is depending to giue iudgement for the plaintife then the def may haue an action of Maintenance against him for that the same iudgemēt is a thing wholly belonging to the office of a Iudge and not of a Iuror therfore he doth therin intermeddle with another mans office and another mans cause more than he hath to do or may iustifie and so hath committed vnlawfull maintenance Maintenance in a Iuror 18 If a Iurie be charged to inquire of a matter in issue 17. E. 4. 5. 18. Ed. 4. 4. one Iuror may persuade his cōpanions or any of them to passe for the plaintife or def as he conceiueth the truth of the cause to be or as their euidence doth induce them this is no maintenance but if one of the Iurors will giue or promise money to another of his fellowes to giue his verdit for the pl. or def this is vnlawfull maintenance though he doth wage him to giue his verdit according to truth and right of the cause in issue Maintenance by speaking of words 19 If a man of great authoritie in a country will in the presence of a Iurie 22. H. 6. 5. 13. H. 4. 19. and the standers by at the tryall of an issue say openly that he will spend mony in the cause in question in the behalfe of the pl. or the def or that hee will giue money to labour the Iury or wil speake other great or high words in fauor of one of the parties this is vnlawful maintenāce in him though he do spend no mony in that cause nor doth labor the Iury therin for it may be that whē the Iury do by his words know his meaning they dare not in respect of his authoritie or greatnesse in that coūtie giue their verdit otherwise thā he would haue them None shall sit with the Iust of Assise on the bench And for the preuention of that kind of maintenance by a stat made An. 20. R. 2. it was ordained That no Lord or other of the country great or small St. 20. R. 2. 13. shall sit vpon the bench with the Iust of Assise in their Sessions in any of the Shires of England vpon paine of a great forfeiture to the King neither the Iustices shall suffer the contrarie to bée done Maintenance in comming to the barre with one of the parties And in like sort if a man of great authoritie in the Countie where an Issue is to be tried hauing nothing to doe in that cause doth come to the barre with the plaintife or defendant 22. H. 6. 6. that is one of the parties to an Issue that is then to bée tryed and standeth by him this is an vnlawfull maintenance in him though hée neither doth nor yet speaketh any thing in the matter for his presence and companie with the one partie doth shew to the Iurie his particular affection to the same partie and doth ofttimes induce them to fauour as much as labour and persuasion by words could doe And though the Iurie doe not respect him but giue their verdict for the other partie to that suit according to their euidence and the truth of the cause in question yet he hath done what in him lyeth to the contrarie 21. H. 6. 15. 22. H. 6. 5. 28. H. 6. 7. Dyer fo 95. 20 And so it is if two be in suit and do ioyne in issue Maintenance by giuing of money to labour a Iurie and the Master of one of the parties to that issue or any other will deliuer money of his owne to a stranger to labour the Iurie impanelled to try that issue to giue their verdit for his said seruant or friend this is maintenance vnlawfull in the Master or other though the partie to whom the money was giuen did neuer deliuer it to the Iurie nor did not labour vnto them in such sort as hée was directed or though the Iurie did giue their verdict against his said seruant for when the Master had deliuered the money to the stranger and told him to what purpose he should vse it he had done as much as he could do in that suit to hinder the course of iustice though his direction tooke no successe according to his desire And also it is vnlawfull maintenance if one giue money to a man that is impanelled of a Iurie to giue his verdict on the one side though that partie impanelled doth not appeare or do appeare and is drawne out by challenge or otherwise 22. H. 6. 6. And it is maintenance vnlawfull if one do threaten to kill or beat a Iuror if he do not giue his verdict for the one part to that issue which hee doth name though the same Iuror do otherwise 28. H. 6. 6. 21 If a Iurie do come to a mans house What is maintenance in a witnesse and what not and desire him to informe them of the truth of a matter whereof they do doubt and he doth informe them therof this is iustifiable But if one do come to a Iurie or of himselfe do labour to informe them of the truth of a cause in question this is maintenance vnlawfull and therefore punishable And so it is if the Court be informed by the plaintife or defendant when an issue is to be tryed that there is a man at the bar or in that place who doth know the truth of the matter in issue and doth desire that the same man may be examined by the Court to testifie the truth of that cause in question to the Iurie and the Court doth cause him to be called to testifie his knowledge therein and he at the commaundement of the Court deliuereth that which he doth know in that matter this is maintenance iustifiable But if the same partie will come to the barre of his owne head and testifie for the plaintife or the defendant this is vnlawfull maintenance and hée may be punished therefore 22. H. 6. 6. 22 If one man do labour to indict another by force whereof he is indicted Maintenance by procuring of an indictment in this case hee that is indicted may haue a writ of Maintenance against the procurer of that indictment and yet this is no quarrell but it is a taking of a part St. 1. E. 3. 14. and so prohibited by the stat of anno 1. E. 3. and it is in the nature of an action betwéene the King and the partie indicted and the foresaid statute is generall that it shall not be lawfull to any person great or smal to maintain quarels or to take parts to the let or disturbance of the Common law What is maintenance in a mainpernor 23 If a man be arrested indicted or sued 34. H. 6. 25. 14. H. 6. 6. 18. E. 4. 12. so that he is compelled to become bound with mainpernors for his apparance the mainpernor may come into the Court and sée the apparance of the same partie recorded and iustifie the
for an assault made to the wife 22. Ass p. 60 the husband the wife shal haue an action of Trespas against him that made the assault 46. Ed. 3. 6. the declaration shal be ad damnuÌ„ ipsorum though the husband only shall recouer the damages 12 But as he that is assaulted or beaten Iustifying of beating in his owne defence shal haue his remedie by action of Trespas against him that did assault or beat him also the K. shall haue a fine therefore if he that made the assault or battery did it without cause offered therein iniurie to the party assaulted 16. Ed. 4. 11. 19. H. 6. 47. 6. H. 7. 1. 34. H. 6. 15. 43. Ed. 3. 23. because the kings peace is broken one member of the coÌ„mon weale hath abused done wrong to an other So on the other side if he that was so assaulted or beaten did first make an assault vpon him that after did beat him would haue beaten wounded or c. and in his said assault did receiue from the other some stripes or blowes the def may iustifie his said assault batterie as a thing done in defence of his owne person from imminent present perill wherin the Law will protect defend him And therfore in that case the def doth answer the pl declaration pledeth in bar that the pl did assault him would haue beaten him he defended himself the hurt which the pl receiued was by his own assault And the pl in his replication doth plead that the defendant did with force armes of his owne wrong make assault vpon him beate him euill intreate him contrary to the Kings peace without any such cause as the defendant hath alledged And so the issue is ioined whether the assault was begun and made by the plaintife vpon the defendant or by the defendant vpon the plaintife for if the assault batterie 38. Ed. 3. 6. or assault only was first made and begun by the defendant vpon the plaintife Then the defendant did it with force armes and against the kings peace is to answere damages to the plaintife according to the hurt which he receiued to pay a fine to the K. for vsing force violence breaking his peace for at all times in an action of Trespas vi armis brought against any person 19. H. 6. 8. if the defendant be conuict he shall pay a fine to the King 8. Ed. 4. 15. But if the plaintife made the first assault and the defendant in his own defence rather then he would be beaten or wounded did beate strike or wound the plaintife Then the plaintife shall recouer no dammages against the defendant but shal be amerced to the King for his false suit Neither shall the defendant be charged to pay to the king any fine And if one man wil assault offer to beate two thrée 12. Ed. 4. 6. or more persons they in their own defence doe beate or wound him he shall haue no action of Trespas or other remedie against them one of them may defend helpe the other But it is to be obserued in this case that if one man doe assault an other if he which is assaulted may escape with his life 2 H. 4. 8. 33. H. 6. 18. or without being wounded or maihemed it is not lawfull for him to beate or wound the other who made the assault 13 As the law doth accompt it no breach of the peace for one man to beate an other in the defence of his own person from killing Iustifying of beating in defence of others wounding or beating but a thing iustifiable So doth she impute it no fault punishable for the husband to beate him that doth assault would beate wound 19. H. 6. 31. 66. Lib. intur 553. or euil intreate his wife being both one flesh or for the wife to beate him that doth assault and would beate wound or euil intreate her husband Or for the sonne or daughter to beate him that doth assault would beate wound or euil intreate his or her father or mother Or for the father or mother to beat him that doth assault Lib. intur 554 would beate wound or euil intreat his or her sonne or daughter being then within age not able to defend him or her selfe Or for the Lord to beate him that doth assault would beate wound or euil intreat his villaine Or for the seruant to beate him that doth assault would beate wound 35. H. 6. 51. 11. H. 6. 19. 12. Ed. 4. 6. or euill intreate his master or mistris or to take any weapons wherewith the assailant would beate wound or euil intreat his master to kéepe them vntil his rage be swaged for the seruant is bound to performe vnto his master mistris protection dutie he may kill a man in defence of his master if his said master cannot otherwise escape But the seruant cannot iustifie the beating of him 21. H. 8. 39. that doth assault attempteth to beate wound or euil intreate the father mother brother sister son 9. Ed. 4. 48. or daughter of his master or mistris for he oweth no obedience or duty to any of them Neither can the master iustify the beating of him that doth assault would beat wound or euill intreat his seruant Fitz. Iustification 3. 19. H. 6. 30. 66. But though the master cannot assault beat an other that doth assault would beate wound or otherwise euill intreat his seruant Yet he may with a sword staffe or other weapon aide defend his seruant assaulted from being beaten that in respect of the losse of his seruice And also after his seruaÌ„t is beaten 22. H. 6. 43. 21. H. 6. 9. Fitz. Trespas 46. 20. H. 7. 5. Cook lib. 5. 108. he may haue an actioÌ„ of Trespas against him that did beat wound or euil intreat his said seruaÌ„t vnles it were vpon the same seruants own assault recouer so much in damages against the offeÌ„dor The masters remedy for the beaâ—ing of his seruant as he receiued preiudice or hinderance by the losse of his said seruants seruice for if the seruant be but so beaten that he is able to do his seruice as well as he was before the master shall recouer no damages for that beating And as the master may haue an action of trespas against the offendor recouer so much in damages as he doth loose by the want of his said seruants seruice so likewise the same seruaÌ„t may haue another action of trespas against the offendor recouer so much in damages as he shall receiue hurt on his bodie Fitz Trespas 210. 21. H. 6. 8. 3. H. 6. 54. 34. H. 6. 28. 43. by the said assault beating In an action of trespas brought by the master for beating of his seruant wherby he
purport of it but of his owne wrong But if the Sherifes Baylie doe arrest the man 11. H. 4. 58. 21. H. 7. 22. and the Sherife doth not retorne the writ the partie arrested shall not haue an action of false imprisonment against the Bailie for the Sherifes offence shall not preiudice the Baylie and the Baylie can not compell the Sherife to returne the writ for a Shirife or a Bailie errant which is knowen and sworne may arrest a man without shewing his warrant A knowne officer may arrest without shewing his warrant for euery man is bound to take knowledge of them But where the Sherife doth make a precept to an other to arrest he must shew his warrant 21. H. 7. 22. 11. H. 4. 36. And if a Capias be awarded to the Sherife without an originall to take a man and he doth take him yet the partie grieued shall not haue his action of false imprisonment against the Sherife for that he did it by warrant of the Kings writ Arresting a man by a Capias without an originall for it is a good plea in an action of False imprisonment to say that he is Shirife of the Countie of M. and that he did arrest the plaintife by force of a Capias directed to him which is the same imprysonment 22. E. 4. 47. Arresting vpon suspicion of felony 46 In an action of False imprisonment 7. H. 4. 35. 27. H. 8. 23. it is no plea for the defendant to plead that it was told him that the plaintife had brought cattell to the towne and put them in a blind corner and that there was great cause of suspicion that the plaintife had stollen them whereupon he did arrest him for suspicion only without a felony committed is no cause to arrest an other But if a felonie be done in those parts and one doth suspect an other to haue committed the same felony then he may arrest him for a Iustice of peace can not arrest an other of suspition of felonie 14. H. 8. 16. vnlesse he himselfe doth suspect him to haue committed felonie And somuch an other may doe that doth suspect one to haue committed felony viz. if he himselfe doth suspect him to haue committed the felony The common voice fame of the countrey cause of suspition The common voyce and fame of the Country is a great cause of suspition of felony where a felonie is committed 2. H. 7. 15. 5. H. 7. 4. 11. E. 4. 4. And therefore in an action of false Imprisonment the defendant pleaded that there was a felonie committed and the common voyce and fame of the Countrie was that the plaintife was a man of euill behauiour and had done the same felony whereupon he that was robbed came to the Constable and requested him to arrest the plaintife and the Constable came to the defendant and desired him to assist him to arrest the plaintife the which he did and they arrested him And this was allowed a good iustification and sufficient cause to arrest the plaintife séeing there was a Robbery committed and the common voyce and fame of the Countrie accused the plaintife thereof 5. H. 7. 4. And in like sorte in an action of false imprisonment the defendant pleaded that I. S. was poysoned and that the common voyce and fame of the Countrie was that the plaintife had poysoned him whereupon the defendant apprehended the plaintife Suspected of poysoning and committed him to prison as it was lawfull for him to doe And this was also adiudged a good Plea in barre of the said action for séeing a felony was committed and the common voyce and fame of the Countrie had accused the plaintife thereof euery person who him selfe hath suspition that the plaintife hath committed the same felony may arrest him thereof And so it is if in an action of false imprisonment the defendant doe pleade that before the imprisonment A. B. was slaine at C. and the plaintife was in the company of those who killed him at the time of the felony committed 7. Ed. 4 10. 7. Eliz. Dy. 236. Suspected of Manslaughter and the common voice and fame of the Countrie at C. was that the plaintife was partie to the felonie whereupon the defendant found the plaintife at C. and arrested him for suspition of felonie and committed him to the Sherife which is the same imprisonment And this was allowed a good and sufficient Plea and not double though the defendant did alledge the common voice and fame of the country and the being in company with those that killed A. B. for where a man doth iustifie for suspition of felonie he may shew as many causes of suspition as he can And it is a good cause of suspition to say Causes of suspition that huy and crie was leuied after a felony committed and that the plaintife was a man suspected Or to say that the plaintife was a vagarant exercising no trade to get his liuing by and no laborer Or to pleade that parcell of the goods stollen were taken in the possession of the plaintife 38. Ed. 3. 6. 10. H. 7. 20. 47 In an action of false imprisonment Arresting vpon doubts of Manslaughter the defendant pleaded that the plaintife had so beaten and wounded an other man that he was in great perill and daunger of death and that vpon the same huy and cry was leuied whereupon the defendant being Constable did arrest and imprison the plaintife foure dayes vntill it might be knowen whether the partie wounded were like to liue or dye and when he perceiued that the partie beaten was like to liue he did let the plaintife go at libertie and this was adiudged a good plea in barre 24. Ed. 3. 9. And in the like case in an action of False imprisonment brought against one the defendant pleaded that the King had directed a Commission to certaine persons to apprehend those that were notoriously slaundered for felonies or great trespasses notwithstanding they were not indicted thereof and that the plaintife had most dangerously wounded I.S. whereupon the Commissioners directed their warrant to the defendant to apprehend the plaintife which he did accordingly And this was allowed a good iustification and the plaintife was barred of his action for in both these cases the peace was broken and at the time of the arrest it was vncertaine whether the offence would proue felonie or not A Iustice of peace warrāt to arrest a felon 48 In an action of False imprisonment the defendant iustified 14. H. 8. 16. for that a Iustice of peace directed a warrant vnto him to arrest the plaintife for felony which he did And it was holden that a Iustice of peace cannot make a warrant to arrest a Felon vnlesse he be indicted for he is a Iudge of record and he must haue a record whereupon hee doth award his proces But if a Bailife serue his warrant it is a
