condemned and which be fugitiue wheresoeuer they bée found And if they haue any freehold it shall bée forthwith seised into the Kings hands and the King shall haue the profits thereof by the space of a yeare and a day and the land shall bée wasted and destroyed in the houses woods and gardens and in all things belonging to the same except men of certaine places priuiledged And after the King hath had the yeare day and wast the land shall bée restored to the chiefe Lord of the same fee vnlesse that before he redéeme the same yeare day and wast of the King by the paiment of a fine But there is a custome in the Countie of Glocester that after a yeare and a day the lands and tenements of Felons in that Shire shall reuert and be restored to the next heire to whom they ought to haue discended if the felonie had not béene committed And in Kent in Gauelkind the father to the bough the sonne to the plough there all the heires males shall diuide their inheritance and likewise women but women shall not make partition with men 33 By force of which stat of Praerogatiua Regis The yere day and wast of lands of what title shal be forfeited euer sithence that time the King hath had all the thrée things aforesaid viz. the yeare the day and the wast of the lands of him which was attainted of felonie as one of the prerogatiues annexed to the Crowne in all cases where the felon had such an estate in his land Bracton de Corona cap. 13. that he might forfeit the same after his death and that hee himselfe might lawfully haue made wast in the same without being impeached therefore And therefore if the felon be but tenant for the terme of life or for the terme of yeares of lands the king shall not haue the yeare day and wast of them after the felons death for then he might wast another mans inheritance But if a man that is seised of lands in the right of his wife do commit felonie and is attainted thereof the king shall haue the profits of the land during the husbands life if the wife doe liue so long Fitz. Cor. 327. And some doe affirme that the king shall haue the yeare day and wast of the said wiues lands after the felons death because the felon during his life might haue committed wast therein and for that the felon had such an estate in his wiues lands that by the common law he might in his life haue made alienation of them and driuen his wife to her Cuiin vita to haue recouered them But that séemeth to be helped if any such law were before by the Statute of Anno 32. H. 8. where it is ordained That no fine feoffement or other act made suffered St. 32. H. 8. 28 or done by the husband onely of any lands tenements or other hereditaments being the inheritance or fréehold of his wife during the couerture betwéene them shall in any wise be or make any discontinuance thereof or be preiudiciall or hurtfull to the said wife or her heires or to such as shall haue title interest or right to the same by the death of such wife But the same wife or her heires and such other to whom such right shall appertaine after her decease shall and may then lawfully enter into such lands c. according to their rights and titles therein notwithstanding such fine feoffement or other act fines leuied by the husband and wife whereunto the said wife is partie and priuie only except By which Statute the wife after the death of her husband may enter into her owne land notwithstanding any attainder forfeiture or other act done by her husband No yere day and wast of lands holden by ioynt purchase 34 A man seised of land in fée simple holden of a common person did infeoffe thereof the husband and wife and their heires the husband committed felonie and was attainted thereof the King seised the land into his hands for his yere day and wast and after the Kings said terme expired 4. E. 3. 47. the Lord of the fée of whom the same land was holden did sue in the Chauncerie to haue the same land restored to him to whom by warrant the Escheator did deliuer the same lend vpon whose possession the wife of the felon attainted did enter and the said Lord of the fée reentred vpon her whereupon the sayd woman brought an Assise against the sayd Lord and recouered the land Because the fée simple of the same land being in the wife by reason of the ioynt purchase with her husband the K. ought not to haue had the yeare and day after the felons death nor the Lord of the fée the land after by Escheat 35 If tenant in tayle Tenant in tayle generall or speciall or tenant in franke mariage of land do commit petit Treason or Felonie and is attainted thereof and executed the King after his death shall neither haue the yeare day or wast in the felons land nor the Lord of the fée shall haue the land by Escheat but after the felons death the same land shall discend reuert or remaine secundum formam doni to the next heire in tayle of the felon or to him in the reuersion or remainder thereof for in this case the felon was in effect but tenant for the terme of his owne life and thereby could not forfeit a greater estate in his land than that which he had And in in like sort if he that hath land by fresh disseisin or is tenant in fee farme of land A disseiser Tenant in fée farme A mortgagée vpon condition to pay the vttermost yearely value thereof or hath land in Mortgage to be redeemed by the Mortgager vpon condition of payment of money or other condition doth commit petit treason or felonie and is attainted thereof the King shall not haue the yeare day and wast for that would tend to the preiudice of others not partie to the offence who haue or may haue a better right and title to the same lands than the felon attainted Fi. Cor. 310 36 If a man that is owner of land in antient demesne Tenant in antient demesne which hee may sell without consent of the Lord doe commit petit Treason or Felonie and is attainted thereof the King shall haue the yeare day and wast notwithstanding that he hath vsed to surrender the land into the Lords hands by a rod in the Court vpon euerie alienation thereof But if he be owner of the land in auntient demesne of a base tenure it is otherwise Fitz. Cor. 290. 37 A man that tooke a Church for felonie escaped and the towne pursued The yere day wast without attainder and killed him because he would not yéeld himselfe and this matter was presented before the Iustices in Eyre and they adiudged that his goods and the profits of his lands
30. St. 18. El. 13. an 18. El. it was established That euery such person which shal be Atturney for any other person or persons being demandant or plaintife tenāt or defendāt in any actiō or suit cōmenced in any of the K. courts of record at West plead to an issue in the same shal deliuer or cause to be deliuered his lawfull warrant of Atturney to be entred of record for euery of the said actions or suits wherin he is named an Atturney to the officer or his deputy ordained for the receit or entring therof in the same terme whē the issue is entred of record in the said court or before vpon paine of forf of x. l. for euery default for not deliuery of the said warrāt the one moity to the K. his heirs successors the other to such officer to whō or in whose office the same warrāt shold be deliuered entred or filed to be rec by A. of det B. P. or I. wherin no W. E. P. c. also he shal suffer such imprisonmēt as by the discretiō of the I. of the Court where any such default shall be made shall be thought good Fit N. B. 9 6 If a man make an Atturney in a real action brought against him Deceit by an Atturney after by couin agréed vpon betwéene the demandant and the said Atturney the same Atturney maketh default whereby the tenant doth loose his land then the same tenant who lost his land may haue a writ of Deceit against the Atturney And so it is if a man bring an action of Trespasse against two others Register fo 113. Fit N. B. 96. and the plaintife and an Atturney by couin agréed vpon betwéene them doe cause two straungers not parties to the writ to come into the court and to say that they be the same two defendants named in the writ and that they do constitute the same man to be their Atturney in that suit wherupon the same Atturney as Atturney to the defendants named in the writ do plead to an issue and after suffer the enquest to passe by his default by which meanes the plaintife doth recouer against the defendant in this case they who be indéed defendants and against whom the same action of Trespasse was brought may haue a writ of Deceit against the same Atturney that appeared as Atturney for them and shall recouer their dammages 10. Ed. 4. 9. 20. Eliz. Dyer 367. If an Atturney be informed by his client to plead a false plea which he cannot in conscience plead he may procure this Entrie to bée made Quod non fuit veracitér informatus ideo nihil c. to defend him in a writ of Deceit brought against him by his said client If an Atturney do sue forth a Capias where there was no originall writ before 20. H. 6. 39. he shal be committed to prison and thrust out of his place in that and all other Courts 4 As the law doth punish her Officers who do practise or commit any deceit or fraud in stead of truth in place of iustice The law reiecteth fraudulent acts so doth she renounce and condemne all acts of greatest importance if they be intermixt with guile and falshood For though Iudiciall acts as Fines Recoueries Warranties deedes inrolled c. being of their owne natures iust and lawfull and meanes to settle titles to appease controuersies and to yeeld each person his due bee therefore greatly respected and fauoured in her sight yet if any of them be deuised or executed by couin or to deceiue then she doth vtterly reiect them and adiudge them void Co. li. 3. 77. As a man was Lord of the Mannor of D. wherein there was a tenant which had some parcels of freehold land in fee simple the Lord demised certaine lands parcell of the demesnes of his said Mannor to the said freeholder for xxj yeares reseruing certaine rent and demised some other lands parcell of the said demesnes to the same fréeholder at will reseruing another rent and graunted by copie of Court roll certaine other lands parcell of the same Mannor to the sayd freeholder for the terme of life according to the custome of the sayd Mannour reseruing a third rent And after the same freeholder demised all the sayd lands which hee held by lease for yeares at will and by copie in D. to a straunger for the terme of life and then the same freeholder leuied a fine with proclamations of so many messuages so many acres of land medow pasture c. as he had by lease for yeres at will by copie of Court roll of his owne inheritance in D. by couin fraud to barre the lord of his inheritance All the proclamations were made and the fiue yeres were past the same fréeholder continued in possession of the land which was graunted to him by lease for yeres at will and by copie and paid to the Lord yerely his seuerall rents for the same And after the stranger to whom the fréeholder made the lease for life died and the lease which the Lord made to the fréeholder for xxj yeares expired And then the same freeholder claimed the inheritance of all the land which the Lord demised vnto him for yeares at will by copie intending to barre the Lord thereof by force of the fine with proclamations the fiue yeares past But this fine was adiudged void against the Lord and that it did not barre him to clayme and enter vpon his land for that it was leuied by him who had but estate in those lands for yéeres at will or by copy of court Roll and that neither had nor could pretend any title to the inheritance of the land but only by fraud practised the disheritance of the leassor And whereas the meaning of the makers of the statute of Anno 4. H. 7. St. 4. H. 7. 24 was as it may appeare by the preamble of the same that fines ought to be of the greatest strength to auoid strifes and debates when the lessée for yeares at will or copyholder shall make an assurance by fraud and couin A fine leuied of land to defraud the right owner therof to the intent a fine may be leuied to disherit the right owner of his land this is not a meanes to auoid or appease strife but to begin it where none was before and therefore the same statute did not intend to ratifie such an estate begun by deceit And further the meaning of the makers of the said statute was not That he who could not leuie a fine of this land in respect of the debilitie of his estate therin should be enabled by his owne practise and deceit to leuie a fine therof to barre him who had a lawfull title therein and a right to leuie a fine thereof And the same lessée for yeares tenant at will and copyholder contriued his fraud in so secret manner that by his couert practise he depriued his
lessor of the remedy which the said statute of Anno 4. H. 7. did giue him viz. to make his entry or to pursue his action within fiue yeares which he could not do being ignorant of the lease for life which his tenant had made of this land to a stranger and also conceiuing that the lessée hauing land of his owne fée simple in the same towne he leuied a fine of that land which hee might lawfully doe And the deceit and fraud in this case is the more odious because it was practised by the lessée against his lessor and by the copyholder against his Lord who is by the law bound to do fealty to the lessor and Lord which is a bond of confidence and a linke of trust And if a man seised of land in fée Fit Fines 120. do make a lease to another thereof for terme of life and the lessée for life doth leuie a fine therof to a stranger he in the reuersion may enter into the same land for a forfeiture and put forth the conusée in the fine and auoid the fine for it was leuied by deceit to defraud him of his reuersion If a fine be leuied of lands to secret vses to deceiue the purchasor of the same land it may be auerred to be leuied by fraud and so by the statute of 27. El. 4. auoided St. 27. Eli. 4. And so if a fine be leuied vpon an vsurious contract and that be auerred the same fine shal be void by the stat of 13. Eliz. 8. St. 13. Eli. 8 A fine leuied of ancient demesne lands to defraud the Lord. 5 The law is as prouident to protect mens seigniories rents and seruices from euiction by deceit as she is their lands and tenements knowing that a fine in some cases leuied by couin of the one may be as preiudiciall to his inheritance as of the other hath therefore ordained seuerall remedies to redresse seuerall wrongs as if a man seised of lands in ancient demesne do leuy a fine thereof at the common law to another this is a deceit to the lord of that manor of whom the said lands be holden 21. Ed. 3. 20 Fit Nat. Br. 98. therefore he may haue a writ of Deceit against the cognisor and the tenant of the lord thereby auoid the said fine and then he that leuied the said fine shall be restored to the possession and the title which he had before in the same land and also the same land shall returne and become auncient demesne as it was before for that the said fine shal be vtterly void 21. Ed. 3. 56. And he that is lord of a manor of auncient demesne but for the terme of his life only may maintaine this writ of Deceit And so may he in reuersion if tenant for the terme of life doe not bring it during his life and either of them by his said writ may auoid the same fine for by the leuying of a fine at the common law of lands in ancient demesne 8. E. 4. 6. or by recouerie of them at the common law the same lands do become Franke fée and pleadable at the common law and so the lord should be deceiued of his right and loose his seigniorie in them And the writ of Deceit will auoid the said fine or recouerie because the fine was leuied and the recouerie was suffered coram non iudice in deceit of the Lord viz. not before that Iudge nor in that Court where they ought to haue béene 17. Ed. 3. 31. 7. H. 4. 44. 8. H. 4. 23. Fitz. Na. Br. 98. But if a man seised of lands whereof parcell be auncient demesne and parcell Franke fée doe leuie a fine at the common law of both parcels in this case though the Lord of the auncient demesne doe by his writ of Deceit auoid the fine for so much as is ancient demesne yet the residue of those lands which be Franke fée shall continue in force for a fine leuied of them was no wrong or deceit to any 6 And the same law is where land is recouered by deceit A writ of Deceit to auoid a recouery as if one man do bring a Praecipe quod reddat against another and demaund certaine land by force whereof the tenant ought to be summoned to be before the Iustices at a certaine day and the shirife doth returne the tenant of the land against whom the said Praecipe is brought Fit Nat. Br. 97. summoned whereas in truth he was not summoned by which false returne and deceit of the shirife the demaundant doth vpon the Graund Cape recouer seisin of the land by default of the tenant in this case the tenant to whom this deceit is done 3. E. 3. 28. Fitz. Deceit 49. may after iudgemēt giuen for the demaundant haue a writ of Deceit against him that did recouer and against the shirife for his false return And by this writ of Deceit the tenant shal be restored to his land againe 18. E. 4. 11. so that it be brought during the life of the summoners viewers and pernors or any of them for if it bee not brought vntill all the summoners viewers and pernors be dead it will not lye for after the death of them the tenant shall not haue a writ of Deceit for proces shal be awarded against the summoners viewers and pernors to appeare in Court and by the examination of them it is to be tried whether the tenant was summoned or not 50. Ed. 3. 16. 8. H. 6. 1. Fitz. Deceit 48. Fitz. Deceit 32. 33. 34. 46 for the summons must be made by two summoners at the least and two viewers And if any of them did not their duty then the writ was not executed as it ought to haue béene and therefore the plaintife in the writ of Deceit ought to be restored But the K. shall haue the issues of the land in the meane time And if the demaundant who did recouer by the shirifes false returne do make a feoffement of the land then the writ of Deceit must be brought against the demaundant the feoffée and the shirife and if the demaundant that doth recouer 8. E. 3. 6. 10. Ed. 3. 43. the shirife also be both dead yet the writ of Deceit may be brought against the heire of the demaundant and the tenant of the land if the summoners viewers and pernors be liuing And if a man do lose his land by default in a Praecipe quod reddat Fit Nat. Br. 98. Fitz. Deceit 43. 80. whereby he was not summoned and then dieth his heire may haue a writ of Deceit as well as his auncestor and shall haue restitution and the vouchée The vouchée may haue a writ of Deceit where he doth loose by default if he were not summoned 7 And so it is if a man sue a Scire facias against another Deceit to auoid a recouerie vpon a Scire facias
