is called a courte Baron And to euery fayre market is incident a court that is called a court of Pypowdres And though in some statutes is made meÌ„cion somtyme of the sayd courtes / yet neuertheles of the fyrste Institucion of the sayd courtes and that suche courtes shulde be / there is no statute nor law writteÌ„ in the lawes of Englande And so all the grouÌ„de begynniÌ„g of the sayde courtes depeÌ„de vpoÌ„ the custome of the realme the whiche custome is of so hygh auctoritie that the sayde courtes ne theyr auctorities maye nat be altered / ne theyr names chaunged without Parlyament ⧠Also by the olde custome of the realme no maÌ„ shal be takeÌ„ iÌ„prysoned disseased nor otherwyse destroyed / but he be put to answere by the lawe of the lande this custome is coÌ„fermed by the statute of Magnacarta the .xxvi. chapitre ⧠Also by the olde custome of the realme all men great small shal do receyue Iustice in the kinges courtes / this custome is coÌ„fermed by the statute of Marl the .i. Chapitre ⧠Also by the olde custome of the realme the eldest sone is onely heyre to his auncestour / if there be no sones but doughters then all the doughters shal be heyre so it is of susters other kynneswomen And if there be nother sone / doughter / brother / nor suster / then shall the enheritaunce discende to the nexte kynnesman or kynneswoman of the hole blode to hym that had the enhitauÌ„ce of howe many degrees so euer they be from hym And if there be no heyre generall nor speciall / then the lande shall Eschete to the lorde of whome the lande is holden ⧠Also by the olde custome of the realme landes shall neuer ascende / nor disceÌ„de froÌ„ the sone to the father or mother / nor to any other auncestre in the right lyne / but it shall rather Eschete to the lorde of the fee. ⧠Also if any alyeÌ„ haue a sone that is an alyen after is made Denizyn / hath another sone / after purchaseth laÌ„des and dyed / the yoÌ„ger sone shall enherite as heyr nat the eldest ⧠Also if there be thre bretherne the mydlest brother purchase landes dyed without heyre of his body / the eldest brother shall inheryt as heyre to hym nat the yonger brother ⧠Also if lande in fee symple disceÌ„de to a man by the ê‘re of his father he dyed without heyre of his body / then that inheritaunce shall discende to the next heyre of the parte of his father And if there be no suche heyre of the parte of his father / then if the father purchased the laÌ„des it shal go to the next heyre of the fathers mother / nat to the next heyres of the sonesmother but it shall rather Eschete to the lorde of the fee but if a man purchase laÌ„des to him to his heyres dye without heyre of his body as is sayd before / theÌ„ that laÌ„de shall disceÌ„de to the next heyre of the parte of his father if there be any / if nat then to the next heyre of the parte of his mother ⧠Also if the sone purchaseth laÌ„des iÌ„ fee dye without heyre of his body / the lande shall discende to his vncle shall nat asceÌ„de to his father / but if the father haue a sone thoughe it be many yeres after the deth of the elder brother / yet that sone shal put out his vncle shall enioye the lande as heyre to his elder brother for euer ⧠Also by the custome of the realme the chylde that is borne before spouselles is bastarde shall nat inheryte ⧠Also the custome of the realme is that no maner of goodes nor catalles reall nor parsonell shall neuer go the the heyre / but to the executours / or to the ordinary or administratours ⧠Also the husbande shall haue all the Chatelles parsonelles that his wyfe had at the tyme of the spouselles or after and also Chatelles real if he ouer lyue hê wyfe but if he sell or gyue away the Chatelles realles dye by that sale or gyfte the enterest of the wyfe is determined / els they shall remayne to the wyfe if she ouer lyue her husbande ⧠Also the husbaÌ„de shall haue all the inheritauÌ„ce of his wyfe wherof he was seased in dede in the right of his wyfe during the spouselles in fee or in fee tayle general for terme of lyfe / if he haue any chylde by her to holde as tenaunt by the curtesye of EnglaÌ„de / the wyfe shall haue the thyrde parte of the inheritaunce of her husbande wherof he was seased in dede or in lawe after the spouselles c. but in that case the wyfe at the deth of her husbande muste be of the age of .ix. yere or aboute / or els she shall haue no dowrye ¶ Doctoure what if the husbande at his deth be within the age of .ix. yere ¶ Student I suppose she shall yet haue her dower ⧠Also the olde lawe custome of the realme is that after the deth of euery tenaÌ„te that holdeth his landes by knyghtes seruice the lord shall haue the warde mariage of the heyre tyll the heyre come to the age of .xxi. yere And if the heyre in that case be of full age at the deth of his auncestre / then he shall paye to his lorde his relyefe / whiche at the coÌ„mon lawe was nat certayne / but by the statute of Magna carta / it is put in certayne that is to saye for euery hole knyghtes fee to pay C. sÌ„ And for a hole baronye to pay a. C. marke for relyef And for a hole erledom to pay a. C. li. after the rate And if the heyre of such a tenauÌ„t be a womaÌ„ / she at the dethe of her auncestre be within the age of .xiiii. yeres / then by the coÌ„mon law she shuld haue ben inwarde onely tyll .xiiii. yere / but by the statute of WestmÌ„ the fyrste in suche case she shal be inwarde tyll .xvi. yere And if at the deth of the auncestre she be of the age of .xiiii. yere or aboue / she shal be out of warde / though the laÌ„des be holden of the kynge And theÌ„ she shall pay relyef as an heyre male shall ⧠Also of landes holden in socage if the auncestre dye / his heyre beynge withiÌ„ the age of .xiiii. yeres / the next freÌ„d of the heyt to whome the inheritauÌ„ce may nat discende shall haue the warde of his body landes tyll he shall come to the age of .xiiii. yere / theÌ„ he may entre And wheÌ„ the heyre coÌ„meth to the age of .xxi. yere / theÌ„ the gardeyn shall yelde hym accoÌ„pte for the ê“fettes therof by hym receyued ⧠Also suche an heyre in socage for his relyefe shall double his rent to the lorde the yere folowyng the deth of his auncestre / as if his auÌ„cestre
lysteth may so accompte them / or if he wyll he may take theÌ„ for one grounde after his pleasure / of which maximes I shal hereafter shewe the parte ⧠Fyrst there is a maxime that escuage vncertayne maketh knyghtes seruice ⧠Also there is another maxime that escuage certayne maketh socage ⧠Also that he that holdeth by castelgarde / holdeth by knyghtes seruice / but he holdeth nat by escuage And that he that holdeth by .xx. s. to the garde of a castell holdeth by socage ⧠Also there is a maxime that a disceÌ„t taketh awaye an entre ⧠Also that no prescripcion in laÌ„des maketh a ryght ⧠Also that a prescripcion of rente of profites aprendre out of lande maketh a ryghte ⧠Also that the limitacioÌ„ of a ê‘scripcioÌ„ generally takeÌ„ is froÌ„ the tyme that no maÌ„nes mynde renuyth to the contrarie ⧠Also that assignes may be made vpoÌ„ laÌ„des gyueÌ„ in fee for terme of lyfe / or for tme of yeres though no meÌ„cioÌ„ be made of assignes / the same lawe is of a rent that is grauÌ„ted / but otherwyse it is of a waraÌ„tie of a couenaunte ⧠Also that a condicion to auoyde a freholde can nat be pleaded without dede / but to auoyde a gyft of a chatel it may be pleaded without dede ⧠Also that a release or a confirmacion made by hym that at the tyme of the release or coÌ„firmacion made had no ryghte is voyde in the law / though a righte come to hym after / except it be with warrauÌ„tye / theÌ„ it shall barre hym of all right that he shall haue after the warrauÌ„tye made ⧠Also that a right or title of accioÌ„ that onely dependeth in accion can nat be gyueÌ„ nor graunted to none other but onely to the tenaunt of the grouÌ„de / or to hym that hath the reuercion or remayndre of the same lande ⧠Also that in an accion of dette vpon a contracte the def maye wage his law / but otherwyse it is vpoÌ„ a lease of laÌ„des for terme of yeres or at wyll ⧠Also that if an exigent in case of felonye be awarded agaynste a man he hathe therby forthwith forfeted his goodes to the kynge ⧠Also if the sone be attaiÌ„ted in the lyfe of the father / and after he purchaseth his Chartour of pardon of the kynge / after the father dyed In this case the laÌ„de shall Eschete to the lorde of the fee in so moche that that though he haue a yoÌ„gerbrother yet the laÌ„de shall nat discende to hym / for by the atteyndre of the elder brother the blode is corrupte the father in the lawe dyed without heyre ⧠Also if an Abbot or a Priour alyene the landes of his house dyed / in that case though his successour haue right to the laÌ„de / yet he may nat entre but he muste take his accioÌ„ that is appoynted hiÌ„ by the law ⧠Also there is a maxime iÌ„ the law that if a villayne purchase landes the lord entre / he shall enioye the laÌ„de as his owne / but if the villayne alyene before the lorde entre / that alienacion is good And the same law is of goodes ⧠Also if a maÌ„ stele goodes to the value of .xii. d. or aboue it is felonye / and he shall dye for it And if it be vnder the value of .xii. d. then it is but petite larcinie he shall nat dye for it / but shal be otherwyse punysshed after the discrecioÌ„ of the Iuges except it be takeÌ„ fro the person / for if a maÌ„ take any thynge howe lytell so euer it be / from a maÌ„nes ê‘son felonously / it is called roberye he shall dye for it ⧠Also he that is areyned vpon an InditemeÌ„t of felonie shal be admitted iÌ„ fauoure of lyfe to chaleÌ„ge .xxxv. iurours pereÌ„torily but if he chaleÌ„ge any aboue that nombre / the law taketh hiÌ„ as one that hath refused the law because he hath refused thre hole enquestes / therfore he shal dye but with cause he may chaleÌ„ge as many as he hath cause of chaleÌ„ge to And further it is to be vnderstaÌ„de that suche peremtorie chaleÌ„ge shall nat be admitted in appeale because it is at the suyt of the partie ⧠Also the lande of euery man is in the law enclosed froÌ„ other though it lye iÌ„ the opeÌ„ felde And therfore if a maÌ„ do a trespas theriÌ„ the writ shal be quare clausuÌ„ fregit ⧠Also that reÌ„tes / coÌ„mons of pasture of turbary reuercioÌ„s remayndres / nor suche other thyngê which lye nat in manuell occupacioÌ„ may nat be gyuen nor grauÌ„ted to none other without writtynge ⧠Also that he that recouereth dette or damages in the kynges court by suche an accioÌ„ within a Capias lay in to the ê“cesse may withiÌ„ a yere after the recouerie haue a Capias ad satisfacienduÌ„ to take the bodye of the defendauÌ„t to coÌ„mit hiÌ„ to pryson tyll he haue payd the dette damagê but if there lay no Capias iÌ„ the fyrst accioÌ„ theÌ„ the pleyntyfe shall haue no Capias ad satisfacieÌ„duÌ„ / but muste take a Fierifacias or an Elegit withiÌ„ the yere or a Scire facÌ„ aft the yere or within the yere if he wyll ⧠Also if a release or confirmacioÌ„ be made to hym that at the tyme of the release made had no thynge in the laÌ„de cÌ„ the release or coÌ„firmacioÌ„ is voyde except certaiÌ„ cases as to vouchye certayne other whiche nede nat here to be remembred ⧠Also there is a maxime in the lawe of Englande that the kynge may dissease no maÌ„ / ne that no maÌ„ may dissease the kynge ne pull any reuercyon or remayndre out of hym ⧠Also the kynges excelleÌ„cie is so hygh in the law that no freholde may be gyuen to the kynge ne be deriuied from hym / but by matter of recorde ⧠Also there was somtyme a maxime a lawe in Englande that no man shulde haue a writte of right but by special suyt to the kynge And for a fyne to be made in the ChauÌ„cerie for it / but these maximes be chauÌ„ged by the statute of Magna carta the .xvi. Chapi where it is sayd thus Nulli negabimê° nulli vendemus rectum vel iusticiam And by the wordes nulli negabimus / a maÌ„ shall haue a writte of righte of course in the ChauÌ„cerie without suynge to the kynge for it And by the wordes nulli vendemê° He shall haue it without fyne and so many tymes the olde maximes of the law be chaunged by statutes ⧠Also though it be reasonable that for the many solde diuersities of accions that be in the lawes of Englande / that there shulde be diuersities of processe as in the reale accions after one maner / in personall accions after another maner yet it can nat be proued merely by reason that the same processe ought to be had none other / for by statute it might be altered And so
