in possession by the antient Law the entry of the disseisor for his negligence had beeâ— taken away which now is onely by descent many aâ—â— continuall are the mutations of the Law according to the changes of the time For the rule and ground holdeth quod perpetua lex est nullam begem humanam ac positivam esse perpetuam that it is a perpetuall Law that no humane or positive Law is perpetuall Bac. Max. f. 70. Tempus edax rerum Coke l. 3. f. 21. A. maketh a lease for years to B. and when the Terme is ended the remainder to C. the reversion is good for it is certaine enough that every terme shall end for time is the consumer and divourer of things Distingue tempora concordabis leges the times being distinguished the Law will be reconciled Coke l. 9. f. 16. b. The King by the Statute de bigammis 4. E. 1. when the heire was of full age had nothing but primam seisinam capiendo exitum the profits of the Land in effect for one yeare but could not endow the Feme because after the Heire was of age he was not guardian and for that reason he could not endow the Feme at the common Law no more then guardian in chivalry might who though after the Heir was of full age did hold the Land further for the value of the marriage no Writ of dower did lye against him because he was not guardian yet afterwards by the Statute de praerogativa regis 17. E. 2. the King had power to endow the Feme although the Heire were of full age si vidua illae voluerint so as the Statute leaveth it to the election of the Feme whether shee will be endowed in the Chancery or at the common Law so as by distinguishing the times the difference of those Laws are apparently agreed and reconciled Omnia tempus habent habenâ— sua tempora tempus Coke l. 10. f. 82. a. All things are subject to time and time it self hath also its times as by the Statute of 34 H. 8. three severall Times ought to concurr in a devise whereby the King may have the value of the third part the first is tempus habendi every person having the 2d is tempus tenendi holding of the King the third is tempus disponendi may â—ive and dispose as if a man be seised of one acroâ—â—f Land in fee in chiefe by Knights service and of two other acres in fee holden in socage and the Tenant infeoffe his youngest Son of the acre holden in chief and of one of the other acres to have to him and his heirs and afterwards purchaseth Lands holden in socage he may devise all his Lands newly purchased holden in sooage because he had no Lands holden of Knights service in Capite at the time of the devise for the acts have made a conjunction of the Lands which the Tenant holdeth in socage with the Land which he holdeth of the King by Knights service in Capite so as when the Tenant hath conveyed the Land holden in Capite to his youngest Son now when he made his Will of the Lands so newly purchased he had no Lands holden of the King in Capite at the time of the devise and the Statute restraineth only those Lands in socage which he had at the time of having of the Lands holden in Capite vide ibidem plura in Loveys case For Judicis officium est ut res ita tempora rerum Quaerere quaesitâ— tempore tutus eris A Judges part it is to ponder things with time And by the square of time sure Judgment so to finde Coke Com. f. 202. a. If a rent be granted payable at a certaine day and if it be behinde and demanded that the Grantee shall distraine for it in this case the Grantee needeth not to demand it at the day but if he demand it at any time after the day he shall distraine for it for the Grantee hath election in this case to demand it when he will to inable him to distraine But upon a Lease for years reserving a rent upon condition that if the rent be not paid at Michaelmas or within one and twenty dayes after that then he may re-enter the tenant is not bound to pay the rent or tender the mony before the last instant of the last day but if he do not then the Lessor may re-enter and have the Land and the rent also but if the Lessor be not at the time there to receive the rent he cannot re-enter though he demand the rent before Brook Intender 41. unlesse before the Lessee meets the Lessor upon the Land and tender the Rent on the same day Coke Com. f. 22. a. Ployd f. 392. 393. a. Where a thing is referred to a time which declareth certainly if it be mistaken all shall be void as Trin. 7. E. 3. 26. One bringeth a Writ and reciteth that it is contained in the Articles made in the time of Edward the second and declared further according to the statute and the writ was abated by award for that those Articles articuli super chartas C. 9. were made in the time of Edward the first So Tr. 18. E. 3. f. 25. A statute Merchant was made to be paid in the sixteenth yeare of E. 3. and the party sued execution and the Writ supposed the sum to be paid in the fourteenth yeare of E. 3. and by the suit the Feoffee was outed whereupon he sued a Writ of error in the Kings Bench and the writ was abated and it was said that the time declared certainty for it might be that there were two statutes payable at diverse severall daies and therefore the day of payment was materiall ibidem So if a defeasance be made of a statute which reciteth it to be made the tenth day of May where it beareth date the first day of May the defeasance is void for the misprision of the time for the law saith that it may be that there was two statutes the one bearing date the first day and the other the tenth day vide ibidem plura in the Earle of Leicesters case A loco from the place LOcus pro solutione reditus aut pecuniae secundum conditionem dimissionis aut obligationis est stricte observandus Coke l. 4. f. 73. a. in Burchers case The place for the payment of money or rent according to the condition of a Lease or obligation is strictly to be observed As if a common person maketh a Lease of Lands in R. reserving a rent to be generally paid at such a feast upon condition of re-entry if it be not then paid the demand must be upon the land for the land is the debtor and therfore that is the place of demand appointed by the law and if there be an house upon the land he must demand the rent at the house and not at the back doore but at the fore doore because the demand must be made at the most notorious
of debt for the arreaâ—ages before the coverture yet when as the Statute giveth to the Baron an Action of debt for the arrearages the words shall be taken with effect and shall be construed for the arreages due before It is a rule in the Law that verba restringuntur ad habilitatem personae vel ad aptitudinem rei Bac. Max. f. 14. Generall words are to be restrained to the condition of the person or fitnesse of the thing as if a man grant to another common inter metas bundas villa de Dale and part of the vill is his severall and part of his wast common the Grantee shall not have common in the severall yet this is the strongest exposition against the Grantor so by all the precedent rules and grounds it appeareth that the rule that words shall be taken more strongly against the Grantor doth yeild to them as the more worthy and equitable vide ibidem plura where this rule with its differences and exceptions is amply and accurately discussed The grant of a common person shall be taken more strong against him but the grant of the King shall be taken more strong against a stranger and more favorable for him Ployd f. 243. a. As a Mannor granted by the King the advowson shall not passe without speciall words 2. H. 7. 8. So the King may grant a thing in action Ibidem And if the King grant a Mannor or Land without limitation of any estate the grant is void for the incetrainty and the Grantee shal not be tenant at the will of the Lord Davis Rep f 45. vide ibidem plura This rule hath no place in Acts of Parliament Verdicts Judgements or Devise Bacon f. Max. 21. Expressio eorum qâ—ae tacite insunt nihil operatur Coke l. 4. f. 73. b. The expression of those things which are covertly implyed worketh nothing for the expression of a clause which the Law implyeth operateth nothing as in 30. Ass Pl. 8. A Lease is made to two for terme of their lives diutius eorum viventi and after they made partition and the one dyeth and he in reversion entereth and his entry adjudged lawfull notwithstanding the said words diutius eorum viventi for without those so much was covertly implyed by the Law 17 E. 3. 