if the foresters will not or doe not know how to lead you to make the regard or raunge of the Forest or that they will conceale from you any thing that is forfeited to the King you your selues shall not let for any thing but you shall see the same forfeiture and cause the same to be inrolled in your rolle You shall inquire of all wastes pourpre stures and Asserts of the Forest and also of concealements of any offence or trespasse in the Forest all these things you shall to the vttermost of your power doe so helpe you God Then you may reade farder the particulars of his office eadem pag. 195. And pag. 207. he saith that their presentments must be vpon their view and so recorded and that the Regarders of themselues haue power to heare and determine the fine or amerciament for expeditating of dogs See Regard Regio assensu is a writ whereby the King giueth his Royall assent to the election of a Bishop or Abbot Register origin fol. 294. b. Registrie Registrum commeth of the French Registre i. liber librarium codex ratiocinarius ephemeris commentarius it signifieth with vs the office or books or rolls wherin are recorded the proceedings of the Chauncerie or any spirituall courte The writer and keeper whereof is called the Register in latine Registarius Register is also the name of a booke wherein are expressed all the formes of writs vsed at the common lawe called the Register of the Chauncerie anno 13. Ed. prim cap. 24. Some say it is tearmed Registrum quasi Regestum Prataeus Regrator regratator commeth of the French regratter i. desquamare Regratter quelque vielle robe la faire neufue is to scoure or furbush an old garment and to make it new againe Also regratteur signifieth as much as Mango in Latine which kind of men sold children and to sel them the beter mentiends coloris artem optime callebant Martialis Plinius This word in our cōmon lawe did aunciently signifie such as bought by the great and sold by retayle anno 27. Ed. 3. stat prim ca. 3. but now it signifieth him that buyeth and selleth any wares or victuals in the same market or faire or within 5. miles thereof anno 5. Ed. 6. cap. 14. anno 5. Eliz. cap. 12. anno 13. Eliz. cap. 25. See Forestallers and Engrossers Rehabere facias seisinam quando Vice comes liberavit seifinam de maiore parte quam deberet is a writ Iudiciall Regist. Iudicial fol. 13. 51. There is another writ of this name and nature eodem fol. 54. Reioynder reiunctio signifieth in our common lawe as much as Duplicatio with the Ciuilians that is an exception to a replication For the first answer of the Defendant to the Plaintiffes bill is called an exception the plaintiffes aunswer to that is called a Replication and the Defendants to that Duplication in the ciuill lawe and a Reioynder with vs especially in Chauncerie West parte 2. symb titulo Chauncerie sect 56. where he citeth these words out of Spigelius Est autem reiunctio seu duplicatio vel allegatio quae datur reo ad infirmandum replicationē actoris confirmandum except ionem Rei Relation relatio idem quod fictioiuris to make a nullitie of a thing from the beginning for a certaine intent which had essence Cooke lib. 3. Butler Baker fol. 28. b. which in playner termes may be thus expounded Relation is a fiction of the lawe whereby something is for a speciall purpose imagined neuer to haue bene which in truth was Reade the rest Release relaxatio commeth of the French Relasche i. cessatio relaxatio lax amentum and in our common lawe is thus defined A Release is an Instrument whereby estates rights titles entries actions and other things be some time extinguished some time transserred sometime abridged and sometime enlarged West parte prim symbol lib. 2 sect 509. And there is a Release in fact and a release in lawe Perkins Graunts 71. A release in fact seemeth to be that which the very words expressely declare A Release in lawe is that which doth acquite by way of consequent or intendment of lawe An example whereof you haue in Perkins vbi supra Of these how they be auaileable how not see Litleton at large li. 3. cap. 8. fol. 94. of diuers sortes of these Release see the newe booke of Entries verbo Release Reliefe relevium commeth of the French relever i. relevare and fignifieth in our common lawe a certaine summe of money that the tenent holding by knights seruice grand sergeantie or other tenure for the which homage or regall seruice is due or by soccage for the which no homage is due and being at full age at the death of his auncestour doth pay vnto his Lord at his entrance Bracton lib. 2. cap. 36. giueth a reason why it is called a Reliefe viz. quia haereditas quae tacens fuit per antecessoris decessum relevatur in manus heredum propter factam relevationem facienda erit ab herede quaedam praestatio quae dicitur Relevium Of this you may read Britton cap. 69. in a maner to the same effect Of this also speaketh the Grand Custumary of Normandie cap. 34. to this effect It is to be knowne that the Lord of the fee ought to haue reliefe of the lands which be held of him by homage when those die of whom he had homage And that this is not onely proper to vs in Eng. or Normandie appeareth by Hotoman in his Commentaries de verbis feud verbo Relevium who there defineth it thus Relevium est honorarium quodnovus vasallus patrono introitus causa largitur quasi morte vasalli alterius vel alto quo casu feudum ceciderit quod iam à novo sublevetur and farder speaketh of it that which is worth the reading and containeth great knowledge of antiquitie See the like definition in Maranta singularibus verbo Relevium For the quantitie of this reliefe see the Great charter cap. 2. in these words If any of our Earles or Barons or any other our tenents which hold of vs in chiefe by knights seruice dye and at the time of his death his heire is of full age and oweth