partie Also where there can be had no sufficieÌ„t prouffe / there can be no remedye in the Chauncerye / no more than there maye be in the spirituall courte And bycause thou haste gyuen an occasion to speke of conscience / I wolde gladly here thy oppynion where coÌ„scieÌ„ce shal be ruled after the lawe / and where the lawe shal be ruled after conscieÌ„ce ¶ Doc. And of that mater I wolde lykewyse gladly here thy oppinion / specially in cases grouÌ„dyd vpon the lawes of Enlgande / for I haue nat herde but lytell therof in tyme past / but byfore thou put any cases therof I wolde that thou woldest shewe me how those two questioÌ„s after thy oppinion are to be vnderstande ¶ Of what lawe this question is to be vnderstande that is to say / where coÌ„scieÌ„ce shal be ruled after the lawe The .xix. Chapitre STudent The lawe wherof mencion is made in this question that is to say where conscience shal be ruled by the lawe / is nat as me semeth to be vnderstande only of the lawe of reason / of the lawe of god / but also of the lawe of man that is nat contrary to the lawe of reason nor the lawe of god but that it is supperadded vnto them for the better orderynge of the comon welth / for suche a lawe of man is alwayes to be sette as a rule in coÌ„science so that it is nat lawful for no man to go fro it on the one syde ne on the other / for suche a lawe of man hath nat only the strength of mannes lawe / but also of the lawe of reason / or of the law of god / wherof it is dyriuied / for lawes made by man whiche haue receyued of god power to make lawes be made by god And therfore coÌ„scieÌ„ce muste be ordered by that lawe / as it muste be vpon the lawe of god / vpon the lawe of reason And ferthermore that lawe wherof meÌ„cion is made in the latter ende of the chapitre next byfore that is to saye in that question wherin it is asked where the lawe is to be lefte forsaken for conscience / is nat to be vnderstande of the lawe of reason nor of the lawe of god for tho two lawes maye nat be lefte / nor it is nat to be vnderstande of the lawe of man that is made in particuler cases / that is consonant to the lawe of reason / to the lawe of god / that yet that lawe shuld be lefte for coÌ„science for of suche a lawe made by man coÌ„scieÌ„ce muste be ruled / as is sayd byfore Nor it is nat to be vndepstaÌ„de of a lawe made by man coÌ„maundynge or prohybitynge any thynge to be done that is agaynste the lawe of reason or the lawe of god For if any lawe made by man / bynde any person to any thyng that is agaynste the sayd lawes / it is no lawe / but a corrupcion a manifeste errour Therfore after them that be lerned in the lawes of Englande / the sayde question that is to saye where the lawe is to be lefte for coÌ„science and where nat / is to be vnderstande in diuers maners after diuers rules / as here after shall somwhat be touched ¶ Fyrste many vnlerned persones byleue that it is lawfull for them to do with good conscience / all thynges whiche if they do them / they shall nat be punysshed therfore by the lawe / though the law doth nat warraunt them to do that they do / but onely when it is done doth nat for some reasonable coÌ„sideracion punysshe hym that dothe it / but leuyth it onely to his coÌ„science And therfore many persones do oft tymes that they shulde nat do / kepe as theyr owne that / that in coÌ„scieÌ„ce tey ought to restore / wherof there is in the lawes of Englande this case ¶ If two men haue a woode ioyntly / the one of them selleth the wood kepeth all the mony hollye to hym selfe In this case his felowe shall haue no remedye agaynste hym by the lawe / for as they whan they toke the woode ioyntlye put eche other in truste / were contented to occupy togyther so the lawe sufferyth them to ordre the profittes therof accordynge to the truste that eche of them put other in And yet if one toke all the profittes / he is bounde in coÌ„science to restore the halfe to his felowe for as the lawe gyueth hym ryght onlye to the halfe lande / so it gyueth hym ryght only in coÌ„scieÌ„ce to the halfe ê“fittes And yet neuertheles it can nat be sayd in that case / that the lawe is agaynst coÌ„science / for the lawe neyther wyllyth ne coÌ„maundyth that one shulde take all the ê“fittes / but leuyth it to theyr coÌ„science so that no defaute can be founde in the lawe / but in hym that taketh al the profittes to hym selfe may be assigned defaute / whiche is bounde in conscieÌ„ce to reforme if he wyll saue his soule / though he can nat be compelled therto by the lawe And therfore in this case other lyke / that oppinion which some haue / that they may do with coÌ„science all that they shal nat be punysshed for by the lawe if they do it / is to be lefte for coÌ„scieÌ„ce / but the lawe is nat to be lefte for conscience ☞ Addicion ⧠Also many men thynke that if a man haue laÌ„de that another hath tytle to / if he that hath the ryght shal nat by the accion that is gyuen hym by the law to recouere his ryght by recouere damagê / that then he that hath the lande is also discharged of damages in conscience and that is a great errour in conscience / for though he can nat be compelled to yelde the damagê by no mannes lawe / yet he is compelled therto by the lawe of reason by the lawe of god / wherby we be bounde to do as we wolde be done to / and that we shal nat coueyte our neyghbours good And therfore if tenant in tayle be disseased the disseasour dyeth seased / and then the heyre iÌ„ the tayle bryngeth a Formedon recoueryth the lande / no damages for the lawe gyueth hym no damage in that case yet the tenant by coÌ„scieÌ„ce is bounden to yelde damages to the heyre in tayle fro the dethe of his ancestre Also it is taken by some men / that the lawe muste be lefte for conscience where the lawe dothe nat suffre a man to denye that he hath byfore affermed in court of record / or for that he hath wylfully excluded hym selfe therof for some other cause / as if the doughter that is only heyre to her father wyll sue lyuerey with her suster that is bastarde / in that case she shall nat be after receyued to say that her suster is bastarde in so moche that if her suster take halfe the lande with her / there is no remedy agaynst her by the law And
fourth lesson the thyrde corollarie sayth that god wyl that makers of lawes iuge only of outwarde thynges reserue secrete thinges to him And so it appereth that man maye nat iuge of the inward intent of the deed / but of suche thynges as be apparaūt / certayne it is that it is nat apparaunte that there was any suche corrupte entent in the makers of the sayd statute / howe may it therfore be sayd that that lawe is good or right wyse / that nat only suffereth suche thynges agaynst the statute / but also agaynst the commaundement of god ¶ Studēt To that some answere say that whan the lande is solde a recouery is had therupon in the kīges court of recorde that it sufficeth to barre the tayle in conscience / for they saye that as the tayle was fyrste ordayned by the lawe So they saye that by the lawe it is adnulled agayne ¶ Doctoure Be thou thy self iuge if in that case there be lyke auctorite in the makynge of the tayle as there is in the adnullynge therof / for it was ordayned by auctorite of parliament / the which is alway taken for the moste hyghe court in this realme byfore any other / and it is anulled by a false supposell for that that they that be named demaundaūtes shulde haue right to the lande where in trouthe they neuer had right therto whereupō foloweth a false supposell in the writte / a false supposell in the declaracion a voucher to warraūte by couyn of suche a person as hath nothynge to yelde in value thereupon by couyn collucion of the perties foloweth the default of the vouchee by the whiche default the iugement shall be gyuen And so al that iugemente is deriuyed grounded of the vntrue supposell ouyn of the parties / whereby the lawe of realme that hath ordayned suche a writte of entre to helpe them that haue righte to landes or tenementes is defrauded the courte is desceyued the heyre is disherited as it is to doubte the byer the seller theyr heyres assignes hauing knowlege of the tayle be bounde to restitucion / and verily I haue herde many tymes / that aft the lawe of the realme suche recoueries shulde be no barre to the heyre in the tayle if the lawe of the realme might be therein indifferently harde ¶ Studēt I can nat se but that after the lawe of the realme it is a barre of the tayle / for whan the tenāt in tayle hath vouched to warrauntie / and the vouchee hathe appered entred in to the warrauntye / after hath made defaut in despite of the court whereupō iugemēt is gyuen for the demaundaunt agaynste the tenaunt / for the tenaunt that he shal recouer in value agaynst the vouchee / the heyre in the tayle shulde after brynge his forme done and recouer the landes intayled / and after vouchee purchaseth landes / than shulde the heyre also haue execucion agaynst hym to the value of the landes entayled as heyre to his auncestre that was tenaunt in the fyrst accion and so he shulde haue his owne landes / and also the landes recouered in value and therefore bycause of that presumpcion that the vouchee maye purchase landes after the iugement / some be of opinion that it is in the lawe a good barre of the tayle ¶ Doctor. I suppose that in that case thou haste put that the vouche maye barre the heyre in tayle of his recouerie in value bycause he hath recouered the fyrste landes Neuerthelesse I wyll take a respite to be aduised of that recouerye in value And if thou can yet shewe me any other consideracion why the sayde recoueries shuld stāde with conscience / I praye the let me here thy cōceyte therein / for the multitude of the said recoueries is so great that it were greate pytye that all they shuld be bounde to restitucion that haue landes by suche recoueries syth there is none that as far as I can here disposeth them to restore ¶ Student Some men make an other reason to proue that the sayde recoueries shulde be sufficient by the lawe to a voyde the state of west than if they be sufficiēt therto / they be sufficient in conscience ¶ Doctour What is theyr reason therin ¶ Student In the .vii. yere of kynge Hēry the .viii. the .iiii. chapitre amonge other thynges it is enacted / that all recouers theyr heyres assignes may aduowe and iustifie for rentes seruice and customes by them recouered as they agaynste whome they recouered mighte haue done And than they saye that whā the parliamēt gaue to suche recouerers auctorite to aduowe iustifie for suche rētes customes seruices as they recouered / that the entēt of the parliament was that suche recouers shulde haue right to that for the whiche they shulde aduowe or iustifi for els they saye that it shuld be in vayne to gyue thē suche power / that the parliament shulde els be takē in maner as fortifiers of wrōg full rules so they say that suche recouerers by reason of the sayde statute haue right the law ¶ Doctour That statute as it semeth was made onely to gyue to the recouerers a forme to aduowe iustyfie / whiche they had nat byfore though they had recoueryd vpon a good tytle And the cause why they had no forme to aduowe or iustifie byfore the sayde statute was for as moche as the recouerers dyd nat by the pretence of theyr acciō afferme the possession of him or thē agaīst whome they recouered / nor claymed nat by them / but rather disafermed and distroyed theyr astate And therfore they cā nat alege any continaunce of theyr title by thē / as they may that haue rentes or seruices / or such other of the graunt of other by dede or by fyne And therfore as it semeth the moste principall intent of that statute was that suche recouerers shuld auowe iustify for rentes seruices customes as they shulde or might do that had them by fine or dede nat hauinge any respect as it semeth whether they recouered agaynst tenaūt in fee simple or in fee tayle / nor whether the recoueries were had vpon a rightfull title And therfore as me semeth the sayd estatute neyther affermeth nor disaffermeth the title of the recoueries wherby they do aduowe for if a man had right byfore the recouerye that right shulde remayne vnto hym natwithstandynge the sayd statute so me semeth that the title of them that haue the landes entayled by suche recoueries is nothynge fortyfyed nor affermyd by the said estatute but that they are ī the same case as they were byfore what thynkest thou therin ¶ Student / this mater is great / for as thou sayste there be so many that haue tayled landes by suche recoueries / that it were great pytie heuynes to condempne so many persones to iuge that they all were bounde to restitucion For I thynke there