7. Hulls case whereupon Coke giveth this observation that in case of lease for life it is more beneficiall for the Lessor to have the joynture severed then to have it continue but otherwise it is in a Lease for yeares for if a man makes a Lease for yeares to two with a proviso that if the Lessees dye within the terme that the terme shall cease the Lessees make partition or one alieneth his part and dyeth the Lessee shall not enter into his part that is dead but the Grantee or the Executors of the Lessee shall 〈…〉 So if the King maketh a Lease for yeares rendring rent without limiting of any place or to whose hands it shall be paid the Lessor may by the Law pay it either to the receipt of the Exchequer of the King or to the hands of the Bailiffs or receivors of the King whom the King hath authorized to such purpose and therefore the usuall and speciall limitation of the payment of rent at the receipt of the Exchequer c. doth import no more then the Law will imply and therefore nihil operatur Ibidem Coke l. 8. f. 26. b. If the King reciting that another holdeth the Mannor of D. for life granteth the said Mannor to B. for his life in this case the Law implyeth that the second grant shall begin and take effect after the determination of the first grant and therefore there is no incertainty in the grant though it be not expressed so for the expression of a clause which the Law implyeth operateth nothing ibidem in the Earle of Rutlands case Coke l. 10. f. 39. a. By the Statute of 32. H 8. Tenant in taile may make a Lease for three lives or ten yeares and by the Statute of 4. H. 2. c. 24. he may levy a fine and by the Statute of 32. H. 8. c. 36. by it bar the issues and therefore if a man make a guift in tail and further grant that he may lease for life or for yeares or levy a fine with proclamations to bar the Issues nihil operatur for when one maketh a tacit guift in taile he giveth those incidents to it Ibidem And therefore are such conditions and expressions called by Sir Francis Bacon clausula vel dipositio inutilis an unprofitable clause and disposition and to no use because the act or the words do express no more then the Law by intendment would have supplyed and that therefore the doubling and iterating of that and no more then which the conceite of the Law doth in a sort prevent and preoccupate is reputed nugation And thâ—refore if a man devise Land at this day to that they must worke some thing and not be idle and frivolous in Edward Foxes case wherein it was his Son and heire it is void because the disposition of the Law did cast the same upon the heir by descent 32. H. 8. Gourd 39. Ber. And yet if it be by Knights service Land and the heire within age if he take by the devise he shall have two parts of the profits to his own use and the guardian shall have the benefit but of the third Brooke devise 41. But if a man devise Lands to his two Daughters havnig no Sons then the devise is good because he doth alter the disposition of the Law for by the Law they shall take in coparcenary but by the devise they all take joyntly Dyer 12. Bacon f. 74.75 vide ibidem plura Yet Littleton saith it is well done to put in such clauses to declare and expresse to the lay people which are not learned in the Law what the Law is in such cases Co. lib. 4. f. 73. b. Expresum facit cessare tacitum Coke com f. 183. b. A matter or thing expressed causeth that to cease or to be of no effect which by intendement of Law was implyed and not expressed As if one grant Lands to two without expressing what estate they shall have they have a joynt estate for terme of their lives but if a Lease be made to two Habendum to the one for life the remainder to the other for life this doth alter the generall intendement of the promises so if a Lease be made to two Habendum the one moiety to one and the other moiety to the other the Habendum doth make them tenants in common for that which is expressed doth make that which is secretly intended to cease Ibidem for as he in another case saith if the generall words should stand without any qualification then the speciall words should be altogether vaine Coke l. 8. f. 154. in Edward Althans case quod vide Coke Com. f. 210. a. b. If the Feoffee in mortgage before
sub eo ipse sub nullo nisi tantum sub Deo Bract. l. 1. c. 8. The King is the Vicar and Minister of God upon earth every one is under him and he under none but onely under God and therefore the Lands which are in the Kings possession are free from tenure for a tenant is he which holdeth of some superior Lord by some service so as the King cannot be a tenant because he hath no superior but God for as Coke l. 8 f. 118. It would be against common right and reason that the King should hold of any or doe service to any of his Subjects and therefore all Lands holden of him mediately or immediately Co. com f. 1. and for which reason Cowell thought it not so proper in the Kings case to say that he is seised in dominico suo ut de feodo as if feodum in our Law was taken as it is in the fendall Law onely for the Lands held in Services whereas feodum as Bracton Britton Fleta and Littleton tels us idem est quod haereditas Davis case of Tenures f. 30. Neither can the King be a joynt-Joynt-tenant with any though it be of land or other things that he had in his body naturall for none can be equall with him And therefore if two purchase lands to them and their heirs and one be made King they are no more joynt-Joynt-tenants but Tenants in Common 3 Eliz 339. Nay Acts of Parliament do not bind him unless they concern the Common-wealth or he be specially named 4. E. 4 21. 1 Eliz. 223. And no man can declare against the King but he must sue by way of Petition Ployd f. 241. b. 18 Eliz 498. He hath the property of all Goods that are nullius in bonis and shall have all Tythes out of Forrests and places out of any Parish for rex est persona mixta cum sacerdote In a Writ of Error upon false Judgment given for the King no Scire facias shall go forth ad audiendum errores for the King is alwaies in Court and that is the cause that the form of Entry is in all Suits for the King in the name of his Attorney generall F.N.B. 21. b. Rex semper praesumitur attendere ardua negotia regni pro publico bono omnium Coke l. 5. f. 56. a. It is alwaies presumed that the King doth attend the weighty and hard things of the Kingdome for the publick good of all And therefore have the Grants of the King a more beneficiall interpretation then the Grants of the Subject that may attend their private Affaires which are alwaies taken more strongly against them As if the King do grant lands to I.S. and his Heirs and in truth I. S. is the Kings Villain that shall not enfranchise the Villain by Implication The same Law is of an Alien born 17. E. 3. 39. The Advowson of Pravondry holden of the King was aliened to an Abbot and his Successors and that the Successors shall hold the Provandry to their own use The King shall seise the Advowson for Alienation in Mortmain and destroy the Appropriation for he shall not be ousted of his right of Advowson by Implication So 2 R. 2. 4. If two be indebted to the King and the King release to one it shall not discharge the other for no prejudice shall accrue to the King by construction or implication upon his Grant more then he truly intended by it ibidem So if a release be made by him of all demands the right of Inheritance shall not be released 6 H. 7. 15. If the King granteth lands in fee upon condition that they do not alien it is good but in all these cases it is otherwise in the case of a common person And in many cases the King who claimeth by a Subject shall be in a better case in respect of the Prerogative incident to his Royall person then the Subject himself by whom he claimeth As if the King have a Rent-seck by Attainder of Treason or by Grant he shall distrain for it not onely in the land charged but also in all his other lands and yet the Subject by whom he claimeth shall not distrain If a Subject have Recognizance or an Obligation and after is outlawed or attainted the King shall seise all the land of the Conusor or Obligor where he himself can have but the Moyety the King shall take advantage of a Condition broken without demand whereas a common person who claimeth under the King cannot re-enter for non payment of Rent without demand made And if the King purchaseth a Lordship of which land is holden by posteriority the King shall have the priority vide ibidem plura in Knights case Davis f. 45. If a common person grant rent or any other thing which lieth in grant onely without limitation of any estate by the delivery of the deed only a Frank-tenement shall passe 17 E. 3. 43. a. If the King grant rent or land without the limitation of any estate the Grant is meerly void for the incertainty 7 Ass pl. 1. and the Grantee shall not be Tenant at Will as it is ruled in the case of Alton Wood. Ployd f. 243. The Grant of the King is taken more strongly against a stranger and more favourable to the King although the thing granted come to the King by purchase or descent Whereas it is otherwise of a common person As a grant of a Mannor by the King the Advowson shall not passe without speciall words So the King may grant a thing in action which another cannot So if the part of an entire thing commeth to the King the Common Law hath given him all As if an Obligation be made to two and one is outlawed the King shall have all the duty So he shall have an entire Horse or Oxe which one who is outlawed holdeth in Common ibidem So Coke l. 9. f. 129. b. Quando jus domini regis subditi in simul concurrunt jus regis preferri debet when the right of the King and the Subject concur and meet together the right of the King ought to be preferred as in Dame Hales case Baron and Feme Joynt tenants of a term for years the Baron is felo de se the Baron shall forfeit all Ployd Com. 262. vide ibidem plura in Quicks case The King may mend his Declaration that term that it is put in p. 13 E. 48. So the King may wave his Demurrer and traverse the plea of another M. 28 H. 6. f. 2. So if the King grant lands in fee with Warranty against all the Patentee shall not have value in recovery without express words to have value So the King may make a Lease to a stranger this reservation is good and the stranger shall distrain for it or have an action of debt after the Lease determined M. 35. H. 6. f. 36. Ployd f. 243. a. So for arrearages of Rent-charge granted to the King he may distrain in all other