Maintenance in respect of neighbourhood 35 In what cases the master may maintaine his seruant In what cases the seruant may maintaine his master Deceit Couin Collusion Fraud Fol. 67. 1 The multitude and enormities of deceits and frauds 2 The reward for paines and punishment for deceits of officers towards the Law A Iudge A Clerke A Serieant A Pleader A Philozer An Exigenter No office of Iustice shall be sold or bought No man shal be Iustice of Assise in his owne County 3 Who shal be Atturneyes Sollicitors The penalty for following a suit in anothers name What acts done by Atturneyes in seuerall cases shall bee adiudged deceit 4 The Law reiecteth deceitfull and fraudulent acts A fine leuied of land to defraud the right owner thereof shall bee void 5 A fine leuied of auncient demesne land to defraud the Lord of his Seigniorie is voidable 6 How a recouery of land by deceit shal be auoided 7 A Scire facias vpon a recouery by deceit auoided A recouery of debt by deceit auoided A iudgement to auoid the meaning of a Statute The executors shall haue remedy for a deceitfull recouery against the Testator 8 Deceit vpon a recouery in a Quare impedit Deceit vpon a recouery in wast 9 Deceit vpon a recouery in a Praecipe in capite 10 Where a good Title shal be impaired by a couenous recouery thereof 11 A Warranty deuised by deceit 12 Deceit by getting of a Protection 13 Deceit by purchasing of a writ to charge another 14 Deceit by purchasing of a writ in anothers name Deceit for procuring one to sue another 15 Deceit by acknowledging of a statute in anothers name Deceit by doing of a iudiciall act in anothers name 16 Deceit by forging of a resignation of a Benefice 17 Deceit by conueying of land to one man which before was bargained to another 18 Deceit by not performing of his Warranty 19 Deceit by confession of an action wherein hee hath no interest 20 Deceit by the aliening of the goods of his wife from whom hee meaneth to be diuorced 21 Sale of goods in open Market by deceit and couin 22 A fraudulent assurance to defeat the discontinuee in tayle of his plea of Assets per Discent 23 Fraudulēt assurance to defeat a Lord of his Ward Marriage c. 24 He that is not partie to a fraud shall sustaine no losse by it 25 Deceit collusion to bring land into mortmaine Lands assured in mortmaine to Churches Chappels c. Collaterall assurances to defraud c. Which be charitable and lawfull vses 26 Couin by a particular Tenant to deceiue him in the reuersion 27 Couin by him in the reuersion to deceiue the lessee for yeares Couin to auoid a Statute or Recognizance 28 Fraudulent deeds to auoid other mens duties c. The forfeiture of parties to fraudulent deeds who doe iustifie the same Common recoueries Voucher in Formedon Estates made vpon good consideration and bonafide 29 Fraudulent deedes to auoid forfeitures shal be void 30 A deed without fraud must be made vpon good consideration and bonafide Infallible marks of a fraudulent deed of gift How a deed of gift may be made without fraud 31 Fraudulent assurances to deceiue purchasors The forfeiture of parties to fraudulent conueyances which do iustifie the same Conueiances made vpon good considerations and bona fide Conueiances with condition of reuocation or alteration Morgages 32 A purchasor doth know before of a fraudulent deed 33 The father maketh a fraudulent lease and the sonne selleth the land 34 A womans iointure made by fraud 35 Fraudulent deeds to auoid successors of dilapidations 36 An action popular sued by collusion and fraud 37 Fraudulent possessing of Bankrupts Lands Goods or Debts 38 Fraudulent administration of intestate goods 39 Fraudulent conueyances of Abbey lands 40 Seuerall deceits and frauds in marchandizes and men of trade 41 Deceit by selling of vnholesome victuall Extortion Exaction Fol. 82. 1 What is Extortion What is Exaction 2 Exaction by taking of reward for a report 3 Extortion in the Shirife Coroner or other officers 4 Extortion in a Serieant Crier or Marshall of a Iudge 5 Extortion in a Coroner 6 Extortion in a Sherife vnder-Sherife or Baylife for making of arrests c. 7 Extortion in a Sherife for sparing to returne a Iuror 8 Extortion in a Sherife for the seruing of an Execution 9 Extortion in the Chirographer of the common place 10 Extortion in the kings auditors or their Clerkes 11 Extortion in the Kings Receiuers Extortion in them who do pay fees or pensions 12 Extortion in officers of the Exchequer 13 Extortion in a Clerke of the Signet or priuy Seale 14 Extortion by officers of the faculties 15 Extortion by Gouernours vpon such as be made prentices or freemen 16 Extortion by the officers of the Court of Wards 17 Extortion in taking of Obligations for the payment of first fruits 18 Extortion by Escheators 19 Exaction by the Admirall c. vpon them who trauaile for Fish 20 Extortion by the marshall of the kings house Extortion by a seruitor of bills in the marshals Court. 21 Exaction by Muster-masters to spare the taking of souldiers Exaction by captaines of their souldiers 22 Extortion by taking of Scauage of Marchants 23 Extortion by the Clerke of the Statutes or c. 24 A preuention of extortion by atturneyes in taking of excessiue fees An atturney delaying of a suit or demaunding more then is due 25 A preuention of Extortion in stewards of Courts 26 Extortion in gaugers searchers and packers of fish Extortion in Ordinaries and their Officers for probat of Testaments Administrations c. 28 Extortion in an Ordinarie for the seale of a Citation 29 Extortion in Parsons Vicars c. for Mortuaries 30 Exaction for presenting or collating to a benefice 31 Exaction for admitting to a benefice 32 Exaction for resigning or exchanging of a benefice 33 Exaction for making of ministers or giuing licence to preach 34 Exaction for a voice in electing of a fellow or scholler into a Colledge or c. 35 Exaction by taking money to resigne a place in a Colledge c. 36 Exaction by gathering money which should discharge the fifteene of a Towne 37 Extortion by taking of an amerciament in a Court Baron 38 It is no Extortion to take lawfull fees Taking of barre fees of a prisoner discharged Taking of gloues of an offendor pardoned 39 Extortion by taking of fees of him who doth appeare gratis Oppression Fol. 91. 1 What Oppression is Oppression by disseisins Of what things one may bee disseised 2 Oppression by approuement of common Oppression by surcharge of common 3 Oppression by distresses Powndage money Distraining out of his fee. Excessiue distresse Seuerall distresses for one thing Distresse for damage fesant 4 Oppression by trespasses 5 Oppression by Nusances 6 Oppression by Rescous 7 Oppression by encroachments 8 Oppression by excessiue amerciaments 9 Oppression by committing of wast Wast in land Wast
a Lords freeholder to plead That those tenants of the plaintifes which departed from their tenancies were the fréeholders and the fréehold tenants of the plaintifes and not his tenants at will For if it be so the plaintife shall recouer nothing against the defendant because hee hath other sufficient remedie to recouer the seruices of his fréeholders or the land in stead of thē And so it is to plead that the tenants which departed 21. H. 6. 31. were tenants for terme of yeares 6 In the cases aforesaid he that is wronged in his owne person his seruants or tenants by the menace of another whereby hée sustaineth losse shall haue his action of Trespasse against the offendor for the said menace and the hurt which he receiueth thereby and the king also shall haue a fine of the offendor for that the menace was of life and member and suggested to bee done vi armis and so tended to the breach of the peace But if it bée such a menace as doth not tend to the breach of the peace Menace which is iustifyable then the law is otherwise for then the partie menaced shall neither haue an action of Trespasse or other remedie against the menacer neither shall the king haue a fine of him As if a man dye seised of certaine lands and a stranger will abate 22. H. 6. 48 21. H. 6. 26. 9. H. 7. 7. and then the heire of him who dyed seised will enter vpon the stranger and menace and threaten him That if he will not depart from the possession of the same land that then hée shall repent it as the law will allow this is menace iustifiable for that he hath said no more than the law will allow him to performe And in like sort if A. be disseised of his fréehold eiected out of his terme of yeares Li. Intr. 555 dispossessed of his goods beaten assaulted or euill intreated by B. if in this case A. will say vnto B. That he will not endure those wrongs nor put them vp at his hands but will prosecute suit according to the law of the Realme in the sharpest maner that he can for the redresse of those iniuries and for the due punishment of B. this is menace iustifiable and nothing tending to the breach of the peace for A. hath said nothing but that the law will permit him to doe And in these cases the menacer doth yeeld to make the law iudge of his wrongs and that also in peaceable manner but in the former cases the menacer doth threaten to be the reuenger of his owne iniuries and so to be his owne iudge and that also in a forcible and vnlawfull sort And so it is if one man owe money to another and at the time assigned doth not pay if the creditor do say to the debtor that he will sue him according to the course of law 16. E. 4. 7. and imprison him for his debt this is menace iustifiable for the law doth allow him to doe it 7 As menace in words is accounted in many cases to be a meane of the breach of the peace and so punishable by the lawes of the realme so menace by deeds by behauiour gesture wearing of armour or vnusuall and extraordinarie number of seruants or attendants is accounted to be in affraie and feare of the people a meane of the breach of the peace and so punishable for the law doth intend that he which in a peaceable time doth ride or goe armed without sufficient warrant or authoritie so to doe doth meane to breake the peace and to doe some outrage seeing she is able and wil be alwaies ready to defend euery member of the common weale from taking or receiuing of force or violence from others if himselfe doe not giue cause to the contrarie Whereupon by a Statute made at Northhampton St. 2. E. 3. 3. anno 2. Ed. 3. it was enacted That no man great nor smal of what condition soeuer he be except the kings seruants in his presence his ministers in executing of the kings precepts or of their office and such as be in their companie assisting them and also vpon a Crie made for armes to keepe the peace and the same in such places where such acts happen be so hardie to come before the kings Iustices or other the kings ministers in doing their offices with force and armes nor bring no force in affraie of the peace nor to goe nor ride armed by day nor by night in faires markets Menace by going or riding armed nor in the presence of the Iustices or other ministers nor in no part elsewhere vpon paine to forfeit their armour to the king their bodies to prison at the kings pleasure And that the kings Iustices in their presence Sherifes and other ministers in their bailiwicks Lords of franchises their bailifs in the same mayors bailifs of cities boroughs within the same cities boroughs borough-holders wardens of the peace within their wards shal haue power to execute this act And that the Iust assigned at their cōming down into the coūtrey shall haue power to inquire how such officers Lords haue executed their offices in this case to punish them whom they find haue not done that which pertained to their office St. 7. R. 2. 13 20. R. 2. 1. And after by a statute made anno 7. R. 2. it was ordained That no Lord Knight nor other little or great shall go nor ride by night or by day armed nor beare sallet or skull of yron nor other armour vpon the paine of forfeiture thereof to the king except the kings officers and ministers in doing their offices And by the same statute it was also assented that none should ride or goe with Launcegaies Launcegaies beeing an armour defensiue then vsed in affraie of the people but that the same Launcegaies should be for euer put out 8 And shortly after the same Statute of 2. Ed. 3. was put in execution Wearing of a priuie coate for a knight was attached and arraigned in the kings Bench for that hee did weare armor vnder his vpper garment in the kings palace 24. E. 3. 33. and in Westminster hall who pleaded that there was debate betwéen him and another knight who did that weeke strike him and yet did menace him and that for feare of further perill and to saue his life hee did weare the same armour But this was adiudged no plea for the court did award that hee should forfeit his armour and be committed to the marshalsey And though he desired to be let to mainprise he was not admitted thereunto vntill the kings pleasure was knowne And the other knight his aduersarie was sent for into the kings Bench and there commanded vpon paine of all that he could forfeit that hee should not meddle nor doe any thing but that which was good to his said aduersarie Labourers shall weare no weapons
the absolute commaundement of the Kings Iustices Or for the forrest Or for the detestable offence of wilfull murder And the common law doth prohibit the prisoner to be mainpernable in all the foresaid cases Stat. 3. E. 1. 15. as it appeareth by the statute of WestmÌ„ 1. 36 He is lawfully imprisoned as a speciall disturber of the peace ImprisonmeÌ„t for notorious great offences who is committed to prison for any great and notorious offence viz. such as we doe call Mala per se which be hated abhorred and persecuted in all Kingdomes Prouinces Cities and well gouerned common weales As Treasons murders rapes burglaries robberies c. And it appeareth by the statute of West 1. that he is lawfully imprisoned which before was outlawed And he which is an approuer Stat. 3. E. 1. 15. And that felon which is taken with the manner And he which hath broken the Kings prison And he which is a théefe openly defamed and knowen And he which is appelled by an approuor And he which is taken for burning of a house feloniously done Or for false money Or for counterfeiting the Kings seale And he which is excommunicat taken at the Bishops request And he which is taken for a manifest offence or for Treason touching the King in which said cases the offendor shall be committed to prison and not be let to baile or mainprise St. 1. Iac. 12. And if any person shall be once conuicted that he did take vpon him by witchcraft inchantment charme Witchcraft charme sorcery or sorcerie to declare in what place any treasure of gold or siluer might be had or where things lost or stollen should be found or to the intent to prouoke any person to vnlawfull loue or whereby any cattell or goods of any person shall be distroyed wasted or impaired or to hurt or distroy any person in his or her body S. Felony by Statute although the same be not effected Then he shall suffer imprisonment one whole yeare without baile or mainprise and shall stand vpon the Pillorie c. for he that declareth the things aforesaid by any of the meanes aforesaid receiueth his knowledge therein and practiseth to effect the same by the inspiracion of the Deuill the professed enemie of mans peace and so committeth a great and notorious offence and worthily deserueth imprisonment 37 He is lawfully impâ—isoned who is found by verdict ImprisonmeÌ„t for offences done vi armis or by his owne confession conuicted for any offence done vi et armis and against the Kings peace for the law hath ordaâ—â—ed that all things shall be done and all sutes prosecuted betwéene one membâ—r of the common weale and an other with all tranquilitie and quietnes and he that doth any thing in perturbation of that tranquilitie breaketh the Kings peace and so shal be committed to prison as a disturber of the peace vntill he hath paied vnto the King a fine And therefore in an action of Trespas or false imprisonment if the plaintife do declare against the defendant that he did such an offence or made such a trespas vi armis contra pacem the defendant doth first and principally séeke to auoyd that to cleare him selfe of force and the breach of the peace and doth plead thereunto Quoad venire vi armis quicquid est contra pacem non est culpabilis c. Accordingly in an Assise brought against foure men 2. Ass p. 8. 