saye if a man make a feoffement in fee vpon condiciō that the feffe shall nat alien it to any man that condiciō is voyde for it is incidente to euery state of the fee simple that he that is so seased may alien And lyke as in a fee simple there is incident a power to aliene / so in a state tayle there is a secrete intent vnderstande in the gyfte / that no alienacion shal be made And therefore thoughe the intente of the sayde Iohan at noke were that if he fell in to pouertie that he might sel though he at the takynge of the gyfte openly declared his intente to be so / yet that intent shulde be voyde by the lawe as me semeth and if it be voyde by the lawe it is also voyde in conscience / and so the sayde recouery muste be taken in this case to be of the same effecte as recoueryes of other landes intayled be / and in none other maner ☞ The .iiii. question of the Student / cōcernynge recoueryes of enheritaūce entayled The .xxx. Chapitre STudent If an annuite be graunted to a man to haue to perceyue to the graunt and to the heyres of his body of the cofers of the grauntour And after the graunte suffereth a recouere agaynste hym in a writte of entre by the name of a rent in dale of lyke summe as the annuite is of with vouchers iugemēt after the cōmon course / bothe parties intende that that annuite shal be recouered whether shal that recouere binde the heyre ī the tayle of his annuite ¶ Doctor. what if it were a rēt goynge out of lāde of what effect shuld the recouere be than ¶ Student It shuld be than of lyke effecte as if it were of lande ¶ Doctoure And so it semeth to be of this annuite / for as me thynketh a rēte an annuite be of one effecte / for the one of them shal be payde in redye money as the other shal ¶ Studēt That is trouth and yet there be many greate diuersities betwixte them in the lawe ¶ Doctoure I praye the shewe me some of tho diuersities ¶ Student Parte I shall shewe the / but I wot nat whether I can shew the al but fyrste thou shalte vnderstāde that one diuersitie is this Euery rente be it rente seruice / rente charge / or rēt seke / is goyng out of lande / but an annuite goth nat out of any lande / but chargeth onely the person that is to saye the grauntoure or hys heyres that haue assez by discente / or the howse if it be graunted by a howse of a religion to perceyue of theyr cofers Also of an annuyte there lyeth no accion but onely a writ of annuite agaynst the graūtour his heyres or successours / that writ of annuite lyeth neuer agaynste the pernoure but onely agaynste the grauntour or his heyres / but of a rente the same accions maye lye as do of lande as the case requyreth it lyeth somtyme of rente agaynste the tenaunte of the grounde / and somtyme agaynst the pernour of the rent / that is to saye agaynste hym that taketh the rent wrongefully / somtyme agaynst neyther as of a rente seruyce assise maye lye for the lorde agaynste the mesme and a dissesoure / or somtyme agaynste the mesne onely if he dyd also the disseason Also an annuite is neuer taken for an asses bycause it is no freholde in the law / ne it shal nat be put in execucion vpō a statute marchaunt / statute staple ne elegit as rente maye And bycause the sayde writte of entre laye nat in this case of this annuite And that it can nat be entēded in the law to be the same annuite / though it be of lyke summe with the annuite ne though the parties assented and mente to haue thesame annuite recouered by the sayde writte of entre / therefore the sayde recouerie is voyde in lawe and conscience / but if suche a recouerie be had of rente with a vouchere ouer than it shal be taken to be of lyke effecte as recoueries of landes be in suche maner as we haue treated of before ☞ The .v. question of the Student / concernynge tayled landes The .xxxi. Chapitre STudent If landes be gyuen to a mā and to his wyfe in the name of his ioyntoure by the father of the husbāde to haue and to holde to them and to the heyres of theyr two bodyes begotten / and after they haue issue the husbande dyeth and the wyfe alieneth the lande / against the statute of .xi. H. vii suffereth a recouerye thereof to be had agaynste her to the vse of the byer / and after her sone heyre apparaunte / that is heyre to the tayle releaseth to the recouerers by fyne dyeth hauynge a brother on lyue / and after the mother dyeth who hath righte to that lāde the byer or the brother of hym that released ¶ Doctoure what is thyne oppinion therein / I praye the shewe me ¶ Student We semeth that the byer hathe righte / for by the sayd statute made in the .xi. yere of kynge Henry the .vii. amonge other thynges it is enacted that if any man / whiche hath landes of the gyft of her husbande / or of the gyfte of any of the auncestoures of the husbande / suffre any recouerye thereof agaynste her by couyne / that than suche recouerye shall be voyde / and that it shal be lawfull to hym that shulde haue the lande after the dethe of the woman to entre and it to holde as in his fyrste righte / prouided alwaye that that statute shall nat extende where he that shulde haue the lande after the dethe of the woman is agreable to any suche alienacion or recouerye so that / that agremente be of recorde And for as moche as the heyre in this case agreed to the said recouerye by fyne / whiche is one of the hyest recordes in the lawe / it semeth that the byer hath righte agaynste that heyre that agreed and agaynste all that shal be heyres of the tayle / and that nat onely by the sayde recouery / but also by the sayde statute whereby the sayde recouerye with assent of the heyre is affermed ¶ Doctor Though the byer in this case haue righte during the lyfe of the heyre that released / yet neuertheles after his dethe his heyre as it semeth maye lawfully entre / for the agremēt wherof the statute speketh must as I suppose eyther be had before the recouery / or els at the tyme of the recouery for if a title by reason of the sayd statute be ones deuolute to the heyre in the tayle / than that right as it semeth can nat be extincte nor put awaye by the onely fyne of the heyre / no more than if he had dyed and the nexte heyre to hym had released to the byer by fyne / in whiche case the release coulde nat extincte the righte of the
no discharge to hym to paye it agayne to the executoures without they payed it ouer / and it were vncertayne to hiÌ„ whether they wolde paye it or nat And therfore to be out of peryll it is necessarye that he paye it hym selfe / and than is he surely discharged agaynst all men ⧠The .x. question of the student The .xii. Chapitre ¶ STudent A man seased of certayne lande in his demeane as of fee / hathe issue two sones and dyeth seased / after whose dethe a straunger abateth / taketh the profytes / and after the eldest sone dieth without issue and his brother bringeth an assise of MortdauÌ„cestre as sone and heyre to his father nat makynge mencion of his brother and recouereth the lande with damages fro the deth of his father as he may wel by the lawe / whether iÌ„ this case is the yonger brother bounde in coÌ„science to pay to the executours of the eldest brother the value of the profytê of the sayd lande that belonged to the eldest brother in his lyfe or nat ¶ Doctour What is thyne opinion therin ¶ Student That lyke as the said profytes belonged of right to the eldest brother in his lyfe / and that he had full auctorite to haue released as well the ryghte of the sayd lande as of the sayd ê“fytê / whiche release shulde haue ben a clere barre to the yonger brother for euer That the ryght of the said damages whiche be in the lawe but a chatell / bylonge to his executoures and nat to the heyre / for no maner of chatell neyther reall nor parsonall shall nat after the lawe of the realme discende vnto the heyre ¶ Doctoure Thou saydest to the case next byfore / that it is nat of the lawe of reason that a man shall may make executours / and dispose his goodes by his wyll / and that the executoures shall haue the goodes to dispose but by the lawe of man / and if it be lefte to the terminacion of the lawe of man ThaÌ„ in suche cases as the lawe gyueth suche chatelles vnto the executoures / they shall haue good ryghte vnto them / and in suche cases as the lawe takethe suche chatelles frome them they bene ryghtfully taken frome them And therfore it is thoughte by many that if a man sue a wrytte of ryghte of warde of awarde that he hathe by his owne fee and dyeth hangynge the wrytte / and his heyre sue a resomons accordynge to the statute of Westmester seconde / and recouereth that in that case the heyre shal enioye the wardeshype agaynste the executoures / and yet it is but a chatel / and they take the reason to be bycause of the sayd estatute / and so myghte it be ordeyned by statute that all wardes shulde go to the heyres and nat to the executoures Ryght so iÌ„ this case syth the lawe is suche that the yonger brother shall in this case haue an assyse of Mort dauncestre as heyre to his father nat makynge any mencion of his elder brother recouer damages as well iÌ„ the tyme of his brother as in his owne tyme it appereth that the lawe gyueth the right of these damages to the heyre / and therfore no recompence ought to be made to the executoures as me semeth / and it is nat lyke to a wryt of Ayel where as I haue lerned iÌ„ Latyn syth our fyrste dialogue the demaundauÌ„t shall recouer damages onely fro the deth of his father if he ouer lyue the Ayel / and the cause is for the demauÌ„t though his Ayel ouer lyued his father must of necessite make his coÌ„ueyauÌ„ce by his father muste make hiÌ„ selfe sone heyre to his father cosyn heyre to his Ayel / therfore in that case if the father ouer liued the Ayel the abatour were bouÌ„den in coÌ„science to restore to the executours of the father the profytes reÌ„ne in his tyme / for no lawe taketh theÌ„ fro hiÌ„ / but otherwyse is iÌ„ this case as me semeth ¶ Student If the yonger brother in this case had entred into the lande without takyng any assyse of Mort dauncestoure as he myght if he wolde / to whome were the abatour than bounden to make restitucioÌ„ for those profytes as thou thynkest ¶ Doctour To the executours of the eldest brother / for iÌ„ that case there is no law that taketh them from them / and therfore the general grounde whiche is that al chatels shall go to