shall give notice of the said felony to some of the Inhabitants of any Village or Hamler next the place where the robbery was done and that if in their pursuit they take any of the Offenders that shall excuse them though they do not take all See there in that Statute the reason of the alteration Co. l. 6. f. 50. a. b. At the common Law a man that had once the benefit of the Clergy shall have it another time and so in infinitum which was remedied by the Act of 4 H. 7. So as the burning in the hand was not to other purpose but to notifie to the Judge whether he had had his Clergy before or no ibid. So if one be attainted at the Common Law for forging false Deeds the King cannot pardon it yet the King may pardon the corporall punishment in case of forgery in the Star-chamber because all Suites in the Star-chamber are but informations for the King though the Suit be exhibited by the party ibidem So before the Statute of 18 Eliz. c. 7. the King might in case of Inditement of Man slaughter pardon the Imprisonment 15 H. 7.9 but not in an appeal but after the Statute of 18 Eliz. by which it is provided that after Clergy allowed and burning in the hand the Prisoner shall presently be enlarged and delivered out of prison It was resolved that that Act did extend as well to the case of appeal as to the case of Inditements otherwise the party shall lawfully be discharged of his punishment and yet remain in perpetual prison ib. vide examen legum Angliae f. 29. Cessante ratione legis câ—ssat lex Coke com f. 70. b. The reason of the Law ceasing the Law it self ceaseth As he that holdeth his land by Escuage when the King maketh a Voyage royall into Scotland to subdue the Scots then he that holdeth by the service of one Knights fee ought to be with the King conveniently arrayed for the War for forty daies c. yet needeth he not go with the King himself if he will find another man and this seemeth to be good reason for it may be he is languishing so that he cannot go nor ride Also an Abbot or another man of religion or a Feme-sole which hold by such services ought not go in proper person Littleton ibidem Quia multa In jure communi propter rationabilem causam omittenda sunt for many things for a reasonable cause are to be omitted If the King give lands to an Abbot and his Successors to hold by Knights service this had been good and shall do homage and fine a man but there was no wardship or releif or other incident belonging thereunto but if the Abbot and his Heirs had conveyed the land to a natural man and his heirs now the wardship releif or other incident belonged of common right to the King So if the King give lands to a Mayor and Comminalty and their successors to be holden in knights-Knights-service the Patentee shall do no homage neither shall there be any wardship or releif onely they shall find a man but if they convey the land to any naturall man and his heirs now marriage homage ward releif or other incidents belong hereunto for the reason of the Law being changed the Law its self is changed and the immunity which was in respect of the body politique by conveyance over ceaseth Coke ibid. Qui rationem in omnibus quaerunt rationem subvertant Theophrastus Coke l. 2 f. 7.30 who do seek reason in all things overthrow reason As if a man make a Lease of Indenture for life of lands in severall Counties and maketh livery of seisin in one County and divers daies after he maketh livery in the other County yet an intire rent shall issue out of the land in both Counties and yet the livery by which the Estate passed was made at severall times and therefore it may be argued that presently by the first livery the rent issued out of it But the Law shall not adjudge by parcels in subversion of the intent and agreement of the parties but after all Acts are made in performance of the originall contract and agreement of the parties the Law shall adjudge upon all as done at one and the same time So if a man make a Charter of Feoffment with warranty and deliver the Deed to the Feoffee and after at another time make livery secundum formam chartae yet the Warranty is good and yet it may be objected that when the Deed was delivered no estate passed to which the warranty may be annexed nor no estate was in the Feoffee by which the Deed might enure and so by nice construction upon the distinction of time the warranty shall be subverted but the Deed which comprehended the warranty took effect presently by the delivery of the Deed before livery and seisin and therefore the sentence is true that who do seek reason in all things subvert reason ibidem SECT II. A Verbis legis non est recedendum Coke l. 5. f. 118. b. we ought not to go from the words of the Law Edriches casc A. deviseth rent with distress to B. for the life of C. the heire leaseth the land for life to D. the remainder to E. in see the rent is behind in the life of D. D. dieth C. dieth B. distraineth for the arrearages of E. in remainder and resolved that he shall be charged by the second branch of 32 H. 8. c. 37. which giveth a distress for the arrearages upon such lands out of which the said rents were issuing in such manner and form as if Cestuy que vie had been living And the Judges said that they ought not to make any interpretation against the express letter of the statute for nothing can so express the intent of the makers of the act as their direct words themselves for Index animi seâ—mo and it shall be perilous to give scope to make construction in any case against the express words when the intent of the makers appeareth not to the contrary and when no inconvenience upon it shall arise for we ought not to go from the words of the Law vide ibidem plura Coke l. 10 f. 105. a. b. If in an Assise so many of the Recognitors make default that there be not twelve the Justices of Assise cannot award Tales de circumstantibus for though the Justices of Assise are named in the said Act of 35 H. 8. as well as the Justices of Nisi prius yet insomuch as the said Act doth not give power to Justices of Assise or Nisi prius but where the tryall shall be by twelve men in any Writ of Habeas Corpora or Distringas with Nisi prius and it cannot be in an Assise for Assisae capiamur in proprio Comitatu and can never be taken by Nisi prius in proprio commitatu and no exposition can be made against the express words for that shall be viperina expositio quae
to deliver the Evidences of the Land it shall be understood of the first Iohanes S. the vendor who by common intendment hath the Evidences so a man granteth to one a pention that I. B. had donec sibi provisum fuerit de competenti beneficio this word sibi shall be referred to the grantee and not to I. B. so in a cui vita brought by a Feme the Writ is cui ipsa in vita contradicere non potest the word shall not be referred to the next antecedent ipsa but to the husband otherwise the sense should be imperfect Dyer Ibidem f. 15. b. So Dyer f. 46. b. I. G. was indited before the Coronor of the death of Emelin Gager his wife and the Inditement was that the said Emelin was in pace domini regis quousque ante dictus Iohanes Gager vir prefate Emelin Gager de Hambridge predicta in commitatu predicto Yeoman and the Inditement was held good and that there was no defect in the addition for the word Yeoman could not bee addition to the Feme though the next antecedent but must necessarily be referred to the husband according to the sense and meaning A Writ brought of rescuing goods and denying to pay towle contra pacem shall bee referred to the rescouse and not to the towle 30. E. 3. 15. because in it consisted the breach of the peace Coke l. 8. f. 119. Adam de Clidrow brought a precipe against Iohn de Clidrow and the Writ was quod juste c. reddat manerium de Wincomb duas carrucatas terre cum pertinentiis in Clidrow in this case the Village of Clidrow shall not relate to the Mannor because it wanteth not it for a Mannor may be demanded without mention made that it lyeth in any Village but cum pertinentiis though it come after the Village relateth to the Mannor because it wanteth it Quia verba posteriora propter certitudinem addita ad priora quae certitudine indigent sunt referenda 6. E. 3. 