12. Ass pla 33. it was found by verdict that one of them came with force and armes and all foure were committed to prison because in Trespas all be principals and none be accessories and yet if any of them had bin within age then he should not haue béen imprisoned 14. E. 3. 18. 16. Ass p. 7. But if a woman couert be found a disseisoresses with force she shall be committed to prison 22. ass p. 87. And if an action of Trespas of battery be brought against the husband and wife and it be found by verdict that the wife was guiltie of the battery but not the husband the wife shall be imprisoned and not the husband If he that is proued to be a disseisor in an assise be found to haue carried away any goods this is an attainder of force 11. H. 4. 17. and he shal be imprisoned without furder inquiry of the force for so it is ordayned by the statute of Anno 4. H. 4. St. 4. H. 4. 8. 17. Ass pla 14. If a man do giue councell to others to do a disseisin with force whereby they do it this shall be adiudged a disseisin in him and he shall be imprisoned In an Assise if the defendant do pleade a plea wherein an Duster is not denied which is found against him he shall be imprisoned 28. Ass p. 15 though he doth not confesse the Duster And he that confesseth an Duster 40. Ass pla 16. 19. H. 6. 8. if the Issue be found against him shal be imprisoned In an action of Trespas brought for fishing by force and armes in his seuerall fishing the defendant was found guiltie and was committed to prison In an assise of rent charge against thrée terre tenants it was found that the rent was behinde and the plaintife distrayned and one of them made rescous 39. Ass p. 4. and therefore they were all adiudged disseisors but none were imprisoned but he that made the Rescous 9. Ass p. 7. And in euery case of force where any Trespas is found vi armis false imprisonment or assise the iudgement shall be quod defend ' capiatur 22. Ass pla 87. for he shall be imprisoned for the Kings fine and when he doth pay the Kings fine he shall be deliuered 38 As one person may be imprisoned who menaceth assaulteth or beateth the person of an other or with force and armes entereth vpon his lands or tenements or violently taketh away his goods or chattels so by the statute of Anno 2. ImprisonmeÌ„t for Riots H. 5. St. 2. H. 5. 8. where thrée persons or more be attainted of great and heinous Riots they shall haue one whole yeares imprisonment at the least without being deliuered by baile or mainprise S. Riots 11. or in any other manner during the said yeare And if the Rioters be attainted of petit Riots they shall haue imprisonment as the King and his Councell shall thinke good And by the statute made Anno 1. M. it was enacted St. 1. M. 12. S. Riots 36. that if any persons aboue the number of two and vnder the number of twelue being assembled together shall intende practise or put in vre with force of armes vnlawfully to murder any of the kings subiects or to breake downe the pales hedges ditches walls or other inclosure of any parke or other ground inclosed or the bancke of any fish pond or poâ—le to the intent the same should remaine open or to doe any
shall be attending vpon the Iustices to go and assist the same Iustices to arrest such offendors vpon paine of imprisonment and to make fine to the King 3 And forasmuch as the said Statute of 15. R. 2. doth not extend to Entries into tenements in peaceable manner and after holden with force nor if the persons which enter with force into any lands or tenements be wholy remoued and departed before the comming of the said Iustices or Iustice Neither is there any paine ordained if the Shirife do not obey the precepts of the Iustices in this behalfe St. 8. H. 6. 9. Therefore by an other Statute made An̄ 8. H. 6. it was ordained that the said former Statutes should be continued and executed And further that where any do make such forcible entrie into lands tenements or other possessions or hold them forcible Holding possession by force after complaint thereof made within the said Countie where such entrie is made to the Iustices of peace or to one of them by the partie grieued that the Iustices or Iustice so warned within a conuenient time cause the said Statute to be executed and that at the costes of the partie so grieued And whether such persons making such Entries be present or gone before the comming of the said Iustices or Iustice presently the same Iustices or Iustice in some good Towne next vnto the tenements so entred or in some other conuenient place according to their discretion shall haue authoritie to inquire by the people of the same Countie aswell of them that made such forcible entries into lands or tenements Feoffement of lands for maintenance as of them which hold the same with force And if it be found before any of them that any doth contrarie to this Statute then the said Iustices or Iustice shall cause the lands or tenements so entred or holden as aforesaid to be reseised and shal put the partie so put out in full possession of the same lands or tenements so entred or holden as before they were entred or holden And if any person after such entrie into lands or tenements holden with force make a feoffement or other discontinuance 〈◊〉 any Lord or other person to haue maintenaunce or to take away and defraud the possessor of his recouerie in any wise if after in an Assise or other action thereof to be taken or pursued before Iustices of Assise or other the Kings Iustices whatsoeuer they be by due inquirie thereof to be taken the same feoffements and discontinuances may be duely proued to be made for maintenance as is aforesaid then such feoffements or other discontinuances so as before made shall be void And if any person be put out or disseised of any lands or tenements in forcible manner or put out peaceablie after holden out with strong hand and armes against the Iustice of peace or after such entry any feoffement or discontinuance in any wise thereof be made An Assise or action of trespas againste disseisour by force to defraude take away the right of the possessor the party greiued in this behalfe shall haue an Assise of Nouel disseisin or a writ of Trespas against such disseisor And if the party grieued recouer by Assise or by action of Trespas and it be found by verdict or in any other manner by due forme of the Law that the partie defendant entred with force into the lands tenements or them after his entrie did hold with force then the plaintife shall recouer treble dammages against the defendant and moreouer the defendant shall make fine and ransome to the King The authority of officers of Cities and Townes enfranchised And the Maiors Iustices and Iustice of peace Shirifes and Bailifes of Cities and Boroughes hauing fraunchise shall haue in the said Cities Townes Boroughes like authoritie to auoid such Entries and in other articles aforesaid rising within the same as Iustices of peace and Shirifes in Counties and Shires haue 4 As by the foresaid Statute of 8. H. 6. if any person after entrie into lands or tenements holden with force shal make any feoffement or other discontinuance thereof to any Lord or other person to haue maintenance or to defraud the possessor of his recouery then the same feoffements discontinuances shall be void So by an other Statute made before that Anno 4. H. 4. St. 4. H. 4. 8. it was inacted A speciall Assise against a disseisor with force That if any man in his owne right to his vse or in an other mans right to his vse doth make any forcible entrie into an other mans lands by way of maintenaunce or doth take or carry away any goods of the possessors of the fréehold after any such forcible entrie then if the partie grieued or other lawfull man will affirme that the entry was made in such forcible manner the Chancellor of England may graunt to the partie greiued a speciall Assise And if the disseisor be attainted of such forcible disseisin he shall be one yeare imprisoned and pay to the partie grieued his double dammages and also dammages for his goods And one of the Iustices of the one Bench or of the other or the chiefe Baron of the Exchequer if he be learned in the law shall be named in euery such speciall Assise And no Supersedeas shal be granted to the contrarie of such Assise 5 Wherefore if a man be disseised by force of any lands or tenements by way of maintenance or that his goods be taken or carried away after such entrie made Or that he be put out or disseised of his lands in forcible manner Or that he be put out peaceablie and after holden out with force against a Iustice of peace Or after such entrie any feoffement or discontinuance be made to defraud and take away the right of the possessor then the partie grieued as his case requireth may haue a speciall Assise against the disseisor and recouer his double dammages Seuerall remedies for seuerall offences by force and dammages for his goods and the disseisor shall be one yeare imprisoned according to the foresaid Statute of 4. H. 4. St. 4. H. 4. 8. Or else he may haue an Assise of Nouel disseisin or an action of Trespas against the disseisor and recouer treble dammages and moreouer the disseisor shall make fine and ransom to the King according to the before rehearsed Statute of 8. H. 6. St. 8. H. 6. 9. Or if the plaintife will omit the benefit of recouerie of his dammages he may only craue and vse the assistance of a Iustice of peace to sée and remoue the force to record it to inquire of it and to make him restitution according as the truth of his case shall appeare to the said Iustice vpon his owne sight or be found by inquisition according to the former prouision of the said Statute of 8. H. 6. Or lastly he that is put out or holden out of his lands with force
land without interruption 22. H. 6. 18. Fitz. Na. B. 249. he may kéepe his possession by force against all others And he is neither to be remoued from his possession by a Iust of peace though it be found by inquisition that he held that land by force nor yet by an action of Forcible entry brought against him vpon the said statute of 8. H. 6. Otherwise it is of a disseisor where restitution notwithstanding three yeares possession or of a man that commeth to land by a wrongful and vnlawfull title for if he hath detained the land by force thrée yeares 14. H. 7. 28. or twenty yeares he may be indited by vertue of the statute of 8. H. 6. before a Iustice of peace of forcible detaining of the same land and that being found the said Iustice of peace is to reseise the land and to award restitution to the party disseised or expelled thereof And also the same disseisor shall make fine and ransome to the King cui nullum tempus occurrit whose peace is brokeÌ„ by this long and vnlawfull detaining of the possession of another mans land by force But the party disseised expelled or kept out of possession cannot in this case maintaine an action of Forcible entry vpon the said statute of 8. H. 6. against the said disseisor séeing he hath omitted his time suffered the disseisor to gaine of him thrée yeares possession therby the benefit of the same prouiso contained in the said statute of 8. H. 6. 13 If a man who hath made an Entry vpon the possession of another of any lands or tenements by force or doth hold lands by force 1. R. 3. 4. after a peaceably entry made doe doubt that he shal be thereof indited before a Iustice of peace vpon the statute of 8. H. 6. and that restitution will be thereupon awarded he may haue a Certiorari out of the Kings Bench ready and when the Bill of Indictment is found he may presently deliuer it to the court and that shal be a Supersedeas to stay Restitution A Supersedeas to stay restitution for that by this Certiorari the indictment shal be remoued And though the indictment be found after the Teste of the writ of Certiorari it is not materiall for they be both the Kings Courts And when an indictment vpon the said statute of 8. H. 6. 2. 3. P. M. Dy. 122. is remoued into the kings Bench and that the party indited doth tender to trauerse the same the Iustices of the same Bench may graunt or stay restitution at their discretion according as the truth of the Title shall appeare to them But if a speciall sessions be procured to inquire of a Forcible entry or detaining of possession according to the said statute of 8. H. 6. and the Iustices to whom complaint is made do repaire to the place supposed to be entred vpon or holden with force 2. 3. P. M. Dy. 187. and doe sée the same according to the said statute after they do inquire thereof and that is found and thereupon they graunt restitution no other Iustice of peace can graunt a Supersedeas to stay the same restitution for by the said statute no other Iustice hath authority to graunt restitution but he or they to whom the complaint is made and before whom the force is found the writ shal be graunted vnder the Teste of one of them onely sauing the Iustices of the K. Bench who haue supreme authority and where the law doth intend that the King himselfe doth sit 14 Whereas the words of the foresaid statute of 8. H. 6. be Sta. 8. H. 6. 9. If it be found before any of the Iustices or Iustice of peace that any doth contrary to this statute viz. enter vpon or hold lands with force then the said Iustices or Iustice shall cause the lands or tenements so entred or holden to be reseised and shall put the party so put out in full possession of the same landes or tenements so entred or holden as before they were entred or holden And therefore if the father be put out of possession of lands by force and dieth before or after inquisition thereof his heire shall not haue restitution thereof vpon the said statute of 8. H. 6. for that he was not the same person which was put out And the same Law is if after the death of the father Where force found and no restitution dying seised of certaine lands a stranger doth abate and holdeth the same lands by force against his heire before he had gotten any possession indéed and that force is found before a Iustice of peace by an inquisition the same heire shall not haue restitution by the words of the said statute for that the same heire had but a possession in law and was not in actuall possession of that land neither is hée that party who was put out And so it is if tenant for terme of yéeres of certaine lands be put out of his terme by force and die though after his death the force he fâ—und by inquisition taken by a Iustice of peace his executors shall not be restored to the possession of that land by the same Iustice of peace causa qua supra But yet in the cases aforesaid the offendor shall be punished by imprisonment fine to the K. for by his forcible entry he hath broken the peace St. 15. R. 2. 2. 15 Whereas by the before rehearsed statute of 15. Rich. 2. it is ordayned That when any forcible entry shal be made into lands and complaint thereof come to a Iustice of peace he shall go to the place where the entry was made and if he find any that hold any such place forcibly after such entry made they shal be taken and put into the Gaole c. The forme of which Iustice of peace Mittimus whereby he shall send the same offendors to the Gaole is this viz. Francis Fortescue knight Buck. A Mittimus to send to the gaole such as do hold land by force one of the Iustices of peace of our Soueraigne Lord the King within the county of Buckingham to the keeper of his Ma. Gaole in Aylesbury in the said county and to his deputie and deputies there and to euery of them greeting Vpon complaint made to me by A. B. of Whaddon in the said county husbandman that C. D. E. F. of S. in the said county labourers and other malefactors and disturbers of the Kings peace had forcibly and with strong hand entred into his house c. in Whaddon aforesaid and him expulsed the same yet held with force I went this present day to the said house and there found the said C. D. E. F. holding the said house c. with swords and bucklers bils and staues to the great disturbance of his Ma. peace and against the forme of the said statute in that behalfe ordained And therefore I send you