the executoures holdeth in that case / but in this case that grounde is broken and holdeth nat for the reason that I haue made byfore / for comonly there is no general grounde in the lawe so sure but that it fayleth in some particuler case ⧠The .xi. question of the student The .xiii. Chapitre STudent A man seased of lande in fee taketh a wyfe / and after alieneth the lande and dyeth / after whose deth his wyfe asketh her dower and the aliene refuseth to assigne it vnto her / but after she asketh her dower agayne and he assigneth it vnto her / whether is the alme in this case bounde in conscience to gyue the woman damages for the profites of the land after her thyrde parte fro the dethe of her husbande / or fro the fyrst request of her dower or neyther the one nor the other ¶ Doct. what is the lawe in this case ¶ Student By the lawe the woman shall recouer no damagê / for at the comoÌ„ lawe the demauÌ„daunt iÌ„ a wrytte of dower shulde neuer haue recouered damages But by the statute of Marton yt is ordeyned that where the husband dyeth seased that the womaÌ„ shall recouer damages whiche is vnderstande the profytes of the land sythe the dethe of her husband / suche damagê as she hathe by the forberynge of it / but in this case the husbande dyed not seased / where fore she shall recouer no damages by the lawe ¶ Doctour yet the lawe is that immediately after the dethe of her husbande the wyfe ought of ryght to haue her dower yf she aske it thoughe her husbande died not seased ¶ Student That is trewe ¶ Doctoure And sithe she ought to haue her dower fro the dethe of her husbande yt semeth that she ought in coÌ„science to haue also the profytes fro the dethe of her husbande though she haue no remedy to come to them by the lawe / for me thynketh that that this case is lyke too a case that thou puttest in our fyrste dyalogue in latyn the xvii chapytre That if a tenaunte for terme of lyfe be dysseased dye / the disseasoure dyeth / and his heyre entreth and taketh the profytes / after he in the reuercyon recouereth the laÌ„dê against the heyre as he ought too do by the lawe / that in that case he shall recouer no damages by the lawe And yet thou dydest agree that iÌ„ that case the heyre is bounde in concience to pay the damages to the demaundaunt so me
haue the rent in coÌ„science shal be dryuen to sue for his remedy by Sub pena ¶ Doctour I am coÌ„tent with thy conceyte in this matter for this tyme. ⧠The .xvi. question of the student The .xviii. Chapitre STudent A vylleyne is graunted to a maÌ„ for terme of lyfe / the vylleyne purchaseth landes to hym and to his heyres / the tenaunt for terme of lyfe entre the / in this case by the lawe he shall enioye the landes to hym and to his heyres / whether shall he do so in lyke wyse in conscienec ¶ Doctour Me thynketh it fyrst good to se whether it maye stande with conscience that one man may clayme an other to be his vylleyne / and that he maye take fro hiÌ„ his landes and goodes and put his body in prysoÌ„ if he wyll / it semeth he loueth nat his neyghbour as hym selfe that dothe so to hym ¶ Sudent That lawe hathe bene so longe vsed in this realme and in other also / and hath ben admitted so long in the lawes of this realme and of diuerse other lawes also and hath bene affermed by bisshoppes / abbotes / priors / and many other men bothe spirituall and temporall which haue take aduauntage by the sayd lawe haue seased the landes and goodê of theyr vylleyns therby and cal it theyr ryght enheritaunce so to do that I thynke it nat good / nowe to make a doute ne to put it in argument whether it stand with conscieÌ„ce or nat / and therfore I pray the admittyng the lawe in that behalfe to stande in conscience shewe me thyne opinion in the question that I haue made ¶ Doctour Is the lawe clere that he that hath the vylleyne but only for the terme of lyfe shal haue the landes that the vylleyne purchaseth in fee to hym and to his heyres ¶ Student I verely I take it so ¶ Doctour I wolde haue take the lawe otherwise / for if a seygnoury be graunted to a man for terme of lyfe and the tenaunt attourne / and after the lande eschete and the tenauÌ„t for terme of lyfe entreth he shal haue there none other estate iÌ„ the lande than he had in the seygnourye / and me thynketh that it shuld be lyke law in this case / and that the lorde ought to haue in the lande but suche estate as he hathe in the vyllayne ¶ Stud. The cases be nat lyke / for in that case of the eschete the tenaunt for terme of lyfe of the seygnourye hathe the landes in the lieu of the seignourie / that is to saye / in the place of the seignourie / the seignourie is clerely extincte / but in this case he hathe nat the lande iÌ„ the lieu of the vylleyne / for he shal haue the villeyne styl as he had byfore / but he hath the landes as a ê“fyte come by meanes of the vylleyne whiche he shall haue in lyke case as the vylleyne had them / that is to saye / of all goodes and catalles he shal haue the hole propertie and of a lease for terme of yeres he shall haue the hole terme / and for terme of lyfe he shall haue the same estate / the lorde shall haue the lande durynge the lyfe of the vyleyne of lande in fee simple of an estate tayle that the vylleyne hath / the lorde shall haue the hole fee simple / all thoughe he had the vylleyne but onely for terme of yeres so that he entre or sease accordyng to the lawe byfore the vylleyne alien or elles he shall haue nothynge ¶ Doctoure Verely and if the lawe be so / I thynke conscience folowethe the lawe therin / for admyttynge that a man maye with conscience haue an other man to be his hylleyne / the iugement of the lawe in this case as to termine what estat the lord hath in the lande by his entre is neyther agaynst the lawe of reason nor agaynst the lawe of god / and therfore conscience muste folowe the lawe of the realme / but I pray the let me make a lytell dygression to here thyne opinion in a nother case somewhat perteynynge to the question / and it is this if an executour haue a vylleyne that is his testatoure had for terme of yeres he purchaseth landes in fee and the executour entreth in to the lande / what estate hathe he by his entre ¶ Student A fee simple / but that shal be to the behoue of the testatoure and shal be an assesse in his handes ¶ Doctoure Well than I am contented with thyne conceyte at this tyme in this case and I praye the procede to a nother question ¶ Ttudente For as moche as it appereth in this case and in some other byfore that the knowlege of the law of EnglaÌ„de is ryght necessarie for the good orderynge of conscience I wolde here thyne opinion if a man mistake the lawe what dauÌ„ger it is in conscience for the mistakynge of it ¶ Doctour I praye the put some case in certayn therof that thou doutest in / and I wyll with good wyll shewe the my mynde therin for elles it wyll be somwhat longe or it can be playnly declared / and I wolde nat be tedious in this wrytynge ⧠The .xvii. question of the student The .xix. Chapitre STudent A man hath a vylleyne for terme of lyfe the vylleyne purchaseth landes in fee as in the case in the laste Chapitre and the tenauÌ„t for terme of lyfe entreth and after the vylleyne dyeth / he in the reuercion pretendynge that the tenauÌ„t for terme of lyfe hath nothyng in the land but for terme of lyfe of the vylleine / asketh counsayle of one that sheweth him that he hath good ryght to the lande and that he may lawfully entre / and through that couÌ„sayle he in the reuercion entreth / by reason of the whiche entre great sutes and expences folowe in the lawe to the great hurte of bothe parties / what daunger is this to hym that gaue the counsayle ¶ Doctour Whether meanest thou that he that gaue the counsayle gaue it wyttyngly agaynste the lawe / or that he was ignoraunt of the lawe ¶ Student That he was ignorauÌ„t of the lawe for if he knewe the lawe gaue counsayle to the contrarie I thynke hym bounde to restitucion both to hym against whome he gaue the counsayle / and also to his client if he wolde nat haue sued but for his counsayle of all that they be dampnified by it ¶ Doctour Than wyl I yet ferther aske the this question / whether he of whome he asked counsayle gaue hym selfe to lernynge to haue knowlege of the law after his capacite or that he toke vpon hiÌ„ to gyue counsayle and toke no study competent to haue lernynge / for if he dyd so I thynke he be bounden in conscience to restitucion of all the costes and damages that he susteyned to whome he gaue counsayle if he wolde nat haue sued but throughe his counsaile And also
haue no couÌ„sayle / thaÌ„ to dryue hym to plede after the strayte rules formalities of the lawe that he knoweth nat ¶ Doctoure But what if he be knowen for a comon offender / or that the Iuges knowe by examinacioÌ„ or by an euident presumpcion that he is gylty he asketh sent wary / or pledeth misnomer or hath some recorde to plede that he can nat plede after the fourme Maye nat the Iuges in suche cases byd hym plede at his peryll ¶ Student I suppose that they may nat / for though he be a comon offender or that he be gyltye / yet he oughte to haue that the law gyueth hym / that is that he shal haue the effecte of his plees of his matters entred after the forume of the law / and also somtyme a man by examinacion by wytnes may appere gyltye that is nat gyltye And in likewyse there may be a vehement suspicion that he is gyltye that yet he is nat gyltye / therfore for suche susspicious or vehement presumpcious me thynketh a man may nat with conscieÌ„ce be put fro that he ought to haue by the lawe ne yet all though the Iuges knew it of theyr owne knowlege But if it were in appele I suppose that the Iuges might do therin as they shulde thynke best to be done in coÌ„science / for there is no lawe that byndeth them to iÌ„structe hym / but as they do comoÌ„ly the partyes of fauoure in all other cases but they may if they will byd them plede at theyr peryll by aduise of theyr couÌ„cell / if the appelle be pore haue no couÌ„cell the court muste assigne hym couÌ„cell if he aske it as they muste do iÌ„ all other plees / that me thynketh they are bouÌ„de to do in conscience though the appelle were neuer so great an offender / and though the Iuges knewe neuer so certaynly that he were gyltye / for the lawe byndeth theÌ„ to do it And some thynketh that there is great diuersite betwene an indicte an appelle And the reason why the lawe prohibiteth nat couÌ„cell in appelle as it dothe in an inditement I suppose is this There is no appell brought but that of comon presumpcion the appellauÌ„t hath great malice agaynst the appelle As whan the appele is broughte by the wyfe of the deth of her husbande / or by the sone of the deth of his father / or that an appele of robbery is brought for steliÌ„g of goodes And therfore if the iuges shulde in those cases shewe them selfe to instructe the appells the appellauntes wolde grutche thynke theÌ„ perciall / therfore as wel for the indeÌ„pnitie of the court as of the appelle in case that he be nat gyltye the law suffereth the appelle to haue couÌ„cell / but whaÌ„ that a maÌ„ is indicted at the kynges sute / the kiÌ„ge inteÌ„deth nothyng but iustice with fauour that is to the rest quietnes of hê faithful subiectê / to pul away misdoers amoÌ„g them charitably / therfore he wyll be contented that his iustices shall helpe forthe the offenders accordyng to the trouthe as feâ—te as reasone iustice may sufice And as the kynge wyll be contented therein it is to presume that his couÌ„sayle wyll be coÌ„tented And so there is no daunger therby neyther to the couâ—â— ne to the party / as I suppose for this treason it bega that they shulde haue no councell vpoÌ„ inditementes that hath so longe continued that it is nowe growe into a custome into a maxi of the lawe that they shall