12. Impersonalitas non concludit nec ligat Cok. com 352. b impersonals doe not conclude or binde and therefore every estopple ought to bee a precise affirmation of that which maketh the estopple and not to be spoken impersonally as if it bee said ut dicitur because impersonality doth not conclude any man for impersonalitas dicitur quasi sine parsona ibidem Negatio destruit negationem ambo faciunt affirmationem Coke Com. f. 146. b. according to Grammaticall construction a double negative maketh an affirmative a distresse was pro infecto servicio the Defendant saith quod non fuit infectum and ruled as good as if he had said it was done but Grammaticall curiosity shall not prevaile in like cases to avoide a Grant as upon a Rent charge issuing out of Land the Proviso was quod non presens scriptum nec aliquid in eo specificatum non aliqualiter se extendat ad onerandam personam meam Nec non in Grammatical construction doth make an affirmation but the Law that principally respecteth the substance doth judge the Proviso to be a negative according to the intent of the parties so as the sense of those words according to the construction of the Law is provided that this present writing nor any thing therein specified shall any way extend to charge my person Coke Com. f. 146. a. b. so ibidem f. 223. b. If Lands bee given in taile sub conditione quod ipse nec heredes sui non alienarent that he nor his heires shall not alien in legall construction shall bee taken negatively notwithstanding the double negative In disjunctivis sufficit alterum esse verum Coke lib. 10. f. 59. a. The Bishop of Sarums case whereas the avowant did avow that the Office supervisoris omnium maneriorum suorum had been granted to such person or persons as it pleased the Bishop and the Defendant pleaded in the negative that the said office had not been granted but for the life of one that exception was not allowed because in that the advowant did not alledg that the said office had been granted to diverse but onely to such person or persons and in disjunctives it is sufficient that one of them be true ibidem So Coke Com. f. 225. a If the condition bee in the disjunctive it is sufficient to obey either of them according to the rule Si plures conditiones ascriptae fuâ—rint donationi divisim cuilibet vel alteri eorum satis est obtemperare in disjunctivis sufficit alterum esse verum If many coditions bee annexed to a guift severally or disjunctively it is sufficient to obey every one or any one in disjunctives it is sufficient if either of them be true Si plures conditiones ascriptae sunt donationi conjunctim omnibus est parendum ad veritatem copulatiâ—vam requiritur quod utraque pars sit vera Bracton lib. 2 f. 19 Coke com f. 225. a. If many conditions be joyntly annexed to a gift all of them must be obeyed and to a copulative truth it is required that every part be true in a condition consisting of diverse parts in the conjunctive both parts must bee performed as if a man give Lands in taile upon condition that if Tenant in Taile or his heires alien in fee or in taile c. and also if all the issues comming of tenant in taile bee dead without issue that then it shall bee lawfull for the Donor and his heires to enter if tenant in taile in this case or his heires make any discontinuance he in the reversion and his heires may enter after the estate taile is determined for want of issue for the reason abovesaid But if the condition or limitation bee both in the conjunctive and disjunctive what then as a Lease to the husband and wife for 21 yeares if the husband wife or any child betweene them shall so long live and the wife dieth without issue the Lease shall continue during the life of the husband for the disjunctive referreth to the whole and disjoyneth not onely the latter part as to the child but also to the Baron and feme And so it is that if an use be limitted to certaine persons until A. shall come from beyond the Seas and attain to his ful age or die if he doe come from beyond the Seas or attaine to his full age the use doth cease Coke ibidem f. 225. e. Grammatica falsa non vitiat instrumentum Reg. I.C. decius 3. f. 10. mala grammatica non vitiat cartam sensus abreviationis accipiendus est ut concessio non sit inanis Coke l. 9. f. 48. a. false latine doth not destroy a Deed or a Charter and the sense of dashes or abreviations is so to bee taken that the grant be not voide as if the King grant tat il mannur of C. and D. and in truth there is but one Mannor then those abreviations shall bee taken in the singular number totum illud
for the punishment of fine and imprisonment c. but that it specially shall be limitted to such onely as did offend only in not well executing and using the said faculty of Physike for a generall clâ—â—â—â— is not to bee extended to those things are specially comprehended so 34. Eliz. f. 120. ubi A. seised of the mannor of Stable in O. in the county of S in fee and also of other lands in the said O. in fee suffereth a common recovery of all and declareth the uses by Indenture that the recoveror shall stand seised of all the lands and tenements in O. to the use of him and his wife and the heires of his body and dieth and after his death the wife entreth into the said Mannor by form of the said generall wordes but it was adjudged that those generall wordâ— did not extend to the Mannor which was specially named Coke l. 4. f. 8â— b. Nokes case clausula generalis non refertur ad expressa a generall clause is not referred to those things are expressed as where the Assignee of a Lease shall have a Writ of Covenant upon those wordes demise and grant yet if there be an expresse covenant that the Lessee shall enjoy it without eviction of the Lessor or any claiming under him this expresse Covenant qualifieth the generallity of the covenant in Law and restraineth it by mutuall consent of both parties that it shall not extend to the assignee Clausula generalis non porrigitur ad ea quae antea sunt specialiter comprehensa Coke l. 4 131. l. 4. when the deed at the first containeth speciall wordes and then concludeth in words generall both the wordes as well generall as speciall shall stand as Lands given to one and the heires of his body Habendum to him and his heires hee hath an estate taile and a fee simple expectant for as Dier f. 56. b A deed by wordes subsequent may bee qualified and abridged but not destroyed Dolosus versatur in universalibus generalibus Coke l. 3. f. 8. a. Twins case it is one of the Ensignes of fraude in a Deed of gift if the gift is generall without the exceptions of his apparell or any thing of necessity for it is commonly said that the fraudulent is conversant in generalls Coke l. 3. f. 57. b. Specots case A Bishop ought not to shew a generall cause for the refusall of a Clark as that he is criminosus or non idoneus for they are too generall and the fraudulent is exercised in generalls and therefore so incertaine that no issue can be taken of them as 2. E. 3. f. 6. The heire ought to alledge some certaine cause of refusall whence issue may be taken Generalia sunt praeponenda singularibus it is a rule in the Register that in a Writ the generall shall bee put in demand or plaint before the speciall as the Mesuage before lands the Land before Meadow Meadow before Pasture and Pasture before Wood and Wood before Juncary F. a. b. f. 2. E. Ex verbo generali aliquid excipitur Coke com f. 47. a. An exception is part of the thing granted and in esse as exceptis salvo praeter and out of a generall a part may be excepted as out of a Mannor an acre but not a part out of a certainty as out of 20 Acres one Ployd f. 361. a. A Lease of all my Lands in D. except white acre is void for white acre and a gift of all my horses except my black horse is void for my black horse Coke l. 10. f. 101. b. quando verba statuti sunt specialia ratio autem generalis generaliter flatutum est intelligendum where the words of a statute are speciall and the reason generall the statute is generally to be understood as the reason of the statute of 23 H. 6. whereby it was ordeined that no Sheriff should take any obligation by colour of their office but onely to themselves and upon condition that the Prisoners appeare at the day contained in the writ was for the avoyding of extortion and oppression and therefore is to receive a benigne and favourable construction and that in equity not only a bond but an assumpsit is within the reason of that statute and so was it adjudged 27. Eliz. Trin. in the Kings Bench betweene Danhigh and Hothcot that if a Sheriff or Goaler for ease or enlargement of any who is in his custody doth take a promise of him to save him harmelesse that though the statute doth onely speake of an obligation yet it is in equall mischiefe otherwise as Wray chiefe Justice said the statute should serve for little or nothing Multa transeunt cum universitate quae per se non transeunt Coke com f. 142. a. If a man seised of land as heire of the part of his mother make a gift in taile or a Lease for life reserving a rent the heire of the part of the Mother shall have the reversion and the rent also as incident thereunto for many things passe with the generallity which by themselves doe not pass so if a man hath a rent-seck of the part of his mother and the Tenant of the Land grant a distresse to him and his heires and the Grantee dieth the distresse shall goe with the rent to the heire of part of the Mother as incident and appertenant to the rent for now is the rent-seck become a rent charge Singulare distributive sumptum e aquat plurali Dier 328. b. a singular distributively taken equalleth a plurall as in an assise the Plaint is of two Acres of Land the Tenant pleads two barrs severall for the two Acres at large and the Plaintiffe makes two severall titles at large to wit for every acre one the Tenant pleades let the assise come upon the title in the singular number and the assise found one title for the Plaintiff and the other for the Defendant against the Plaintiff and judgement was given that the Plaintiffe should recover for one Acre and be barred for the other Coke l. 10. Br. Lifiels case A Lease is for one yeare and that if they agree the Lessee shall have the Land for three yeares rendring during the said terme ten pounds yearely this reservation goeth to both termes Propria res est quae solius est sive uni soli convenit Tholoss Syntag. lib. 5. c. 1. A propriety is that which is one mans onely and appertaineth onely to one man Ploid f. 308. b God made man the Soveraigne over all living creatures and gave the rule of them all to man Terram dâ—dit filiis hominum and so men by the endowment of God were made Lords of the earth and possessors of all things in the earth but how much land or things upon the earth one man shall have and how much another God hath leased to man by lawes by them to bee made and provided and by such lawes in every Realme and Country they are provided and divided and every man