by the bringers hereof the bodies of the said C. D. E. F. conuicted of the said forcible holding by my record commanding you and euery of you in his Ma. name that you receiue them safely keepe them in your said Goale vntill they shall haue made their fine and ransome to the King and be deliuered thence by the order of the law Hereof faile you not vpon the perill that will fall thereof Dated at Salden the 30. day of I. in the third yere of the raigne of our soueraign Lord K. Iames c. 16 And though the words of the before rehearsed stat of 8. H. 6. be Vpō cōplaint made to the I. of P. or one of thē c. yet those words do not alwais bind a I. of P. to expect the cōplaint of the party grieued or to omit to do his duty in inquiring of repressing punishing of force because the party grieued by the forcible entry or detaining of possessiō is ignorāt in séeking lawfull redres for his receiued iniury or doth intēd to take his remedy by other means but a I. of P. hauing notice of such forcible entry A Iustice may inquire of forcible entries without complaint or detaining of possession by force though it be by others and not by the party grieued may and of duty ought to goe to the place where the same force is committed to make inquisition thereof 7. E. 4. 18. and if the force be found to make restitution to the party expelled or put out by force And so by his meanes the offendor shall be punished according to his desert the partie wronged shal be restored the king shall be intituled to a fine all which without the said Iustices diligence would be omitted An action of forcible entry 17 If a man that is seised of lands or tenements of an estate in fée simple Fitz. Na. B. 248. fée taile for terme of his owne life or for the terme of anothers life be disseised or expelled thereof by force he may haue an action of Trespas of forcible entry vpon the foresaid statute of 8. H. 6. against him or them that did so disseise or expell him thereof and so he may if he be put out 6. H. 7. 12. or disseised of his lands or tenements peaceably and after the disseisor or he that doth expell him 14. H. 6. 1. doth hold them with force And in like sort he may haue the same action 3. E. 4. 19. 10. E. 4. 11. if any doth enter into his said lands or tenements with force after doth defend and hold them by force then he which is so put out and holden out with force may haue this action though the words of the statute be in the disiunctiue viz. disseised with force or disseised quietly after holden out with force for that the intent of the statute was to punish all such forces whether it were vpon the entry disseisin made or vpon the holding and detaining of the land with force in all which cases he who is so disseised or put out may haue an action of forcible entry vpon the said statute of 8. H. 6. and shall recouer his damages and costs to the treble of that which shal be found by the Enquest that he is endammaged 19. H. 6. 6. 22. H. 6. 57. 9. H. 6. 19. hath spent in his suit The writ of forcible entry must be Vi armis as wel for the occupation as for the first entry And it is to be noted that the writ declaration in an action of forcible entry must be that the def entred vi armis and not illicite or by any other such words for if the writ be otherwise it shall abate seeing a writ of forcible entry is alwaies vi armis 37. H. 6. 23. 38. H. 6. 1. and proces of Outlawry lieth in it and the declaration must expresse the certainty of the lands whereupon the defendant did make his forcible entry and which they be and not suggest that he did enter vpon certaine lands in D. And in this action of Forcible entry 35. H. 6. 6. 49. Ed. 3. 2. Co. lib. 3. 12. and in all actions Quare vi et armis a Capias doth lie and where a Capias doth lie in the proces there after iudgement a Capias ad satisfaciendum doth lie and there the king shall haue a Capias pro fine Who may brīg an actiō of forcible entry 18 None can pursue or maintaine this action of Forcible entry Fit Na. B. 248. but he who hath fréehold at the least in the lands or tenemēts so entred vpon for tenant for terme of yéeres or a copyholder cannot maintaine this action for that the words of the said stat of 8. H. 6. be If any person be put out Sta. 8. H. 6. 9 or disseised of any lāds c. and the words of the writ grounded vpon the said statute be Expulit et disseisiuit and tenant for terme of yéeres or a copyholder cānot be disseised séeing disseisin is alwaies of a fréehold which neither of them haue in that land But if tenant for terme of yéeres or a copiholder be put out by force or put out peaceably after holden out with force of land which either of them doth hold by the said estate then vpon cōplaint made by the party grieued to a I. of peace after inquisition thereof by a Iury the same force found the said Iust may reseise the said lands cause restitution thereof to be made to the party so put out for in this case the same cōplaint may be made to the said I. of P. aswell by him in the reuersiō as by the tenāt for terme of yeres or copiholder séeing he in the reuersiō who is disseised of his fréehold by this forcible entry is may as well be termed the party grieued as the tenant for terme of yéeres or the copyholder for their said particular estates And when the Iustice of peace hath made restitution the particular tenant for terme of yeares or copyholder and also he or they in reuersion shall hold and enioy their said seuerall estates in the same lands 4. 5. P. M. Di. f. 142. in such sort as they did before the said Forcible entry made But if tenant for terme of yeares be expelled out of that land which he so holdeth for the terme of yeeres he in the reuersion cannot bring an action of Forcible entry vpon the statute of 8. H. 6. for the same although it be a disseisin to him for that the expulsion is not done immediatly to him Fit Na Br. 248. 9. H. 6. 19. 19 If a man do enter by force into lands or tenements He that hath title entreth by force wherunto he hath right or title to enter doth put out him who hath the freehold of the same lāds in this case he who is so
or defeated of his land lease annuitie debt accompt action suit or demaund is no lesse perillous and preiudiciall to the party thereby wronged if it be not discouered preuented or auoided then the wresting and euicting from him of the same land lease annuitie debt or demaund And the offendors therein do as iniuriously and with as small colour of iustice wrest from the party grieued his said land lease annuitie debt c. as the robber doth take a purse from the traueller by the way or the burglarer his intended prey from the houskéeper in the night And if those reall dueties or things in action were conuerted into things personall the vndue conueying of them in this vnlawfull manner would deserue to be accounted and punished amongst other felonies as in some sort it is ordained so to be by the statute of anno 5. Eliz. St. 5. El. 14. And because diuers persons did forge false déeds and miniments and did cause them to bée openly pronounced published and read to trouble change or vndoe the lands of other persons and to vndoe and troble the possessions and titles of the kings peope therefore by a statute made anno 1. H. 5. it was ordained St. 1. H. 5. 3. that the partie grieued thereby shall haue his suit in that case and recouer his dammages and the partie conuict shall make fine and ransome at the kings pleasure But forasmuch as the wicked and daungerous practise of making forging and publishing of false and vntrue déeds and writings was much more practised and put in vre in all the parts of this Realme than in times past it had béene to the disherison of diuers persons and the great subuersion of iustice which hath growne chiefely by that the paines and punishments limited for such great offences by the lawes and statutes of this Realme before time were so small and easie that such euill people were not afraid to enterprise the practising and doing of such offences The repeale of former statutes of Forgerie Therefore by a statute made anno 5. St. 5. El. 14. El. it was enacted That all other statutes before that time made and prouided for forger of false déeds charters miniments or writings and all and euerie penaltie appointed for the same should from the first day of Iune then next following be void Forging of a déed whereby anothers fréehold shal be troubled 3 To the intent that condigne or some sharper punishment might bée ordained for such as should bée offenders in that crime of forgerie than in time past had béene by the sayd statute of anno 5. Elizab. it was established St. 5. El. 14 That if any person or persons after the first day of Iune then next following vpon his or their owne head and imagination or by false conspiracie and fraud with others shall wittingly subtilly and falsly forge or make or subtilly cause or wittingly assent to bée forged or made any false déed charter or writing sealed court roll or the will of any person or persons in writing to the intent that the estate of Fréehold or inheritance of any person or persons of in or to any lands tenements or hereditaments fréehold or copihold or the the right title or interest of any person or persons of in or to the same or any of them shall or may bée molested troubled defeated recouered or charged Or shall pronounce Publishing of a forged déed publish or shew forth in euidence any such false and forged déed charter writing court roll or will as true knowing the same to bée false and forged as is aforesaid to the intent aboue remembred and shall bée thereof conuicted either vpon any action or actions of Forger of false deeds to bee founded vpon this statute at the suit of the partie grieued or otherwise according to the order and course of the lawes of this Raalme or vpon Bill or Information to be exhibited into the Court of Starre chamber according to the order and vse of the Court he shall pay vnto the partie grieued his double costs and dammages to bée found or assessed in the Court where such conuiction shall bée and also shall be set vpon the Pillorie in some open market towne or other open place and there to haue both his eares cut off and also his nostrels to be flit and cut and seared so as they may remaine for a perpetuall note or marke of his falshood and shall forfeit to the Queene her heires and successors the whole issues and profits of his lands and tenements during his life and shall suffer and haue perpetuall imprisonment during his life The same dammages and costs to bée recouered at the suit of the partie grieued as is aforesaid to be first paid and bee leuied of the goods and cattels of the offendors and of the issues and profits of the said landes tenements and hereditaments of such partie conuicted or of one or both of them the sayd title of the Queene her heires and successors to the same notwithstanding Stat. 5. El. 14 4 If any person or persons after the said first day of Iune next Forging a déed whereby a lease or annuitie may bée claimed vpon his or their owne imagination or by false conspiracie or fraud had with any other shall wittingly subtilly and falsly forge or make or wittingly subtilly or falsly cause or assent to bee made and forged any false Charter Deed or Writing to the intent that any person or persons shall or may haue or clayme any estate or interest for terme of yeares of in or to any Mannours Lands Tenements or Hereditaments not beeing Copihold or any Annuitie in Fee simple Fee tayle for terme of life liues or yeares Or shall as is aforesayd forge make or cause or assent to bee made or forged any Obligation or Bill obligatorie or any Acquitance Release or other discharge of any Debt Account Action Suit Demaund or other thing personall Or shall pronounce publish or giue in euidence such false or forged Charter-Déed Writing Obligation or Bill obligatorie or any Acquitance Release or discharge as true knowing the same to bee false and forged and shall bee thereof conuict by any of the wayes or meanes aforesayde Then hee shall pay to the partie grieued his double costs and dammages to bee found and assessed in such Court where the sayde conuiction shall bée had and also shall bee set vpon the Pillorie in some open Market Towne or other open place and there haue one of his eares cut off and also shall suffer imprisonment by the space of one whole yere without baile or mainprise Stat. 5. El. 14 5 The partie and parties grieued by reason of any the offences aforesaid Seuerall remedies for the partie grieued shall and may at his and their pleasure haue and sue his action of forger of false déedes vpon this Statute against any of the offendors in the same by originall writ out of the Chauncerie and
verdit or misdemeanors shall happen to be made shall haue full power to compell such Iurors and euery of them vpon paine of imprisonment to be bound by Recognisance in a certaine summe of money by their discretion to be limited that the same Iurors and euery of them shall personally appeare at a certaine day by the same Iusticiar Steward or other officer to be limited before the Lord President and other of the Councell aforesaid for the time being then and there to abide and stand to such direction and order as the same councell shall make ordaine and decree of in and vpon the same And the same councell shall thereupon haue authoritie by examination or otherwise to heare and determine all and euery such cause and shall haue like authoritie to commit euery of the same Iurors to prison or other punishment as shal be thought meet by the discretion of the said counsel or otherwise assesse or taxe euery such Iuror to his fine and ransome by the same discretion to be paied and leuied of their lands goods and cattels to the vse of the King Periurie committed by witnesses 20 Hauing written of the restraint and punishment of periurie in Iurors consisting of twelue persons at the least impannelled or sworn to deliuer their verdict according to their euidēce I am now to expresse what punishments the law doth inflictt vpon such which doe come one by one as deponents or witnesses to testifie the truth and to informe the Iudge or the Iurie of the veritie of the matter in issue or question according to their knowledge whereof euery man by himselfe may be called singularis testis though there be more witnesses sworne in that cause And séeing that iustice cannot be executed without the knowledge of the truth of the cause in question that truth is in most cases only to be deliuered by the othes and testimonies of such parties as were witnesses priuie or best acquainted with the matter in variance Therefore first it is to be obserued that the wisdom of the law hath thought it necessarie to prouide that such witnesses may be compelled vnder a great paine to appear in court and testifie their knowledge concerning such matter in question as by the Statute made Anno 5. A witnes vpon proces serued shall appeare El. it was ordained St. 5. El. 9. St. 29. El. 5. That if any person vpon whom any proces out of any of the courts of Record within this Realme or Wales shal be serued to testifie or depose concerning any matter depending in any of the same courts and hauing tendered to him according to his countenance or calling such reasonable sums of money for his costs and charges as hauing regard to the distance of the places is necessarie to be allowed in the behalfe doe not appeare according to the tenor of the said Proces hauing not a lawfull and reasonable let to the contrarie then the partie making default shall forfeit for euery such offence x. l and shall yéeld such further recompence to the partie grieued as by the discretion of the Iudge of the court out of the which the said proces shall be awarded according to the losse and hindrance that the partie which procured the said proces shall sustaine by reason of the non appearance of the said witnesse the said seuerall summes to be recouered by the partie so grieued against the offendor by A.I.B.P. c. in any of the K. courts of Record wherein no W.E. or P. c. 21 There were seuerall statutes made during the raignes of king H. 6. K. H. 7. and K. H. 8. against Periurie and the procurers and committers of periurie and lastly one was ordained Anno 32. H. 8. St. 32. H. 8. 9 against such as should suborne witnesses to the hindrance of Iustice and the procurement of periurie Sithence the making whereof for that the penaltie therein is small towards the offendors in that behalfe the said offence of subornation and sinister procurement of false witnesses did neuerthelesse greatly increase and by reason of the wilfull Periurie committed by the same suborned witnesses diuers persons did sustaine disherison and great impouerishment as well of their lands and tenements as of their goods and cattels The penaltie for procuring of wilfull periury in witnesses for the redresse and more sharpe punishment whereof St. 5. El. 9. 29. El. 5. by a Statute made Anno 5. El. it was enacted That all and euery person and persons which shall vnlawfully and corruptly procure any witnes or witnesses by Letters Rewards Promises or by any other sinister and vnlawfull labour or meanes whatsoeuer to commit any wilfull and corrupt Periurie in any matter or cause whatsoeuer depending in suit and variance by any Writ Action Bill Complaint or Information in any wise concerning any lands tenements or hereditaments or any goods cattels debts or dammages in any of the courts of the Chauncerie Starre chamber White hall or in any other of the Kings Courts of Record or in any Léet view of Franke pledge or Law day Auncient demesne Court Court Hundred Court Baron or in the Court or Courts of the Stannerie in the countie of Deuon and Cornewall Or shall likewise vnlawfully and corruptly procure or suborne any witnesse or witnesses which shall bée sworne to testifie in perpetuam rei memoriam Then euery such offendor or offendors shall for his hers or their said offence béeing thereof lawfully conuicted or attainted forfeit fourtie pounds to the King and the partie grieued hindered or molested by reason of any of the offences aforesaid that will sue for the same by A. B. P. or I. in any of the Kings Courts of Record wherein no W. E. P. or I. shall bée allowed And if it happen any such offendor or offendors béeing so conuicted or attainted as is aforesaid not to haue any goods or cattels Lands or Tenements to the value of fourtie pounds then euery such person or persons so conuicted or attainted of any of the offences aforesaid shall suffer imprisonment one halfe yeare without Baile or Maineprise and stand vpon the Pillorie one whole houre in some Market Towne neere or next adioyning to the place where the offence was committed in open market there And no person béeing so conuicted or attainted shall bée from thenceforth receiued as a witnesse to bée deposed in any court of Record within any of the Kings dominions of England Wales or the Marches of the same vntill the Iudgement giuen against him or them shall bée reuersed by Attaint or otherwise And vpon euery such reuersall the parties grieued shall recouer his or their dammages against all and euery such person and persons as did procure the said iudgement so reuersed to bee first giuen against them or any of them by action to be sued vpon his or their case according to the course of the common Law St. 5. El. 9. 22 If any person or persons either by the subornation