none haue ¶ Doctoure But if the iuges knowe of theyr owne knowlege that the induer is gylty / than he pledeth misnomer or a recorde that he was autre â—oytz arraynded acquyt of the same murdre or felony / the iuges of theyr owne knowlege know that the plee is vntru may they nat than bid hiÌ„ plede at his peryll ¶ Student I thynke yes but if they know of theyr owne knowlege that he were gylty of the murdre or felonye but that the plee was vntrewe they knewe nat but by coÌ„iecture or informacioÌ„ I thynke they mighte nat then byd hym pleade at his peryll ☞ The seconde question of the Doctoure whether the warrantie of the ionger brother that is taken as heyre bycause it is nat knoweÌ„ but that the eldest brother is ded / be in conscience a barre vnto the elder brother as it is in the lawe ⸫ The .xlix. Chapitre DOctoure A man seased of landes in see hathe issue two sonnes the eldest sone goth beyonde the see bycause a comon voyce is that he is ded the ionger brother is takeÌ„ for heyre / the father dyeth the ionger brother entreth as heyre alieneth the lande with a warantye dyeth without any heyre of his body / after the elder brother cometh agayne claymeth the lande as heyre to his father / whether shall he be barred by that warantye in conscience as he is in the lawe ¶ StudeÌ„t It is an maxime in the lawe that the eldest brother shall in that case be barred And that maxime is taken to be of as stroÌ„ge effecte in the lawe as if it were ordeyned by statute to be a barre And it is as old a law that suche a waraÌ„tye shall barre the heyre as it is that the enheritaunce of the father shall onely descende to the eldest sone And syth the lawe is so why shulde nat thaÌ„ conscieÌ„ce folow the lawe as well as it doth in that poynt that the eldest sone shall haue the lande ¶ Doctour For there appereth no resonable cause wherupon that maxime mighte haue a lawfull begynnynge / for what reason is it that the warantye of an auncestre that hath no right to the lande shulde barre hym that hath righte And if it were ordeyned by statute that one maÌ„ shuld haue a nother maÌ„nes laÌ„de no cause is expressed why he shulde haue it / in that case though he mighte holde the lande by force of that statute / yet he coulde nat holde it in conscience without there were a cause why he shulde haue it these cases be nat lyke as me semyth to the forfeture of goodes by an outlawrye / for I wyll agree for this tyme that that forfeture staÌ„deth with conscience bycause it is ordeyned for ministracioÌ„ of iustice / but I caÌ„ nat ê‘ceyue any suche cause here therfore me thinketh that this case is lyke to the maxime that was at the comoÌ„ law of wrecke of the see / that is to say that if a maÌ„nes goodes had beÌ„ wrecked vpoÌ„ the see that the goodes shuld haue ben iÌ„mediatly forfayted to the kyng And it is holdeÌ„ by all doctors that that law is agaiÌ„st coÌ„science except certayne cases that were to longe to reherce now And it was ordeyned by the statute at Westmynster the first that if a dogge or cat come alyue to the
helde by .xii. d. rente the heyre in the yere folowynge shall paye that .xii. d. for his reÌ„t / other .xii. d for his relyef And that relyefe he muste paye though he be within age at the deth of his auncestre ⧠Also there is an olde law custome in this realme that a freholde by way of feffement gyfte or lease passeth nat without lyuery of season be made vpoÌ„ the laÌ„de according though a dede of feffemeÌ„t be therof made deliuered but by way of surrendre particion eschauÌ„ge a freholde maye passe without liuery ⧠Also if a maÌ„ make a wyll of laÌ„de wherof his is seased iÌ„ his demesne as of fee / that wyll is voyde / but if it had stande in feffes handes it had ben good And also in London suche a wyll is good by the custome of the cytie if it be inrowled ⧠Also a lease for terme of yeres is but a chatel in the lawe / therfore it may passe without any liuery of season / but otherwise it is of a state for terme of lyfe for that is a freholde in the law / therfore lyuerey muste be made therof or els the freholde passeth nat ⧠Also by the olde custome of the realme a man may distreyne for a rent seruice of coÌ„mon right And also for a rent reserued vpoÌ„ a gifte in tayle / a lease terme of lyfe / of yeres at wyll / in suche case the lorde may distreyne the tenauntes of beestes as soon as they come vpoÌ„ the grouÌ„de / but the beastê of strauÌ„gers that come iÌ„ but by maner of an escape / he may nat distreyne tyll they haue beÌ„ leuaÌ„t couchaÌ„t vpoÌ„ the grouÌ„de but for dette vpoÌ„ an obligacioÌ„ nor vpoÌ„ a contracte / nor for accompte ne yet for arerages of accoÌ„pte / nor for no maner of trespasse / reparacions / nor suche other no man may distreyne ⧠Also by the olde law custome of the realme all yssues that shal be ioyned betwixte partie partie in any court of recorde within the realme except a fewe wherof it nedeth nat to treate at thê tyme / must be tryed by .xii. fre lawfull meÌ„ of the visne that be nat of affinitie to none of the parties And in other courtes that be nat of recorde / as in the countye / court baron / hundred suche other lyke / they shal be tryed by the other of the ê“tyes nat other wyse oneles the partyes assente that it shal be tryed by the homage And it is to be noted that lordes / Barons / all pyers of the realme be excepted out of suche trialles if they wyll / but if they wyll wylfully be sworne therin / some say it is no erroure And they may if they wyll haue a writte out of the Chauncerie directed to the Shyryfe coÌ„maundynge hym that he shal nat impanell them vpon no enqueste And of this that is saydbefore it appereth that the customes aforesayd nor other lyke vnto theÌ„ / wherof be very many in the lawes of Englande can nat be proued to haue the strenght of a law onely by reasoÌ„ for how may it be proued by reason that the eldest sone shall onely enherite his father the yoÌ„ger to haue no parte / or that the husbaÌ„de shall haue the hole laÌ„de for terme of his lyfe as tenaunt by the courtesye in suche maner as before appereth And that the wyfe shall haue onely the thyrde parte in the name of her dower / that the husbande shall haue all the goodes of his wyfe as his owne And that if he dye lyuynge the wyfe / that his executours shall haue the goodes / nat the wyfe All these suche other can nat be proued onely by reason that it shulde be so no otherwyse all though they be reasonable / that with the custome theriÌ„ vsed suffiseth in the law And a statute made agaynst suche generall customê ought to be obserued because they be nat merely the law of reason ⧠Also the law of ê“pretie is nat the law of reason / but a law of custome how be it that it is kept / is also right necessarie to be kept in all realmes amoÌ„ge all people And so it may be noÌ„bred amoÌ„ge the generall customes of the realme And it is to vnderstande that there is no statute that treateth of the begynnyng of the sayd customes ne why they shulde beholden for law And therfore after theÌ„ that be lerned in the lawes of the realme the olde custome of the realme is the onely sufficiente auctoritie to them in that behalfe And I pray the shewe me what doctours holde therin / that is to say whether a custome onely be sufficient auctoritie of any lawe ¶ Doctoure doctours holde that a law grouÌ„ded vpon a custome is the moste surest law / but this muste always vnderstaÌ„de therwith that such a custome is nother coÌ„trarie to the lawe of reason / nor to the law of god And now I pray the shewe me somwhat of the maxymes of the lawe of Englande wherof thou haste made mencioÌ„ before in the .iiii. chapitre ¶ StudeÌ„t I wyll with good wyll ☞ Of the .iiii. grounde of the lawe of Englande The .viii. Chapitre STudent The .iiii. grouÌ„de of the law of EnglaÌ„de standeth in diuers principles that be called in the lawe maximes / the which haue ben always takeÌ„ for law iÌ„ this realme / fo that it is nat lawfull for none that is lerned to denye them / for euery one of those maximes is sufficiente auctoritie to hym selfe And whiche is a maxime / whiche nat shall alway be determined by the Iuges / nat by .xii. men And it nedeth nat to assigne any reason / why they were fyrste receyued for maximes for it suffiseth that they be nat agaiÌ„st the law of reason nor the law of god / and that they haue alway be taken for lawe And suche maximes be nat onely holden for law / but also other cases lyke vnto theÌ„ all thynges that necessarily foloweth vpoÌ„ the same / ar to be reduced to lyke law And therfore moste coÌ„meÌ„ly there be assigned some reasons or coÌ„sideracion why suche maximes be resonable to the intente that other cases lyke may the more conueniently be applyed to them And they be of the same strength effect in the law as statutes be And though the generall custome of the realme be the strength warraunte of the sayd maximes as they be of the generall customes of the realme / yet because the sayd generall customes be in maner knowen throughe the realme as well to them that be vnlerned as lerned / may lightly be had knowen and that with lytell studye And the sayd maximes be onely knoweÌ„ in the kynges courtes or amoÌ„ge them that take great studie in the lawe of the realme / amonge fewe other persones Therfore they be set in this writtynge for seuerall groundes he that
fre men / then they may also byqueth laÌ„des to mortmayne ⧠Also in gauelkynde though the father be hanged the sone shal enheryt / for theyr custome is the father to the bough / the son to the ploughe ⧠Also in some countres the wyfe shall haue the halfe of the husbandes landes in the name of her dowrye as longe as she lyueth sole ⧠Also in some couÌ„tre the husbaÌ„de shall haue the halfe of the enheritauÌ„ce of hê wyfe / though he haue no yssue by her ⧠Also in some couÌ„tre an Infante when he is of the age of .xv. yere maye make a feoffement / and the feoffement good And in some countre when he can mete an elle or clothe ∴ ☞ Of the .vi. grounde of the lawe of Englande The .xi. Chapitre STudent The .vi. grouÌ„de of the lawe of EnglaÌ„de standeth in dyuers statutes made by our soueraygne lord the kynge his progenitours / by the lordes spiritual temporall / the coÌ„mons in diuers parlyamentes in suche cases where the law of reason / the law of god / customes / maximê / ne other grouÌ„des of the law semed nat to be sufficieÌ„t to punysshe euyll meÌ„ / to rewarde good meÌ„ And I remeÌ„bre nat that I haue sene any other grouÌ„des of the law of EnglaÌ„de / but onely these that I haue before remeÌ„bred Furthermore it appereth of that I haue sayd before that oft tymes two or thre grouÌ„des of the lawe of EnglaÌ„de must be ioyned togyther / or that the playntyfe caÌ„ open declare his right / as it may appere by thê example If a maÌ„ entre in to another maÌ„nes lande by force after maketh a feffemeÌ„t for maiÌ„tenauÌ„ce to defraunde the pleyntyfe froÌ„ his accion In this case it appereth that the sayd vnlawfull entre is ê“hibite by the law of reason / but the playntyfe shall recouer treble damages / that is by reason of the statute made in the .viii. yere of kyng Henry the .vi. the ix Cha. And that the dammages shal be seased by .xii. men that is by the custome of the realme And so in this case .iii. grouÌ„des of the law of Englande mayntene the playntyfes accion And so it is in diuers other cases that nede nat to be remeÌ„bred now thus I make an ende for this tyme / to speke any ferther of the groundes of the lawe of Englande ¶ Doctoure I thaÌ„ke the for the greate payne that thou haste takeÌ„ therin / neuertheles for as moche as it appereth that thou haste sayde before that the lerned men of the lawe of Englande pretende / to veryfie that the law of Englande wyll nothynge do / ne attempte agaynst the law of reason / nor the law of god / I pray the aÌ„swere me