of the same country to say the truth vpon the sayd issue taken And if the Enquest come not at the day of this writ returned then shall goe a habeas corpora and after a distresse vntill they come old nat br fol. 157. See how diuersly this writ is vsed in the table of the Register Iudiciall There is also a writ of this name that is originall as appeareth in the Register orig fol. 200. b. which M. Lamberd in his processes annexed to his Eirenarcha saith to be the common proces vpon any presentment not being felony nor especially appointed for the fault presented by statute Whereof he setteth downe an example in the same place See also the new booke of Entries verbo Enquest fol. 253. columna 1. 2. 3. Venire facias tot matronas See Ventre inspiciendo See Lamb. Eirenarcha li. 4. ca. 14. pa. 532. Venew vicinetum is taken for a neighbour or neare place As for example twelue of the Assise ought to be of the same Venew where the Demaund is made old nat br fol. 115. and in the statute anno 4. H. 4. ca. 26. anno 25. H. 8. ca. 6. I finde these words And also shall returne in euery such panell vpon the venire facias sixe sufficient Hundreders at the least if there be so many within the Hundred where the Venew lyeth Ventre inspiciendo is a writ for the search of a woman that faith shee is with childe and thereby withhouldeth land from him that is the next heire at the common law Register originall fol. 227. a. Verdour viridarius commeth of the French verdior i. Saltuarius vel custos nemoris he is as M. Manwood parte pri of his forest lawes pag. 332. defineth him a Iudiciall officer of the Kings forest chosen by the King in the full county of the same shire within the forest where he doth dwell and is sworne to maintaine and keepe the Assises of the forest and also to view receiue and inrolle the Attachments and presentments of all maner of trespasses of the forest of vert and venison And the same authour vpon the first artitle of Canutus charter in the beginning of the same part saith that these in the Saxons times were called Pagened being foure in number and they chiefe men of the forest as then they were Their fee was in Canutus time each of them euery yeare of the Kings allowance two horses one of them with a saddle another of them without a saddle one sword fiue Iauelins one speare one shield and ten pounds in money These foure as appeareth by the said charter nu 11. had regalem potestatem and might proceede to a threefold iudgement And if any man offered them or any of them violence if he were a free man he should loose his freedome and all that he had if a villein he should loose his right hand All the officers of the forest were to be corrected and punished by them ibidem nu 10. The verdour is made by the Kings writ Cromptons Iurisd fol 165. the forme of which writ you haue in Fitzh nat br fol. 164. which is directed to the Shyreeue for the choice of him in a full County by the assent of the said County Yet if a verdour bee sodainely sicke or dead at the time of the Iustice seate a new may be chosen without a writ Manwood parie prim pag. 72. the office is as Crompton saith loco allegato properly to looke to the vert and to see that it be wel maintained Also when any forfeiture is taken in the Forest before the Foristers or other ministers the price thereof shall be deliuered to the verdour who is to answer for it before the Iustices in Eyre And if he die his heire is chargeable therewith Crompton ibidem The forme of his oath at his admittance you may see in Manwoods first part of his Forest lawes pag. 51. who there calleth him verderour aliâs verdictor You shall truly serue our Soueraigne Lord the King in the office of a verderor of the Forest W. you shall to the vttermost of your power and knowledge do for the profit of the King so farre as it doth apperteine vnto you to do You shall preserue and maintaine the auncient rights and franchises of his Crowne you shall not conceale from his Maiestie any rights or priuiledges nor any offence either in vert or venison or any other thing You shall not withdraw nor abridge any defaults but shal endeuour your selfe to manifest and redresse the same and if you cannot doe that of your selfe you shall giue knowledge thereof vnto the King or vnto his Iustice of the Forest You shall deale indifferently with all the Kings liege people you shall execute the lawes of the Forest and do equall right and iustice as well vnto the poore as vnto the rich in that appertaineth vnto your office you shall not oppresse any person by colour thereof for any reward fauour or malice All these things you shall to the vttermost of your power obserue and keepe Their office is farder expressed eodem pag. 93. which is to sit in the court of attachment to see the attachments of the Forest to receiue the same of the Foresters and Woodwards that do present them and then to enter these Attachments into their rolles Verdict veredictum is the answer of a Iurie or Enquest made vpon any cause ciuill or criminall committed by the court to their consideration or triall And this verdict is two-fold either generall or especiall Stawnf pl. cor lib. 3. cap. 9. A general verdict is that which is giuen or brought into the Court in like generall termes to the generall issue as in an action of disseisin the Desendant pleadeth No wrong no disseisin Then the issue is this in generall whether the fact in question be a wrong or not And this committed to the Iurie they vpon consideration of their euidence come in and say either for the plaintiffe that it is a wrong and disseisin or for the Defendant that it is no wrong no disseisin And againe the prisoner at the barre pleading Not guiltie the Enquest in like generall termes bring in their verdict either for the King Cuilty or for the prisoner Not guilty A speciall verdict is that whereby they say at large that such a thing and such they find to be done by the Defendant or Tenent so declaring the course of the fact as in their opinions it is proued and for the qualitie of the fact they pray the discretion of the Court. And this speciall verdict if it containe any ample declaration of the cause from the beginning to the end is also called a verdict at large Whereof reade diuers examples in Stawnf pl. cor lib. 3. cap. 9. and one or two in Litleton fol. 78. 79. See the new booke of Entries verb. Verdict Verge virgata may seeme to come from the French verger i. viridarium hortus It is vsed here in England for the compasse