to haue execution of a fine if the shirife returne the tenant of the land summoned by two summoners whereas he was not summoned by which returne the demaundant shall recouer and haue execution of the land if the tenant do not appeare and the tenant shall loose the land in this case the tenant may haue a writ of Deceit against the shirife and the demaundant that did recouer and him that is then tenant of the land and shal be restored to his former possession And the like law is 17. Ed. 3. 12. if a man sue a Scire facias vpon a Recognizance against another for a debt before recouered Deceit to auoid a recouery of debt if the shirife returne the defendant summoned whereas he was not summoned by reason wherof the defendant hath execution awarded against him of the debt then the defendant may haue a writ of Deceit against him that had the execution and the shirife and the shirife shall be punished for his false returne and the party who did recouer shall make restitution of that which he recouered and if the defendant die his executors may haue a writ of Deceit Where executors shall haue a writ of Deceit and be restored if the deceit be proued and that the Testator was not garnished whereupon the garnishers shal be examined And so it is if a man recouer in a writ of Annuity Annuity and after doth sue a Scire facias and recouereth by default of garnishment Fitz. Deceit 42. the defendant may haue a writ of Deceit For by the statute of Anno 2. Ed. 3. St. 2. E. 3. 17. 17. a writ of Deceit holdeth place and is maintenable as well in case of garnishment which toucheth plea of land where such garnishment is giuen as in case of Summons in a plea of land for in all the cases aforesaid a Deceit was wrought by the shirife to the Court and the party grieued by his false returne and the Law hath ordained That euery of those deceits shal be reformed by the writ of Deceit And a recouerie and iudgement had made and giuen to the intent to defraud and frustrate the true meaning of a statute shal be void as amongst others it appeareth by the statute of Anno 43. A iudgement to defraud the meaning of a statute Eliz. whereby it was ordained St. 43. Eli. 9. That all iudgements which shal be had for the intent to haue enioy any lease of a benefite with cure or any bonds contracts promises couenants made for any person to enioy the same contrary to the statute of An. 13. El. 20. An. 14. El. 11. or any of them shal be void in such sort as bands couenāts are appointed to be void which are made void for that purpose for that the suits whereupon the same iudgements be giued were commenced prosecuted vpon collusion fraud to defeat and make frustrate the true intent and meaning of the said statutes or of one of them Deceit vhon recouery in a Quare impedit 8 If any person do recouer against another in a Quare impedit by default of the defendant whereas he was not summoned 27. H. 6. 5. Fitz. Deceit 57. 19. Eliz. Dyer 353. then the same defendant may haue a writ of Deceit and the Summoners and the pledges vpon the attachment and the mainpernors vpon the distresse shall be examined and if the deceit be found the first iudgement shal be reuersed and there shal be a writ awarded to the Bishop to remoue the Clerke that was in the Church And so it is Deceit vpon a recouery in wast if any person do bring an action of Wast against another 29. Ed. 3. 42. 48. Ed. 3. 20. Fitz. Deceit 30. the plaintife doe recouer against the defendant by default whereupon a writ is awarded to the shirife to inquire of the wast whereas the defendant was not summoned the defendant may haue a writ of Deceit against him that recouered in the same action of Wast and he shall suppose that hee was not summoned attached nor distrained and proces shal be awarded against the summoners the pledges and the mainpernors who shal be seuerally examined and if they all did not their duty according to the Law the plaintife in the writ of Deceit shal recouer and be restored to that which before he lost in the action of Wast Deceit vpon a recouery by a Praecipe in capite 9 And the like law is 17. Ed. 3. 31. 36. if any person doe recouer land against another by a Praecipe in capite where the same land is not holden of the King in chiefe but of a meane lord by other seruices and where the demaundant had no licence of the chiefe lord to sue at the common place then the chiefe lord may haue a writ of Deceit against him that recouered the same land wherein he shall recouer his dammages the demandant shal be imprisoned for the deceit and also the lord shal retaine his seigniory in the same land But the recouery shal remain in force and he that did recouer shall also hold of the K. in chiefe by the way of estoppell And this writ of Deceit is maintenable in this case by force of the stat of Magna Charta 9. H. 3. 24. whereby it is ordained That the writ which is called Praecipe in capite shal be granted to no man wherby any fréeman may loose his Court. 10 Couin is accounted so professed an enemy to iustice Where a good title shal be impaired by a couenous recouery therefore is so hated by the law that she adiudgeth that bad and vnlawful which is mixed with couin though before of it selfe it were good lawful as if the issue in taile who hath good cause to bring a Formedon in discender vpon a discontinuance made of certaine lands by one of his auncestors 44. Ass p. 28 41. Ass p. 28 be of couin that a stranger shall disseise the tenant of the land against which stranger he doth bring his action doth recouer this land and hath execution in this case he shall not be remitted to his former estate though his title be good but shall be adiudged in possession by disseisin 44. Ed. 3. 46. 15. E. 4. 4. 7. H. 7. 11 Co. lib. 5. 31 in respect of the couin And so it is if a woman that hath good cause to be indowed of her late husbands lands will be of couin that a stranger shall disseise the tenant of the land wherof she is indowable against which stranger she will bring a writ of Dower and recouer hath execution she shal be adiudged in possession against the disseisée but as a disseisor in respect of her couin though she had good title to be indowed And so couin mingling together vertue vice persuadeth the law to reiect condemne a lawfull title which is vnlawfully atchieued 11
As the law doth both condemne reiect fines and recoueries Warranties deuised by fraud which bée practised or put in execution by fraud or deceit so doth she renounce and make frustrate all sorts of warranties that be deuised or contriued vpon collusion or couin to defeat or defraud others of their iust lawfull titles for though warranties be much fauored in the law for that they be meanes to establish the title of those who be tenants of land in possession but yet if any of thē be vndertaken performed or mixed with fraud then it doth not only loose his fauor but also his force in law Co. lib. 5. 79 50. Ed. 3. 12. 43. E. 3. 7. As if land be giuen to the father for the terme of his life the remainder to his sonne heire apparant in taile and the father by couin agréement betwéene him and another to barre his sonne by a collaterall warranty of his remainder will make a lease of the same land to that other person who will make a feoffement in fée to a third person of the same land to whom the father will release with warranty and thē the father dieth the warranty doth discend vpon his sonne being of full age yet this warranty wil not barre the sonne of this land for the feoffement of the lessée for yéeres was a disseisin and the father was partaker of the offence an actor agréeing thereunto and though the release with warranty was made after the disseisin yet séeing the disseisin was made to that end the law doth adiudge the whole fact frō the beginning to be fraudulent the warranty to begin by disseisin so all that assurance to be void against the heire in taile And in like sort other warranties that do commence by disseisin be contriued to deceiue defeat the right heirs of their iust and lawfull titles 20. H. 6. 10. Regist f. 113 44. Ed. 3. 4. 12 If one do bring a Praecipe quod reddat against two other men Deceit by getting of a Protection and they do purchase a protectiō for one of thē suggesting that he is to go beyond the sea in the kings seruice whereas he doth not so but remaineth still in England and so hath done euer sithence his protection purchased by which meanes the demaundant is delayed of his suit in this case the same demaundant may haue a writ of Deceit against the said tenants for this deceit and delay and shall recouer his dammages Deceit by purchasing a writ to charge another 13 Whereas according to the course of the Chauncery Fit Nat. Br. 96. the king is to haue of euery person who doth bring against another an action of Debt of the summe of fortie pounds or more vj. s̄ viij d. for a fine and for an hundred markes vj. s̄ viij d. and so for euery hundred markes vj. s̄ viij d. and for euery Praecipe quod reddat brought of land to the yearely value of fiue markes vj. s. viij d. and so according to that rate vnlesse it be a writ of right patent If any other person doe purchase a writ in the Chauncerie in my name without my priuitie whereby I shall be charged to pay to the king for a fine any of the summes aforesaid I may haue an action of Deceit against him and recouer my dammages for this writ was obtained to put me to charges and thereby to deceiue me of so much Deceit for purchasing a writ in anothers name 14 If A. being patron of a Benefice Fitz. Na. Br. 96. Regist f. 112. 7. H. 6. 45. when the Church is void do present his Clerke to the Ordinary and B. doth disturbe him whereupon C. doth purchase a Quare impedit against B. in the name of A. returnable in the common pleas A. not knowing thereof and after doth cause the writ to be abated or A. to be nonsuit in that writ in this case A. may haue a writ of Deceit against the same C. and recouer his dammages Deceit for procuring of a suit And if B. doe procure C. to sue an action against A. whereby A. is vexed Fitz. Na. Br. 98. A. may haue a writ of Deceit against B. Deceit by acknowledging of a statute 15 If A. and B. doe come before the Mayor of the Staple Fitz. Na. Br. 105 100. Regist f. 115 or before any other Mayor of any Citie Borough or Towne hauing authority to take acknowledgement of debts and there A. doth acknowledge a statute to B. of an hundred pounds or c. in the name of C. and doth report himselfe to be C. where he is not so whereupon C. is troubled and this statute extended against him then the same C. may haue a writ of Deceit against the said A. and B. and shall recouer his dammages And so it is if another man will leuie a fine of my land in my name Deceit by doing of a iudiciall act in anothers name or confesse an action brought against me in my name or will enter into a voucher in my name 19. H. 6. 44. Regist f. 113 and confesse the demaundants action or will acknowledge a Recognizance or statute Marchant or other matter of Record in my name I haue no other remedie but by an action of Deceit But it is otherwise if he seale and deliuer an obligation in my name for I may plead that it is not my déed which I cannot doe against a Record Deceit by forging of a resignation 16 If a Notarie Fitz. Na. Br. 99. Regist f. 114 and other persons doe by agréement counterfeit the seale of any Parson or Vicar and forge letters of resignation of his Parsonage or Vicarage in the name of the same Parson or Vicar by which meanes he is remoued from the possession of the same Parsonage or Vicarage he may haue a writ of Deceit against the same forgers 20. H. 6. 36. 21. H. 7. 41. 16. Ed. 4. 9. 17 If a man doe bargaine with another to enfeoffe him of certaine lands within twenty daies Deceit by assuring of land to one man which was bargained to another or c. and after he doth enfeoffe a stranger of the same land the he with whom the bargaine was made and was deceiued therein may haue a writ of Deceit against him that so bargained and defeated him thereof And so it is if a man doe compound with another to purchase a mannor or certaine land for him and hée doth buy it for himselfe the partie may haue an action of Deceit against the same purchasor And in all cases where a man doth promise to doe a thing and he doth it falsely a writ of Deceit is maintainable against him Deceit by charging of land after sale as if a man doe promise to assure land to another and after he doth graunt a Rent charge or a common out of it or doth make a Lease for life
any person or persons or to his or their right heires Or at any time since the said 20. day of Iuly hath conueyed or hereafter shall conuey or make by couin contrarie to the true intent of the Act prouided 34. H. 8. for the making of Wils any estates conditions mesnalties tenures or conueyāces to the intent to defraud or deceiue the King of his Prerogatiue primer seisin liuerie reliefe wardships mariages or rights or any other Lords of their wardships reliefes heriots or other profits which should or ought to accrue growe or come vnto them or any of them by or after the death of his or their tenant by force and according to the Statutes made 32. H. 8. 1. 34. H. 8. 5. and the same estates and other conueyances béeing found by office to be so made by couin fraud or deceit contrary to the true intent of the said Acts Then the king shal haue as wel the wardship of the bodie and custodie of the lands c. as liuery primer seision reliefe and other profits which should or ought to appertaine to him according to the true meaning of the said acts as though no such estates or conueyances by couin had neuer béene had or made vntill the said office be lawfully vndone by trauerse or otherwise And the other Lord and Lords of whom any such lands c. shal be holden by Knights seruice as is aforesaid shall haue their remedy in such cases for his or their wardships of bodies and lands by writ of right of ward and shall distraine and make auowrie or cognisance by themselues or their bailifes for their reliefes heriots and other profits which should haue béene to them due by or after the death of their tenant as if no such estate or conueyance had béene had or made Sauing the right and title of the donees feoffées leasées and deuisées thereof against the said deuisor and his heyres after the interest and title of the King or other Lord therein ended 24 If the father doe make a feoffment of his lands holden by Knights seruice Fitz. Collusion 29. 33. H. 6. 14. Co. li. 1. 122. to his eldest sonne He that is not partie to a fraud shall sustaine no losse then by the foresaid Statute of Marlebridge the Lord of whom the same lands be holden is inpossibilitie to haue the wardship of the said sonne if the father die his said sonne being within age But if the same sonne doe after make a feoffment of the same land to an other bona fide and after the father doth die leauing his sonne within age there this possibilitie is destroyed for that the stranger who had no notice of this fraud hath purchased the land bona fide and therefore shall sustaine no preiudice by it And yet in that case if the sonne had made the Feoffment after the fathers death Co. li. 2. 94. this alienation had not depriued the Lord of his wardship which was once lawfully deuolued vnto him 25 And it is a deceit collusion and defrauding of the lawe and a great disheritance and preiudice to the Lords of the Fee of whome any lands bee holden to giue the same lands in Mortmaine or to doe any Act or procure any thing to be done whereby they may come into Mortmaine contrarie to the statutes of Magna Charta 7. Ed. 2. 13. Ed. 1. 15. R. 2. and 23. H. 8. for the Lordes doe loose the wardships mariages reliefes and other seruices of their Tenants by that meanes And therefore by the Statute of West 2. it was enacted That if any religious or Ecclesiasticall person doe impleade an other St. 13. E. 1. 31. by a Reall action of land and the Tenant will make default after default whereby hee ought to loose the land Then hee which doth recouer shall not haue Execution of the same Land recouered vntill he hath sued forth the kings writ of Quale ius directed to the Escheator of the same countie to make enquirie by a Iurie what right hee that recouered the land hath to the same And if he hath right Deceit and Collusion to bring land into mortmaine iudgement shal be giuen for him he shall haue execution of the same land And if it be found that he hath no right to recouer by his said action but that the lands were lost by collusion betwéen him and the tenant of the land then the land shall accrue to the next Lord of the fee if hée demaund it within a yéere next after the Enquest taken And if he doth not demaund it within a yeare it shall accrue to the next Lord aboue if he demaund it within halfe a yeare after the same And so euery Lord after the next Lord immediat shall haue halfe a yeare to demaund it successiuely vntill it come to the King to whom through the default of other Lords the land shall accrue For this recouerie of land by default by a compact and couin before agreed vpon betwéene the demaundant being a religious or Ecclesiasticall person and the tenant is to defraud the intent and meaning of the Statutes of Magna Charta and an 7. Ed. 1. whereby it was ordained St. 9. H. 3. 37 St. 7. Ed. 1. That if any religious person or other whatsoeuer will buy or sel any lands or tenements or wil receiue the same by colour of any gift or lease or by reason of any other title whatsoeuer or will by other practise or deuise procure the same to himselfe whereby such lands or tenements may come into mortmayne he shall forfeite the same lands And by the equitie of the foresaid Statute of Westminster 2. if any Ecclesiastical person doe recouer land against another by reddition 3. Ed. 4. 14. confession or action tried yet the collusion shal be inquired of for that the same recouerie may be by collusion before had betweene the demaundant and the tenant And because that by feoffments fines recoueries and other assurances made of trust of lands to the vse of parish Churches Lands assured in Mortmaine to churches chappels Guilds c. Chappels Guildes Fraternities c. there groweth to the King and other Lords and subiects of the Realme the like losses inconueniences and is as much preiudiciall to them as doth and is where lands be aliened in mortmaine Therefore for the eschuing and auoydance of them by a Statute made an 23. H. 8. it was enacted St. 23. H. 8. 10. That all feoffments fines recoueries wills and other estates deuised or in any wise made of trust of any mannors lands tenements or hereditaments to the vse of any parish churches chappels churchwardēs Guildes fraternities or brotherhoods erected or made of deuotion or by common assent of the people without any corporation Or that the Feoffees Conisees Recouerées or other persons and their heires thereof seised shall take leuie or perceiue or cause to be taken c. the issues and profites thereof and the same to