to some questioÌ„s grouÌ„ded vpoÌ„ the law of EnglaÌ„de howe as the thynketh the law may staÌ„de with reason or coÌ„scieÌ„ce in theÌ„ ¶ StudeÌ„t Put the case I shal make answere theriÌ„ as well as I can ☞ The fyrst question of the Doctoure of the lawe of Englande and conscieÌ„ce The .xii. Chapitre DOctoure I haue harde say / that if a man that is bouÌ„de in an obligacioÌ„ paye the money but he taketh no acquitaunce or if he take one it happeneth hiÌ„ to lese it / that in that case he shall be compelled by the lawes of Englande to paye the money agayne / howe maye it be sayd then / that that law staÌ„deth with reason or conscience / for as it is grounded vpon the law of reason that dettes ought of right to be payde / so it is grouÌ„ded vpon the law of reason as me semeth that wheÌ„ they be payde that he that payed them shulde be discharged ¶ Student Fyrste thou muste vnderstande that it is nat the law of EnglaÌ„de / that if a maÌ„ that is bouÌ„de in an obligacion pay the money without acquitaunce / or if he take acquitauÌ„ce lese it that therfore the law determineth that he ought of right to paye the money eftesones / for that lawe were bothe agaynste reason conscience / but trougth it is that there is a generall maxime in the lawe of Englande / that in an accion of dette sued vpon an obligacion / the defendaunt shall nat plede that he oweth nat the money / ne can in no wyse discarge hiÌ„slefe in that accion / but he haue acquitaunce or some other writtynge sufficiente in the lawe or some other thynge lyke / witnessynge that he hath payde the money / that is ordayned by the law to auoyde a great inconuenience that els myght happen to come to many people that is to say that euery maÌ„ by a nude paroll and by a bare auerment shulde auoyde an oblygacyon / wherfore to auoyde that inconuenience the law hath ordayned that as the defendauÌ„t is charged by a sufficieÌ„t writting / that so he must be discharged by sufficieÌ„t writtynge / or by some other thynge of as hygh auctoritye as the obligacion is And though it may folowe thervpon that in some particuler case a man by occasion of that generall maxime may be compelled to pay the money agayne that he payde before / yet neuertheles no defaute can be therfore assigned in the law For lyke as makers of lawes take hede to suche thynges as maye oft fall / and do moste hurte amonge the people rather theÌ„ to particuler cases So in lykewyse the generall groundes of the lawe of Englande / hede more what is good for many / then what is good for one singuler person onely And because it shulde be a hurte to many / if an obligacion shulde be so lightly auoyded by worde Therfore the law specially preueÌ„teth that hurte vnder suche maner as before appereth And yet intendeth nat / nor commauÌ„deth nat that the money of ryghte ought to be payde agayne / but setteth a general rule / whiche is good and necessary to all the people / that euery man maye well kepe / without it be through his owne defaute / if suche defaut happen in any persone / wherby he is without remedie at the common lawe yet he may be holpen by a Subpena / so he maye in many other cases where conscieÌ„ce serueth for hym / that were to loÌ„ge to reherce now ¶ Doctour But I praye the shewe me vnder what maner a maÌ„ may beholpen by conscience And whether he shal be holpeÌ„ in the same courte or in an other ¶ Student Because it can nat be well declared where a maÌ„ shal be holpen by conscience where nat / but it be fyrst knowen what conscience is therfore because it perteyneth to the moste proprelye / to treate of the nature and qualitie of conscience / therfore I praye the that thou wylte make me some brief declaracion of the nature qualitie of conscieÌ„ce and then I shall answere to thy question as well as I caÌ„ ¶ Doctour I wyll with good wyll do as thou sayste / to the inteÌ„t that thou mayste the
no more there is of diuersite other estopelles / which were to loÌ„ge to reherce now And yet the partie that may take auantage of such an estopel by the lawe / is bouÌ„de in coÌ„science to forsake that auantage specially if he were so estopped by ignorance / and nat by his owne knowlege assent for thoughe the lawe iÌ„ suche cases gyueth no remedye to hym that is estopped yet the law iugeth nat that the other hath ryght vnto the thynge that is in variaunce bytwyxte them ¶ Also it is vnderstaÌ„de that the lawe is to be lefte for coÌ„scieÌ„ce / where a thynge is tryed fouÌ„de by verdit agaynst the trouth / for in the comon law the iugement muste be gyuen accordynge as it is pleaded tried lyke as it is iÌ„ other lawes / that the iugement muste be gyuen accordynge to that / that is pleaded proued ¶ Also it is vnderstande that the lawe is to be lefte for coÌ„science / where the cause of the lawe doth cease for whan the cause of the lawe dothe cease / the lawe also dothe cease in conscience / as apperyth by this case here after folowynge ☞ Addicion ⧠A man maketh a lease for terme of lyfe / after a stranger doth waste / wherfore the lesse briÌ„geth an accion of TrnÌ„s hath iugemeÌ„t to recouer damagê hauyng regarde to the treble damagê that he shal yelde to hym iÌ„ the reuercion And aft he in the reuercion byfore accion of waste sued dyeth so that the accion of waste is therby extincted / then the tenant for terme of lyfe though he may sue execucion of the sayd iugemeÌ„t by the lawe yet he may nat do it by conscience for in conscience he maye take no more then he is hurted by the sayd trespasse / bycause he is nat chargyd ouer with the treble damages to his lessoure ¶ Also it is vnderstande where a lawe is grounded vpon a presumpcion / for if the presumpcion be vntrue / then the lawe is nat to be holden in coÌ„science And nowe I haue shewed the somwhat howe that question that is to say where the lawe shal be ruled after coÌ„science I pray the shewe me whether there be nat lyke diuersities in other lawes bytwyxte lawe conscience ¶ Docto r Yes verely very many wherof thou haste recyted one byfore / where a thynge that is vntrue is pleaded ê“ued / in whiche case iugement muste be gyuen accordynge as well in the lawe Cyuile as in the lawe Canon And another case is that if the heyre make nat his inuentory / he shal be bounde after the lawe Cyuile to all the dettes though the goodes amount nat to so moche And the lawe Canon is nat agaynste that lawe / and yet in conscience the heyre whiche in the lawes of Englande is called an executour is nat in that case charged to the dettes / but accordiÌ„ge to the value of the goodes And nowe I pray the shewe me some cases where coÌ„scieÌ„ce shal be ruled after the lawe ¶ Stud. I wyll with good wyll shewe the somwhat as me thynketh therin ⧠Here foloweth dyuers cases where conscience is to be orderyd after the lawe The .xx. Chapitre STudent The eldest sone shall haue enioy his father landes at the comon lawe in conscience / as he shall in the lawe And in Burghenglysshe the yonger sone shall enioy the inheritaunce / that in conscience And in Gauelkynde all the soÌ„nes shall inherite the lande togyther as doughters at the comon lawe and that in coÌ„scieÌ„ce And there can be none other cause assigned why coÌ„science in the fyrste case is with the eldest brother / in the seconde with the yonger brother / and iÌ„ the thyrde case with all the bretherne But bycause the lawe of Englande by reason of diuers customes dothe somtyme gyue the lande hollye to the eldest sone / somtyme to the yongest / and somtyme to all ¶ Also if a man of his mere mocion make a feffemeÌ„t of two acres of lande lyenge in two seuerall shyres / maketh lyuerey of season in the one acre in the name of both In this case the feffe hath ryght but only to that acre wherof lyuerey of season was made / bycause he hath no tytle by the law but if bothe acres had ben in one shyre he had had good ryght to both And in these cases the diuersitie of the lawe makyth the diuersitie of conscience ¶ Also if a man of his mere mocion make a feffement of a maner sayth nat to haue to holde cÌ„ with the appurtynances / in that case the feffe hath right to the demesne landes to the rentes / if there be atturnament to the comon parteynynge to the maner / but he hath nother ryght to the aduowsons appendaunt if any be / nor to the vylleins regardant but if this terme with thapurtynauÌ„ces had ben in the dede / the feffe had had ryght in coÌ„science aswell to the aduowsons vylleins / as to the residue of the maner but if the kynge of his mere mocion gyue a maner with the appurtynaunces / yet the donee hath neyther ryght in lawe nor coÌ„science to the aduowsons nor vylleins And the diuersitie of the lawe in these cases maketh the diuersitie of conscience ¶ Also if a man make a lease for terme of yeres yeldynge to hym to his heyres a certayne rent vpon condicion that if the rent be behynde by .xl. dayes cÌ„ that then it shal be lawful to the lessour his heyres to rentre And after the rent is behynde the lessour askyth the rent accordynge to the lawe it is nat payd / the lessour dyeth his heyre entreth In this case his entre is lawfull bothe in lawe and conscience but if the lessoure had dyed byfore he had demauÌ„dyd the rent / and his heyre demauÌ„de the rent / bycause it is nat payde he rentreth / in that case his rentre is nat lawfull nother in lawe nor in conscience ¶ Also if the tenaunt in dower sowe her lande and dye byfore her corne be rype / that corne in conscience belongeth to her executours / nat to hym in the reuercion / but otherwyse it is in coÌ„science of grasse frutes And the diuersitie of the lawe makyth ther also the diuersitie in coÌ„science ¶ Also if a man seased of landes in his demesne as of fee / byquethyth the same by his last wyll to another and to his heyres and dyeth In thê case the heyre nat with staÌ„dynge the wyll hath ryght to the lande in conscience And the reason is bycause the lawe iugeth that wyll to be voyde and as it is voyde in the lawe / so it is voyde in conscience ¶ Also if a man graunte a rente for terme of lyfe and make a lease of lande to the same grauÌ„te for terme of lyfe / and the tenaunte alyeneth both in fee. In this case he in the reuercion hath good tytle to the lande /