to the plaintife was of the plaintifes owne assault and in defence of the defendant Iustifiing in his owne defence And likewise it is a good plea in barre in an appeall of maihem for the defendant to plead the plaintifs release made vnto him after the supposed offence done of all actions personals or of all actions The plaintifes release or of all appeales or of all demaunds for in this case the plaintife is but to recouer dammages 7. H. 4. 30. 66 If an appeal of maihem be brought against diuers Execusion in appeal of maihem one of them doth appeare in court and confesse the maihem and is committed to the Marshalsea and the plaintife hath iudgement against him he can not sue against the residue vnlesse he will suffer him that hath confessed the maihem to goe at liberty for if he hath iudgement and the body of him who confessed the maihem to remaine in prison that shall be an execution for this whole maihem 67 The Sages and Iudges of the land in former ages did hold it for law An action of Trespas after an appeal of maihem that if one doe assault Fitz. Coron̄ 110. 22. Ass p. 82 beate and maihem an other and the partie maihemed doth bring an appeall of maihem against the offendor and recouer dammages against him yet after he may haue an action of Trespas of assault and battery against the same offendor and recouer dammages for his beating and the recouerie of dammages in the appeal of maihem shal be no plea in barre against the plaintife for the appeal doth only medle with the maiheming not with the beating But if the plaintife do bring an appeal of maihem in the Kings bench 43. Ass p. 39 and after apparance be nonsuit in the same and then doe bring an action of Trespas of assault and batterie for the same fact Then the defendant may plead the same appeal and nonsuit in barre against the plaintife and it is a good plea. 41. Ass p. 16 Co. Lib. 4. 43. But of late yeares viz. An̄ 31. Eliz. it was adiudged that in this and all cases when the plaintife for one wrong and iniurie is but to recouer dammages he shall not be for that cause satisfied twice for one offence And in these two actions of appeal of maihem and trespas the plaintife shall onely recouer dammages And therefore it was adiudged a good plea in barre in an appeal of maihem to plead that the plaintife had before brought an action of Trespas against the defendant of assault battery wounding and had recouered dammages therein and to auerre that the same assault batterie and wounding and this maiheming were all one offence 68 As the law hath prouided remedies to punish those who by menace Restraint of affraies by Iustices of peace assault battery imprisonment or maiheming do breake the peace So hath it alwaies had a vigilant eie by anticipation to preuent many others that would breake the peace by any of the meanes aforesaid and therefore hath from age to age appointed méet magistrates and watchmen to whose charge specially as selected Sentinels she did commit the preseruation of the peace who in times past before the raigne of King Edward the third were called Conseruators of the peace Stat. 1. E. 3. 26. and sithence they haue béen termed Iustices of peace because they be Iudges of record or otherwise they be named Commissioners of the peace because they haue and deriue their authority by the Kings Commission who him selfe being the chiefe and generall Conseruator and Preseruer of the peace throughout all his Dominions doth by his seuerall Commissions commit some particles of his authoritie touching the continuance of the peace and maintenance of certaine of his Lawes to some chiefe and select men in all the parts of the Realme whom he taketh to be the most méete men for the same in respect of their integritie wisdome learning courage and liuelyhood The forme of so much of which Commission as toucheth the Peace and good Abearing is this Iacobus c. praedilecto fideli Conciliario nostro Thomae domino Elsmere domino Cancellario nec non praedilectis A.B.C.D.E.F.G. H.I.L.M.N.O.P. c. The Commission of the Peace Sciatis quod assignauimus vos coniunctim diuisim quemlibet vestrum Iusticiarios nostros ad pacem nostram in Comitatu nostro buck conseruand ' ac ad omnia ordinationes Statuta pro bono pacis nostrae ac pro conseruatione eiusdem pro quieto regimine gubernatione populi nostri aedita in omnibus singulis suis articulis in dicto comitatu nostro tam infra libertates quam extra iuxta vim formam effectum eorundem custodiend ' custo dire faciendum Et ad omnes contra formam ordinationū vel Statutorum illorum aut eorum alicuius in comitatu praedicto delinquentes castigandū puniendum prout secundum sormam ordinationū Statutorū illorum fuerit faciendum Et ad omnes illos qui alicui vel aliquibus de populo nostro de corporibus suis vel de incendio domorū suarum minas fecerint ad sufficientē securitatem de pace vel bono gestu suo erga nos populum nostrū inueniendam coram vobis seu aliquo vestrum venire faciendum Et si huiusmodi securitatem inuenire recusauerint tunc eos in prisonis nostris quousque huiusmodi securitatem inuenirent saluo custodire faciendum Et ideo vobis cuilibet vestrum mandamus quod circa custodiam pacis ordinationum Statutorum omnium singulorum caeterorum praemissorum diligenter intendatis Et ad certos dies loca quae vos vel aliqui duo vel plures vestrū vt praedict ' est ad hoc prouideritis super praemissis faciatis inquisitiones premissa omnia singula audiatis terminetis ac ea faciatis expleatis in forma praedicta factur̄ in de quod ad Iusticiam pertinet secundū legem consuetudinem Regni nr̄i Angliae saluis nobis amerciamentis alijs ad nos inde spectantibus 69 And though there be many other offences mentioned in the said commission which the Iustices of peace are by force of the said Commission to enquire of heare and determine and to punish the offendors therin according to the lawes and Statutes of the Realme Yet as it appeareth by the words of the said commission the same hath his chiefe care and respect of the peace to the preseruation thereof And to the intent that the said Iustices or commissioners should the better remember and respect their charge and dutie they are called Iustices or commissioners of the peace and not commissioners of justice of conscience or equitie c. And so their names together with their offices and duties be in a sort written in their foreheads And the restraining or punishment of all the other offences mencioned in the said
in returning of those Iurors lest by their partialitie Truth may be concealed Periurie committed and so iustice subuerted Fitz. Challenge 113. 7. Ed. 4. 56. 33. Ass p. 12 12. Ass pl. 1. 26. Ass p. 56 12. Ass p. 36. 44. Ass p. 18 Plo. Com. fol. 425. 29. Ass p. 2. 28. Ass p. 22 7. H. 4. 10. Fitz. Challeng 94. 99. 8. H. 5. 5. 20. H. 6. 39. 11. H. 4. 26. 38. H. 6. 6. 24. Edw. 37. And for that cause the prouidence of the Lawe doth not allow that Shiriffe Vndershiriffe Bailiffe of Franchise Coroner Causes of suspition in Shiriffes in impannelling of Iuries or other person as indifferent or méete to impannell a Iurie who is a partie to the sute or matter in question or who doth maintaine either of the parties plaintife or defendant in the same sute or is of councell with either of them in that sute then in issue Nor who is within the distresse receiueth the yéerely fée or weareth the liuerie or robe of any of the parties to that sute Nor who is of kinred by nature or of affinitie by marriage to any of the parties to that sute Nor who doth returne that Enquest or any of the Iurors therein at the denomination or by the procurement of any of the parties to the same sute or of any other person whatsoeuer Nor who doth impannell that Enquest or any of the Iurors therein for the fauour which he doth beare more to the one partie than to the other Nor who was an Arbitrator in that cause in question and to be in triall and did treate and conferre of the same Nor who is then in sute of lawe with either of the parties to this question or triall for any matter of trespasse malice or euill will Nor who did baptize the childe of any of the parties to this sute and triall 4. Ed. 4. 11. or any of the parties to the same sute did baptize his childe All which the Lawe doth suspect as causes of fauor and affection in the Shiriffe his Vndershiriffe c. and to be moouers fauourers or consentors to Periurie and therefore vpon challenge of the Array so being impannelled and the same prooued the whole Array shal be quashed 4 As the Lawe hath great care that Shiriffes Vndershiriffes Bayliffes of Liberties Coroners and all others hauing authoritie to returne enquests should therein be voide of all partialitie or presumption or cause thereof to the intent that a gappe should not be left open by their meanes to those that be willing to enter into corruption of conscience and so to commit Periurie In like sort hath shée vigilantly foreséene that those Iurors which be returned by the said Shirifes c. may be so sifted tried and examined that they may be found in all respects Probi legales homines Euery Iuror must be an honest and lawfull man viz. honest vpright 33. H. 6. 55. 26. Ass p. 28 14 H. 4. 19. 9. Ed. 4. 16. 11. H. 4. 4. and lawfull men in the eie and iudgement of the Lawe and that none of them be an Alien a villaine or outlawe an excommunicate person and thereby not legalis homo nor conuicted in a Writ of Conspiracie or an Attaint and by that meanes not probus homo and so to be challenged in euery cause and by euery person and further that they may be prooued to bee men of indifferencie and voide of all partialitie and such as will wholy respect the trueth of the cause in question and in their verdict nothing regarde any that is partie thereunto And therefore if there be any lawfull cause to feare particular fauour and affection in any of the Iurors and that hée will rather incline to Periurie than giue eare to the trueth of the cause the Lawe doth allow to the partie grieued Challenges of Iurors suspected or suspecting the same seuerall Challenges to the same Iuror and thereby to haue him drawne and remooued out of that Enquest A witnesse 5 As if a man be a witnes in a cause in question he can not be a Iuror in the same cause for the witnes doth testifie vpon his certaine knowledge 23. Ass p. 11 12. Ass p. 12 11. Ass p. 19 and the Iurors of an Enquest must giue their verdict according to their euidence And besides he that produceth a witnesse expecteth at his hand a fauourable deliuery of his euidence or otherwise he would not produce him which fauor euery Iuror must be wholy voide of if he will auoide Periurie Periurie suspected by deliuering his verdict before hand 6 If a Iuror after he is returned and before he is sworne 20. H. 6. 39. 8. Ed. 3. 69. will say that he will passe for the plaintife or defendant and doth speake it for the fauour which he beareth to the one partie or the hatred which he hath to the other and not in respect of his owne knowledge of the trueth of the cause the Law doth feare periurie in him and therefore shée will remooue him out of that enquest if he be challenged therefore Periury suspected by lying at the charge of one of the parties 7 If one that is impannelled of a Iurie doth goe to the Assises with one of the parties to the issue and doth eate and drinke with him at his charges 8. Ed. 3. 69 13. H. 4. 13. Fitz. Challenge 177. the Law doth suspect the same Iuror of partialitie and so of inclination to Periurie in recompence of that kindnes receiued and therefore she will remooue him out of that Enquest if he be challenged therefore 20. H. 6. 39. 9. Ed. 4. 46. 7. H. 7. 18. 8 If two men be in question for any cause Periurie suspectcted by an Arbitrator in the cause in question and then do refer the matter in debate to be heard ended by two Arbitrators whereof the one doth make choice of one Arbitrator and the other of an other which Arbitrators doe méete together and confer of the cause but do not agrée whereupon the party grieued doth prosecute the said suit to an issue and one of the same Arbitrators is returned of that Enquest the law doth suspect the same Iuror of partialitie and so of inclination to Periurie and therfore she will remoue him out of that Enquest if he be challenged therefore for when he was chosen by one of the parties alone this election maketh him in a sort of councel with him that did choose him and so fauorable vnto him but if he had bin chosen by the consent of both the parties together 3 H. 6. 25. the law would haue made other construction of him and adiudged him indifferent 34. Ass p. 6. 9 If two men do combine themselues by Oath bond couenant or faithfull aduised promise that one of them will take an others part be his friend and assist him in all causes whatsoeuer And after there is a sute commenced betwéene one
or meanes of any others or by his owne act consent or agréement shall wilfully and corruptly commit any manner of wilfull Periury Periury committed by witnesses for Bankrupts by his deposition to be taken before the said Commissioners or the greater part of them as is aforesaid Then the party or parties so offending and all and euery person and persons that shall vnlawfully and corruptly procure any such vnlawfull wilfull and corrupt Periurie shall or may therefore be indited in any of the Kings Courts of Record and after his or their conuiction thereof shall incurre such forfeiture and receiue and haue such paines and punishment as are limitted by the statute made concerning Periury St. an̄ 5. El. 9. Anno 5. Eliz. 9. Co. li. 5. f. 99 28 A man cannot be indited for Periurie vpon the foresaid statute of 5. Periury committed vpon an indictment of Riot El. for giuing false euidence on his oath to the Enquest at a Sessions vpon an Indictment of Riot For the statute was ordained against procurers of Periurie in a matter depending in suit and variance by any Writ Action Bill Complaint or Information and so procurement of Periurie vpon an indictment is out of this braunch of the said statute And the second braunch of the same statute touching committing of Periury shal haue the same construction which the first hath though it be not there in words and shall haue reference to the first And it shal be expounded as if the words of the statute had béene If any person shall wilfully and corruptly commit any wilfull Periurie in any cause depending in suit by any Writ Bill Action c. And the same law is if a man commit wilfull Periury Periury vpon an indictment of Felony vpon euidence giuen to the great Enquest vpon an indictment of Felony he is not to be punished by force of the foresaid statute of Anno 5. Eliz. Periury in prouing a suggestion for a prohibition 29 If wilfull Periurie be committed in the Kings bench 7. 8. Eliz. Dyer 243. by any witnesse produced to proue a Suggestion for a Prohibition there graunted against an Ecclesiasticall Iudge according to the statute of 2. 3. E. 6. St. 2. E. 6. 13 whereby the party is staied of this consultation this shall not be examined and punished in the Starre chamber for the statute of 3. H. 7. St. 3. H. 7. 1 which maketh mention of such things as the Court of Starre chamber is to hold plea of prouideth no more punishment by speciall words for Periurie then it doth for Murder or Rape There is a prouiso in the foresaid statute of Anno 5. El. That the Lord Chancelor and others of the Qu. Counsell shall and may procéed in the punishment of all offences in such wise as they might haue done and vsed to do before the making of the said Act to all purposes so that they set vpon the offendors no lesse punishment then is contained in the said Act. 30 A Bill of Periurie may be sued in the Chancery for a periurie committed in the same Court A suit vpon periury in the Chancery contrary to the foresaid statute of Anno 5. 12. El. Dy. 288. El. and if the defendant do plead vnto it not guilty he shall be sworne to his plea and also shall answer to Interrogatories as it is vsually done in the Starre chamber for the L. Chauncellor had absolute power before the said statute of Ann̄ 5. El. to punish Periury And therefore by a prouiso in the said statute his power therein is not restrained by the same statute And if the Court of Chauncery will examine Periury committed there it must be done by a bill in Latin and pleaded in Latin and the issue shal be ioyned there and tried in the K. Bench as it is vsed in the like cases Where periury shal be punished in the tēporall court where in the spirituall 31 There is no remedy or punishment for Periurie in a spirituall Court against indictors that do endite a man of felony which be periured 22. H. 8. Kel 39. or against a Iury which doth giue a false verdict betwéene party and party And if a suit be commenced in the spirituall court against an offendor in Periurie in either of those cases he may haue a prohibition for this periury doth rise vpon a cause that is temporall viz. the Treason or Felony Debt Trespas or plea of land and for this periury the offendors shall be punished by attaint by the common law or otherwise And so it is if a man be defamed by a false indictment there is no remedy in the spirituall Court for his defamation for that it groweth vpon a matter which is temporall But where the Periury doth rise vpon a matter which is spirituall as vpon a Testament Matrimony or Legacie or such like then the spirituall Iudge hath authority to punish it and in that case a Prohibition will not lie And as there is no punishment in the Ecclesiastical Court for Periury that doth rise vpon a cause that is temporall So the Law hath prouided Co. lib. 4. 20 that defamation Defamation which is another euill fruit of a malicious and corrupt heart and of a leud and venomous tongue shall not be punished in the Ecclesiasticall Court vnlesse it concerne matter that is méerely spirituall and determinable in the Ecclesiasticall Court as to call a man Hereticke Schismaticke Adulterer Fornicator c. and vnlesse it doth concerne matter that is méerely spirituall onely For if such a defamation doe concerne any thing that is determinable at the common Law the Ecclesiasticall Iudge shal not hold plea thereof And yet if such a defamation be méerely spirituall and onely spirituall notwithstanding he that doth sue in the Ecclesiasticall Court for being defamed cannot sue there for recompence or dammages but only for the punishment of the offence ⧠Maintenance Champertie Embracerie and Buying of Titles MAintenance is where a man giueth to another that is demaundant What maintenance is the enormities thereof or tenant plaintife or defendant in any suit or to any other in his behalfe or to his vse any summe of money or other reward for to maintaine his plea or suit Or otherwise vseth persuasion or maketh labour for him or vseth other meanes to countenance aid or assist him when he himselfe hath nothing therewith to doe Which is an offence that the wisdome of the Realme from age to age hath condemned and hath indeuored to inflict diuers punishments vpon the transgressors therein as it may appeare by the statutes of West 1. West 2. 28. Ed. 1. 33. Ed. 1. 8. H. 6. 19. H. 7. 32. H. 8. 18. El. The law doth so greatly desire the continuance of peace betwéene one member of the Commonweale and another so much condemneth variance suits without cause that many times and in many causes the plaintife is amerced
he may plead the same acquitall in bar for that no mans life shall be twice put in ieopardie of triall for one offence and one man can be but once slaine But it is otherwise in an indictment of robberie for a man may be robbed by one person at seuerall times and in seueral counties and so the acquitall of one of the same robberies will not serue him for the other And therfore if one be indicted of robbery in one county the defendant cannot plead 4. H. 7. 5. that he was indicted of the same robberie in another county and acquited for no man can be indicted or arraigned for a robbery but in the coūty where the same robbery was committed and though the def doth surmise that it is but one and the same felony yet that cannot be tried for the county where the first indictment was taken and the county where the last was taken cannot ioyne to make triall thereof But some do affirme that it is a good plea in an Appeale of robbery for by the Appeale the plaintif is to recouer his goods by the common law and so he is not vpon an indictment Indictment of rape A man was indicted in the K. bench of a rape and robbery committed in the county of C. and he pleaded 41. As p. 9. that he was before indicted of the same rape before the Iust of Assise in the county of C. and arraigned and acquited of the same fact And for that it was of the same fact he was discharged Arraigned vpon an insufficient indictment or appeale 42 It is not a sufficient plea in bar in an Appeale or Indictment of felony to plead that he was at another time acquited if there were not sufficient matter of felony in that apeale or indictment whereof he was acquited Co. li. 4. 45. Fitz. Cor. 414. for if there were not sufficient matter of felony in the first appeale or indictment and the same partie is againe indicted of new by an indictment which doth comprehend sufficient matter of felony he shal be againe arraigned because in that case he neuer put his life in ieopardy For when an offendor is discharged vpon an insufficient indictment the law hath not had his end neither was the life of the party in the iudgement of law at any time in ieopardie And the law will not suffer great offences to go vnpunished Acquit vpon an erronious appeale 43 If one be acquited vpon an erronious appeale which acquitall is reuersed by errour he shall now be arraigned at the K. suit vpon an indictment 9. H. 5. 2. for that by the reuersall he is become in that state as if he had not béene acquited But vntill that reuersal be made it shal be a good plea to plead Fitz. Cor. 444. another time acquit And it séemeth that the same is when the errour is in Proces that is not materiall which the defendant doth appeare and answer to the originall writ But the def shal not any more make answer to the appellant although the first acquitall be reuersed for so the appellant might delude the court infinitly and the defendant should neuer be deliuered 21. H. 6. 20 44 If one do bring an Appeale which hath no cause to maintaine the same Acquit vpon an Appeale brought by one that hath no right As if one which is not the lawfull wife or the next heire of him that was slain do bring an Appeale and the defendant doth take no aduantage thereof but pleadeth not guiltie and is acquit yet this acquitall will not serue to barre the lawfull wife or next heire of the dead when they shal bring their Appeale neither in this case the king shal be barred to arraigne him vpon a indictment or vpon a new appeale when the partie plaintife is nonsuit therein 16. Ed. 4. 11. 8. H. 5. 6. 45 If one bée arraigned vpon an Indictment at the Kings suit One arraigned vpon an indictment before the parties appeale be determined and acquited where by the order of law the King ought to haue tarried vntill the Appeale which was depending had béen determined yet this is no errour but the foresayd plea viz. another time acquit of the same felonie shall serue him that doth plead it Fitz. Cor. 375. 46 If a man be indicted of felony and arraigned at the Kings suit Acquit by battell in an Appeale it is no plea for him to say that at another time he was acquited of the same felony in an Appeale if so be that the same acquitall were not by enquest but by battell And the reason is because tryall by battell lyeth not against the King and therefore it is not méet that he should be bound by that tryall whereunto hée neither was Bracton nor could be partie And yet Bracton sayth that if the appellée in an Appeale doth make his choyce to defend himselfe by his bodie and all things be readie which doe ioyne the Appeale battell shal be presently waged and if in that case he that is appealed by diuers of one fact and of one wound doe defend himselfe against one of them hée shall goe acquit against all the residue of the appellants And so it is at the Kings suit for by this meanes he doth purge his innocencie against them all as much as i◠hée had put himselfe vpon the countrey and the countrey had cléerely acquited him Ideo quaere 47 Because by the common law A murderer indicted and arraigned at the K. suit within a yeare and a day after any murder or homicide had beene done the felonie should not haue béene determined at the kings suit for sauing of the parties Appeale wherein the partie was oft-times slow and also agréed with and by the end of the yeare all was forgotten And also for that hée which wil sue an Appeale must sue it in proper person which suit is long and costly and maketh the appellant diuers times weary thereof which were occasions of murder and manslaughter for the reformation whereof by a statute made Anno 3. H. 7. St. 3. H. 7. 1. it was enacted That if any man be slaine or murdered and the slaiers murderers abettors maintainers and comforters of the same bée indicted therefore the same slayers and murderers and all other accessories of the same shal be arraigned determined of the same felony murder at any time at the K. suit within the yeare after the same felonie murder done and not tary the yere day for any appeal to be taken for the same felony or murder And if it happē any person so named as principall or accessorie to be acquited of such murder at the Kings suit within the yeare and day then the Iustices before whom he is acquited shall not suffer him to go at large but either shall remit him againe to prison or else let him to baile after their discretion till the yeare and day