heices c. the other moitie to the party grieued which will sue for the same at any time during the said suit or within one yeare after the same cause discontinued or decréed and in his default of such suit to him or them that will sue for the same by originall writ B. P. or I. in the Kings Court of Starre-chamber or in any of his Courts of Record at Westminster in which suit by B. P. or I. no W. E. P. S. P. or any other delay shall be admitted The Clerkes duty Prouided neuerthelesse That it shal be lawfull for the Clerke to take for his paines for writing of euery such report or certificat twelue pence for the first side and two pence for euery side after and no more vpon paine to forfeit tenne shillings for euery penny taken ouer and aboue the said summes to be had and recouered as aforesaid Extortion in the shirife coroner other officers 3 For that the kings of this Realme haue allowed to their Officers from time to time sufficient Salaries to maintaine them according to their estates and degrées to the intent that they should not otherwise extort any thing from their subiects but such fées duties as the auncient customes laws or statutes of the realme did allow them Therfore by the statute of West 1. it was ordained That if any shirife coroner St. 3. E. 1. 26 or other officer of the kings do take any thing to execute his office but only that which the king alloweth him he shal render double to the party and shal be punished at the kings pleasure St. 3. E. 1. 29 4 To preuent extortion in certaine Officers of the Iudges Extortion in a Serieant Crier or Marshall of a Iudge by the same stat of West 1. it was enacted That if the Serient Crier or Marshall of any Iustice do wrongfully take mony of any which doth recouer land obtaine his suit leuie a fine or prosecute any suit touching any plea of the Crowne he shal be punished at the kings pleasure and yéeld treble damages to the party grieued And if hée be a Serieant of fée his Office shal be seised into the K. hands But in an attaint 29. Ass p. 13 if the plaintife be nonsuit euery of the petit Iurie shall pay xij d. to the Marshall and be discharged 5 To eschew extortion which in some cases before had béen committed by some Coroners St. 1. E. 1. 10. St. 1. H. 8. 7 first by the stat of anno 3. E. 1. Extortion in a Coroner and after that by the stat of anno 1. H. 8. it was established That a Coroner vpon request made to him to come and inquire vpon the view of any person slaine drowned or otherwise dead by misaduenture the same Coroner shall doe his office diligently vpon the view of the bodie of euerie such person or persons without taking any thing therefore vpon paine to euery Coroner that will not endeuor himselfe to doe his Office as is aforesaid or that hée taketh any thing for dooing of his Office vpon euerie person dead by misaduenture for euerie time fortie shillings 27. Ass p. 14 And vpon the said statute of Anno 3. Ed. 1. two Coroners were indicted of Extortion for that they had taken of some of the K. people halfe a mark at seuerall times contrarie to the foresaid stat and their othes and therefore they paid a fine to the King 6 Because the Sherife of euerie Countie is a great and necessarie Officer in the Commonweale and vsed as a speciall instrument to the furtherance of iustice in all suits pursued at the common law and his seruice is imployed in the beginning prosecuting and ending of the most of them therefore as the law hath alwayes had a speciall regard of him and foreséene that he shall be a man of wisedome of worth of credit countenance and ability and that he shall be allowed a conuenient stipend and salary for his pains in most cases so doth she carrie a vigilant and watchfull eye vpon him and his inferiour Officers or Substitutes knowing what grieuous oppressions might ensue if she should leaue a man of his authoritie and necessarie imployment at libertie to diue at his pleasure into other mens purses and to take what hee would and therefore she hath restrained him his Vndersherife Bailife of Franchise and other Bailife within certaine lists and assigned them what they shall take for Arrests Attachements Mainprises letting to Baile and seruing of Executions which if any of them do cxcéed he shall forfeit the penalties hereafter expressed and be adiudged an extortioner Extortion in Sherifes Vndersherifs Bailifes As appeareth by the stat of An. 23. St. 23. H. 6. 10. H. 6. whereby it was ordained That no Sherife Vndersherife Bailife of Franchise nor any other Bailif by occasion or vnder colour of his Office shall take any other thing by themselues or by any other person to their vse or to their profit of any person by any of them arrested or attached nor of any other for them for the omitting of any arrest or attachement to bée made by their bodies or of any person by any of them by force or colour of their office arrested or attached for fine fée mainprise letting to bayle or for shewing any ease or fauour to any such person so arrested The fées of the Sherife for arrests c. for their reward or profit but such as followeth viz. The Sherife xx d the Bailife which maketh the arrest or attachement iiij d. the Gaoler if the prisoner be cōmitted to his ward iiij The Sherifes duetie for the making of a copie of a Panel d. The Sherife Vndersherife Sherifes Clerke Steward or Bailif of Franchise seruant to the Bailife or Coroner shall not take by colour of his office by himselfe nor by any other person to his vse any thing of any person for making of any returne or panell and for the copie of a panell iiij d. No Sherife nor none of the officers aforesaid shall take or cause to be taken or made any obligation by colour of their office but onely to themselues of any person nor by any person which shall be in their ward by course of the law but in the name of their office and vpon condition written that the said prisoners shall appeare at the day of the said writs bils or warrants and in such places as the said writs bils or warrants shall require And if any of the said Sherifes or other officers aforesaid take any Obligation in any other forme by colour of their offices it shall be void And he shall take no more for making of any such obligation The Sherifes c. forfeiture for extortion warrant or precept by him to be made but iiij d. And all Sherifes Vndersherifes Clerks Bailifes Gaolers Coroners Stewards Bailifes of Franchises or any other Officers or Ministers which doe contrarie to
lesse without award of the Kings Court he shall make fine according to the quantitie of the trespas and neuerthelesse sufficient amends shal be to them which haue receiued losse by such distresse Distraining out of his fee. Or if one do distrain another to come to his Court which is not of his fée or vpon whom hee hath no iurisdiction by reason of his Hundred or Bailiwike or doe take a distresse without his fée or the place where he hath iurisdiction or bailiwike hee shall make fine according to the quantitie of his offence Excessiue distresse Or if one do take any vnreasonable excessiue distresses which is grieuous and more than the quantitie of the debt or damages this is an oppression an he shall be amerced 41. Ed. 3. 26 29. Ed. 3. 23. As a man auowed the distraining of 200. shéepe and 16. beasts for ij pence rent and he was amerced therefore for all that he tooke aboue vj. shéepe were adiudged an oppression and so vnlawful But if a man distraine for homage 28. Ass p. 50 42. Ed. 3. 26. Co. li. 4. 8. Fitz. Na. Br. 178. 27. Ass p. 51 28. Ass p. 50 the distresse cannot be too excessiue how many beasts soeuer he doth take for that homage is not valuable though for rent fealtie and other seruices it may be excessiue And in like sort Oppression by often distresse if the Lord of a Mannor or any other who hath rent issuing forth of certaine land do distraine the tenant of the same land diuers times for rent or seruices where none is behind vnpaid this is an oppression of the same tenant who is distrained for in this case the partie who claimeth this rent cannot distraine for rent séeing none was due to him but his distresse is onely taken to vexe the tenant of the land and so to oppresse him And therefore the sayd tenant may haue an Assise of Souent foits distresse against the same Lord and recouer dammages of him according to the losse he hath receiued by the same distresses viz. for not plowing or for not manuring his land Lib. in t 82. Co. li. 4. 8. or for taking no profit thereby But it is otherwise if the same seuerall distresses were taken for homage Seueral distresses for one thing And so it is if a man do distraine for rent or seruices or for any other thing Fit Nat. Br. 71. and depending a suit betwéene the parties for the same rent seruice or other thing he who did distrain doth distrain again for the same rent seruice or thing for the which he did distrain before the beasts or goods of him whose hée did first distraine this is an oppression of him whose goods be twice distrained For the redresse whereof hée may haue a writ of Recaption A writ of Recaption against him who so did distraine his goods twice for one cause whereby hée shall recouer dammages for his second distresse And also hée that did take the same distresse shall make fine to the King for his oppression and wrong though the first distresse were lawfully taken yea and though the rent or seruice for the which he did distraine were behind vnpayed or vndone séeing by the first distresse the cause being prooued true and lawfull hée might haue had returne of the goods or cattell which hee did distraine vntill hée had béene satisfied of the rent seruice or thing for the which hée did distraine But a man may distraine the cattell of him who bée eating of his corne or grasse Distresses for damages for t or doing any other hurt in his ground 47. Ed. 3. 7 so often as he shall find them doing hurt therein and it is no oppression or wrong so to do for he doth not distraine twice for one cause as in the former case but distraineth seuerall times for seuerall new offences 4 And euerie Trespasse which the law doth interpret to bee iniuriously committed vi armis may also fitly be termed an oppression for it is done vpon the offendors owne wrong without warrant of law St. 5. R. 2. â— As if one person doe enter vpon anothers land expell him out of the possession therof whereas his entry is not giuen by the law or doth enter with strong hand or multitude of people Fitz. Tresp 13. 45. 234 20. H. 6. 22. 9. Ed. 4. 28. 9. H. 6. 64. 21. H. 6. 5. 21. Ed. 4. 18. 9. Ed. 4. 29. 10. Ed. 4. 4. 21. Ed. 4. 4. 1. H. 7. 10. 37. H. 6. 36. 21. H. 7. 1â— 11. H. 4. 64. 20. H. 6. 14. 3. H. 6. 12. 10. H. 6. 16. 43. Ed 3. 13. 4. Ed. 3. 48 47. Ed. 3. 22 43. Ed. 3. 35 1. H. 5. 1. and not in peaceable manner this is an oppression And so it is Oppression by Trespasses if one person doe pull downe breake or impaire anothers house or any part thereof Or if one person doe fell cut downe or carrie away the Timber Trées or Wood of another Or if one person doe fell cut tread downe or carrie away the corne or grasse of another Or if one person doe with his cattell depasture feed or eat the corne grasse or hay of another Or if one person doe take and carrie away the money plate iewels houshold-stuffe cattell corne hay or any kind of goods of anothers Or if one person doe plough till eyre or digge the ground or soyle of another Or if one person doe mayme imprison wound or beat another or doth mayme wound or beat the seruant of another whereby he looseth his seruice Or if one person doe hunt chase or hawke in the frée Warren of another or doe take kill or destroy his game there Or if one person doe fish in the Pond Poole Mildam Stew or other seuerall fishing of another Or if one person doe breake the doue-house of another or destroy the flight of the doues of another Or if one person doe digge the Myne of Tinne Lead Stone Coale Grauell Sand Matle Chalke c. of another Or if one person doe pull vp take away the meerestones which by consent haue béen set betwéen his own ground and anothers In all and euerie of which cases the partie grieued may pursue an Action of Trespasse against the offendor and declare that hée committed any of the said offences vi armâ—s wherein if the defendant be attainted hée shall pay to the plaintife his dammages sustained and to the King a fine for that he hath done an oppression to one of his subiects and made an offence to the law Fit Nat. Br. 183. 4. Ass p. 3. 5 Euerie Nusance which one person doth to the land of another Oppression by Nusances wherein the owner hath an estate for the terme of life in tayle or in fée simple may also bée accounted an oppression for those Nusances be put in practise by the offendors onely will and by his owne open playne and manifest
wrong to the disheritance of another or to the preiudice of his Fréehold without any warrant of law 18. Ed. 3. 22. 21. Ed. 3. 2 Co. li. 5. 101. Li. Int. 406. or colour of iustice As if one person doe build or leuie a house a wall a shead a leantor a chimney a gutter or other structarie in his owne ground to the offence of anothers fréehold or to the drowning or rotting of his house or to the stopping of his light or way thereunto this is an oppression 46. Ed. 3. 23. 7. Ed. 3. 56. And if one person doe leuie rayse abate or pull downe a Damme Poole Pond or Ditch to the hurt of anothers Fréehold that is an oppression 27. Ed. 3. 88. 12. H. 4. 3. 8. Ed. 4. 5. 48. Ed. 3. 27 8. Eliz. Dyer 2 50. 14. Eliz. Dyer 319. And if one person doe stoppe straiten or turne an auncient water-course to the hurt of anothers Freehold or in such sort as it doth drowne the ground or soyle of another that is an oppression And if one person do stoppe streiten or greatly impaire anothers highway which hée hath belonging to his Fréehold that is an oppression If one person doe conuey water to his house or ground by a pipe of lead timber or vault of stone and another person will make another pype out of that pype to take away part of the same water that is an oppression of him that made the first pype And if one doe erect a lime-kill néere vnto anothers dwelling house 4. Ed. 3. 36 5. Ed. 3. 43. 4. Ass p. 3. the smoake and heat whereof when it is set on fire doth annoy the inhabitant of the said house and his familie or doth scorch or dry vp the fruit trées in his orchard that is an oppression And if one person hath the fréehold of a seueral fishing in a riuer pond poole moat mill damme or other water Lib. in t 406. and another person wil build a dye-house adioyning or neere vnto it and then will powre out or cause to run from thence corrupt ashes dung slime filth or other annoyances into the said seuerall fishing place to the distruction of the fish there whereby the owner doth loose the benefit of his seuerall fishing that is an oppression of him And if one person will erect or settle vp a Faire or Market Fit Nat. Br. 184. Register 197. 199. Li. Int. 407. to the preiudice or hinderance of anothers Faire or Market that is an oppression of him who had the first Faire or Market And if one person do lay timber faggots stones lime sand grauell dung or any other thing vpon or against the house of another which do rot putrifie corrupt or impaire the walls timber or other part of the same house or any corrupt noisome or stinking thing the sauor or smell whereof is offensiue to the inhabitant of the same house and his familie that is an oppression of the same inhabitant The remedies for oppression by Nusances In which foresaid cases the parties grieued by the said Nusances and oppressions may in some cases haue their remedies by Assise of Nusance brought in the Common Pleas in some other cases by writs of Nusance called Vicountiels tryed in the Countie before the Sherife in some other cases by the writ of Quod permittat in some other cases by action vpon the case and in most of the sayd cases the sayd parties grieued by the sayd Nusances may take away pull downe Co. li. 5. 