that he had not white Acre by descent but had it by purchase for the relation to the descent was in vaine in that certainty appeared before ibidem vide Coke l. 3. Doughtys case f. 18. Oportet quod certae personae certae terrae certi status comprehendantur in declaratione usuum Coke l. 9. f. 9. a. Every declaration of uses upon Recoveries Fines c. of Lands Tenements and Hereditaments ought to be certaine for otherwise there shall be no certainty of inheritances and that certainty ought to be principally in three things in persons to whom in Lands c. of whom and in estate by whom uses shall be limited and declared and if certainty faile in any of them the declaration is insufficient Certa debet esse intentio narratio Bractton lib. 2. All declarations ought to be certaine so as the Defendant may know to what thing he ought to answer Ployd 84. a. As 3. E. 4. f. 21. A man retained in husbandry brings an action of debt against a Prioresse for his salary and declares that he was retained with her Predecessor and doth not shew what person retained him and by the better opinion the count shall abate for the incertainty for that it might be that one that had no Warrant retained him And so is it in a Writ Ployd ib. vi a. 22. E. 4. f. 47. It was granted by Parliament that Ashby should have a writ with Proclamations out of the Chancery against one Griffeth to answer for diverse Trespasses which were contained in the Act of Parliament and the Writ by award was abated because he made no mention of the Trespasses in certaine and there it varied from the Act but that was a private Act and therefore the non-recitall of it makes the Writ naught and so should the mis-recitall but the recitall of a generall act or the mis-recitall of a generall Act is not material but the Judges are bound to take notice of it without the monstrance of the party Oportet ut res certa deducatur in judicium Coke l. 5. f. 321. a. Playters Case P. brought an action of Trespasse against W. Quare clausum suum fregit pisces suos cepit without shewing the number or nature of the Fishes and it was resolved that the count should have comprehended the Fishes in certaine that the Defendant might have a certaine answer and upon which a certaine judgment might be given as 4. H. 6. n. the writ was quare piscem cepit and counts of so many Pikes in certaine and though the writ was piscem in the singular number yet good because per se est nomen collectivum in which the plurall number is comprehended and great inconvenience otherwise would ensue for unlesse the issue hath certainty with which the Jury may be charged upon such a generall incertainty if they give a false verdict they may be charged in attaint and f. 38. a. Teyes case In a fine the same thing was granted and surrendred to severall persons and of severall estates and so repugnant and erroneous for a fine is like unto a Judgment for a Scire facias lyes to execute it as of a Judgment and oportet as Bracton saith quod certa res deducatur in Judicium Ployd Manhells Case f. 10. b. If three issues bring three severall Formedonâ— he whose writ is first returned shall have the Land for by it he hath first attached the possession in the hands of the tenant and the writ is not of Record before the returne but if all the three Writs be returned on the same day they shall all abate because it is incertain by the count if the Tenant confesse the actions to whom they shall award seisin because all their titles are alike and all returned on the same day and for that incertainty the writs shall abate as 21. R. 2. Fit avowry p. l. 262. In a Replegiare against two the one avows for Damage-feasant and the other avows that he had common in the Land and tooke the beasts as a commoner Damage-feasant and by the award of the Court both the avowrie was abated and the Plaintiff recovered damages against them because every of them could not have the returne and who should be preferred and who rejected would be incertaine to the Court vide Ployd f. 84. a. b. Partridges case In some cases the count and the writ may be generall without certainty as in assizes but there the certainty must be shewen by the replication and in some cases the writ the count and the replication also may be incertaine but the certainty shall appeare by verdict As in a Quare impedit the value of the Church doth not appeare in the count nor in the replication but it shall appeare by verdict for they shal assess double damages or damages for halfe a yeare according to the value of the Church as the case requireth so in a writ of Ward the Jury shal find if the heir be married or not and shall assesse daâ—â—ges for it and yet in the count and replication no such matter appeareth So in a detinue the valew of the goods appeareth by verdict and in many other cases So as the certainty allwayes must appeare to the Court and if it be requisite to be shewen in the count then it ought not to be left out or omitted in the count as Ployd f. 85. a. In decies tantum he must shew the certainty of the sum received because he shall recover ten times more and that he cannot unlesse he shew how much it is And in Trespasse if the Defendant pleade that it is his Frank-tenement and the Plaintiff intitles himselfe by a lease for years made by him and if the Defendant will shew that he made a Feoffment and that he entered for the forfeiture he must shew the name of the Feoffees and certainty of the Feoffment for in all cases the privy ought to shew the certainty and in case of forfeiture the Lessor in the reversion is privy to it So if the heire will pleade in bar in a writ of Dower the detainer of evidences he must shew the certainty of the evidencies for he is privy to them in that he affirmeth that they appertaine to him but if he say a bag ensealed with Charters that is good without shewing the certainty of them 18. H. 8. f. 1. B. Dower And if one be bound in an obligation to serve I. S. for seven years in mandatis omnibus suis licitis he shal pretend that he did serve him lawfully without shewing in what service or in what commandement for no servant can remember all 20. E. 4.13 So a man may aver a thing to be done by Covin without shewing how the Covin was for Covin is a secret thing contrived between two or three to the prejudice of another 4. E. 6. 46. And a man may pleade that he was chosen Knight for the Shrie by the greatest number without shewing the number for the
election may be by voyces or hands or in othâ—â— sort and it is hard to discerne the certaine number and yet easy to see who had the greatest number 2. M. 128. vide Ployd f. 121. b. Coke Com. f. 303. c. Every Plea must be direct and not by way of argument or rehersall and an argumentative Plea is not good Ployd f. 122. a. b. for there is a ground in the Law that in declarations certainty ought to be alledged by apt words of affirmation otherwise the declaration is not good As in debt upon an obligation I declare that it appears by the obligation that the Defendant is bound to me in twenty pound the declaration is not good because it was alledged in matter of fact quod tenebatur mihi in twenty pound for bond is alledged for recitall onely So 11. H. 6. In an action of debt against a goaler who had let one at large who was in execution under guarde for the sum in demand and declareth that he let him at large by which the Plaintiff exclusus fuit de debito suo and the declaration not good because he did not say that he was not satisfied when he let him at large which is the cause of the action which he hath not alledged but by implication for by implication it is alledged for if he let him go at large by which he is barred of his debt against the prisoner by it is implyed that the debt was not then paid but the count was not good because it was not affirmed by precise words and 38. H. 6. f. 14. The Plaintiff in an action of debt counts that the Defendant retained him in his service for eight years to serve him in all occupations taking for every yeare 20 s. and the Defendant gageth his Law and though the Plaintiff was retained in husbandry and the service of husbandry was implyed in the words all occupations yet the Defendant was received to his Law because it was not fully expressed that he was retained in husbandry but onely by implication which would not suffice So Ployd f. 143. b. The Covenant in the Indenture was if one moyety of the Rent was behinde and unpaid after two moneths since the Feast c. that then c. and in the rejoynder it was alledged that one moyety was behinde per duos menses by the space of two moneths which was no answer because the Indenture is if it be behinde after two moneths post duos menses and he said it was behinde per duos menses which is no affirmation that it was behinde after two moneths but by implication and argumentation and not otherwise and therefore not good Every Recovery had in our Law must be pleaded certainly to every intent Ployd 65. a. as in 22. E. 4. f. 8. in a Scire facias to have execution of two hundred Acres of Land the Tenant pleaded that since the Scire facias sued that I. B. brought a Formedon of one hundred Acres inter alia and recovered and had execution judgement of the breif for parcell and there the opinion was the Plea was not good for every Recovery ought to be pleaded certianly to every intent and those words inter alia are certaine to no intent