to him and so no other person is intituled to haue those goods the King shall haue them as confiscat according to the old text Quod non capit Christus capit fiscus And the appellant shal be thus punished by the losse of his goods for his negligence attenuating concealing of the robbers offence Confiscation by a false appeale 20 If a man bring an Appeale of Robberie against another which tooke the Appellants goods lawfully Fitz. Cor. 367. and not feloniously viz. found them in the high way it is so found by verdict in this case though the appellée hath no cause to detaine them against the appellant for that they were his owne goods yet the plaintife shall loose them for his false appeale and they shall bee confiscat to the King and also the appellant shall bée committed to prison for charging the defendant with robberie whom he did know came lawfully by the goods Co. li. 5. 110 and so for malitious séeking of a mans bloud without cause and the defendant shal be discharged 21 There is another kind of forfeiture of felons goods to the King which is called a waif A waife and that is when a felon vpon huy and cry or other pursuit after him or for feare to bee taken er otherwise to ease himselfe of carriage Co. li. 5. 109 doth without Huy and crye wayue cast away or goe from the goods that hée did steals and hath in his possession or some part thereof and doth flye away whereupon the Kings Officers or some other in the Kings right doth seise those goods Seising of a waife In this case the goods so seised be called a waife and the King shall retaine them to his proper vse if the owner of them doth not make fresh suit after the felon to attaint him for those goods And if the owner doe make fresh suit after the felon hée shall haue his goods againe notwithstanding the waiuing and seising of them And this forfeiture of goods by waife is a penaltie which the law imposeth vpon the owner of those goods for default of fresh suit against the felon and for omitting his duetie in pursuing and apprehending of the felon being a pernitious and corrupt member of the Commonwealth St. 21. H. 8. 11. And by the Statute of 21. H. 8. the Iustices before whom any felon or felons shal be found guiltie or otherwise attainted by reason of euidence giuen by the partie robbed or owner of any money goods or cattels robbed or by any other by his procurement haue power to award from time to time writs of Restitution for the said money goods or cattels as though any such Felon or Felons were attainted at the suit of the party in Appeale But if a felon doe steale goods Co. li. 5. 109 and carrie them into a Mannor and there leaue them or leaue them in his owne house or in the house of any other or in the custodie of any other or hide them in the ground or in any secret place and after doth flie these goods shall not be adiudged in law to be waiued nor shall bée forfeited for if the felon hath not the goods with him when he doth flie or doth waiue them for feare to be taken they shall not be accounted waiued or forfeited but the owner may take them againe without fresh suit for that there is no default in him 22 If a felon do steale goods and after doth waiue them The owner seiseth goods waiued the owner of them may reseise the same goods and carrie them away twentie yeres after the waiuing of them if in the meane time no Officer of the Kings nor of any Lord of a libertie 21. Ed. 4. 16. hath seised them before the owner But if any Officer of the Kings or of any Lord of a Franchise hath seised them before then the owner must sue an Appeale against the felon and so he may haue his goods againe if hée hath made fresh suit or else the owner must procure the felon to be indicted arraigned and found guiltie or otherwise to be attainted by euidence giuen by himselfe or by some other by his procurement and by that meanes obtaine a writ of Restitution to be awarded by the Iustices before whom the sayd felon shall be arraigned according to the foresaid statute of 21. H. 8. 11. And the like law is if a felon do steale goods and doth not waiue them nor any Huy and crie is made vpon him but one in the Kings right doth take the goods from the felon vpon suspition that he hath stolne them yet the owner vpon fresh suit shall haue restitution of them againe for it may be that the owner had not intelligence of the stealing of his goods a long time after they were stolne and then could not make fresh suit nor leuie huy and crie 23 There can be no waife but of goods stolne sauing in certaine cases for if one do take goods as a trespassor and doth goe from them No waife but of stoln goods no man can seise them as a waife P. 13. E. 4. 5 And therefore in an action of Trespas of goods taken away if the defendant do iustifie for a waife it is a good issue for the plaintife to ioine that the goods were not stolne And if a man do fly for a felonie and leaue his house goods yet those goods shall not be a waife for that they were not stolne And in some speciall case there may be a waife though there be no stealing Waif of goods not stolne as vpon a huy and cry leuied 29. E. 3. 29. a man that hath committed no felony doth leaue his owne goods and doth flie to a church those goods may be seised to the Kings vse for a waife No waife of goods stolne from an Alien 24 If the goods of an Alien which hath the Kings safe conduct both for bodie and goods be stolne from him and by the felon bée after wayued and refused yet those goods cannot bée claimed or seised by the Officers of the King or of any Lord of a Franchise for a waife for when the King hath graunted to the Alien safeconduct both in bodie and goods and this is a couenant betwéene the King and him then if a felon doe steale his goods and after waiue them it is no reason that the Alien should loose them and be put to sue against the felon but he must sue to the King vpon his couenant And therefore the K. cannot haue those goods as waife and by the same reason hee cannot graunt them to another neither can any haue them by prescription Forf of lands 25 As he that is attainted of Treason or Felonie shal loose his goods debts and rights Tenant for yeares so also shall be forfeit his leases for terme of yeares of lands the lands which he holdeth by extent of Statutes Recognisances or Iudgemēts his
21. H. 7. 39. As In what cases any pâ—rson may deâ—end himselfe and his by force if theeues or robbers do come to a mans house to rob or murther him he may defend his house by force and if he or his seruants do kill any of them they shall receiue no hurt thereby And if a man being in his house doe heare that another will come to his house to beat him he may lawfully assemble his neighbors and friends to assist and aid him in the defence of his person for his house is his castle and place of protection defence where he must dwell But if a man be threatened â—hat if he come to such a Market or Fayre or to such a place that then he shall be beaten in this case he may not assemble his neighbours and friends to go thither in safegard of his person for there is no necessitie that he should go thither seeing it would rather be a meane to seeke a quarrell then to eschew it but in that case he may take his remedy by surety of peace 16. Ed. 4. 17. 9. E. 4. 28. 19. H. 6. 31. 6. H. 7. 1. And if there be an atteÌ„pt made to maihem wound or beat a man his wife father mother or any of his children within age or to disseise him of his land or to dispossesse him of his goods or to disturbe him of his high way or to turne an ancient watercourse from his mill he may lawfully vse force to resist it 34 As the law hath prouided by the before rehearsed statute of 15. R. 2. St. 15. R. 2. 2. that wheÌ„ any forcible entry shal be made into any benefices or offices of the church a Iustice of peace shall take the power of the county and commit the offendors to the gaole So hath it further deuised that if there be debate betwéene two persons for one church and one of them doth enter into the church with a great power of lay men and holdeth out the other by force and armes then he which is holden out The writ of Vi laica remouenda to remoue force shall haue a writ of Vi laica remouenda directed to the Shirife commaunding him that he shal remoue the power which is within the church and the shirife shal be further commaunded that if he doe find any that doe resist he shall take with him the power of the county and attach the bodies of all the resisters and commit them to prison so that he may haue their bodies before the King at a certaine day to answer for their contempt Fitz. Na. B. 55. But by this writ the Shirife ought not to remoue the Incumbent who is in possession of the church be he in possession by right or wrong but only to remoue the force and to suffer the Incumbent to inioy his possession for if he do remoue the Incumbent the same Incumbent shall haue a writ to the Shirife to restore him to it againe Where force shal be remoued for the K. incumbent where not 35 If the King do bring a Quare impedit against the disturber and the Incumbent and the Kings title is found for him Br. force 20 whereupon his clarke is instituted by writ and after the first Incumbent doth enter by force great number of people and doth take the profits the Kings Incumbent shall not haue the Kings writ to the Shirife to remoue the force for that when the iudgemeÌ„t giuen by the court is executed the court hath no more power to deale in that cause But if the defendant had disturbed the Bishop to admit the Kings Incumbent then he should haue had such a writ ⧠Forgerie 1 HAuing vndertaken to write of the great and generall maladies of the Realme and the chiefe impediments of the iustice and peace of the kingdome I shall not farre digresse from my theame by treating of Forgerie Periury Maintenance Deceit Extortion and Oppression wherein though a man be not assaulted by the rapier and dagger pike-staffe or bilbow-blade as he is in a fray forcible entrie or riot yet a forged déed that conueyeth his land from him a false othe which depriueth him of his lease or vnlawfull mantenance that wresteth his credit or goods from him do longer disturbe the peace of his mind stick in his stomacke and infixeth a déeper and more durable impression of sorrow into his heart than a boxe on the eare a dust in the necke or a blow with a cudgell giuen on the sodaine will doe For the griefe of these later stripes is short and doe weare out of mans mind by little and little as his choller ceaseth and his hot bloud cooleth but the discontent and the wants which he receiueth of the former blowes doe continue with him and yéeld him most dislike when he is most patient and best aduised And therefore the wisedome of this Realme hath from age to age taken great care by lawes and statutes to represse them and to inflict vpon the offendors in euerie of them penalties correspondent to their deserts Our lawes doe chastise those that breake the peace by frayes assaults batteries riots or routs with imprisonment of their bodies vntill their hot blouds be cooled and their distemperat humors be qualified but they doe impose sharper and more durable punishments vpon such as doe forge déeds commit or procure periurie Forgerie periurie maintenance do ten 5 to the breach of the peace or bee maintainers of other mens suits or quarels accounting these last offences to tend more and for a longer time to the breach or blemish of the peace or hinderance of the iustice of the Realme than the former doe As hee that committeth forgerie in some cases shall bée set vpon the pillorie loose his eares haue his nostrels slit and pay to the partie grieued his double costs and dammages And in some other cases shall be hanged as a felon He that committeth periurie shall in some cases be one yeare imprisoned be set vpon the pillorie and neuer after be allowed as a witnesse And hee that maintaineth other mens suites shall in some cases be thrée yeres imprisoned and further punished at the kings pleasure And in some other cases sustaine other disgraces And therefore the preamble of the statute of anno 1. St. 1. H. 5. 3. H. 5. doth truely informe vs that forged déeds do trouble and change the lands of good people intending to be in peace And the statute of anno 32. St. 32. H. 8. 9 H. 8. doth teach vs that the suborning of witnesse for to maintain any matter or cause is to the disturbaÌ„ce or hinderance of iustice The enormity of Forgerie 2 The forging of false sealed Déeds Euidences or Writings or of Court Rols or of the will of any person or of any Obligation Bill obligatorie Release or other discharge or the pronouncing publishing or giuing in euidence of the same wherby any person shal be molested troubled charged
of them which office or any part of it doth concerne the administration or execution of iustice or which shall cōcern any clerkeship to be occupied in any court of record wherin iustice is to be ministred then he so offending shall not loose onely all his right estate which hée shall then haue of in or to the sayd office or deputation but also he that shal giue or promise any money fée or reward for any such office or deputation shall immediatly vpō the said gift or promise be adiudged a disabled person in the law to all intents to haue or enioy the said office or deputatiō And euerie such bargain sale bond couenant promise and assurance shall bée void to and against him by whom the same is made But this Act shall not be preiudiciall to the chiefe Iust of the K. Bench Common pleas or to the Iust of Assise but they may do in euerie behalfe concerning any office to be granted by any of thē as they might haue done before the making of the same Act. And because the prouidence of the realm did conceiue some iealousie suspition in those learned men in the lawes of this realm who by their owne means industrie for their own cōmoditie and ease obtained to be Iust of Assise in the counties where they were borne or did dwell and did feare that affection fauor towards their kinsmen allies neighbors and friends might sometime allure thē to decline from the beaten path of iustice therfore by one stat made An. 8. St. 8 R. 2. 2. St. 33. H. 8. 14. R. 2. another An. 33. H. 8. it was enacted No man shal be iustice of Assise in his owne countie That no Iustice nor other man learned in the laws of this realm shal exercise the office of Iust of Assise within the countie where he was borne or doth inhabit vpon pain to forfeit for euery offence done contrary to this act C. l. to the K. him that will sue by B. P. I. or actiō of debt wherin no W. E. P. But this stat doth not extēd to any Clerk of Assise associat to any Iust of Assise nor to the Iustices Iustices Clerks or Clerk of Assise withithin the Duchie and County Palantine of Lancaster nor to the I. of the one Bench or the other for taking hearing determining of Assises in the said courts nor to any Iust that shal take any Assise vpon adiournment for difficultie of the same nor to any Maiors Sherifes Recorders Stewards Bailifs Sutors or other officers in any citie borough or towne but they may be I. of Assise of Fresh force and of other Assises in the same towne c. where he or they do dwell or were borne as they might haue bin before And in like sort by the stat of W. 1. A Serieant A Pleader it was established That if any Serieant Pleader St. 3. Ed. 1. 2 or other do any deceit in the K. court or do consent therunto to beguile the court or the partie is therof attainted he shal be imprisoned a yeare a day and being a counsellor he shal not any more be receiued to plead in the K. court for any man and if he be any other than a pleader he shal be imprisoned as aforesaid And if the trespas require a greater punishmēt it shal be at the K. pleasure And by the stat of An. 10. A Philozer An Exigēter H. 6. An. 18. H. 6. it was enacted That if any Philozer Exigenter St. 10. H. 6. 4 18. H. 6. 9. or any other officer of the K. Bench or Common pleas do make any entry in any suit that the plaintife in the same suit hath offered himselfe in his owne proper person except the pl. in the same suit before such entrie be made do appeare in his own proper person before some of the Iust of the place where the plea is depēding there be sworn vpō a book that he is the same person in whose name the said suit is pursued or that some other credible person of the K. counsell wil take such oth for him the said philozer exigenter c. shal forf xl s. to the K. euery time that he shal be attainted by the examinatiō of any of the I. of the same place where any such entry or record is 3 And because Atturneies be also necessary mēbers in the cōmonweale special means to solicit further the executiō of iustice therfore the law hath had a careful regard that they should be men of integrity vertuous and of good name and hath prouided seueral stat to punish such of thē as shall cōmit any notorious falshood guile fraud slacknes ignorance omissiō or contempt of dutie As by the stat of An. 4. H. 4. it was ordained St. 4. H. 4. 18 That all Atturnies shal be examined by the Iust by their discretiōs their names shal be put in the rol they that be good vertuous learned of good name shal be receiued sworne wel truly to serue in their offices specially that they make no suit in a forein coūty And if any such Atturney be notoriously found in any default of record or otherwise he shal forsweare the court neuer after be receiued to make any suit in the K. courts And this ordināce shal be performed in the Exchequer after the discretiō of the treasurer the barōs there And accordingly by one other stat made an 3. Ia. it was enacted St. 3. Iac. 7. That none shall from henceforth be admitted Atturneies in any of the K. courts of record at West but such as haue bin brought vp in the same courts Who shal be Atturneyes or otherwise wel practised in soliciting of causes Soliciters haue bin foūd by their dealing to be skilful of honest dispositiō and none to be suffered to solicit any cause or causes in any of the courts aforesayd but only such as are known to be men of honest dispositiō And no Atturney shal admit any other to follow any suit in his name Following a suit in anothers name vpō paine that both the Atturney he that followeth the suit in his name shal each of thē forf for such offence xx l. to the K. and the party grieued to be recouered in any of the said courts of record by A. B. P. I. wherin no W. E. P. c. And the Atturney in such case shal be excluded frō being an Atturney for euer hereafter By the stat of an 18. H. 6. it was enacted St. 18. H. 6. 9 That in all cases wherin proces of Capias Exigēt lyeth if the Atturney haue not his warrant of record the same terme that the Exigent is awarded he shal lose xl s. to the K. if he be attainted therof by examinatiō of the Iust And by the stat made an 32. H. 8. St. 32. H. 8.