both iÌ„ lawe coÌ„scieÌ„ce nat to the rent And the reason is bycause the lande by that alienacion is forfeyt by the lawe to hym iÌ„ the reuercion nat the rent ☞ Addicion ⧠Also if landes be gyuen to two men to a woman in fee / after one of the men entermarieth with the woman alieneth the lande dyeth In this case the woman hath ryght but onely to the thyrde parte / but if the man the woman had ben maryed togyther byfore the fyrste feffement / then the woman natwithstaÌ„dyng the alienacion of her husbande shulde haue had ryght in lawe coÌ„science to the one halfe of the lande And so in these two cases coÌ„scieÌ„ce doth folowe the lawe of the realme ¶ Also if a man haue two sones / one byfore spousellys another after spouselles / after the father dyeth seased of certayne landes In that case the yonger sone shall enioye the landes in this realme as heyre to his father bothe in lawe coÌ„scieÌ„ce And the cause is / bycause the sone borne after spousellys / is by the lawe of this realme the very heyre / and the elder sone is a bastard And of these cases and many other lyke in the lawes of Englande maye be formed the Silogisme of coÌ„science / or the true iugemeÌ„t of coÌ„science in this maner Sinderesis ministreth the maior thus Ryghtwysenesse is to be done to euery man vpon whiche maior the lawe of EnglaÌ„de ministreth the minor thus The inheritance bylongeth to the sone borne aft spouselles / nat to the sone borne byfore spouselles / then coÌ„science maketh the coÌ„clusion sayth therfore the inheritaunce is in coÌ„scieÌ„ce to be gyuen to the sone borne after spousellys And so in other cases infinite may be formed by the lawe the Silogisme or the ryght iugemeÌ„t of coÌ„scieÌ„ce wherfore they that be lernyd in the lawe of the realme say that in euery case where any lawe is ordeyned for the disposicion of landes goodes / whiche is nat agaynst the lawe of god / nor yet agaynst the lawe of reason / that that lawe byndeth all them that be vnder the lawe in the courte of coÌ„science / that is to say inwardly iÌ„ his soule And therfore it is somwhat to meruayle that spirituall men haue nat endeuored theÌ„selfe in tyme past to haue more knowlege of the kynges lawes then they haue done / or that they yet do for by the ignoraunce therof they be oft tymes ignorant of that / that shuld ordre them accordynge to ryght iustice / as well coÌ„cernyng theÌ„selfe as other that come to them for coÌ„ceyll And nowe for as moch as I haue answered to thy questions as well as I can I praye the that thou wylte shewe me thy oppinion in diuers cases formed vpon the lawe of Eglande wherin I am in doute / what is to be holden therin in conscience ¶ Doctoure Shewe me thy questions I wyll saye as me thynketh therin ¶ The fyrste question of the student The .xxi. Chapitre STudent If an infaunt that is of the age of .xx. yere and hath reason and wysdome to gouerne hymselfe selleth his lande with the money therof byeth other lande of greater value then the fyrst was taketh the ê“fittes therof / whether maye that infaunte aske his fyrste lande agayne iÌ„ coÌ„scieÌ„ce / as he may by the lawe ¶ Doctour What thynkest thou in that question ¶ Stud Me semeth that for as moche as the lawe of EnglaÌ„de in this article is grounded vpon a presumpcion / that is to saye that infauntes commonly afore they be of the age of .xxi. yeres be nat able to gouerne them selfe / that yet for as moche as that presumpcion fayleth iÌ„ this infauÌ„te that he may nat in this case with conscience aske the lande agayne that he hath solde to his great auauntage as byfore appereth ¶ Doc. Is nat this sale of the infaunte and the feffemeÌ„t made thervpon if any were voydable in the lawe ¶ Stud. Yes verylye ¶ Doc. And if the feffe haue no ryght by the bargayne / nor by the feffement made therupon wherby shulde he then haue ryght therto as thou thynkest ¶ Stud. By conscience as me thynketh for the reason that I haue made byfore ¶ Docto r And vpon what lawe shulde that coÌ„scieÌ„ce be grouÌ„ded that thou spekest of / for it can nat be grouÌ„ded by the lawe of the realme as thou haste sayd thy selfe And me thynketh that it can nat be grounded vpon the lawe of god / nor vpon the lawe of reason for feffemeÌ„tes nor contractes be nat grounded vpon neyther of tho lawes / but vpon the lawe of man ¶ Stud After the lawe of propriete was ordayned / the people myght nat conueniently lyue togyther without contractes / therfore it semeth that coÌ„tractê be grouÌ„ded vpon the lawe of reason / or at the leste vpoÌ„ the lawe that is called Ius gentium ¶ Doct. Though contractes be grouÌ„ded vpon that law that is called Ius gentiuÌ„ / bycause they be so necessarye so generall amonge all people / yet that proueth nat that coÌ„tractes be grouÌ„ded vpon the lawe of reason for thoughe that lawe called Ius gentium be moche necessarye for the people yet it may be chaunged And therfore if it were ordayned by statute that there shulde be no sale of lande / ne no coÌ„tracte of goodes And if any were that it shulde be voyde / so that euery man shuld coÌ„tynewe styll seased of his landes possessed of his goodes / the statute were good And then if a man agaynst that statute solde his lande for a suÌ„me of money / yet the seller myghte lawfully retayne his lande accordynge to the statute And then he were bouÌ„de to no more / but to repaye the money that he receyued with resonable expeÌ„ces in that behalfe / and so iÌ„ lykewyse me thynketh that in this case the infant may with good coÌ„scieÌ„ce reentre in to his fyrst lande / bycause the coÌ„tracte after the maximes of the law of the realme is voyde / for as I haue herde the maximes of the lawe be of as greate strengthe in the lawe as statutes And so me thynketh that in this case the infaunt is bouÌ„de to no more / but only to repay the money to hym that he solde his laÌ„de vnto / with suche reasonable costes charges as he hath sustayned by reason of the same But if a man sell his lande by a sufficieÌ„t lawful coÌ„tracte thoughe there lacketh lyuerye of season or such other solempnities of the lawe yet the seller is bounde in conscience to performe the contracte / but in this case the contracte is insufficient / so me thynketh great diuersitie bytwyxt the cases ¶ Stud. For this tyme I holde me contented with thy opoinion ¶ The seconde question of the student The .xxii. Chapitre STudent If a man that hath landes for terme of lyfe be impanelled vpon an inquest / therupon leseth yssues
husbande and they haue issue the father deyeth seased / the husbande as sone as he hereth of his deth goeth towarde the lande to take possession / and byfore he can come there his wyfe dieth / whether ought he to haue the lande in cōscience for terme of his lyfe as tenaunt by the courtesie bycause he hath done that in hym was to haue had possession in his wyues lyfe so that he myght haue ben tenaunt by the courtesie accordynge to the lawe / or that he shall neyther haue it by lawe nor conscience ¶ Doctour Is it clerely holdē in the law that he shall nat be tenaunt by the curtesy in this case bycause he had nat possession in dede ¶ Student ye verely / and yet vpō a possessiciō in lawe a womā shal haue her dower / but no man shal be tenaunte by the curtesie of lāde without his wyfe haue possession in dede ¶ Doctoure A man shal be tenaunt by the curtesie of a rent thoughe his wyfe dye byfore the day of payment / in lyke wyse of an aduowson thoughe she dye byfore the auoydaunce ¶ Studente That is trouthe / for the olde custome and maxime of the lawe is that he shall be so / but of lande there is no maxime that serueth hym but his wyfe haue possession in dede ¶ Doctour And what is the reason that there is suche a maxime in the lawe of the rent and of the aduowson rather thā of lande / whan the husbāde doth as moche as in hym is to haue possessiō and can nat ¶ Studēt Some assigne the reason to be bycause it is impossible to haue possession in dede of the rent or of aduouson byfore the daye of payment of the rent / or byfore the auoydaunce of the aduouson ¶ Doct. And so is impossible that he shal haue possession in dede of lande if his wyfe dye so sone that he maye nat by possibilitie come to the lande after her fathers dethe / and in her lyfe as this case is ¶ Student The lawe is suche as I haue shewed the byfore and I take the verey cause to be for that there is a maxime serueth for the rent and the aduouson / and nat for the landes as I haue sayd byfore / and as it is sayd in the viii chapitre of our fyrst dialogue / it is nat alwaye necessarie to assigne a reason or cōsideraciō why the maximes of the lawe of Englande were fyrst ordeyned and admitted for maximes / but it suffisethe that they haue ben alwaye taken for lawe and that they be neyther cōtrarie to the lawe of reason nor to the lawe of god as this maxime is nat / and therfore if the husbande in this case be nat holpen by cōscience he can nat be holpen by the lawe ¶ Doctour And if the lawe helpe hym nat cōscience can nat helpe hym in this case / for conscience must alwaye be grounded vpon some lawe / and it can nat in this case be groūded vpon the lawe of reason nor vpon the lawe of god / for it is nat dyrectely by those lawes that a man shal be tenaūt by the curtesy / but by the custome of the realme And therfore if that custome helpe hī nat he can nothyng haue in this case by conscience / for conscience neuer resysteth the lawe of mā nor addeth nothynge to it / but where the lawe of man is in it selfe dyrectly against the lawe of reason or els the lawe of god / and than properly it can nat be called a lawe but a corrupcion / or where the generall groundes of the lawe of man worketh in any particuler case agaynste the sayd lawes as it may do / and yet the lawe good as it appereth in diuerse places in our fyrst dialogue in latyne / or els where there is no lawe of man prouided for hym that hathe ryghte to a thynge by the lawe of reason or by the lawe of god And than somtyme there is remedy gyuen to execute that in cōscience / as by a Sub pena but nat in all cases / for somtyme it shal be referred to the consciēce of the partie / and vpon this grounde that is to saye that whan there is no tytle gyuen by the comon lawe that there is no tytle by conscience There be diuerse other cases wherof I shall put some for an example As if a reuercion be graunted vnto one / but there is none attournement / or if a newe rente be graunted by worde with out dede there is no remedy by conscience oneles the sayd grauntes were made vpon consideracions of money or suche other And in lyke wyse where he that is seased of landes in fee simple maketh a wyll therof / the wyll is voyde in conscience bycause the grounde seruethe nat for hym wherby the conscience shulde take effecte / that is to saye / the lawe / and if the tenaunte make a feoffement of the lande that he holdeth by priorite and taketh estate agayne and dyeth his heyre within age the lorde of whome the lande was fyrst holden by prioritie shall haue no remedy for the body by conscience / for the lawe that fyrste was with hym / is nowe agaynste hym / and therfore cōsciēce is altered in lyke wyse as the lawe altereth / and diuerse and many cases lyke be in the lawe that were to long to reherce nowe And thus me thynketh that if the lawe be as thou sayest the husbande ī this case hathe neyther ryght by the lawe nor conscience ⧠The .xiiii. question of the student The .xvi. Chapitre STudent A rent is graunted to a man ī fee to perceyue of two acres of land / and after the graūtour enfeoffeth the grauntee of one of the sayd acres / whether is the hole rente extyncte therby in conscience as it is in the lawe ¶ Doctour Thy case is somwhat vncertayne / for it appereth nat whether the grauntour enfeoffed hym on truste or that he gaue the acre to hym of his mere mocion to the vse of the sayd feoffe / or els that the feoffement was made vpon a bargayne / and if it were but onely a feoffement of truste / than I thinke the hole rent abydeth in conscience though it be extyncted in the lawe / and fyrste that it continueth in that case in conscience / for that parte that the grauntee hathe to the vse of the grauntour / it is euidente / for he may nat take the profytes of the lande / and it is agaynste conscience that he shulde lese bothe / and in lyke wyse it abydeth ī cōscience for the acre that remayneth in the handes of the grauntour thoughe it be extyncte in the lawe / for there was a defaute in the grauntoure that he wolde make the feoffement to the grauntee as well as ther was in the grauntee to take it And it is no conscience that of his owne defaute he shulde take so great auayle to be discharged of the hole rent seynge that