101. and remooue the same Nusances as their seuerall estates will enable them or their seuerall cases doe require Oppression by Rescous 6 Euerie Rescous that is vnlawfully made of cattel or other goods distrained is an oppression for the offendor doth a wrong of his owne authoritie to the preiudice of another in contempt of the iustice of the Realme without any warrant or colour of law Séeing when the partie grieued by himselfe 44. Ed. 3. 20 40. Ed. 3. 32. 17. Ed. 3. 43. 18. Ed. 3. 30 2. H. 4. 15. or some other doth distraine within his fée for his rent or seruices behind for dammages which hée hath sustained for amerciaments a rent charge or for some other cause which hée taketh to bée lawfull the cattell or other goods of him who he doth conceiue detaineth his due rent or seruice from him or whose cattell haue eaten or spoyled his corne or grasse or otherwise haue trespassed in his ground and doth in quiet and peaceable manner driue them towards the pownd there to remaine as a pledge sub custodia legis vntill the law hath decided whether there was iust cause of distresse or not the owner of the same cattell or some other in his behalfe will by force and strong hand make Rescous of this cattell and take them from him who distrayned them and so will not submit himselfe to the censure of the law nor tarrie vntill it be discussed by the ordinarie course of iustice whether the party that distrained had lawfull cause so to doe or not but will be his owne iudge and take the authoritie of reuenge to himselfe which is an oppression of him whose rent or seruices were due and vnpayd or whose corne or grasse was eaten c. and who was also forcibly depriued of the ordinarie remedie which the law did assigne him for the recouerie of his owne duetie And moreouer it is a contempt of the law which the same offendor doth refuse to be iudged by 7. H. 6. 1. 22. H. 6. 54. Fitz. Na. Br. 101. and therefore in this case the partie grieued may pursue against the offendor a writ of Rescous for this Rescous made and oppression done vnto him and thereby recouer his dammages and also the King shall haue a fine of him for this contempt of his law and his peace broken Li. Int. 527. and the offendor shall be imprisoned vntill hée hath paid the same 7 Euery Encrochment which one person doth make vpon anothers land Oppression by incrochments ground couered with water rent or seruice is also an Oppression for they be done and put in practise by the offendors own open plaine manifest wrong without any warrant or colour of the law As it is an oppression for one person by ploughing earing ditching hedging remoouing of Méerestones or land markes 22. Ass p. 93 to get away the ground or soyle of another and so it is for one person to draw away or alter an auncient Riuer Brooke or Streame of another persons out of the old and wonted course and so it is if there be lord and tenant and the tenant doth hold his land of his lord by fealty fiue shillings of yearely rent and of late yeares the lord hath had seisin of more rent of the tenant by the tenants owne payment without cohertion of Distresse if in this case the lord will distraine his tenants Cattell for that surplusage of rent that
enquest of twelue women before the Iustices 22. As p. 71 25. Ed. 3. 42. 12. As p. 11 23. As p. 2. Fitz. Cor. 240. 253. who being then sworne to examine and trie the trueth shall take that woman into a chamber and search and trie whether she be quicke with childe or not and if she be found to be quicke with childe then execution of her shall be staied vntill she shall be deliuered But if shée be not quicke with child she shal be hanged presently for it will not auaile her to be yong with childe And yet whether shée be with child or not Iudgement shall not be delayed but shal be presently giuen against her that she shal be hanged but only the execution of that iudgement shal be stayed If after she is repried and deliuered of her childe and before the next Gaole deliuerie she be with child againe though she be quicke with childe execution shall not be staied but she shal be put to execution presently And yet in that case the truth of the matter being inquired of and found the shirife marshall or gaoler which had the custodie of her shal be fined for kéeping her so slackly that shée had the company of a man 13 If a man attainted of felonie be adiudged to be hanged Fi. Cor. 335 and the sherife doth carrie him to the place of execution and doth hang him and he breaketh the Rope and falleth downe before he be dead A man hanged falleth downe before he be dead In this case the sherife must take him and hang him againe for his iudgement is that he shal be carried to the place of execution and there be hanged vntill he be dead And so vntill he be dead the iudgement is not fully executed ⧠Forfeiture AFter an offendor is attainted of treason or felonie A felon shal forfeit lands and goods and hath had iudgement of death hée shall presently thereby forfeit his goods and also his lands sauing in certaine cases hereafter expressed though it be not mentioned in the iudgement And notwithstanding there is a difference betwéene treason and felonie concerning the forfeiture of lands yet touching the forfeiture of goodes they be all one for they shall be forfeited to the King St. 17. Ed. 2 16 as it appeareth by the Statute intituled Prerogatiua Regis which hath ordained That the King shall haue all the goodes of felons which be condemned and which be fugitiue wheresoeuer they be found and if they haue any fréeholde it shall be forthwith seised into the Kings hands and the King shall haue the profites thereof by the space of a yéere and a day and the land shall be wasted and destroyed in the houses woodes and gardeins and in all things belonging to the same except men of certaine priuiledged places And after the King hath had the yeare day and waste the land shall be restored to the chiefe Lord of the same Fée vnlesse that before hée redéeme the same yéere day and waste of the King by payment of a fine But there is a custome in the countie of Gloucester that after a yeare and day the lands and tenements of felons in that Shire shall reuert and be restored to the next heire to whom they ought to haue descended if the felonie had not béene committed And in Kent in Gauelkinde the Father to the Bough the Sonne to the Plough there all the heires males shall diuide their inheritaunce and likewise women but women shall not make partition with men And a woman after the death of her husband shall be endowed of the moitie And if a woman doe committe fornication in her widdowhoode or take any husband she shall loose her Dower 22. As p. 96 Fit forfeiture 35. 2 A man being indicted before the Coroner of the death of an other man Forfeiture of goods and if it be further found by the same indictment that hée did flie for the said felonie although after he be acquitte of the same felonie 7. Eli. 35. Dy. 238. Co. l. 5. 109 and notwithstanding that the Enquest which did acquitte him doe say that he did not flie for the felonie yet his goodes shall be forfeited to the King For the King shal take holde of that Record which is most for his benefit and that is the Coroners Record And in like sort if one that is indicted of felonie Fitz. forf 32. Fi. Cor. 290 344. is acquitte thereof by verdict Flying for felonie if the Iury which did acquitte him will say that he did flie for the felonie he shall forfeit his goodes which he had at the time of the verdict giuen which being an auncient lawe of this Realme is grounded vpon this reason that notwithstanding his acquitall of the felonie yet he is to be suspected of the felonie for the vehement presumption which is risen of him as well in respect of his flying away as by the indictment And though the Enquest which did finde that he fled for the felonie be as touching that part of their verdict but an Enquest of office yet it is not trauersable because it is onely touching goodes for the which goodes no trauerse against the King is allowed by the Lawe for the Lawe doth accompt goodes inter minima de minimis non curat lex And though goods be in comparison of mans life or his lands in the eie of the Lawe called and accompted Minima yet they be not of so small value or so little to be regarded but the Iudge or the Coroner ought with all due circumspection foresée that the Iurie be not vpon ignoraunce or small euidence seduced to finde an vntrueth to the vtter vndooing of the partie indicted or accused Fi. Cor. 308 338. And in like sort if a man be indicted and arraigned of felonie and it is found by the Enquest or the Coroners Roll that hée fledde for the felonie he shall forfeit his goodes though hée hath the Kings pardon of the felonie for the charter of pardon doth containe the presumption of him that he is guiltie of the felonie An accessorie fled for the felonie 3 If a man be indited before the Coroner as accessorie to the death of an other man and it be found that he fled for the felonie 4. H. 7. 18 in this Case hée shall forfeit his goodes if hée were accessorie before the felonie committed But if it be found before the Coroner that hée was accessorie to the felonie after the offence committed and that he fled for the felonie hée shall not forfeit his goodes for the Coroner hath no authoritie to meddle with any that was accessorie after the homicide committed but onely with such by whose meanes the dead man was slaine or who were the causes of his death which the accessorie after the offence committed could not be And therefore when hée indicted one for receiuing of a murderer and that he fled this inditement of the receipt of the
said Iuror shall pay tenne times so much as he hath receiued And all those which be Embraceors to lead and procure such Enquests in the Countrey The penalty of Maintenance in Iurors and Embraceors to make againe and profit thereof shal be punished as the Iurors And if the Iuror or Embraceor so attainted haue not wherewith to make recompence in forme aforesaid he shall be one yeare imprisoned which imprisonment shall not bee pardoned for any fine and the party grieued may haue his action before other Iustices if he will But no Iustice or other officer shall inquire of office vpon any of the points of this Statute but onely at the Suite of the partie or of others as is aforesaid See Periurie 18. Maintenance punished by a Decies tantū 7 Vpon the foresaid Statutes of 34. Edw. 3. 38. Edw. 3. is the writ of Decies tantum grounded By the which writ the party grieued by any such Maintenance and taking of money by a Iuror or Embraceor shall recouer against the offendor tenne times so much as he hath taken whereof the King shall haue the onely halfe and the same party who doth recouer the other halfe 40 E. 3. 33. 41. Ed. 3. 9. And a man may haue one writ of Decies tantum against all the Iurors of an Enquest if they all did take money to giue their verdict or against so many of them as did take money Fitz. Decies tantum 1. And so he may haue one writ against the Embraceors and the Iurors and recouer against euery of them tenne times so much as he receiued to giue his verdict or to embrace as if one of them tooke tenne shillings another twenty shillings a third 5. pounds c. and the dammages shall be taxed against euery of them seuerally And therefore when one action is brought against seuerall Iurors for taking of money to giue their verdict euery of them must plead his plea seuerally 21. H. 6. 20. and by himselfe If a Iuror doe take money to giue his verdict on the one part if after he doth giue no verdict or if hee with his companions doe giue a true verdict or such a verdict as the party who bringeth the writ receiueth no hurt thereby or if the plaintife be nonsute 37. H. 6. 31. yet a Decies tantum may bée brought against him For it is not the giuing of the verdict which the Law doth respect and punish but the taking of the money to giue his verdict and so to doe an vnlawfull act But otherwise it is of an Embraceor for if he take money to embrace and yet doth not embrace no action will lye against him for he is no Embraceor if he doe not embrace In a writ of Decies tantum if the Iury find 41. E. 3. 9. that one of the Iurie in the former Issue did take land for fortie pounds lesse then it was worth to giue his verdict the same Iuror shall forfeit to the King and the party tenne times so much viz. foure hundred pounds And so shall the Embraceor forfeit tenne times so much if he hath the land for lesse then it is worth after the Iurie hath giuen their verdict by his meanes or persuasion And the one moytie which is due to the King in this case according to the foresaid Statute of Anno 38. Edward 3. 41. Ed. 3.15 Fitz. Decies tantum 12. 44. Ed. 3. 36. is a fine to the King for his offence and not a debt to the King and therefore the partie grieued shall be first satisfied of his moytie and after him the King shall bée payed in the receit of the Exchquer Men that be learned in the Law may for their fées speake to the Iury 6. E. 4. 5. and enforce their clients euidence vnto them so much as they can openly vpon the triall of the cause But they may not otherwise labour to the Iury to giue their verdict and receiue money to that end for then they be Embraceors If he that is the party grieued who may haue against any Iuror a Decies tantum for taking of money doe release to the same Iuror all actions this will not auaile the same Iuror for by the said statute any person that will being a stranger may haue a Decies tantum against the same Iuror But if the King doe release before any suit commenced it is a good barre against all persons as it is in other popular actions 1. H. 7. 3. 5. E. 4. 2. and yet if the party hath begun his suit the Kings release wil not discharge it but for his owne part for that which was before popular is now become his priuat action and a condemnation or acquitall at his suit is a discharge against the King and all others 8 There is another kind of Maintenance by Iurors Maintenance by Ambidexter that the Law doth prohibite which is when a Iuror doth take money or other thing of the one part and the other who is commonly called Ambidexter for the punishment of whom Sta. 5. E. 3. 10 by a statute made An. 5. E. 3. it was ordained That if any Iuror in Assises Iuries or Enquests take of the one part and of the other and be thereof duly attainted he shall not after be put in any Assises Iuries or Enquests but shall be sent to prison and further punished at the Kings pleasure And the Iustices before whom such Assises Iuries Enquests shall passe haue power to inquire and determine according to this statute As this gréedie Ambidexter doth offend two Lawes so it is prouided to impose two seuerall punishments vpon him vpon a writ of Decies tantum brought against him he shall be compelled to pay to the King and the party grieued ten times so much as he hath receiued to giue his verdict according to the statute of 38. E. 3. And shall be no more put in Enquests but sent to prison and punished at the Kings pleasure according to the foresaid statute of Anno 5. Ed. 3. But no person shall be punished according to the said statute of Anno 5. 44. E. 3. 39. Fit Dec. tantum 12. Ed. 3. vpon any writ of Decies tantum brought against him but only vpon an Indictment at the Kings suit If any Iuror doe take money of eyther of the parties to a suit after his verdict giuen for giuing his verdict without making couenant therefore before hand 39. Ass p. 19 he shall not be punished according to any of the foresaid statutes of Anno 5. E. 3. 34. Ed. 3. or 38. E. 3. for he is out of the danger of the writ of Decies tantum and he shall not be imprisoned by force of the statute of Anno 5 Ed. 3. for he did not take mony contrary to the meaning of that statute But in that case he shall pay a fine to the king 9 As it is Champertie and therewith Maintenance to haue part of