is an oppression and for the redresse thereof the same tenant may pursue against his lord a Writ of Ne iniuste vexes grounded vpon a braunch of the statute of Magna Charta St. 9. H. 3. 10 thereby commaunding the Lord that he shall not oppresse nor vniustly vexe his tenant for more rent or seruices then hée ought to pay or doe 12. E. 4. 7. 28. Ass p. 33 5. Ed. 4. 82. Or otherwise the tenant may auoid this surplusage of rent in an Assise Writ of Rescous or Cessauit brought against him by his lord but in a Repleuin he cannot auoid his lord of this rent newly incroched séeing the same lord hath had seisin thereof and so it is if the lord of a Manor 40. Ed. 3. 44. 49. Ed. 3. 22. 39. E. 3. 6. which is auncient demesne will encroch vpon his tenants and distraine them or any of them that hold their lands by Charter fréely to doe other seruices or customes to the same lord then they ought to doe or that their auncestors were accustomed to do this is an oppression of the same tenants and for the redresse thereof all the tenants of the said auncient demesne Manor may haue against their said lord the kings writ of Monstrauerunt directed to the said lord commaunding him thereby that hée shall not require nor cause to bée required of his said tenants more seruices or customes then they ought to doe Fitz. Na. Br. 14. or had wont to doe And if after the said writ directed he will distraine the goods of them or any of them againe to doe more seruices then they ought to doe Then the same tenants or such or so many of them as bee so distrained may procure an attachment against their said lord Fitz. Na. Br. 15. returnable in the K. Bench or common place for this oppression and contempt wherin euery of the same tenants shall recouer his dammages seuerally according to his losse 8 Euery excessiue amerciament which one person doth take of another Oppression by excessiue amerciament is also to be accounted an oppression of the party so amerced for by the Statutes of Magna Charta West 1. St. 9. H. 3. 14 3. Ed. 1 6. it is ordained That no Citie Borough Towne or man shall be amerced but for a reasonable cause and according to the quantitie of his offence and euery fréeman shall bée amerced sauing his fréehold a marchant sauing his marchandize and euery other mans villaine besides the kings sauing his villaine tenure and the same amerciaments shall bee assessed by the oath of honest and lawfull men of the same vicenage So that if one person doe take a much greater amerciament of another then the quantitie of his offence doth require in a Court Baron or other Court which is not of record or doe take that amerciament of his owne authoritie without being before assessed by others vpon their oathes and so maketh himselfe iudge in his owne cause this is an oppression of the party amerced for the redresse whereof the party grieued may procure to be directed to the lord of the said Manor or to his Baylife a Writ of Moderata misericordia which was founded vpon the said stat of Magna Charta commaunding them thereby Fitz. Na. Br. 75. that they shall take a moderat and indifferent amerciament of the same person according to the quantity of his offence And if the lord or his baylife will not then cease to distraine for the said excessiue amerciament the partie so oppressed may haue against the offendor an attachment directed to the Shirife of that Countie where the same Distresse is taken to attach him to appeare in the kings Court and to answere his said offence Oppression by committing of wast 9 The Wast and Estrepement which one person hauing a particular estate in another persons land doth make or commit to the disheritance of him in the reuersion or remainder of the same land without his consent may also be accounted an oppression of him in whom the said inheritance is for when one person doth lease or otherwise conuey his land to another for the terme of life liues or yeares he doth in effect but lend the same land to the sayd particular tenant for the terme betwéene them agréed vpon expecting to haue the same againe at the end of the terme in as good plight and in such sort as it was when he first did deliuer and lend it And therefore if the particular tenant during the continuance of his estate doe commit any wast in the same land he cannot deliuer it againe at the end of his terme in such plight and sort as at the first he did receiue and borrow it but by the wast the perpetuall profit of the land is impaired and therefore of so much in value hée in the reuersion or remainder is disherited And for the preuention thereof by the statute of Marlebridge it was ordained St. 52. H. 3. 24. That Farmors during their termes shall not make wast sale or exile of houses woods or men nor of any thing belonging to the Tenements which they haue in farme without they haue speciall graunt in writing making mention of a couenant that they may doe it And to the intent that condigne punishment might bée prouided and inflicted vpon such as should be transgressors and oppressors in these cases of Wast by the statute of Gloucester it was enacted St. 6. Ed. 1. 5 That a man shall haue an action of Wast in the Chauncerie against him which is tenant by the courtesie of England The tenants forf which cōmitteth wast or otherwise tenant for terme of life or for terme of yeares or against a woman which holdeth in Dower and he which shall bée attainted of Wast shall forfeit the thing wasted and besides shall pay treble so much as the Wast shall be taxed and after by the statute of Westminster the second the same was in a sort confirmed St. 13. E. 1. 14 and the said action of Wast was againe giuen against the foresaid tenants by the courtesie in dower for terme of life or yeares and also ordained to extend against Gardens And by the same statute the proces to be vsed in the said action of Wast was assigned to be Summons Attachment and Distresse and if the party defendant doe not appeare at the distresse then a writ shall be awarded to the Shirife to inquire of the wast by the oathes of twelue men And because diuers persons did let their lands to others sometime for terme of life or anothers life and sometime for terme of yeares and after the said tenants did graunt their estates which they had in the same Lands and Tenements to others to the intent that they in the reuersion viz. their lessors their heires or assignées should not take knowledge of their names and yet the first lessees did continually occupie the said Lands and tooke the profites to
that he did cause some lawfull punishment to be inflicted vpon certaine of them for their crimes notwithstanding all these or such like misdemeanors be neither Treason nor Felony by the Law but a Riot and yet in respect of the basenesse of the parties which committed this wrong of the cause for the which they put it in practise of the worthinesse of the person and of his place vpon whom it was executed of the barbarous course taken in the performance therof of the perillous exāple giuen to other malefactors these riotors deserue to bée censured with a much sharper punishment then the former For as there be no bounds obserued by leud and wicked persons of their outrages so be there no certaine means or limits assigned of their punishments but the said most honourable Court of estate may draw forth his Maiesties sword of iustice and first punish the said offences according to the particuler lawes and statutes prouided therfore and then euery person transgressing by himselfe according to the circumstance of his demerits as partly may appeare by the statute of anno 3. H. 7. St. 3. H. 7. 1. which expresseth some parts of the authority giuen to the Lords of the said Court and more by a branch of the statute of Magna Charta whereby it is enacted St. 9. H. 3. 14 That euery fréeman shall be amerced viz. punished for reasonable cause according to the quantity of his offence And further by the statute of Anno 33. H. 8. St. 33. H. 8. 1 which giueth the lords of the said Court of Starre-chamber authority to punish those who by counterfeit letters or tokens shall get other mens goods into their hands by imprisonment setting vpon the pillory or other corporall paine whatsoeuer except death ⧠Treasons 1 CRimen lesae Maiestatis What is Treason in our English tongue called Treason is a great offence done to the Maiesty of gouernement and the peace of the land which the wisdome of this Realme hath from age to age so much hated and abhorred that they haue persecuted those that were guiltie therin with most violent and vntimely death and with extreame and seuere tortures they haue ordained that an offendor therein shall be hanged and cut downe aliue that his bowels shall bée cut off and burned in his sight that his head shall bée seuered from his bodie that his quarters shall bée diuided asunder and disposed at the Kings pleasure and made food for the birds of the aire or the beasts of the field and that his wife and children shall be thrust out of his house and liuings that his séed and blood shall be corrupted that his lands and goods shall be confiscated and as by the statute of 29. H. 6. 1. it is ordained of the Traitor Iohn Cade he shall be called a false Traytor for euer And as our respectiue and considerat forefathers haue deuised to yéeld vnto those grieuous offendors Legem talionis and to teare their bodies lands and goods who doe practise to rent and pull asunder this Maiestie of gouernement by destroying the head or such as are like to be the principall succéeding members thereof or by diuiding the bodie into parts or by weakning the force and strength thereof or by subuerting the chiefe Magistrats of iustice or by counterfeiting staining or blemishing of the peculiar and royall Ensignes Cognisances and Sinewes thereof so haue they béene carefull and prouident that there should be no greater number of those dreadfull sharpe and bitter lawes than vrgent necessitie for the preseruation of that Maiestie of gouernment required And because it was in former times greatly doubted and ofttimes called in question amongst the Sages of the Realme and learned in the lawes which offences were by the common law high Treason and which not and which were petit Treason and which not and seuerall men were of seuerall opinions therein and to the intent that al future ages might know and be more vigilant to eschew the penalties thereof King Edward the third at his Parliament begun at Westminster the thirtéenth day of Ianuarie St. 25. E. 3. 2 in the 25. yere of his raign at the request of his Lords and petition of his Commons made a declaration thereof in manner as hereafter followeth viz. It is high Treason where a man doth compasse High treason or imagin the death of our Soueraigne Lord the King or of our Ladie the Quéene his wife or of their eldest sonne and heire or if a man doth deflower the Kings wife or the Kings eldest daughter being vnmaried or the kings eldest sonne and heires wife or if a man doe leuie warre against our Lord the king in his Realme or be adherent to the kings enemies in his Realme giuing to them aid and comfort in his Realme or else where and thereof be probably attainted of open deed by people of their owne condition And if a man do counterfeit the Kings great Seale or his priuie Seale or his money which offences Bracton doth terme Crimen falsi And if a man bring false money into this Realme counterfeit to the money of England knowing the money to be false Bracton de Corona cap. 3. to marchandise or make paiment in deceit of our Lord the King and his people And if a man kill the Chauncellor Treasurer or the Kings Iustice of the one Bench or the other Iustices of Eire and of Assises and all other Iustices assigned to heare and determine beeing in their places doing their Offices And it is to bée vnderstood that in the cases aforesaid it ought to bee adiudged Treason which extendeth to our Lord the King and his royall Maiestie And of such Treason the forfeiture of the escheat doth appertaine to our Lord the King as well of the lands and tenements holden of others as of himselfe And moreouer there is another manner of Treason Petit treason that is to say When a seruant killeth his Master or a wife her husband or when a secular or religious man killeth his Prelat to whom he oweth faith and obedience And such manner of Treason giueth the escheats to euery Lord of his owne fée And because many other cases of like Treason may happen in time to come which a man cannot thinke of nor declare at this present It is accorded that if any other case supposed to be treason that is not before specified doth happen of new before Iustices the Iustices shall stay without proceeding to iudgement of Treason vntill the case be declared and shewed before the King and his Parliament whether it ought to be adiudged Treason or other Felonie And in case any man of this Realme doe ride armed openly or secretly with people armed against another for to kill or rob him or to take and detaine him vntill he hath made fine and ransome to be deliuered it is not the King or his Counsels wil that in such case it shall be adiudged Treason but it shall be
said master or mistresse go away with the said caskets iewels mony or cattels or any part thereof to the intent to steale the same defraud his or their said master or mistresse thereof contrary to the trust confidence in him or thē put by his or their master or mistresse or els being in the seruice of his said master or mistresse without assent or commaundement of his master or mistresse hee imbesill the same caskets iewels money goods or cattels or any part thereof or otherwise conuert the same to his owne vse with like purpose to steale it if the said caskets iewels money goods or cattels that any such seruant shall go away with or which he shall imbesill with purpose to steale it as is aforesaid be of the value of forty shillings or aboue then the same false fraudulent and vntrue act shal be from henceforth déemed and adiudged felony and he or they so offending shal be punished as other felons be punished for felonies cōmitted by the course of the common law Prouided alwaies that this act or any thing therein contained shall not in any wise extend or be preiudiciall to any apprētice or apprētices nor to any person being within the age of xviij yéeres going away with his or their masters goods or iewels or otherwise conuerting the same to his or their owne vses during the time of their apprentiship or being within the said age of xviij yeares but that euery apprentice or apprentices such person or persons being within the said age doing or offending contrarie to this act shal be and stand in like case as they and euery of them were before the making of this act If a man do deliuer an obligation to his seruant to receiue xx M. 25. H. 8. Dyer 5. l. and the seruant doth receiue the money of the obligor Receiuing money vpon an obligation and thē goeth away with the same or doth conuert it to his owne vse this is not felony within the compasse of the foresaid stat of 21. H. 8. for the master did not deliuer any goods to his seruant in this case but an obligation which is not valuable but a thing in action and moreouer the money was not deliuered to the seruant by the hands of his master but by the obligor But if one of a mans seruants doth deliuer to another of his seruants goods of the masters being aboue the value of 40. s̄ and he doth go away with it or conuert it to his owne vse this is felony If a man do deliuer to his apprentice wares or marchandises M. 25. H. 8. Dyer 5. to sell at a faire Receiuing money for wares or a market and he selleth them and receiueth the mony and then goeth away with the mony or conuerteth it to his own vse this is not felony by the stat of 21. H. 8. for he had not the mony by the deliuery of his master neyther went he away with the thing that was deliuered vnto him Seruants imbesilling their masters goods after his death 13 By the stat of An̄ 31. H. 6. it was ordained St. 31. H. 6. 1 That executors shall haue a writ out of the Chancery by the aduice of the Chauncelor two chiefe Iustices and the chiefe Baron of the Exchequer with two proclamations returnable in the K. Bench against such houshold seruants of the Testator as haue spoiled or eloigned the goods of their master after the death of the Testator And if the writ be returned serued the defendants make default they shall be attainted of felony and if they appeare they shal be cōmitted to prison there to remaine at the discretion of the Iustices vntill the defendants do answer vnto the said executors in such actions which the said executors will declare against them or any of them by bill or writ for the riot taking and spoiling aforesaid and that the same actions be determined so that such actions be pursued with effect and not slackly to retaine the same persons in prison And if the same persons be enlarged out of prison by the said Iustices then they shal find sufficient sureties to the executors by recognizance to kéepe such daies as they shal haue assigned by the Court. And if the kéeper of the prison whereunto they shal be committed doe let them go at large without order of the Iustices then the said kéeper shall forfeit xl l. to the executors No protection shall lye in any action vpon this statute 14 By the stat of An̄ 14. E. 3. it was accorded Enforcing a prisoner to become an approuer That shirifes shall haue the kéeping of gaoles St. 14. E. 3. 10 as they had wont to haue and put in such kéepers for whom they will answer And if any kéeper of prison or vnder kéeper shall by too great dures of imprisonment and paine cause any prisoner which he hath in his custody to become an approuer against his will and is thereof attainted he shall be adiudged a felon 15 By the stat of an̄ 5. El. it was enacted Egyptians that euery person persons which shal be séene or found within this realme of England or Wales St. 5. El. 20. in any cōpany of vagabonds commonly called or calling themselues Egyptians or counterfeiting transforming or disguising thēselues by their apparell speech or other behauiour like vnto such vagabonds commonly called or calling themselues Egyptians so shall or doe remaine continue in the same by the space of one moneth then the same person or persons shall be déemed iudged a felon and felons and shall suffer paines of death losse of lands goods as in cases of felony by the order of the common lawes of this realme Triall and shall vpon triall of them or any of them be tried in the countrey and by the inhabitants of the county or place where he or they shall be apprehended or taken and not per medietatem linguae No Clergy and shall loose the priuiledge and benefit of Sanctuary and Clergy Prouided Xiiij. yeares That this act shall not in any wise extend to any child or children being within the age of 14. yeares St. 8. H. 6. 12. 16 By the stat made An. 8. H. 6. it was ordained That if any Record Imbesilling of Records or parcell of the same Writ Returne Pannell Proces Warrant of Atturney in the Courts of Chauncery Exchequer the one Bench or the other or the Treasury be willingly stolne taken away withdrawne or auoided by any Clerke or other person by cause wherof any iudgement be reuersed such stealer taker away withdrawer or auoider their procurors counsellors abbettors being thereof indicted and by proces thereupon made therof duly conuict by their owne confession or by enquest to be taken of lawfull men wherof the one halfe shal be of the men of any court of the same courts and the other halfe of other shal be iudged for