and it is good reason for every Recovery is entire and there is one originall and one judgment upon it and so the judgement is one and entire and therefore to say that inter alia he did recover is not good but ought to plead certainly If a Bar hath matter of substance and is good to a common intent it shall suffice although it be not good to every speciall intent Ployd Colthersts Case f. 26. a. and as Coke Com. 303. There are three sorts of certainties first to a certaine intent in generall as in counts replications and other pleadings of the Plaintiff 2. A certaine intent to every particular as in Estopples 3. A certainty to a common intent and this is sufficient in a Barr which is to defend the party and to excuse him and of this certainty it is said the Bar shall be good if it be good to a common intent Ployd f. 31. a. but this common intent is not such an intent which may be indifferent but such an intent that hath more vehement presumption in intendement then any other intent hath as fully to administer all the goods which were to the testator the day of his death is a good Bar yet it may be he had other goods which were never in the hands of the Testator which are Assets as debts paid after or goods which come in liew c. but that is not the most common intent but the more common intendement is that he had not any other goods but those which were the Testators So in a Formedon in descender ne donna pass is a good Barr yet it may be he hath recovered in value in which case other Lands were given and yet the Formedon lyes but that shall not be intended but the common intendement is to expresse the plaine guift by livery but if I pleade in Bar a lease for anothers life there the Bar is not good without averring the life of cefis que vie for it was indifferent whether he was in life or no and hath no more stronge intendement the one way then the other therefore his life must be averred by expresse words so in debt upon an obligation if the Defendant pleade in Barr a release bearing date since the obligation made that Bar is not good if he doth not shew by expresse words that it was delivered since the obligation made for prima facie one will presume that it was delivered when it bore date but of the other part it shall be presumed also that the other would not bring an action of debt if the release was delivered since and so one way it hath as vehement presumption as another and for that the intendement is indifferent it is not good unlesse it be shewen by the Plea that it was delivered since the obligation made Ployd ibidem vide plura f. 26. Grounds and Maximes proceeding from the Predicaments From the Predicament of substance SVbstantia prior dignor est accidente Arist 2. de anima the substance is more worthy and before the accident and therefore doth the Law prefer matters of substance before forme and circumstance as 21. H. 7. 24. b. Pleas in Barr and replications though the Plaintiff be afterwards non-suit make an Estopple for they are expresse allegations and substantiall as in debt upon an obligation if the Defendant pleade in Barr an acquittance made at D. or if the Defendant pleade an acquittance and the Plaintiff replyeth that it was made by duress of imprisonment at D. now in another action neither the Defendant shall pleade that the acquittance nor the Plaintiff that the duress was at another place because they were materiall But the matter in the writ and the count maketh no Estopple for they are
who made the rescous by action of the case but if he had been a Bayliff of a Liberty it had been a good returne The Prior of St. Joanes had a priviledge from Rome that he shall pay no Tythes for any Land quae propriis manibus aut sumptibus excolitur which is tilled with his owne hands or at his owne charge The Prior maketh a Lease for yeares before the dissolution the King after the dissolution granteth the reversion it was holden that after the terme expired the Patentee should hold it discharged si propriis manibus aut sumptibus excolitur if it be tilled by him or his servants but if he make a Lease to a farmer he shall pay tythes by the Stat. of 31. H. 8. c. 13. Dier Entry with my beast is my entry and so the Plaintiff shall declare upon a clausum fregit 15. E. 4. 29. 1. E. 4. 15. If a mans servant selleth to me cloth and warranteth it to be of a certaine length the action will lie against the master onely and not against the servant and if A do assume to cure B. of a wound and he sendeth his servant to B. to lay medicines to the wound whereby he is hurt and emparied B. shall have an action against the Master and not against the servant Fulb. l. 1. f. 4. 11. E. 4. 6. By Choke and Brian The Chancellor of the Augmentation Court delivered an obligation made to Queene Mary to his Servant to deliver to the Clerks of the Augmentation The Obligor and his servant conspire together and cancell the obligation the Master was held in this case to be chargeable Dyer 161. If a receiver or Bayliff make a deputy the Writ of account shall be brought against the Bayly only because the mony was received to his use 18. H. 8. 2. Fulb. l. 2. f. 43. A lease for years is made and a letter of Attorny to deliver possession to the Lessee if the Attorny deliver possession to the Attorny of the Lessee it is a good possession and pursuing his authority 25. Eliz. The Earle of Leisters Case Yet many personall things cannot be done by another as Sute reall at the Leete Exception or the Sheriffs turne cannot be done by another Fuâ—b l. 25 2. A man cannot excuse himselfe by an Attorny for contempt as for not serving the Kings Processe but in proper person 22. E. 4. 34. An action of debt upon an obligation the Defendant confessed the Deed and said that he had paid the summ to one C. the generall receiver of the Plaintiff who said he was ready to receive the mony and shewed to the Court the acquittance but because he shewed no warrant of the Plaintiff to pay the money to C. the acquittance that was shewed could not be the Deed of the Plaintiff and therefore the Plaintiff recovered his debt and damages 5. E. 3. 63. Fulb. l. 1. f. 4. Quod per me non possum nec per alium Coke l 4. 24. b. What I cannot doe by my selfe I cannot do by another Custome hath so established and fixed the estate of the Copyholder as by the severance of the inheritance the Copyholder of the Mannor is not distroyed for in that the Lord himselfe cannot oust the Copy-hold no more can any one claiming under him doe it for what I cannot doe by my selfe I can do by another vide ibidem the case between Marrell and Smith Coke l. 11. f. 87. a. In the case of Monopolies A patent was granted by the King unto Edward Darcy for the sole making of Cardes who had made a deputy but it was held void to both for in that it was voide to the Grantee because he was inexpert and the grant made void to him he could not make any expert deputy to supply his place for what I cannot doe by my selfe I cannot doe by another Accessorium non ducit sed sequitur suum principale An accessory doth not leade but followeth the principall Co. Com. 152 a. The incident shal passe by the grant of the principall but not the principall by the grant of the incident As a lease for terme of life rendring rent the Lessor granteth a reversion to another the tenant aturneth all the rents and services shall passe by the word reversion but if he grant the rent to another the Reversion shall not passe by it Littleton ibidem a Lease of a Mannor wherein is a Parke and Fish-ponds excepting the game and after the Lessor grants the reversion the Deeres and Fish shall passe as incidents with the reversion A Statute new made gives an action where none lay before the same Processe Judgement and Execution shall be in the same action as was in other cases at the common Law though the Statute say no such thing 10. H. 7. 10. Coke l. 5. f. 21. b. A Parson is bound to a Prior in one hundred pound upon condition that he resigne his Church within a certaine time to the Prior for a certaine pension as they should agree c. and afterwards the Prior and the Parson agreed of a pension of an hundred shillings and yet the Parson refused to resigne and by the whole Court it was holden that he needeth not to resigne untill he was sure of his pension by Deed. Ployd 235. a. When a man hath a thing by reason of another the thing which comes by reason of the other shall be said to be had in the same capacity as the other was which was the cause of it as 41. E. 3. f. 21. If a Bishop having a villain in right of his Church enter into the Land purchased by the villain he shall retaine it as in right of his Church So if the King have a signiory in right of the Crowne and the Tenant seise and disclaime by which the King recovereth the tenancy he shall hold it in right of the Crowne because in that right he held the signiory which was the occasion of the Recovery ibidem Williams case Noxa caput sequitur accessorium sequitur suum principale Reg. I. C. The offence looketh on the head and the accessory followeth the principall Coke l. 4. f. 44. b. Every Felon is either a principall or an accessory and if there be no principall there cannot be any accessory because the accessory followeth the principall and therefore was Vaux held by the Court to be a principall murtherer although he was not present at the time of the receit of the poison and if any other had procured Vaux to do it he had been accessory vide ibidem plura Vaux Case Coke Com. 57. a. b. In the highest and lowest offences there are no accessories but all principalls as in Riots Routs and forcible Entries and in other transgressions vi armis So in the highest offence as crimine laesae Majestatis there are no accessories And by our Law in murther all that be present aiding abetting or comforting him doth the murther are principall offenders though they