rosella / in the title familia Paragrafe .5 ⧠Item if a mayster wyll nat pay his seruaūtes wages that hath serued hym faith fully whether that the seruaunt may take secretlye as moche goodes of the maysters c̄ if he do whether he be bounde to restituciō / Summa rosella / in the title familia Paragrafe .6 ⧠Itē thynges immouable of the church may nat be gyuen / Summa rosella / in the title of odū Para. 1. se there in principio what feodum is ⧠Itē whether the sones bastardes the sones lawfully begotten shall enherit togyder / Summa rosella / in the title filius Paragrafe .1 ⧠Itē whether father mother may succede to theyr bastardes / Summa rosella / ī the title filius Paragrafe .4 ⧠Item whether the father maye leue any of his goodes to his basterde / Summa rosella / in the title filius Paragra 5. Summa rosella / in the title societas Pagrafe .23 ⧠Item whether the offēce of the father shall hurte the sone in temporall thynges / Summa rosella / in the title filius Paragrafe .10 ⧠Itē if a man gyue all his landes goodes to his chyldren / whether a bastarde shall haue any parte / Sūma rosella / in the title filius Paragrafe .22 ⧠Item to whome treasoure sounde belongeth / Summa rosella / in the title furtum Para. 11. ⧠Itē if a dere or other wilde beaste that is so sore hurt that he may be takē cometh in to another mannes grounde whether it be his that oweth the grounde or his that strake hym / Sūma rosella / in the title furtum Para. 13. ⧠Itē whether thiefte be in a littell thīg as well as in a greate thynge / Summa rosella / in the title furtum Para. 18. ⧠Itē what payne a thefe shal haue / Sūma rosella / in the title furtum Para. 22. ⧠Itē the goodes of ded men go to the heyres that of dampned men s. de terris Summa rosella / in the title hereditas Paragrafe .1 ⧠Itē whether a mā shal be sayde gyltie of murder by cōmaundemente coūsayle or assent / Summa rosella in the title homicidium .2 per totum / lyke matter is homicidium .4 in principio and diuers other cases ⧠Itē a man maketh a priuy contracte with a womā after hath a chylde by her / after maryed a nother woman hath a chylde she nat knowīge of the fyrst cōtract whiche of the chyldren shal be his heyre / Summa rosella / in the title Illegitimus Paragrafe .3 ⧠Itē whether the Pope may legittimate one to temporall thynges to succede / Summa rosella / in the title Illegittimus Paragrafe .25 ⧠Itē if goodes be founde that were left of the owner as forsaken who hath righte to them / Sūma rosella / in the title Inuenta Paragrafe .2 And loke Summa rosella / in the title furtum Paragrafe .17 And thus I make an ende of these questions / bycause thou desyredest me in the .xxxi. chapitre to shewe the somwhat where ignorāce excuseth in the lawe of the realme and where nat / I wil answere somwhat to thy question so cōmit the to god ☞ Where ignorance of the lawe excuseth in the lawes Englāde where nat The .xlvi. Chapitre STudent Ignorāce of the law though it be inuincyble dothe nat excuse as to the lawe but in fewe cases / for euery man is bounde at his peryll to take knowlege what the law of the realme is as well the law made by statute as the comō law / but ignoraunce of the dede whiche may be called the ignoraunce of the trouth of the dede may excuse in many cases ¶ Doctoure I put case that a statute penall be made it is enacted that the statute shal be proclaymed before suche a day in euery shyre / it is nat proclaymed before the daye / after the day a man offendeth agaynst the statute shal he renne in the penalty ¶ Studēt I thynke ye / if there be no ferther wordes in the statute to helpe hym / that is to say / that if the proclamacion be nat made that no man shall be bounde by the statute / and the cause is this / there is no statute made in this realme but by the assēt of the lordes spirituall temporall of all the comons / that is to say / by the knightes of the shyre Cytezens / Burgeses that be chosen by assente of the comons / whiche in the parliament represente the estate of the hoole comons And euery statute there made is of as stronge effecte in the lawe as if all the comons were there present personallie at the makyng therof / lyke as there neded no proclamacion if all were there presente in theyr owne persone / so the lawe presumeth / there nedeth no proclamacion whan it is made by theyr authoritie / than whā it is enacted that it shal be proclaymed c̄ that is but of the fauoure of the makers of the statute nat of necessite / and it can nat therefore be taken that theyr intente was that it shulde be voyde if it were nat proclaymed Neuertheles some be of oppiniō that if a man before the day appoynted for the proclamacion offende the estatute that he shulde nat in that case be punisshed / for they say that the intente of the makers of the statute shal be takē to be that none shulde be punisshed before that daye / whiche is a doute to some other / but admitte it be as they saye that he shal be excused / yet he is nat excused by the ignoraunce of the lawe / but by cause the intent of the makers excused hym ¶ Doctoure It is enacted in the vii yere of kyng Rycharde the seconde the vi chapitre that euery shyryfe shall proclayme the statute of Wynchestre thre tymes euery yere in euery market towne to the intent that offenders shall nat be excused by ignorance / it semeth by those wordes that if no proclamacion be made that the offender may be excused by ignoraunce ¶ Studēt Some take the intente of that statute to be that the people by that proclamaciō shulde haue knowlege of the statute of Winchestre to the intēt that the forfeture therein may be taken as well in consciēce as in lawe / some take the statute to be of suche effect as thou spekest of / that is to say / that no forfeture shulde growe vpon the statute of Wynchestre agaynst thē that were ignoraunt but proclamacion were made accordyng to the sayd statute of Rychard And if it be so taken thā the statute of Wynchestre is of small effecte agaynste moste parte of the people for certayne it is that the sayd proclamacion is nat made / but admitte it be as they say / thā they that be ignoraunte be excused by the sayd perticuler estature specially
thynketh iÌ„ this case that the feoffe oughte in coÌ„scyence to paye the damages fro the deth of her husband seinge that immediately after his deth she ought too haue her dower ¶ Student Thoughe she oughte too be endowed immediately after the dethe of her husbande / yet she can lay no defaute in the feoffe tyll she demaunde her dower vppon the grounde / and that the tenaunte be not there too assigne it / or if he be there that he wyl not assigne it / for he that hath the possessyon of lande whervnto any womaÌ„ hath tytle of dower hath good auctorytye as agaynste her to take the ê“fytes tyll she requyre her dower for euery womaÌ„ that demaundeth dower affermeth the possessyon of the tenaunt as agaynste her and therfore all thoughe she recouer it by accyoÌ„ she leueth the reuercyon alwey in him agaynst whome she recouereth thoughe he be a dysseasour bryngeth nat the reuercyon by her recouery to hym that hath righte as other tenauntes for terme of lyfe do And for this reason it is that the tenaunte in a wrytte of dower where the husbande dyed seased if he appere the fyrst day may saye to excuse hymselfe of damages that he is and all tymes hathe ben redy to yelde dower if it had ben demaunded / so he shall nat be receyued to do iÌ„ a wryt ofcosynage nether iÌ„ the case that thou remembrest aboue / for in bothe cases the renauntes be supposed by the wrytte to be wronge doers / but it is nat so in this case / and so me thynketh it clere that the feoffe iÌ„ this case shall nether be bounde by lawe nor conscience to yelde damages for the tyme that passed byfore the requeste / but for the tyme after the requeste is greater doute / howe be it some thynketh hym nat there bounde to yelde damages bycause his tytle is good as is sayd byfore and that it is her defaute that she brought nat her accyon ¶ Doctour As vnto the tyme byfore the requeste I holde me contente with thyne opinion so that he assigne the dower whan he is required / but whan he refuseth to assigne it than I thynke hym bounde in conscience to yelde damages for bothe tymes though he shall none recouer by the lawe And fyrste as for the tyme after the refusell it appereth euidentely that whan he denied to assigne her dower he dyd agaynste conscieÌ„ce / for he dyd nat that of ryght to haue done by the lawe / ne as he wolde shulde haue ben done to him / and so after the request he holdeth her dower fro her wrongfully ought in conscience to yelde damages therfore And as to the defaute that thou assignest in her that she toke nat her accioÌ„ / that forceth lytel for accioÌ„s nede nat / but where the partie wyll nat do that he ought to do of ryght And for that he ought of right to haue done and dyd it nat / he can take none aduauntage / and than as to the damages byfore the request me thynketh hym also bounden to paye theÌ„ / for whan he was requyred to assygne dower and refused It appereth that he neuer inteÌ„ded to yelde dower fro the begynnyng / so he is a wrong doer in his owne coÌ„science / and more ouer if the husbande dye seased the lawe is such that if the tenaunt refuse to assigne dower whan he is requyred wherfore the womaÌ„ bryngeth a wrytte of dower agaynst him / that in that case the woman shall recouer damages as wel for the tyme byfore the request as after / and yet he ought nat iÌ„ that case after thyne opinioÌ„ to haue yelded any maner of damages if he had ben redy to assigne dower whan it was demaunded / and so me thynketh here ¶ Studente The cause in that case that thou haste put is for that the statute is general that the demauÌ„dauÌ„t shall recouer damages where the husbande dyed seased / and that statute hathe ben alwaye construed that where the tenaunt maye nat saye that he is and hathe ben alway redy to yelde dower cÌ„ that the demaundaunt shall recouer damages fro the dethe of her husbande But in this case there is no law of the realme that helpeth for the damaundauÌ„t neyther comon lawe nor statut / forthermore though it myght be proued by his refusell that he neuer entended fro the deth of the husbande to assigne her dower yet that proueth nat / but that he had good ryght to take the ê“fites of her thyrde parte for the tyme as well as he had of his owne two partes tyl request be made as is afore sayd / and so me thynketh that nat withstandyng the denyer he is nat bounde to yelde damagê in this case but fro the tyme of the request / and nat for the tyme byfore ¶ Doctoure For this tyme I am content with thy reason ⧠The .xii. question of the student The .xiiii. Chapitre STudent A maÌ„ seased of certayne landê knowyng that an other hath good ryght and tytle to them leuieth a fyne with proclamacion to the entent he wolde extyncte the ryght of the other man / the other man makethe no clayme within the .v. yeres / whether may he that leuyed the fyne holde the lande in coÌ„scieÌ„ce as he may do by the lawe ¶ Doctoure By this question it semeth that thou doste agre that if he that leuyeth the fyne had no knowlege of the other mannes ryght that his ryght shulde than be extyncted by the fyne in conscience ¶ Student ye verely / for thou dydest shewe a reasoneble cause why it shulde be so in oure fyrste dialogue in latyne the .xxiiii. Chapitre as there appereth But if he that leuyeth a fyne and that wolde extyncte the ryghte of an other / knowynge that the other hathe more ryghte than he than I doute therin for I take thyne opinion in our fyrste dialogue to be vnderstaÌ„de in conscience where he that wolde extincte former ryghtes by suche a fyne with proclamacioÌ„ knoweth nat of any former tytle but for his more surety if any suche former ryght be he taketh the remedy that is ordeyned by the lawe ¶ Doctoure Whether dost thou meane in this case that thou puttest now that he that hath right knoweth of the fyne and wylfully lettethe the .v. yere pas without claime or that he knoweth nat any thynge of the fyne ¶ Student I pray the let me knowe thyne opinion in bothe cases and whether thou thinke that he that hathe ryght be barred in eyther of the cases by conscience as he is by the law or nat ¶ Doctour I wyll with good wyl here after shewe me thy mynde therin / but at this tyme I praye the gyue a lytell sparyng and procede nowe for this tyme to some other question ⧠The .xiii. question of the student The .xv. Chapitre STudent A man seased of certayne landes in fee hath a doughter whiche is his heyre apparauÌ„te / the doughter taketh a