dammages In appeale the acquitall of the principall is not the acquitall of the accessorie for if he will recouer dammages he must be tried notwithstanding the acquitall of the principall But some doe thinke that he shall recouer dammages by the acquitall of the principall without being further tried or otherwise it would ensue that the Court should admit an accessorie where there had béene no principall which were inconuenient ⧠Breaking of Prison and Rescous BY the common Law of this Realme if a man had béen imprisoned and broken the prison hée should haue béene hanged for what cause soeuer he had béene imprisoned yea although it had béene but for trespasse Which great enormitie was redressed by the statute of Anno 1. Ed. 2. intituled St. 1. Ed. 2. De frangentibus prisonam the wordes wâ—â—reof be these Touching prisoners breaking of prison our Lord the King doth will and commaund that none which from hencefoorth doe breake prison shall haue iudgement of life and member for the breaking of prison onely except the cause for the which he was taken and imprisoned doth require such iudgement if hée should haue béene conuicted thereof according to the lawe and custome of the Realme though in times past it hath béene otherwise vsed And therefore it is to be considered who is a prisoner and what is breaking of prison Who is a prisoner according to the meaning of the foresaide Statute Euery person who is vnder arrest for felony is a prisoner aswel being out of the Gaole as within So that if hée be but in the Stockes in the stréete or out of the Stockes in the possession of any that hath arrested him 1. Ed. 3. 17. 1. M. Di. 99 and doth make an escape that is a breaking of prison in the prisoner for imprisonment is none other but a restraint of libertie 2 Though the letter of the stat of AnÌ„ 1. Ed. 2. 1. H. 7. 6. 25. Ed. 3. 42 1. Ed. 3. 17. be touching prisoners breaking of prison A stranger breaketh prison yet if a stranger do breake the prison he is within the compasse of this statute for that by the common lawe this was a breaking of prison in a stranger and felonie in him at that time and is felonie also at this time in the prisoner that escapeth by force of such breaking of prison by a stranger although before the said Statute it was not felony in the prisoner Letting a prisoner escape 3 If a Gaoler or any other which kéepeth a prisoner vnder arrest doe let him goe at libertie this is not felonie in the prisoner because it was no breaking of prison in the Gaoler But all the felonie in this case resteth in him who did let the prisoner escape and that is by a voluntary escape and not by breaking of prison which is felony in him that suffered him to escape 2. Ed. 3. 1 4 If by the negligence of the Gaoler or any other which hath the prisoner vnder arrest the prisoner doe escape Negligent escape this is felonie in the prisoner that doth escape for that the prisoner in making of escape did breake the prison but it is not felonie in him out of whose custodie he did escape 5 To breake prison is intended aswell of a Rescous made of a prisoner Rescuing of a prisoner as of breaking of prison 1. H. 7. 6. As if a prisoner be vnder arrest for felony and a stranger will feloniously take him out of the possession of him that hath arrested him this Rescous is a breaking of prison and is felonie as wel in the partie which escapeth as in him that made the Rescous and so was it by the common law Fi. Cor. 333 6 If a stranger disturbe the arresting of a felon Disturbing of arrest that manner of Rescous is not felonie for the letting of a felon escape which is not arrested for felony is not felonie but if the felon had beene taken and arrested and after rescued this had béene felonie 2. Ed. 3. 1. 1. H. 7. 6. 7 If the Sherife returne a Rescous The Sherife returneth a Rescous of a felon taken out of his possession or doe returne an escape that the prisoner escaped from him this wil not serue as an indictment to put the partie to answer thereunto for that it is contrarie to the Statutes of 25. Ed. 3. 28. Ed. 3. 42. Ed. 3. St. 25. E. 3. 4 St. 28. E. 3. 3 St. 42. E. 3. 2. which haue ordained That none shall be imprisoned or put out of his fréehold without an indictment or presentment before Iustices or some matter of Record or by due Proces or by writ originall which the Sherifes returne is not S. Indictments 19. 2. Ed. 3. 1. 8 It is no difference whose prison the offendor doth breake viz. Whos 's the prison broken must be whether it be the Kings prison the Lords of a fraunchise or any other persons for whose soeuer it be the offendor is within the compasse of this statute though it was otherwise before the Statute Britton viz. it was not felonie vnlesse he had broken the Kings prison 9 If one be attached taken for trespasse Attachment for trespasse and he which is attached doth ecape or is rescued by a stranger this is no felonie but trespas for that the Statute saith St. 1. E. 2. Except the cause for the which he is taken and imprisoned doth require such iudgement But yet the fine shal be according to the qualitie of the person to whom the rescous is made according to the time and place wheÌ„ where it is done 22. Ed. 3. 13 A Iustice sitting in iudgement arresteth an offendor And therfore if a Iustice assigned shall arrest a man that maketh a fraie before him and a stranger doth rescue him by force whereof the prisoner escapeth in this case as wel the prisoner as he that made the rescous shal be disherited and shal suffer perpetuall imprisonment for that the attachment of such a Iustice was the attachment of the King himselfe in the iudgement of the law But if such a Iustice make an arrest when he is out of his place then such an arrest and escape is but fineable nor of any other effect but as if the Sherife or some other officer had made the arrest 1. H. 7. 6. 10 If a maÌ„ be rescued at the gallows or as he is in going to executioÌ„ this is within the compasse of this Statute Rescous after iudgement for the words of the Statute shal be inteÌ„ded aswell in the preter tence as in the present tence viz. as well of iudgemeÌ„t giuen as of iudgement to be giuen for the cause for the which he was taken and imprisoned did require such iudgement The imprisonment and not the attainder respected 11 It is not material whether the prisoner which did escape was 1. Ed. 3.17 or
ought not to let him goe but the towne where the Constable dwelleth shal be charged with the kéeping of him vntill the next Gaole deliuerie Prisoner by matter of record 24 The law hath two seuerall respects to two sorts of prisoners whereof the one is prisoner by matter of Record and the other by matter in déed A prisoner by matter of Record is when one that is present in Court is committed to prison by the Court. In this case if the kéeper of the prison hath not this prisoner alwaies readie when the Court will send for him Fi. Cor. 466 or else doe shewe a reasonable cause why he cannot haue him the Court will iudge this an escape by the Kéeper without further inquitie But if the Kéeper of the prison bee in this case examined by the court of his prisoner 39 H. 6. 33. and he will say nothing the Court will adiudge it a voluntarie escape Fi. Cor. 352 25 If it be found in the Coroners Roll that one did flie to the Church Escape by a towne and no abiuration is found in the same Roll in this case the court will adiudge an escape vpon the whole towne without further presentment A man killed beeing in carrying to the Gaole And if a man be apprehended for felonie in a towne Fi. Cor. 346 and carried towards the Gaole by certain of the same towne and if he doe resist them whereupon they doe kill him in this case it shal be adiudged an escape vpon that town for in that hee was not safely carried to the Gaole attainted of felonie the king doth loose his escheats 26 When the Deciners doe present that a felon is apprehended for felony Escape by the Sherife and deliuered to the Sherife it will be adiudged an escape if they doe not declare to which Sherife he is deliuered and name him so that his rolls may bée searched and seene whether the prisoner came within the charge of the Sherife Fi. Cor. 345. and if it be not found how he came out of the Sherifs ward according to the law of the Realme an escape shal be adiudged vpon the Sherife 39. H. 6. 33. 27 It is vsed in the Kings Bench A Coroner sent to the Marshalsey to enquire c. to send a Coroner once or twice euery Terme to the Marshalsey to see all the prisoners that be committed to the marshall by matter of Record and if any of them be wanting cannot be found there to set his name in a booke and to informe the Iustices thereof and then the Court will examine the Marshall thereof and if he cannot sufficiently excuse himselfe the Court will record escapes vpon him for euery of them 21. As p. 12. 28 And touching those which bee prisoners of Record Confessing auoiding of an escape the Kéeper of the prison cannot trauerse the escape but confesse and auoyd it as in alleadging that the prison was burnt or broken by the Kings enemies or by saying that he which is supposed to be escaped is not the same prisoner which was committed to him 29 Prisoner by matter in fait is where one is prisoner by arrest onely Prisoner by matter in fait viz. by arrest whether it be by the Sherife the Constable or any other and he doth escape there the Escape shall bee presented before he shall aunswer vnto it And this presentment ought to be before the Iustices of the Kings Bench the Iustices in Eire or some other Iustices that haue authoritie to enquire thereof Before whom an escape shall be presented As it appeareth by the Statute of Westminster 1. the words whereof be these It is ordained St. 3. E. 1. 4. that nothing shall be demanded nor taken nor leuied by the sherife nor by any other for the escape of any theefe or felon vntill it shal be adiudged by the Iustices in Eire And he that shall doe otherwise shall restore to him that paid it so much as he hath receiued and to the King as much And likewise by the Statute of 31. Ed. 3. St. 31. E. 3. 14. it is prouided That the Escape of felons and Clerkes conuict shall bee adiudged by the Iustices and by their viewe leuied And though the foresaid Statute of Westminster the first doth not make mention of any but of Iustices in Eire 21 As p. 12. 27. As p. 1. yet it doth also extend to the Iustices of the Kings Bench because the Kings Bench is in Eire and higher then an Eire for if the Iustices in Eire doe sit in a Countie and the Iustices of the Kings Bench come thither the Eire shall cease Iu. of peace and Coroner shall enquire of escapes 30 And by the Statute of 1. R. 3. St. 1. R. 3. 3. Iustices of Peace may enquire of all manner of Escapes of euery person arrested and imprisoned for felonie And by the Statute of 3. H. 7. St. 3. H. 7. 1. They may enquire of the escape of any that hath committed murder and make certificat thereof into the Kings Bench. And also by the said Statute of 3. H. 7. the Coroner vpon the viewe of the dead body may enquire of the escape of the murderer for if he doe commit the murder in the day and escape the towne shal be amerced And also the Coroner shall deliuer his Inquisition therof to the Iustices at the next Gaole deliuerie of the same Countie Trauerse to a presentment of an escape 31 Vpon an escape for the which no fine is to be paied Fi. Cor. 291 328. 346. but an Amerciament he or they which be charged therewith shal haue no Trauerse to the presentment thereof Quia de minimis non curat lex Escapes inquirable in Leetes and Turnes 32 Although Escapes of felons be at this day inquirable in Léetes and Sherifes Turnes yet it shall not be leuied vntill it be adiudged before the Iustices for that should bee contrarie to the foresaid Statute of Westminster 1. The penalties of escapes 33 The penaltie of him which doth voluntarily suffer one arrested for felonie to escape is the forfeiture of all that he hath because it is felonie The penaltie of him which doth suffer a negligent escape of a felon is to pay a fine The penaltie for the escape of him which was neuer arrested is but an amerciament And if any doe suffer him that is attainted of felonie negligently to escape he shall pay to the King for a fine an hundred pounds And if the partie escaping were but indicted and not attainted then he shall paie to the King for a fine a hundred shillings If one which is not indicted nor taken with the manner nor apprehended at the suit of the partie 42. As p. 5. but onely taken by a straunger for susption of felonie do escape there shal no penaltie nor punishment follow thereof But yet if after the same escape he
supposed is and was conuersant within the countie whereof the indictment or appeale maketh mention but the like proces shal be made against such indicted or appealed person as hath béene vsed 62 And because after the making of the sayd Statute of Anno 8. H. 6. some intending to defraud the sayd Statute did sue to remooue such appeales and indictments out of the hands of the Iustices or Commissioners aforesayd into the Kings bench and elsewhere by Certiorari or otherwise vnknowne to the partie so indicted and therupon sued the proces vsed at the common law before the making of the said Statute in the Kings Bench and elsewhere after the remoouing therof to the great impouerishment of diuers the kings subiects Therefore by the Statute made Anno 10. H. 6. St. 10. H. 6. 6 it was enacted Proces vpon an indictment or appeale remoued into the K. bench That if any such indictments taken before any Iustices of peace or any other hauing power to take such indictments or appeales or other Iustices or Commissioners in any county franchise or libertie of England shal be remoued into the Kings Bench or elsewhere by Certiorari or otherwise then after such remoouing before any Exigent awarded vpoÌ„ any such indictment or appeal in form aforesaid taken immediatly after the first writ of Capias vpon euery such indictment or appeale awarded and returned another writ of Capias shall bee awarded directed to the Sherife of the countie wherof he that is indicted or appealed is or was supposed to be conuersant by the same indictment or appeale returnable in the K. Bench at a certaine day contayning the space of thrée moneths from the date of the said last writ of Capias according to the maner and forme that the I. of peace and others ought to haue done before such remouing And if any Exigent be awarded vpon any such indictment or appeale after such remouing against the forme aforesaid or any outlawrie thereupon pronounced as wel the same Exigent as the outlawrie and euery of them shal be void In the Appeale he must be supposed to be of a forrein County 63 The foresaid stat of 8. H. 6. doth not take place St. 8. H. 5. 10. but where by the Appeal or by the Indictment it is precisely supposed that the defendant was dwelling in a forrein county for if he be supposed to be dwelling there by an Alià s dictê° it is out of the compasse of the stat 1. E. 4. 1. As in an appeal or indictment in the county of Middlesex against A.B. in comitatu tuo yeoman alias dictum A.B. de C. in comitatu Sussex yeoman Because that which is supposed by the Alià s dictê° is not trauersable nor materiall And likewise it is in an appeale or indictment against I. of S. in comitatu H. nuper de L. in comitatu K. nuper de R. in comÌ„ T. An appellée dwelling in no place certaine 64 If a man be appealed to be dwelling in no place certaine the day of the Appeale commenced but in this maner Fitz. Proces 192. viz. nuper de S. in comitatÌ„ L. and nuper de B. in comitÌ„ T. then proces shal be awarded into all the counties whereof he is so supposed to be of late dwelling Proces into a County Palantine 65 The foresaid stat of 8. H. 6. hath ordained That after the first Capias St. 8. H. 6. 10 another Capias shal be awarded to the Sherife of the county whereof he which is so indicted is or was supposed to be dwelling by the same indictment And therefore if an appeale or indictment be exhibited against one in the countie of M. naming him of D. in the county of Chester or of some other place which is a countie Palantine In this case no proces can be awarded vpon this Stat. which may be directed to the Sherife according to the words of the Statute But proces shal be awarded vpon this statute to the prince or his lieutenant 19. H. 6. 2 31. H. 6. 11. for it is in like mischiefe and the statute is generall in all the Realme which doth bind as well those which be of a Countie Palantine as others But if they of the Countie Palantine will not serue and returne the writ directed to them vpon this statute then without further delay the Exigent shall be awarded otherwise the party should be infinitly delaied Proces against principal accessory 66 The foresaid Proces specified in the before rehearsed stat of 8. H. 6. shal extend as well to accessories as to principals sauing that the Exigent as to the accessories shall be staied vntill the principals be outlawed And that by the Statute of West 1. the words whereof be these St. 3. E. 1. 14 Because men haue vsed in some counties to outlaw such persons as be appealed of commandement force aide or escape within the same terme that they do outlaw him which is appealed of the fact it is ordained that none shal be outlawed for an appeale of commandement force ayd or receit vntill he that is appealed of the déed be attainted so that one law shal be thereof through the whole Realme But the appellant shall not let to attach his appeale at the next countie against them as well as against the appellées of the déed But the Exigent against the Accessorie shal stay vntill the appellée of the déed be attainted by outlawrie or otherwise And Britton Britton doth affirme That as soone as the principals be outlawed the Exigent shal be awarded against the accessories St. 3. E. 1. 14 67 The before rehearsed statute of West 1. séemeth onely to extend to Appeales commenced by bill The stat of W. 1. exteÌ„deth onely to Appeals commenced by bil for in an Appeale commenced by writ it appeareth not vntill the declaration made thereupon that there bée any accessories in the Appeale but for any thing contained in the writ all doe appeare to be principals 43. Ed. 3. 17. and for that cause the Exigent is awarded against them all at one time And therefore the plaintife must be aduised how he doth pray the Exigent and against whom for if he do pray the Exigent against them all he is therby concluded after to count against any of them as accessories for the law intendeth that he must take knowledge which were accessories and which not And therefore in that case he should haue staid the demaunding of the Exigent against them vntill the principals had béene attainted And that is the difference betwéene the principals and the accessories as touching the time of the awarding of the Exigent 68 If an Appeale be brought against diuers and one doth appeare plead In Appeale one doth appeare and another makes default yet proces shall be continued against the residue But if hee which appeareth doth plead in abatement of the Appeale or matter in barre which proueth that the Appeale