without an originall is voide Kel f. 19. b. A remainder is limited to the King and before the inrolement of the deed the King granteth it over and then the deed is inrolled this will not make the grant good Coke l. 3. f. 29. An executor assigneth auditors to one who was accountant to the testator and his auditors find him in arrearages the Action of debt shall be brought in the Detinet onely and hath respect to the beginning 11. H. 6. If I have a villaine for yeares as executor and the villaine purchaseth land the executor entreth the land shall be to the use of the testator and assets in his hands because the villaine which was the cause of it was to such use Ployd f. 292. a. Chap-mans case Causa origo est materia negotii Cok l. 1. Shellies case f. 99. b. vide As if a servant hath an intent to kill his Master before the execution of his intent departeth out of his service being out of his service executeth his intent and killeth him which was his Master it is petit treason for the execution respects the originall cause which was the malice conceived when he was his servant vide ibidem plura I. S. buildeth a shop on the wast of a Mannor of which the Queene was seis'd the Queen granteth the Mannor to the Earle of Leicester and he never entreth nor taketh rent I. S. dieth and his sonne entreth there is no descent against the patentee because there was no disseisin against the Queene Dyer 266. b. Yet when the law giveth power and authority to doe any thing Exception the law adjudgeth of the thing by the act subsequent not precedent Coke l. 8. f. 146. b. As the law giveth me power or license to enter into a common Hostlery or Taverne or to the Lord to distraine or to the owner of the soile to distrain for damage feasant or to him in the reversion to view if wast be made and to the commoner to enter into the land to see his beasts but if he that entreth into the Hostlery or Tavern maketh trespass or if the Lord that distraineth for rent or damage fesant beat or slay the distress or if he that entreth to see wast breaketh the house or remaineth there an whole night or the commoner cut downe trees in these cases the Law shall judge by act subsequent that they entred to that purpose and shall be trespassors from the beginning for acta exteriora indicant intoriora secreta the outward acts shew the inward secrets and with what minde and with what intent he did enter So if a purveyor take my beasts for the hostle of the King by force of his commission it is legall but if he sell them in Market then the first taking is injurious Coke l. 9. f. 11. a. Tenant in taile hath issue two daughters and dieth and the elder entreth into the whole and after entry maketh a feoffment with warranty which is a lineall warranty for the one and collaterall for the other the law judgeth by the act subsequent that the entry was not generall for them both but that it was onely for her selfe and that it shall be a warranty to commence by disseisin for the one moiety Quod initio vitiosum est tractu temporis non convalescet Reg. I. Civ Quod initio non valet tractu temporis non convalescet Coke com f. 35. a. That which in the beginning is vicious or invalid cannot by tract of time bee made good or valid as tenant for life of a carve of land the reversion to the father in fee the son and heire apparent endoweth his wife of this carve by the assent of the father tenant for life dieth the husband dieth this is no good endowment ex assensu patris because the father at the time of the assent had but a reversion expectant upon a free-hold whereof hee could not have endowed his own wife Ployd f. 432. b. A. possessed of an horse selleth the horse upon condition that hee shall pay him at Christmas forty shillings for it and before the said feast he selleth the horse to another and at the feast the first buyer faileth of payment whereupon A. reseiseth the horse yet the second buyer shall not have him because at the time of the second contract A. had no interest nor property nor possession of the horse but onely a condition which was not sufficient to make the contract good A. seised of Lands in see maketh a lease for twenty yeares rendring rent to begin presently and the same day he maketh a Lease to another for the same terme the second lease is utterly void so as if the first Lessee surrendreth his terme to the Lessor or loseth the same by breach of condition or forfeiteth it by making a feoffment upon entry of the Lessor the second Lessee shall not have his terme because the Lessor at the making of the second lease had nothing in him but the reversion ibidem A feoffement to the use of the husband for life the remainder to I. S. the remainder to the wife for her joynture this is not a joynture to bar dower because it did not take effect immediately after the death of her husband Hut Rep. f. 50. An infant or a married woman makes a will and publisheth the same and afterwards dieth being of full age or sole notwithstanding this both Wills are void 10. Eliz. 344. Noy Max. f. 4. A lease for life the remainder to the Major and commonalty of B. whereas there is no such it is void though the King doth create such a corporation during the particular estate so a remainder limited to John the son of I. S. having no such son and afterwards a son is borne to him whose name is John during the particular estate it is void Doder Que malo inchoata sunt principio vix bono peraguntur fine Those things which have a bad beginning can hardly have a good end Coke l. 11. f. 78. As a man seised of Lands in fee by deed upon good consideration granteth the Land after his death to the Queene her heires and successors such grant is not made good by the generall words of the act of 18. Eliz. because it was void in the beginning and with it accordeth 38. H. 6. f. 33. The Abbeffe of Sions case and the Earle of Leicesters case Ployd f. 4000. a stronger case then it vide ibidem plura Magdalen Colledges case Coke l. 4. f. 90. a. If a son and heir apparent of a Baron reteyne a Chaplaine and giveth to him his letters under signe and seale and after his father dieth and this Chaplaine purchaseth a dispensation this retainer and those letters will not serve him in that they were not availeable at the beginning vide ibid. Dâ—uries case Coke câ—m f. 352 b. If a fine be levied without any originall it is voidable but not void but if an originall be brought and a retraxii
incurreth for which day the husband maketh an acquittance supposing the receit of the rent for the said yeare last past and notwithstanding that acquittance his servant distraineth for the rent of half a yeare of the first year being behinde but though the last arrearages before the last terme were due to the feme dum sola fuit yet Harper and Dyer were of opinion that all the arrearages were discharged by the acquittance of the last terme because it is an antient principle That all the arrearages are discharged by the acquittance of the last terme and we ought not to deny principles Coke l. 10. f. 40. a. No man ought to dispute against recoveries the legall pillars of common assurances because we are not to dispute against principles and which St. Germins Doctor and Student c. 26. approveth to binde both in Law and conscience and by the Statute of 23. Eliz. C. 4. That for the avoyding of the dangers of assurances of Lands and the advancement of common recoveries it is provided that any common recovery shall not be avoided for any want of forme in words and not in matter of substance And Sir James Dyer then chiefe Justice did with great gravity and some bitternesse reprove an utter Barrister who rashly inveyed against common recoveries not knowing the reason and foundation of them and said that he was not worthy to be of the profession of the Law who durst speake against common recoveries which were the sinews of assurances and inheritances and founded upon great reason and authority Mary Portingtons Case vide ibidem â—lura Coke Com. f. 343. a. Principium est quasi primum caput a principle is as it were the first head from which many cases have their beginning which is so strong as it suffereth no contradiction and therefore is it said in our Books that ancient principles of the Law ought not to be disputed 11. H. 4. 9. 2. As that of every Land there is a fee-simple and that every Land in fee-simple may be charged in fee by one way or other Littleton ibidem Cessante statu primitivo cessat derivativus Coke l. 8. f. 34. a. The primitive state ceasing the derivative doth cease As if Tenant in taile maketh a lease for lives according to the Statute of 32. H. 8. c. 28. and then dyeth without issue the lease being derived out of the Estate taile shall not continue longer than the Estate taile against the opinion in 33. H. 8. 