the land or thing in variance so it is Maintenance to take part in any quarrell depending in suit in the Kings court or to worke any fraud whereby iustice may be hindered Westm 1. 3. E. 1. 28. as it appeareth by the statute of West 1. whereby it is ordained That if any Clerke of the kings or of any Iustice The penalty for maintaining of suits do receiue the presentment of any Church for the which any plea or debate is in the K. Court without the kings speciall licence he shal loose the Church and his seruice And if any Iustices or Shirifes Clerke take part in any quarrell depending in the Kings Court or doe worke any fraud whereby common right may be delayed or disturbed he shall loose his seruice and be further punished if the Trespas doe require St. 32. H. 8. 9 And after by a statute made Anno 32. H. 8. there was a greater penalty imposed vpon those who shall be maintainors of suits By which statute it was ordained That no person or persons whatsoeuer shall vnlawfully maintaine or cause or procure any vnlawfull maintenance in any action suit demaund or complaint in any of the Kings Courts of the Chauncerie Starre-chamber White hall or elsewhere within any of the K. dominions of England or Wales or the marches of the same where any person or persons haue authoritie by vertue of the K. Commission Patent or Writ to hold plea of lands or to heare examine or determine any title of lands or any matter of witnesse concerning the title right or interest of any lands tenements or hereditaments Or shall vnlawfully retaine for maintenance of any suit or plea Retaining for maintenance or imbracing or suborning of Iurors any person or persons or embrace any fréeholders or Iurors or suborne any witnesse by letters rewards promise or by any other sinister labour or meanes for to maintaine any matter or cause or to the disturbance or hinderance of iustice or to the procurement or occasion of any manner of Periurie by false verdict or otherwise in any of the Courts aforesaid vpon paine of forfeiture for euery such offence x. pounds to the king and Inf. to be recouered by him that will sue for the same in any of the kings Courts of Record by Action of Debt Bill Plaint or Information wherein no W.E.P. c. if the suit be commenced in any of the kings Courts within one yeare next after any such offence committed or els not 10 As it is Maintenance to haue by agréement part of the land in variance or part of the gaines of the suit in question so is it Maintenance to buy a pretenced right or title of another of or to lands or tenements whereof the seller hath no possession for this oft times the cause of Subornation of witnesses procurement of Periurie and of the subuersion of iustice For the redresse whereof by the last specified Statute of Anno 32. H. 8. St. 32. H. 8. 9 it was first enacted That all Statutes heretofore made concerning Maintenance Champertie and Embracerie or any of them then standing in force should be put in due execution according to the effects of the same And also by the same statute it was ouer that ordayned Maintenance by buying of pretēced titles That no person or persons of what estate degrée or condition soeuer he or they be shall bargaine buy or sell or by any meanes obtaine get or haue any pretenced rights or titles or take promise graunt or couenant to haue any right or title of any person or persons in or to any Manors Lands Tenements or other Hereditaments but if such person or persons which shall so bargaine giue graunt couenant or promise the same their auncestors or they by whom he or they claime the same haue béene in possession of the same or of the reuersion or remainder thereof or taken the rents or profites thereof by the space of one whole yeare next before the said bargaine couenant graunt or promise made vpon paine that he that shall make any such bargaine sale promise couenant or graunt shall forfeit the whole value of the Lands Tenements or Hereditaments so bargained sold promised couenanted or graunted contrary to the forme of this Act. And the buyer or taker thereof knowing the same shall also forfeit the said value of the said Landes Tenements or Hereditaments so by him bought or taken as is aforesaid the one halfe of the said forfeitures to be to the king and the other halfe to the party that will sue for the same in any of the kings Courts of Record by Action of Debt Bill P. or I. c. wherein no W. E. P. or I. c. if the suit be commenced by A. B. P. or I. in any of the kings Courts within one yeare next after any such offence committed or els not Prouided alwayes The possessor purchaseth a pretenced title That it shall be lawfull to any person or persons being in lawfull possession by taking of the yearely ferme rents or profites of any Manors Lands Tenements or Hereditaments to buy obtaine get or haue by any reasonable meanes the pretended right or title of any other person or persons to be made to of or in any such lands tenements or hereditaments whereof he shal be so in lawfull possession Any thing in this Act c. notwithstanding 22 23. El. Dyer 374. 6. Ed. 6. Dy. 74. Plow Com̄ 87. 11 If a man take a lease or promise a lease for the terme of certain yéeres to another of land contrary to the foresaid statute of Ann̄ 32. H. 8. What is selling of a pretenced title viz. of those lands whereof neither he himselfe nor any of his auncestors nor any by whō he doth clayme the same land haue béene in possession of the same nor of the reuersion nor remainder thereof nor taken the rents or profits thereof by the space of one whole yeare before the said bargaine graunt and demise made he is within the danger of the foresaid statute of Anno 32. H. 8. as well as if hée had made an estate for the terme of life in taile or in fée simple of the same lād for that the scope and effect of the statute is vtterly to root out of Maintenance and bargaines and promises of Titles for the which the words of the statute be That no person shall sell or buy any pretenced rights or titles And a lease is no more lawfull for one yeare then for an hundred yeares and some man will be as ready to maintaine to haue a lease for yeares as to haue a greater estate Wherefore he that doth make a lease for yeares or make promise of a lease for yeares of lands whereof he hath but a pretenced right or title shall forfeit to the King and him that will sue the whole value of the inheritance of the land as well as if he had bargained and sold the fée simple thereof But
that he did cause some lawfull punishment to be inflicted vpon certaine of them for their crimes notwithstanding all these or such like misdemeanors be neither Treason nor Felony by the Law but a Riot and yet in respect of the basenesse of the parties which committed this wrong of the cause for the which they put it in practise of the worthinesse of the person and of his place vpon whom it was executed of the barbarous course taken in the performance therof of the perillous exāple giuen to other malefactors these riotors deserue to bée censured with a much sharper punishment then the former For as there be no bounds obserued by leud and wicked persons of their outrages so be there no certaine means or limits assigned of their punishments but the said most honourable Court of estate may draw forth his Maiesties sword of iustice and first punish the said offences according to the particuler lawes and statutes prouided therfore and then euery person transgressing by himselfe according to the circumstance of his demerits as partly may appeare by the statute of anno 3. H. 7. St. 3. H. 7. 1. which expresseth some parts of the authority giuen to the Lords of the said Court and more by a branch of the statute of Magna Charta whereby it is enacted St. 9. H. 3. 14 That euery fréeman shall be amerced viz. punished for reasonable cause according to the quantity of his offence And further by the statute of Anno 33. H. 8. St. 33. H. 8. 1 which giueth the lords of the said Court of Starre-chamber authority to punish those who by counterfeit letters or tokens shall get other mens goods into their hands by imprisonment setting vpon the pillory or other corporall paine whatsoeuer except death ⧠Treasons 1 CRimen lesae Maiestatis What is Treason in our English tongue called Treason is a great offence done to the Maiesty of gouernement and the peace of the land which the wisdome of this Realme hath from age to age so much hated and abhorred that they haue persecuted those that were guiltie therin with most violent and vntimely death and with extreame and seuere tortures they haue ordained that an offendor therein shall be hanged and cut downe aliue that his bowels shall bée cut off and burned in his sight that his head shall bée seuered from his bodie that his quarters shall bée diuided asunder and disposed at the Kings pleasure and made food for the birds of the aire or the beasts of the field and that his wife and children shall be thrust out of his house and liuings that his séed and blood shall be corrupted that his lands and goods shall be confiscated and as by the statute of 29. H. 6. 1. it is ordained of the Traitor Iohn Cade he shall be called a false Traytor for euer And as our respectiue and considerat forefathers haue deuised to yéeld vnto those grieuous offendors Legem talionis and to teare their bodies lands and goods who doe practise to rent and pull asunder this Maiestie of gouernement by destroying the head or such as are like to be the principall succéeding members thereof or by diuiding the bodie into parts or by weakning the force and strength thereof or by subuerting the chiefe Magistrats of iustice or by counterfeiting staining or blemishing of the peculiar and royall Ensignes Cognisances and Sinewes thereof so haue they béene carefull and prouident that there should be no greater number of those dreadfull sharpe and bitter lawes than vrgent necessitie for the preseruation of that Maiestie of gouernment required And because it was in former times greatly doubted and ofttimes called in question amongst the Sages of the Realme and learned in the lawes which offences were by the common law high Treason and which not and which were petit Treason and which not and seuerall men were of seuerall opinions therein and to the intent that al future ages might know and be more vigilant to eschew the penalties thereof King Edward the third at his Parliament begun at Westminster the thirtéenth day of Ianuarie St. 25. E. 3. 2 in the 25. yere of his raign at the request of his Lords and petition of his Commons made a declaration thereof in manner as hereafter followeth viz. It is high Treason where a man doth compasse High treason or imagin the death of our Soueraigne Lord the King or of our Ladie the Quéene his wife or of their eldest sonne and heire or if a man doth deflower the Kings wife or the Kings eldest daughter being vnmaried or the kings eldest sonne and heires wife or if a man doe leuie warre against our Lord the king in his Realme or be adherent to the kings enemies in his Realme giuing to them aid and comfort in his Realme or else where and thereof be probably attainted of open deed by people of their owne condition And if a man do counterfeit the Kings great Seale or his priuie Seale or his money which offences Bracton doth terme Crimen falsi And if a man bring false money into this Realme counterfeit to the money of England knowing the money to be false Bracton de Corona cap. 3. to marchandise or make paiment in deceit of our Lord the King and his people And if a man kill the Chauncellor Treasurer or the Kings Iustice of the one Bench or the other Iustices of Eire and of Assises and all other Iustices assigned to heare and determine beeing in their places doing their Offices And it is to bée vnderstood that in the cases aforesaid it ought to bee adiudged Treason which extendeth to our Lord the King and his royall Maiestie And of such Treason the forfeiture of the escheat doth appertaine to our Lord the King as well of the lands and tenements holden of others as of himselfe And moreouer there is another manner of Treason Petit treason that is to say When a seruant killeth his Master or a wife her husband or when a secular or religious man killeth his Prelat to whom he oweth faith and obedience And such manner of Treason giueth the escheats to euery Lord of his owne fée And because many other cases of like Treason may happen in time to come which a man cannot thinke of nor declare at this present It is accorded that if any other case supposed to be treason that is not before specified doth happen of new before Iustices the Iustices shall stay without proceeding to iudgement of Treason vntill the case be declared and shewed before the King and his Parliament whether it ought to be adiudged Treason or other Felonie And in case any man of this Realme doe ride armed openly or secretly with people armed against another for to kill or rob him or to take and detaine him vntill he hath made fine and ransome to be deliuered it is not the King or his Counsels wil that in such case it shall be adiudged Treason but it shall be
adiudged Felonie or Trespasse according to the law of the land in auncient time vsed and according as the case doth require And if in such case or any like the Iustices haue adiudged it Treason before this time and there by the offendors lands and tenements haue come into the kings hands as forfeit the chiefe Lords of the fée shal haue their Escheats of those tenements which be holden of them whether the same tenements be in the hands of the King or of any other by gift or in other manner sauing to our Lord the King the yeare and wast and the forfeiture of the chattels which doe belong vnto him in the cases aforesaid And in such cases writs of Scire facias shal be awarded against the tenants of the land without any other originall and without allowing the kings protection in the same suit And touching those lands which be in the kings hands there shal be writs granted to the Sherifes of the Counties where the lands be to deliuer them out of the kings hands without delay 2 By which statute it doth appeare that there be two sorts of Treason by the auncient common lawes of this Realme viz. High Treason and Petit Treason High treason High Treason when any of the grieuous offences aforesaid be done or attempted to the vniuersall and generall Maiestie of gouernment that is to say to the bodie of the whole Commonwealth or to the King the head ruler and directer thereof Petit treason in his person wife issues or authoritie Petit Treason is when the bloudie and grieuous offence of wilfull murder is done and committed by an inferiour person and one in subiection to another that hath a dominion or a kind of Maiestie in gouernmēt ouer the same partie And though sithence the before mentioned Statute of 25. Ed. 3. diuers other offences haue béene made Treason by the Statutes of 21. R. 2. 3. H. 5. 4. H. 5. 8. H. 6. 14. H. 6. 20. H. 6. 4. H. 7. 22. H. 8. 26. H. 8. 27. H. 8. 28. H. 8. 31. H. 8. 32. H. 8. 33. H. 8. 35. H. 8. 1. Ed. 6. yet euerie of the succéeding ages were soone wearie of the sayd new Treasons and thought that the grieuous paines and most hainous punishments of them were too heauy and vnsupportable for the Subiects of this Realme to endure As the Lords and Commons in the Parliament holden Anno 4. St. 4. H. 4. 10 H. 4. 10. did complaine that diuers paines were ordained to be Treason by the statute of 21. R. 2. insomuch that no man did know how he ought to behaue himselfe to doe to speake or say for doubt of such paines and thereupon it was enacted That in no time to come any treason shall bée adiudged otherwise than was ordained by the Statute of 25. Ed. 3. And long time after the makers of the statute of Anno 1. Mar. considering and rehearsing that the state of euerie King Ruler and Gouernour of any Realme Dominion or Comminaltie consisteth more assured by the loue and fauour of the subiects towards their Gouernour than in the dread and feare of lawes made with rigorous paynes and extreame punishment and that lawes iustly made for the preseruation of the Commonwealth without extreame punishment or great penaltie are more often obeyed and kept than lawes and statutes made with great and extreame punishments and in speciall such lawes and statutes so made whereby not only the ignorant vnlearned and rude people but also learned and expert persons minding honestie are often trapped and snared yea many times for words only without any other fact or déed done or perpetrated and therefore to the intent that the seueritie of such like extreame dangerous and perillous laws might be abolished A repeale of former treasons and adnulled St. 1. M. by the said statute of Anno 1. M. Parl. 1. it was ordained That from thenceforth none act déed or offence being by act of Parliament or stat made Treason Petit Treason or Misprisiō of Treasō by words writing ciphering déeds or otherwise whatsoeuer shal be taken had déemed or adiudged to bee High treason Petit treason or Misprisiō of treason but only such as be declared expressed to be high Treason Petit treason or Misprision of Treason in or by the stat of 25. E. 3. concerning Treason or the declarations of Treasons and none other Nor that any paines of death penalty or forfeiture in any wise ensue or be to any offendor or offendors for the doing or committing of any Treason Petit Treason or Misprision of Treason other than such as bée in the said stat of 25. E. 3. ordained and prouided By force of which stat made Anno 1. M. the subiects of this Realme were eased and vnburdened of al acts déeds and offences made or declared to be treason by the space of two hundred and more years before Or as it may more aptly be said of all offences made Treason by any stat or act of parliament whatsoeuer But sithence the stat of repeale made Anno 1. M. there haue béen diuers other offences made or declared to be treason by the stat of An. 1. M. 6. 1. 2. P. M. 11. 5. El. 11. 18. Offences made treason by Statutes El. 1. 5. El. 1. 13. El. 2. 23. El. 1. 27. El. 2. 3. Iac. 4. whereof the first foure were but as an addition augmentation enlargement or exposition of the before specified Treasons ordained by the common law or declared by the foresaid stat of 25. E. 3. All which said last mentioned Treasons I will set downe and expresse verbatim after I haue somewhat more particularly expressed how the Sages and Iudges of this Realme haue construed and expounded seueral branches of the said statute of explanation made Anno 25. Ed. 3. 3 The foresaid statute of 25. Ed. 3. doth confirme it to be high treason for any person to compasse or imagine the death of our Soueraigne Lord the K. the Quéen c. by which words it doth approue what a great regard and reuerend respect the common law hath alwayes had to the person of the K. which it hath endeuored religiously carefully to preserue as a thing consecrated by almightie God and by him ordained to be the head health wealth of the kingdome and therefore it hath ingrafted a déepe and setled feare in the hearts of all sorts of subiects to offer violence or force vnto it vnder the paine of high treason Leges Aluredi cap. 4. Co. li. 4. 124 in somuch as if he that is non compos mentis do kil or attempt to kill the K. it shal be adiudged in him high treason though if he do cōmit petit treason homicide or larceny it shall not be imputed vnto him as felonie for that hee knew not what he did neither had he malice prepenced nor a felonious intent And this law doth not only restrain al persons from laying