an appeale or an indictment then the matter commeth to be tried betwéene the King and him or the appellant and him whether he be guiltie Triall of the plea Not guiltie or not If it be in an appeale it may be tried by Verdict or by Battell as the appellée will sauing in certaine Cases But vpon an Indictment there is no triall by battell nor otherwise sauing onely by verdict In an Indictment of treason or felonie against one of the Péeres of the Realme the triall is by his Péeres which manner of triall in an appeale is not allowable The arraignment of a Peere of the Realme 2 When a Péere of the Realme 1. H. 4. 1. 13. H. 8. 13. 10 Ed. 4. 6. and Lord of the parliament is to be arraigned vpon any treason or felonie whereof he is indicted and whereunto he hath pleaded Not guiltie the King by his Letters patents shall assigne some great and sage Lord of the parliament to be high Steward of England for the day of his arraignement who before the same day shall make a precept to his Serieant at Armes that is appointed to serue him during the time of his Commission to warne to appeare before him eightéene or twentie Lords of the parliament vpon the same day And then at the day appointed when the high Steward shall be set vnder the cloth of Estate vpon the arraignement of the prisoner and hath caused his Commission to be read the same Serieant shall returne his precept and thereupon the Lords shall be called and when they haue appeared and be set in their places the Constable of the Tower shall be called to bring his prisoner into the Court who then shall bring the prisoner to the Barre And then the high Steward shall declare vnto the prisoner the cause why the King hath assembled thither those Lords and him and perswade him to answer without feare And then hée shall cause the Clerke of the Crowne to reade his Indictment vnto him and to aske him if hée be guiltie or not whereunto when hée hath aunswered Not guiltie the Clerke of the Crowne shall aske him how he will be tried and then he will say by God by his Péeres And then the K. Serieants and Atturney will giue Euidence against him whereunto when the prisoner hath made answer the Constable shall be commaunded to retire the prisoner from the Barre to some other place while the Lords doe secretly conferre together in the Court and then the Lords shall rise out of their places and consult among themselues and what they affirme shall be done vpon their honours without any othe to be ministred vnto them And when they all or the greatest part of them be agréed they shall returne to their places and sit downe And then the high Steward shall aske of the yongest Lord by himselfe if he that is arraigned be guilty or not of the offence whereof he is arraigned and then of the yongest next him and so of the residue one by one vntill he hath asked them all and euery Lord shall answer by himselfe And then the high Steward shall send for the prisoner againe who shall be led to the Barre to whom the high Steward shal reherse the verdict of the Péeres and giue iudgement accordingly But if an Earle the sonne and heire apparant of a Duke or a Lord the sonne and heire apparant of a Marques or Earle 38. H. 8. Br. Treason 2 be indicted of high treason he shall be tried by Knights and Gentlemen and not by Péeres for he is not an Earle by Creation but by Natiuitie But if he be of dignity by creation and a Lord of the Parliament hee shall be tried by his Peeres 3 The foresaid manner of Triall séemeth to be appointed by the Statute of Magna Charta St. 9. H. 3. 29. which hath ordained That no frée man shall be taken or imprisoned or disseised of his fréehold liberties or frée customes nor shall be outlawed banished or by any meanes brought to destruction Neither wée will passe or sit in iudgement vpon him but by the lawfull iudgement of his Péeres or by the lawe of the Realme We will not sell deny or deferre iustice or right to any It appeareth by this statute of Magna Charta By whom Péeres appealed shal be tried that a Péere of the Realme shall be tried by his Péeres onely in case where he is indicted at the Kings suite of treason or felony for the words of the statute be we will not passe or sit in iudgement vpon him but by his Péeres 10. Ed. 4. 6 But if an appeale of murder or other felony be sued by any common person against a Péere of the Realme he shall be tried by common persons and not by his Péeres And because there was no mention made in the said statute of Magna Charta how women Ladies of great estate because of their husbands Péeres of the Realme married or sole viz. Duchesses Countesses or Baronesses should be put to answer nor before what Iudges they should be iudged vpon indictments of treasons or felonies by them committed and for that the saide statute of Magna Charta doth onely make mention of a man Therefore by a statute made Anno 20. H. 6. 9. St. 20. H. 6. 9 it was enacted By whom ladies shal be tried That such Ladies of great estate viz. Duchesses Countesses and Baronesses which shall be indicted of any treason or felony by them committed whether they be married or sole shall be brought to their answer and put to answer and iudged before such Iudges and Péeres of the realme as Péeres of the realme should be if they were indicted or impeached of such treasons or felonies committed 4 None of the foresaid statutes haue béene put in practise to extend to Bishops Bishops though they enioy the name of Lords of the parliament for they haue that name of Bishops in respect of their office or function and not in respect of their nobilitie neither haue they places in parliament in respect of their nobilitie but in regard of their possessions being ancient Baronies annexed to their dignities If a Péere of the Realme be indicted of treason or felonie he may be thereupon arraigned in parliament Arraignment in parliament if it shall please the King 10. E. 4. 6 and then the Lords spirituall shall make one Procurator for them for that by the Cannon lawe they cannot condemne any man to death A Bishop was arraigned in the Kings Bench and not by any Lords of parliament for that hée came to the parliament by summons and departed without licence 3. E. 3. 19 and because this was an offence as well to the King as to the Péeres and the King may comemnce a suite where he please for a trespas done to him therefore this was accepted a lawfull indictment though the complaint was made in an inferiour Court for an offence done in an higher
desire to haue remoued or put out of his Iurie certaine persons And hée may therein haue more fauour than either of the parties to a suit shall haue in other tryals betwéene partie and partie For being arraigned of felonie he may haue a peremptory challenge Peremptorie Challenge in fauour of life which is to say challenge without shewing cause And though he can shew no cause to challenge him that he doth challenge yet if his phantasie or affection doth not stand vnto him by this peremptorie challenge he may cause him to bee remoued and put from the Iurie And by the common law this peremptorie challenge was permitted to the number of 35. persons viz. to so many as would make vp full thrée Iuries sauing one man But sithence by a Statute made Anno 22. H. 8. St. 22. H. 8. 14. Anno 32. H. 8. 3. it is enacted That no person arraigned for any petit Treason Murder or Felonie shall be from henceforth admitted to any peremptorie challenge aboue the number of twentie And so by this statute the number is abridged in three special cases viz. in Petit treason Murder and Felonie And so for High treason peremptorie challenge did remaine as it was at the common law vntill it was wholly taken away by the Statute of Anno 33. H. 8. St. 33. H. 8. 23. which did ordaine That peremptorie challenge should not thenceforth be admitted or allowed in cases of High treason or Misprision of treason And yet after that challenge was againe reuiued in cases of High treason by a statute made Anno 1. 2. P. M. St. 1. 2. P. M. 10. whereby it was enacted That all tryals hereafter to bée had awarded or made for any Treason shall bee had and vsed onely according to the due order and course of the common Lawes of this Realme and not otherwise And then if all tryals in Treasons shall bée according to the common Law peremptorie challenge shall be allowed vpon trial according to the course of the common law as well in Petit treason as in High treason A man being arraigned of High treason 32. H. 6. 20 14. H. 7. 19 and pleading not guiltie certaine of the Iurors were sworne and tried the residue being drawne forth by challenge and the Enquest remaining for default of Iurors at another day the defendant did peremptorily challenge some of those that were first sworne and the challenge was allowed in fauour of life 2. R. 3. 13. And in an Appeale of Robberie the defendant challenged a Iuror for a cause which was tryed against him and then the Iurie remained for default of Iurors and at another day hee challenged the same Iuror peremptorily and he was allowed so to do This peremptorie challenge is not to be taken but where the life of the prisoner is in ieopardie by the tryall And therefore if a man be outlawed of treason or felonie and brought to the barre and there doth plead misnaming or some other plea in auoidance of the sayd outlawrie in that case he shal not haue his peremptorie challenge for that neither treason nor felonie is to be tryed by this issue because they were at an end before by the outlawrie Seuerance in challenge If two thrée foure or more persons be indicted or appealed and arraigned of one offence 9. Ed. 4. 27. Pl. Com. 100. and one enquest is charged to trye them al if one of those persons arraigned do challenge peremptorily any of those Iurors he shal be drawne and put out for them all though one or some other doe desire that he may be sworne for though they be all arraigned together yet in the iudgement of law it is seuerall arraignments for that their offences be seuerall and not one though they be indicted of one offence and so euerie of the prisoners shall haue his challenge so that he do not challenge peremptorily aboue the number of twentie persons But if the Court will it may diuide the panell and also the Tales and make them seuerall for euerie of the prisoners and then euery prisoners challenge shal be by it selfe and auaile himselfe onely that maketh it 2 Besides the foresaid peremptorie challenge which is grounded vpon opinion or phantasie without cause there is another kinde of challenge which is called Challenge vpon cause Challenge vpon cause and is not allowable but vpon reasonable and good cause ordained by the common lawes or statutes of this Realme Whereof one challenge which was at the common law and is also confirmed by statute is a challenge of the indictors for as Britton Britton saith when the defendant doth submit himselfe to be tryed by the countrey and the Iurors doe appeare at the barre they may be challenged and the prisoner may say 27. As p. 13. This man ought not to bée of my Iurie for he did indict me and I doe presume of him and of all my indictors Indictor that they doe carrie the same affection towards me now which they did when they indicted me and this exception is to be alowed in case of death And the same law is confirmed and in a sort augmented by the statute de proditionibus made Anno 25. Ed. 3. St. 25. E. 3. 3 by the which it was accorded That no indictor shall bée put in Enquests vpon the deliuerance of the indictées of Trespasse or of Felonies if hée be challenged for that cause by him that is indicted And as it may appeare this Statute is but a confirmation of the common law in this point and so to be taken fauourably 8. H. 4. 3. 7. E. 4 4 and by that meanes it may be extended as well to Treasons as to Felonies And also it may be construed as well where the prisoner is indicted arraigned vpon an Appeale as where hée is indicted and arraigned vpon the indictment though the same be not contained within the expresse words of the sayd statute Challenge for want of medietatē linguae 3 There is another challenge vpon cause which is to the Array and that is when an Alien is arraigned of Felonie and pleadeth to an Issue and the Enquest is returned all of English men this is a cause of challenge by force of the Statute of Anno 28. Edw. 3. St. 28. E. 3. 13 which did ordaine That in all manner of Enquests and proofes which be to be taken or made amongst aliens and Denizens be they Marchants or others as well before the Mayor of the Staple as before any other Iustices or Ministers although the king be party the one halfe of the Enquest or proofe shall be by Denizens and the other halfe of Aliens if so many Aliens be in the Towne or place where such Enquest or proofe is to be taken that be not parties nor with the parties in contracts pleas or other quarrels whereof such enquests or proofes ought to bée taken And if there be not so
thereunto not guilty the Iury may find that one of them committed the felony by the procuremēt of the other but that he which was the procurer was not present at the cōmitting of the felony 3 And as a Iury may giue a speciall verdict to attenuate an offence The verdict more penall then the Indictment and to make it lesse penall then is contained in the Indictment as in the cases aforesaid so may they by a speciall verdict aggrauate the offence more then the Indictment did As a man was indicted and arraigned for the stealing of linnen Cloth to the value of two shillings whereunto the prisoner pleaded not guilty Fi. Cor. 115 and the Iury found that he did rob the owner of the linnen cloth to the value of x. s. and further that he tooke it from the person of a man whereupon hée was adiudged to be hanged 4 When a man is indicted of the death of another man before the Coroner Where a Iury shall find who killed the dead man vpon the sight of the body slaine and after is acquite the Iury which acquited him must find one that killed him 14. H. 7. 2. 13. E. 4. 3. 22. As p. 39 7. Eli. Dyer 238. or els the meanes whereby he came to his death and if they find that I.N. killed him this shall serue for an indictment against I.N. for it is certaine that there is such a person dead séeing the Coroner did sée him and so recorded it and therfore the maner of this persons death must not cease to be tried vntill it be found But it is otherwise where the prisoner is indicted before other Iustices because notwithstanding such an indictment it may be there was no such person dead for the body was not séene by the Iustices before whom that indictment passed as in the other case it was by the Coroner and therefore their record in that case touching the death of a man cannot be of so great force as the coroners is vnles it be where the death of the man is notorious and generally knowne then if he which vpon an appeale or indictment of the death of that man is arraigned 21. E. 3. 17 pleadeth not guilty is by the Iury found not guilty the Iury shal be charged to inquire who killed him as a man was indicted and arraigned for the killing of another man who thereunto pleaded not guilty and the Iury found him not guilty and because the man was knowne to be killed in the presence of many the Iustices charged the Iury to inquire and find who killed him 37. Ass p. 13 and thē they found that the same man which was killed was in a Tauerne and drunken and fell vpon his owne knife by mischance and so was the cause of his owne death ⧠Clergie What Clergy is 1 CLergie is an auncient liberty of the holy Church and it is when a priest or one within holy orders or any other in whō there is no impossibility to be a priest is arraigned of Felony before a secular Iudge hee may pray to haue his Clergy which was as much before the statute of 18. Eli. St. 18. Eli. 6. as if he had prayed to be dismissed of the temporall Iudge and to be deliuered to the Ordinary to purge him of that offence and now sithence that statute it is as much as if he should pray after the burning in the hand to be enlarged and deliuered out of prison And it appeareth by the statute of Articuli Cleri made Anno 9. Ed. 2. St. 9. E. 2. 15 That a Clerke ought not to be iudged by a Temporall Iudge nor any thing may be done against him that concerneth his life or dismembring of him and though this priuiledge had his beginning from the Cannon Law and not from the common Law of this Realme yet it hath bin confirmed by diuers parliaments and the temporall Iudges haue so fauorably vsed it that they haue graunted it to all that can read although they be no priests nor within holy orders which is more then the Cannon Law requireth for the Cannon Law expecteth no more then that it shal be graunted to priests and such as be within holy orders Where no Clergy by the common Law 2 None of them in whom there is any impediment to be Priest can by the common Law haue the priuiledge of Clergy as he that is blind or maimed or one such as by no dispensation by the Lawes of the Church can be Priest can haue the priuiledge of Clergy Fi. Cor. 461 Neither can any woman haue the priuiledge of Clergy Committer of Sacriledge 3 He that hath committed Sacriledge Fi. Cor. 120 283. 257 26. As p. 1◠27. Ass p. 42 shall not haue the priuiledge of clergy by the common Law if the Ordinary do refuse him the secular Iudge do assent to his refusall and yet it is otherwise if the Ordinary will clayme him for a Clerke and receiue him But if one that hath committed Sacriledge be arraigned of another felony then of that Sacriledge for the which he doth pray his Clergy and doth read well and the Ordinary knowing that he hath committed Sacriledge or some other grieuous crime doth refuse him the said offendor shal be hanged 21. Ed. 4.21 though the Ordinary doth not shew to the Iudges the cause of his refusall S. Br. 24. Fi. Cor. 233. 26. Ass p. 19 4 If one that is a priest or within holy orders hauing not the habit or tonsure of a clerke Habite or tonsure of a clerk do demaund his clergy if the Ordinary do refuse him for it he shal be hanged 9. E. 4. 28. so shall he be if the court do refuse him for that cause though the Ordinary do not refuse him S. Br. 5. 5 He that had his clergy once Clergy allowed but once should haue had it againe by the cōmon law and so oft times but by the stat of 4. H. 7. St. 4. H. 7. 13 it was enacted That euery person not being within orders which once hath béen admitted to the benefit of his clergy being eftsoones arraigned of any such offence shall not be admitted to the priuiledge of his clergy And euery person so conuicted for murther shal be marked with an M. vpon the brawne of the left thumbe and if it be for any other felony he shal be marked with a T. in the same place of the thumbe and those markes to be made by the gaoler openly in the court before the Iudge before the person be deliuered And after by the stat of 28. H. 8. 32. H. 8. St. 28. H. 8. 1. St. 32. H. 8. 3 it was enacted That such as be within holy orders shall be and stand vnder the same paines dangers for their offences and be vsed and ordered to all intents as other persons not being within holy orders shal be 6 He that killeth a
the sayd auntient law for they would not deliuer the prisoner vnto the Ordinarie vntill hée was indicted and also arraigned and that it was enquired by an Enquest of Office whether hée were guiltie or not In which case if he were found not guiltie they would discharge him and if he were found guiltie his goods should bée forfeited his lands taken into the Kings hands and his bodie deliuered to the Ordinarie And the cause of chaunging this law was that the Ordinarie might take greater charge of the prisoner being now indicted than before and to benefit the King by the forfeiture of the prisoners goods and to bréed a greater feare in Clerkes after that they should not offend Which alteration was obserued for law vntill the raigne of King Henry the sixt at which time the Iudges would not admit a prisoner to demaund his Clergie vpon his arraignment but put himselfe first to answer to the Felonie and if hée were found guiltie of the Felonie at his owne suit then to heare him demaund his Clergie and not before 3. H. 7. 1. 12. which is a more reasonable law than the former for before hee should haue forfeited his goods vpon an Enquest of Office whereunto hée could haue no challenge and now he shal be tryed at his owne suit and shall haue his challenge to the Enquest and then if he be found guiltie hée shall forfeit his goods and for the sauing of his life and his lands hée is to pray his Clergie Which hath bin vsed euer sithence and is obserued for law at this time vnlesse the prisoner himselfe will refuse the benefit thereof and pray to haue his booke without hearing the verdict As if a prisoner after an Enquest is charged vpon him Clergy demanded before verdict and before their returne againe will say that he is a Clerke and desire his booke at his perill in this case the Court hath allowed him his Clergie and yet after hath receiued a verdict as well in fauour of life as in fauour of the King for if he be found not guiltie the prisoner shall be discharged and if he bée found guiltie the King shall haue his goods as forfeit And the request of his booke in that case is more for the prisoners disaduantage than the Kings for it may bée a meane that the Iurie vnderstanding thereof will the rather find him guiltie of the felonie than otherwise they would haue done 26. Ass p. 19 33 If a prisoner doe say that hée is no Clerke Denying to be a Clerke and yet is yet after if before iudgement hée doe pray his Clergie where Clergie is allowable by the law and then doth read as a Clerke hée shall haue his Clergie notwithstanding his former words But it hath béene a question Whether clergie is allowable without request whether the Iudges ought to allow any man his Clergie without praying of it though the offendor be indicted by the name of Priest Fi. Cor. 254 Clerke c. or that by some other meanes the Iudges themselues doe know that hée is a Clerke or that without praying of his Clergie they shall giue iudgement of death against him And in this case some doe affirme that if the prisoner doth not pray his Clergie hée shall not haue it though the Iudge doth vpon his owne priuat knowledge vnderstand that hée is a Clerke for the Iudge must in those cases procéed according to his iudiciall knowledge and as by record things bée found proued and tryed before him and not according to his owne naturall knowledge And they bée the rather so induced to thinke by the words of the aforesayd statute of 1. Edw. 6. St. 1. E. 6. 12 which ordayned That a Péere of the Realme shall vpon request haue the benefit of his Clergie and so inferre that without request he shall not haue it nor any other without request which is to haue it vpon request 34 The temporall Court shall be Iudge to allow or disallow of Clergy Who shall allow of clergy and not the Ordinary 15. H. 7. 9. for it was entred into the roll of the court legit vt Clericus ideo tradatur Ordinario by which words it doth appear that the court doth giue allowance therof for the felony being the act which is cōmitted is temporal and the Iudge which did commit him to the Ordinary is temporal so is the authority wherby he did commit him And the Ordinary should haue bin punished if before the stat of 18. Eli. St. 18. El. 6. he had letten to baile or at liberty any prisoner cōmitted to him or if he had imprisoned him too straitly or too easily or would not haue suffered him to haue made his purgation and in that case the king might haue sent his Writ vnto the Ordinarie commaunding him to suffer his prisoner to make his purgation or might haue pardoned him or set him at liberty Fitz. Cor. 44. 17 without making his purgation and if one read as a Clerke and yet the Ordinarie will refuse him notwithstanding hee shall haue the benefite of his Clergie and on the other side if the Ordinarie will say that hee doth read as a Clerke whereas in truth hee doth not read as a Clerke the Court must giue iudgement that hée shall bee hanged and cause execution to bee done of him And further to prooue that the Temporall Court is Iudge of the reading the Court doth appoint the verse or place to the prisoner to read and not the Ordinarie And also doth set a fine vpon the Ordinary 34. H. 6. 49. 21. Ed. 4. 21. 9. E. 4. 28. for saying that the prisoner doth read as a Clerk where he doth not which the court could not do if the reading were referred to the Ordinarie A felon doth read vnder the gallowes 35 If a felon doth not read as a Clerke before the Iudge at the time of his arraignment whereupon he is adiudged to be hanged yet in fauor of life 34. H. 6. 49. if hée arraignment whereupon he is adiudged to be hanged yet in fauor of life if hée do demand it at another time vnder the gallows if any of the Iudges do passe that way and doth read as a Clerke he shall haue the benefit of his Clergie although there be no Ordinary there to demaund him But this is in case where the felon is arraigned and iudged before the Iust of the K. Bench 3. 4. El. Dy. fo 205. or else in case where he is arraigned and iudged before the Iust of gaole deliucrie and it is entred by the Court non legit vt Clericus and then for some cause he is repried vntill the next Session and then againe he is demanded if he can read and then he can and doth read in this case he shall haue his Clergy in fauor of life And though he was taught to read in the gaole this shall saue his life but the
gaoler shal be punished for it 36 The Court vpon the suit of the prisoner may allow him the priuiledge of his Clergie in the absence of the Ordinarie or without the aduice of the Ordinarie or without demanding of the Ordinary vtruÌ„ legit vt Clericus an non 9. E. 4. 28 and so the court néed not expect the presence of the Ordinary if he faile of his attendance for the court doth vse the Ordinary but as a minister in this cause to confirme their iudgement in allowance of Clergie and to heare his opinion if the prisoner be worthy of Clergy or not To what vse the Ordinarie is imployed Because the maner and order is for the Ordinary to deliuer a booke to the Iust who open it and assigne the verse that the prisoner shall read and the Ordinary receiuing the booke of the Iustices doth come to the prisoner and command him to read that verse which béeing done the court doth demand of the Ordinary vtruÌ„ legit vt Clericus an non and the Ordinarie doth answer legit or non legit and then the court doth allow that which the Ordinarie saith if it be true or otherwise not And moreouer the Ordinarie was in former times vsed by the Iustices to another purpose viz. to know if the prisoner were within orders or not which the temporall court could not take knowledge of for if he were within orders he should haue had the priuiledge of the church whether he did read or not by shewing the letters of his orders or by the Ordinaries certificat vntill the stat of anno 28. H. 8. St. 28. H. 8. 1 was made by the which it was ordained That such as be within holy orders shal be and stand vnder the paines and damages for their offences and be vsed and ordered to all intents Clerks within Orders shal be vsed as others be as other persons not being within holy orders shall be And further it may be that the offendor hath bin a committer of sacriledge an heretike or an Apostata or some other grieuous offendor so that the court hearing the Ordinary willing to refuse him would also refuse him What is reading as a Clerke 37 There is a difference of reading for it may be that the prisoner may read two or thrée words of the verse that is assigned vnto him by the court but not the whole verse which is a kind of reading 9. Ed. 4. 28. but not such a reading as a Clerke ought to make for if hée will read as a Clerke hée must read the whole verse But although at the first hée beginneth with spelling and after doth read as a Clerke yet in fauour of life he shal be allowed for a Clerke and the forme of entry vpon request of Clergie 4. Eliz. Dyer 215. is Et tradito ei libro legit vt clericus 38 Though the Court may giue allowance of Clergie in the Ordinaries absence yet that shall not excuse the Ordinary of his attendance The Ordinaries attendaÌ„câ— in proper person or by his deputie vpon paine of a fine to be assessed vpon him by the Court which deputy ought to haue and bring with him sufficient letters of the Ordinarie vnder his seale testifying the authoritie which the Ordinary hath giuen him 25. E. 3. 40. And though his warrant be but to challenge Clerkes arraigned and not Clerks conuicted yet the warrant is good ynough and shal be allowed Contention who is Ordinarie And if two seuerall persons do claime to be Ordinaries the Court ought not to allow either of them but must write to the Metropolitan to make certificat who of right ought to be Ordinarie Fi. Cor. 432 39 He that is indicted by the name of a Clerke A Priest shall haue â—o fetters or appeareth to the Iudge to be a Priest shall not vpon his arraignment stand at the bar in fetters And so was the law in antient time for euery prisoner as Britton Britton reporteth 40 Bigamie in times past was a counterplea to clergy viz. to alledge that he who demandeth the priuiledge of his clergy was maried to such a woman at such a place within such a dioces and that the said woman dyed and that he maried another woman in such a place in the same or another dioces and so hée is Bigamus Or if he hath béene but once maried to say that she which hée maried was a widow and before had bin the wife of such a man which allegation should haue bin tried by the bishop of the dioces where the mariage was alledged to be solemnized And it being certified by the bishop that he was Bigamus the prisoner should haue béene put from his clergie Which was by a Constitution made at the Counsell of Lions as it appeareth by the stat of Bigamie made anno 4. Ed. 1. St. 4. Ed. 1. 5. for before that Counsell of Lions euery man that had bin twice maried or had maried a widow should haue had the priuiledge of clergie But that law was sithence altered by the stat of anno 1. Ed. 6. St. 1. E. 6. 12 wherby it is enacted Bigamus shal haue his Clergie That if any person or persons by this stat or by any other stat or lawes of this realme S. Br. 24. ought to haue or to be admitted to the benefit of his or clergie that the same person or persons shal be from henceforth admitted and allowed to haue his or their clergy although they or any of them haue bin diuers and sundrie times maried to any single woman or single women or to any widow of widowes or to two wiues or mo Any law statute or vsage to the contrarie notwithstanding And though some haue affirmed that the foresaid stat of 1. Ed. 6. St. 1. Ed. 6. was abrogated by a braunch of a stat made 1. 2. P. M. 8. which did repeale all stat prouisions and articles made against the sea of Rome since the xx yere of K. H. 8. and the Pope by his decretals brought in the same exception of Bigamy which was obserued and obeyed as a common law vntill the said stat of 1. E. 6. But that foresaid stat of 1. 2. P. M. 8. was also after repealed by the stat of an 1. El. 1. for the which and some other causes it is agréed and holden for law 3. Eliz. Dyer fol. 201. that the before rehearsed stat of 1. Ed. 6. doth stand and remaine in force and Bigamus shall haue his Clergie 41 It is a good counterplea to him who demaundeth his Clergy to say Another time conuict that he had another time the benefit of his Clergie when he was arraigned of another felony and shew the certainty therof when and where he was arraigned and had his Clergie to demaund iudgement if hée shall haue his Clergie againe Which counterplea was ordayned by the statute of Anno
the words of the Statute be And if they bee lawfully conuict of such abetment by malice which doth proue that they shal haue their answer to that which was found by the Enquest And also it is a good answer for him that is charged to be an abettor to shew sufficient matter to proue Fi. Cor. 386 that the defendant ought not to recouer his damages against the appellant or that the defendant was not lawfully acquit but erroniously But if the abettors would take exception to the inquisition found for that the enquest did not find at what day Fi. Cor. 45 M. 22. E. 4. yeare and place the abetment was made that is no good exception for in that they haue found the abetment they haue performed the words of the statute which be That inquirie shall be made by whose abetment and that they haue found And touching the yeare day and place the defendant in the Appeale must adde to the inquisition and so supply that which wanteth Proces against the abettors 13 Because the said statute hath ordained St. 13. E. 1. 12 that after by an Enquest an abettor is found he shal be distrained by a iudiciall writ at the appellees suit to appeare before the Iustices Therfore it is to be gathered by words of the said statute that the proces against abettors is distresse infinit for this proces of distresse is alwayes pursued by him that is acquit who for his spéedie remedie may prosecute it although the apppellant be not in the Court as where the Appellant was nonsuit in the Appeale and the defendant was arraigned at the Kings suit and acquit and his damages taxed and the abettors found Fi. DamÌ„ 77. in this case the defendant shall haue proces against the abettors presently although the iudgement of damages shal be suspended vntill a Scire facias shall be awarded and returned against the appellant Nonsute in the proces against the abettors And the defendant who is acquit in an Appeale may be nonsuit in the proces which hee doth pursue against the abettors and begin againe if he will for that nonsuit is not peremptorie to him Fit Co. 386 A Writ against the abettors by the appellee 14 There is an originall writ to be purchased by the Appellée who is acquit by verdict against the abettors for their abetment Fitz. Act. sur stat 28. wherein he may count abettors of greater damages than were assessed by the Iustices in the Appeal for of those damages taxed in the Appeale there will lye no attaint because the inquirie touching them is but of office And the defendant in the Appeale cannot compell the Iustices to increase those damages and therefore it is reason that he should releeue himselfe by this action Procurors of indictments for suits in spirituall Courts 13 The same remedie which is giuen by the foresaid stat of West 2. to the def in an appeale of Felony if he be acquite is giuen by the stat made An. 1. R. 2. to him who is falsely indicted for pursuing in a spirituall Court a matter pertaining to the temporall iurisdiction after that he is acquite thereof St. 1. R. 2. 13 The words of which stat be these The Prelates Clergy of the realme do greatly complaine for that people of holy Church suing in the spirituall court for their tithes other things which ought of right and of auncient time were wont to appertaine to the same spirituall court that the Iudges of spirituall courts other persons dealing therein according to the Law be maliciously and vnduly for that cause indicted imprisoned and by the secular power horribly oppressed and also enforced by violence by oathes by grieuous obligations and by many other meanes vnduly compelled to desist and vtterly to leaue off from the things aforesaid contrary to the liberties of the holy Church Wherefore it is enacted That all such Obligations made or to be made by duresse or violence shal be of no value And touching those which do procure by malice such indictments themselues to be indictors after that the same indictées be thereof acquite such procurors and indictors shall haue and incurre the same paine which is contained in the statute of West 2. touching those which do procure false appeales to be made And the Iustices of Assise or other Iustices before whom such persons indicted shal be acquite shall haue authority to inquire of such indictors and procurors and to punish them duly euery person according to his desert ⧠A Writ of Conspiracie Where a writ of Conspiracy doth lie 1 A Writ of Conspiracy doth lie where two or thrée persons or more of malice and by coâ— in doe conspire and deuise to indict another person falsely and after he which is so indicted is acquited in this case he shall haue a writ of Conspiracy against those who did so conspire to indict him But this writ doth lye against two persons at the least 28. Ass p. 12 11. H. 4. 2. which doe so conspire for if one person of malice and his own false imagination doth labour and cause one to be falsely indicted the party which was so indicted shall not haue a writ of Conspiracy but an action vpon â—he case against him who caused him to be falsely indicted 2 At the common law a writ of Conspiracy did lie as well vpon an acquitall in an appeale as it doth at this day on an acquitall vpon an indictment But there hath growne a question thereof sithence the stat of West 2. was made St. 13. E. 1. 12 Registrum for that in the writ of Conspiracy in the Register it is noted for a rule and also it is affirmed by some others That a writ of Conspiracy doth not lye vpon an appeale for that the said stat of West 2. gaue to the def dammages against the appellant and the abettors Fit Na. Bre. 114. and so in a sort prouided for him another remedy But to say generally that the def shall not haue a writ of Conspiracy vpoÌ„ an acquital in an appeale for that he may haue damages against the appellant and the abettors is no sufficient reason for the said stat doth not giue to the def inquiry against the abettors but vpon his owne request and therefore if he will omit to desire it he shal haue the remedy ordained by the common law which law is not changed by the foresaid stat of West 2. that is in the affirmatiue doth not restraine the benefit giuen by the common law And it may be that the damages assessed by the enquest of office will not be so beneficiall vnto him as the damages which wil be giuen by a Iury that is taken at the parties suit whereunto he shall haue his challenges and an attaint if they giue a false verdict Also in a Writ of Conspiracy proces is to be awarded by Capias and Exigent which proces is not to
same in a writ of Maintenance brought against him but he cannot retaine or intreat a man learned in the law to be of counsell with the principall partie nor meddle further in that cause than to sée the mainprise performed and himselfe discharged Maintenance in respect of his interest in the land 24 Euerie person that hath any interest in land may meddle and maintain him who is impleaded for the same land and not bee punished therefore in a writ of Maintenance As if tenant for terme of life or in taile of land bée impleaded for the same land or any part thereof Bro. Maint 53. he in the reuersion or remainder thereof may at his owne charges maintaine him in that suit for the safegard of his owne estate for it is in a sort his owne case and the defence of it is to his owne benefit and the euiction to his owne disheritance But this maintenance must be after tenant for terme of life hath atturned vnto him in the reuersion for i◠he maintaine the suit before it is punishable in him 9. H. 6. 64. And so it is if a man being seised of land hath issue a daughter who is maried to another if the father in law be impleaded of that land in a reall action the sonne in law may maintaine him at his owne charges for that by possibilitie that land may after the decease of his father in law descend to his wife and so come to him in her right But if the daughter dye without issue of her bodie begotten by the said husband before the said suit commenced 14. H. 7. 2. 6. E. 4. 5. 19. E. 4. 3. then the sonne in law cannot maintaine the father in law in that suit Neither can hee maintaine him during the life of his wife if an action of Debt couenant account or any other personall action be brought against him for he is neither to take benefit or losse by any of those suits 6. E. 4. 2. 39. H. 6. 20. And if a man seised of land make a lease for certaine yeares of the same and after a suit is commenced betwéene the said lessée for yeares and a stranger touching the same land or any part thereof the lessor may giue euidence for the lessée vpon the triall of the cause in question or otherwise may maintaine him in that suit at his owne charges for it tendeth to his owne priuat benefit or losse And in some case a man may maintaine a suit lawfully though he be neither heire to the land nor in possession reuersion Maintenance in respect of his possibilitie or remainder thereof As if a man being seised of land 9. H. 6. 64. doe make a lease thereof to another for the terme of the life of the lessee and after doth grant to a straunger that if the said tenant for terme of life doe dye during the same lessors life that then the same stranger shall haue and enioy the same land for the terme of xx yeares after the death of the same tenant for life if in this case the tenant for life be impleaded for this land the same stranger may maintaine him for the sauing of his owne estate for yeares and yet he hath no certaintie but a possibilitie of a terme for yeares which peraduenture will neuer chance And likewise in some other case a man may maintaine a suit lawfully though he be neither in possession reuersion remainder or possibilitie of the thing in question Maintenance in respect of his warranty As if a man be seised of a rent going out of another persons land 11. H. 6. 49. to him and to his heires and by his déed doth graunt the same to another and to his heirs with clause of warrantie and the tenant of the land out of the which this rent is issuing doth atturne to the grauntée of this rent if after the grauntée be impleaded of this rent vpon tryall of the issue the grantor may come into the Court and shew to the Iurors such euidence as he hath to prooue the title of this rent and it is lawfull maintenance and not punishable in him though he was neither called into the Court by voucher to warrantie or by Warrantia Chartae And so might he haue done if he had beene called to warrantie by any of the meanes aforesaid vpon a warrantie made of land or rent for it is to preserue himselfe out of daunger and from recompencing in value of that whereof before he had made warrantie 25 As it is in lands and leases so is it in rents goods and debts Maintenance in respect of his rent for euerie person that hath interest in them may meddle and maintaine and defend him who is impleaded or prosecuted by suit or doth implead or prosecute by suit any other for any matter or cause concerning him or whereupon hee doth depend so that the same suit doth tend to impeach preiudice or trouble his estate therein or may redound to his benefit or profit or may be a meane thereof 9. H. 6. 64. As if a man haue a rent charge in fée out of certaine lands and another man hath in custodie a boxe of writings concerning the same rent and after hée that hath the rent doth graunt it to a stranger and his heires to the which graunt the tenant of the land charged doth atturne and moreouer the grantor of that rent charge doth graunt to the assignee of the same that if he can recouer the same boxe of writings that then the same assignee shall haue them If after this graunt the grauntor doth pursue a writ of Detinue against him that hath the custodie of this boxe of writings he to whom the same rēt charge was graunted may lawfully maintaine him in that suit for that by promise he is to haue the same boxe of writings if it be recouered for the preseruation of his estate in the said rent charge 11. H. 6. 47. And a Lord may maintaine his tenant if he be impleaded for his freehold A Lord may maintaine his tenant in respect of his rent and seruices that he is to receiue and haue of him And so it was before the Statute of Vses made anno 27. H. 8. if a man had made a feoffement of land to others to his owne vse the feoffor might maintaine the freehold tenant which held of his feoffees in respect of the vse which he hath in the rent and seruice of that tenant 15. H. 7. 2. 26 And the same law is touching debt As if A. do owe vnto B. xx l. and C. doe owe to A. xx l. due by Obligation Maintenance in respect of debt and A. will deliuer vnto B. the same Obligation in satisfaction of the xx l. which he doth owe him In this case B. may sue an Action of Debt vpon this Obligation against C. in the name of A. and retaine an Attourney and learned counsell and pursue and
be adiudged to the pillory the third time he shal be imprisoned make fine the fourth time he shall forsweare the towne And in this manner shal it be done of all that offeÌ„d in like case as of cookes that séeth flesh or fish any waies that is not holesome for mans body or after that they haue kept it so long that it looseth the naturall holesomenesse then séeth it againe and sell it And in like sort St. 39. El. 10 by one other statute made An. 39. El. it was enacted That if any alien or stranger born or any denizen or naturall born subiect of this realme shal bring into any hauen port créeke or town of this realme any salt fish or salt herrings which shal not be good swéet seasonable méet for maÌ„s meat shal offer the same to be sold and shall be warned by any officer of such Port c. where the same shal be offered to be sold that the same be not seasonable nor méet for mans meat Then if he or they shall after that offer any of the said vnseasonable fish to be sold to any person within this Realme or being an alien borne and no denizen shall not depart with the same from the said Hauen Port or Towne so soone as conueniencie will serue Then all and euery person owners therof shall forfeit to the Queen all the said vnseasonable fish vnméet for mans meat as is aforesaid And by a statute made Anno 4. Ed. 3. it was established St. 4. E. 3. 12 That assay shall be made of wines twice euery yeare once at Easter and another time at Michaelmas and more oft if néed be by the lords of the Townes and their Baylifes and also by the Mayors and Baylifes of the same townes and all wines that be found corrupt shal be powred out and the vessels broken ⧠Extortion Exaction 1 EXtortion is a wrong done by an Officer What is Extortion as Ordinarie Archdeacon Officiall Maior Bailife Shirife Escheator Coroner Vndershirife Auditor Receiuer Clerke or other Officer or by any other by colour of an office in taking of an excessiue reward or fée and more then the law doth allow him for execution of his said office which offence in some degrées is worse then the priuy picking of a mans purse in secret and the transgressor in a sort may be compared to the Fréebooter which with drawne sword and with menacing words assaulteth the trauailer by the way who casteth down his purse to him for feare of further hurt And so is the poore sutor many times inforced to doe to the Officer when of necessitie he must vse his helpe It is a thing most odious and offensiue to the iustice and peace of the Realme and to all the members thereof that those men who be specially made choice of and principally selected to serue their prince and countrey and to further the execution of iustice in their offices and places and be sufficiently rewarded with conuenient stipends for their paines therein should in contempt of the law assesse their owne fées in a sort put their hands in other mens purses and there take what they will and thereby doe wrong vnder the colour and shadow of iustice Exaction is a wrong done by an officer What is Exaction or by one pretending to haue authoritie in demaunding and taking reward or fée for that matter cause or thing which the law doth allow no fée at all And as our common statute lawes haue declared which offences or acts they doe condemne and adiudge as Extortions and Exactions so haue they prescribed in most cases seuerall penalties to be inflicted vpon the seuerall transgressors therein leauing the residue to be punished at the kings pleasure or by the discretion of such of his Iudges Iustices or others by his commission authorized before whom the offendors shall be thereof conuicted And further our said statute lawes haue set downe for the most part what fées or duties the sutor ought to pay to the officer the officer is to demaund of him to the intent that the one shall not be ignorant what to offer nor the other what to require and to the end that the Law hauing written it in a sort in the officers forehead what his duty is he may blush when he looketh in the sutors face and demaundeth more 2 I will begin with an Exaction that no former generation did tast of heare of or feare but it hath sprung vp of later yeares bin greatly exclaimed of and condemned in this our present age which is taking of money or some other reward for a Report or Certificat wherein the offendor most commonly doth a double iniury and to two seuerall persons viz. first to him whose mony fee or other reward he taketh for the fauourable making of that report in his behalfe whereas the law doth allow him none for reporting but otherwise bountifully rewardeth him for that and all such other paines and next and chiefely to him in preiudice of whom or whose case he maketh that report He doth not now indifferently respect the cause in question but bendeth his eye vpoÌ„ the reward which he hath receiued and deuiseth to accomplish the request of the one and yet to yéeld to the other not the effect but some colour of iustice The King at his coronation doth promise to all his subiects Mag. Chart. St. 9. H. 3. 29 Quod nulli vendemus nulli negabimus aut differemus iusticiam whereupon the whole realme did take it vnkindly at their hands who being the kings Substitutes in place of iustice and receiuing but a small particle of his authoritie would doe then all the said offences at once and sell denie and deferre iustice to some of the kings subiects certifie that for good which was bad or that for iustice which was méere iniurie Or if they did make report and certificat of that which was iust and true would sell it and take money or other reward for it which the king himselfe vpon his oath refuseth to doe And therefore because all exâ—â—tions extortions and corruptions be odious as well in this as in all other well gouerned Commonweales and to the intent to preuent the like enormities in this and other ages by a statute made Anno 1. Iacob it was enacted St. 1. Iac. 10 That no person to whom any order or cause shal be committed Exaction by taking or reward for a report or referred by any of the Kings Iudges or Courts at Westminster or any other Court directly or indirectly or by any act shift colour or deuice haue take or receiue any money fée reward couenant obligation promise agréement or any other thing for his report or certificat by writing or otherwise vpon paine of forfeiture of one hundred pounds for euery such report or certificat and to be depriued of his office and place in the same Court The one moitie to be to the king his
heices c. the other moitie to the party grieued which will sue for the same at any time during the said suit or within one yeare after the same cause discontinued or decréed and in his default of such suit to him or them that will sue for the same by originall writ B. P. or I. in the Kings Court of Starre-chamber or in any of his Courts of Record at Westminster in which suit by B. P. or I. no W. E. P. S. P. or any other delay shall be admitted The Clerkes duty Prouided neuerthelesse That it shal be lawfull for the Clerke to take for his paines for writing of euery such report or certificat twelue pence for the first side and two pence for euery side after and no more vpon paine to forfeit tenne shillings for euery penny taken ouer and aboue the said summes to be had and recouered as aforesaid Extortion in the shirife coroner other officers 3 For that the kings of this Realme haue allowed to their Officers from time to time sufficient Salaries to maintaine them according to their estates and degrées to the intent that they should not otherwise extort any thing from their subiects but such fées duties as the auncient customes laws or statutes of the realme did allow them Therfore by the statute of West 1. it was ordained That if any shirife coroner St. 3. E. 1. 26 or other officer of the kings do take any thing to execute his office but only that which the king alloweth him he shal render double to the party and shal be punished at the kings pleasure St. 3. E. 1. 29 4 To preuent extortion in certaine Officers of the Iudges Extortion in a Serieant Crier or Marshall of a Iudge by the same stat of West 1. it was enacted That if the Serient Crier or Marshall of any Iustice do wrongfully take mony of any which doth recouer land obtaine his suit leuie a fine or prosecute any suit touching any plea of the Crowne he shal be punished at the kings pleasure and yéeld treble damages to the party grieued And if hée be a Serieant of fée his Office shal be seised into the K. hands But in an attaint 29. Ass p. 13 if the plaintife be nonsuit euery of the petit Iurie shall pay xij d. to the Marshall and be discharged 5 To eschew extortion which in some cases before had béen committed by some Coroners St. 1. E. 1. 10. St. 1. H. 8. 7 first by the stat of anno 3. E. 1. Extortion in a Coroner and after that by the stat of anno 1. H. 8. it was established That a Coroner vpon request made to him to come and inquire vpon the view of any person slaine drowned or otherwise dead by misaduenture the same Coroner shall doe his office diligently vpon the view of the bodie of euerie such person or persons without taking any thing therefore vpon paine to euery Coroner that will not endeuor himselfe to doe his Office as is aforesaid or that hée taketh any thing for dooing of his Office vpon euerie person dead by misaduenture for euerie time fortie shillings 27. Ass p. 14 And vpon the said statute of Anno 3. Ed. 1. two Coroners were indicted of Extortion for that they had taken of some of the K. people halfe a mark at seuerall times contrarie to the foresaid stat and their othes and therefore they paid a fine to the King 6 Because the Sherife of euerie Countie is a great and necessarie Officer in the Commonweale and vsed as a speciall instrument to the furtherance of iustice in all suits pursued at the common law and his seruice is imployed in the beginning prosecuting and ending of the most of them therefore as the law hath alwayes had a speciall regard of him and foreséene that he shall be a man of wisedome of worth of credit countenance and ability and that he shall be allowed a conuenient stipend and salary for his pains in most cases so doth she carrie a vigilant and watchfull eye vpon him and his inferiour Officers or Substitutes knowing what grieuous oppressions might ensue if she should leaue a man of his authoritie and necessarie imployment at libertie to diue at his pleasure into other mens purses and to take what hee would and therefore she hath restrained him his Vndersherife Bailife of Franchise and other Bailife within certaine lists and assigned them what they shall take for Arrests Attachements Mainprises letting to Baile and seruing of Executions which if any of them do cxcéed he shall forfeit the penalties hereafter expressed and be adiudged an extortioner Extortion in Sherifes Vndersherifs Bailifes As appeareth by the stat of An. 23. St. 23. H. 6. 10. H. 6. whereby it was ordained That no Sherife Vndersherife Bailife of Franchise nor any other Bailif by occasion or vnder colour of his Office shall take any other thing by themselues or by any other person to their vse or to their profit of any person by any of them arrested or attached nor of any other for them for the omitting of any arrest or attachement to bée made by their bodies or of any person by any of them by force or colour of their office arrested or attached for fine fée mainprise letting to bayle or for shewing any ease or fauour to any such person so arrested The fées of the Sherife for arrests c. for their reward or profit but such as followeth viz. The Sherife xx d the Bailife which maketh the arrest or attachement iiij d. the Gaoler if the prisoner be cōmitted to his ward iiij The Sherifes duetie for the making of a copie of a Panel d. The Sherife Vndersherife Sherifes Clerke Steward or Bailif of Franchise seruant to the Bailife or Coroner shall not take by colour of his office by himselfe nor by any other person to his vse any thing of any person for making of any returne or panell and for the copie of a panell iiij d. No Sherife nor none of the officers aforesaid shall take or cause to be taken or made any obligation by colour of their office but onely to themselues of any person nor by any person which shall be in their ward by course of the law but in the name of their office and vpon condition written that the said prisoners shall appeare at the day of the said writs bils or warrants and in such places as the said writs bils or warrants shall require And if any of the said Sherifes or other officers aforesaid take any Obligation in any other forme by colour of their offices it shall be void And he shall take no more for making of any such obligation The Sherifes c. forfeiture for extortion warrant or precept by him to be made but iiij d. And all Sherifes Vndersherifes Clerks Bailifes Gaolers Coroners Stewards Bailifes of Franchises or any other Officers or Ministers which doe contrarie to