48. Dyer which was granted by the whole Court Derivativa potestas non potest esse major primitiva Noy max. f 4. A derivative power cannot be greater than it fâ—om which it is derived As the Attorny of one that is disseised cannot make claime of the Land it the disseisee durst have gone to the Land Littleton The Bayliff of a disseisor shall not say that the Plaintiff never had any thing in the Land for the Master himselfe shall not have that Plea because he is not Tenant of the Free-hold 28. Ass Pl. 4. The Servant shall be estopped to say the Free-hold is his Masters by recovery against his Master though the servant himselfe be a stranger to it for he shall not be in better condition tâ—an he whose right he claimeth 2. E. 4. 16. He that gaineth a thing on high shall neither have gaine nor losse thereby Noy Max. f. 11. As if one Joyn-tenant maketh a lease of his Joyntee and dyeth the heire which surviveth shall have the reversion of his Joynture but not the rent because he cometh in by the first Feoffor and not under his companion Dyer 187. So when the Husband is Lessee for years in the right of his wife reserving a rent if he dyeth the wife shall have the residue of the terme but not of the rent ibidem An executor recovereth and dieth intestate Administration of the goods of the Testator is committed to I. S. I. S. shall not sue execution upon this recovery Dower cannot be assigned reserving a rent or with a remainder over for shee is in from the husband and not from him who assigneth Dower Finch f. 13. Quod dignius est prius est minus digno The Law preferreth every thing according to its worthinesse Ployd f. 169. a. and therefore is every thing placed in Writs by the rule of the Register according to its dignity as the Messuage is placed before Lands the Land before Meadow and the Meadow before Pasture and the like and this dignity is taken from necessity for to have an house to inhabite and to defend his body from tempest and violence of weather is more necessary than to have Land to plow it for bread and also to have Land for bread is more necessary than to have Meadow for Hay to feed Cattell and likewise to have Meadow for Hay which will serve all the yeare is more necessary than Pasture c. ibidem And so in the Register the entire thing which is more worthy shall be demanded before the moyety part or parts As in a Replevin if it be of two beasts the one quick the other dead the living thing shall first be demanded Register Quod prius est verius est quod prius jure est potius est tempore Coke Com. f. 347. b. As in a remitter the Law preferreth the first and antient right before the latter and a sure right though it be little before a great estate by wrong which jumpeth with the rule of the Civill Law Quoties duplici jure defertur alicui successio repudiato novo jure quod ante defertur superest vetus Paulus 17. quest As if Tenant in taile discontinueth the taile and after disseiseth the discontinuee and so dyeth seised This is a remitter to the tenant in taile because the Law shall put and adjudge him to be in by force of the tayle which is his antient title for if he should be in by force of the descent then the discontinuee may have a writ of Entry sur disseissin in the per against him and recover the tenement and his damages but being in by force of the taile the title of the discontinuee is quite nullified Qualis causa talis effectus Ployd f. 292. a. Things are construed according to that which is the cause thereof as if an Executor assigne Auditors to one who was accountant to the Testator and the Auditors finde him in arrearages the Action of debt which the Executors shall have shall be in the detinet onely for the debt shall be in them as Executors and have respect to the foundation and cause 11. H. 6. f. 16. by Paston and Newton So if one have a villaine for years as Executor if the villaine purchase Land and the Executors enter the Land shall be to the use of the Testator and it shall be assets in his hands because the villain who was the cause of it was to that use Ibidem Pas 32. H. 8. E. villenage 146. Ployd f. 524. 525.
b. a. If Tenant for years of Land granteth a rent-charge to another for the life of the grantee the grantee shall not have an estate of Frank-tenement in the rent in that he cannot have an estate of Frank-tenement derived out of the Chattell reall but he shall have the rent during all the years though the Lessee had forty years in the Land for terme of life is greater then years and therefore the Grantee shall have all the rent for all the years if he shall live so long And f. 525. b. An Executor cannot devise a terme to another which he hath as Executor for so soone as the Executor is dead the terme is to the use of the first Testator and his Executors have it as Executors to the first Testator and to his use and not as Executors of the last Testator nor to his use for the Executors have them by relation as immediate Executors to the first Testator A. Covenanteth with B. and his Executors to make a lease of white acre before Michaelwas and the Covenantee dyeth before and A. maketh a lease to his Executor the lease shall be to the use of the Testator and assets in the Executor for the Covenant which was the cause of the Lease came to the Executor in right of the Testator and to the same use shall the lease be Ployd f. 292. a. Chap-mans case Cessante causa cessat effectus Ployd 268. Sir John Radcliffs case the cause ceasing the effect also ceaseth An office was found that after the decease of Robert Earle of Sussex and Mary the Countesse his mother certaine Lands did descend to Sir John Radcliff Knight as Son and Heire male of the body of the said Robert engendred and the body of the said Mary and Sir John Radcliff Knight was then of the age of eighteen years before the finding of the office and the Lands were holden of the King and Queene by the tenth part of a fee of Knights service in Capite And when Sir John Radcliff became of full age he prayed his livery but the Court of wards required of him for the Queene the valew of his marriage but it was alleaged that because he was made Knight before the title of the Wardship accrewed and the Wardship was due to the Lord in respect of his imbecility to doe the service of a Knight and that the making him a Knight did admit him able to doe the service of a Knight his body ought not to be in ward for defect of such ability for the cause ceasing the effect also ceaseth and that if his person was not in Wardship no marriage nor value for it shall be due to the guardian and so was it adjudged by the Court contrary to Magna Charta c. 4. which was said to be made for the advantage of the Lords vide ibidem plura Coke Com. 312. a. Cessante causa vel ratione legis cessat lex The cause and reason of the Law ceasing the Law also ceaseth as at the common Law no aid was grantable of a stranger to an avowry because the avowry was made of a certaine person and now the avowry being made by the Statute of 21. H. 8. upon no person therefore the reason of the Law being changed the Law it self is also changed and consequently in an avowry according to that act aid shall be granted to any man vide ibidem plura Coke Com. f. 76. a. Cessante causa cessat causatum As if the Lord after he hath the Wardship of the body and the Lord doth release to the infant his right in the signiory or the signiory descendeth to the infant he shal be out of ward both for the body and the Land for he was in ward in respect he was not able to doe those services which he ought to doe to his Lord which now are extinct for the cause ceasing the thing caused ceaseth and there must be a tenure continuing or no Wardship So if the Conusee in a Statute merchant be in execution and his Land also and the Conusee release to him all debts this shall discharge the executiâ—n for the debt was the cause of the execution and of the continuance of it untill the debt be satisfied therefore the discharge of the debt which was the cause discharged the execution which was the effect Coke Com. f. 76. a. So if the heire female within the age of fourteen years be in ward and after the age of fourteen years expired the Lord by the Statute of W. 1. c. 22. hath two years more to tender her a convenable marriage but if the Lord marry her within the two years her husband and shee shall prefently enter into the Lands for the cause ceasing the effect also ceaseth Coke ibidem 7 5. b. The King granteth an office to one at will and ten pound fee during life pro officio illo now if the King put him from his office the fee shall cease 5. E. 4. 8. b. The executor or husband after the death of the wife guardian in socage shal not retain the Wardship for the guardian hath it not to his owne use but to the benefit of the heire and the executor or husband hath not that affection which the testator or wife had which was the cause that the Law giveth them the Wardship 7. Eliz. 293. b. If a stroke be given the first day of May and the King pardon him the second day of May for all felonies and misdemeanors the party smitten dyeth the third day of May so as this is no felony till after the pardon yet the felony is pardoned for the misdemeanor is pardoned and therefore all things pursuing are also pardoned 13. E. 401. If two coparceners make a lease reserving a rent they shall have this rent in common as they have the reversion but if afterwards they grant the reversion excepting the rent then they shall be Joyntenants of the rent Finch mono. f. 9. It is no principall challenge to a Juror that he hath married the parties mother if shee be dead without issue for the cause of favor is removed 14. H. 7. 2. The King disparking the Parke the office of the keeper is determined and all such offices as are presumed in Law to be for the commoditie of the King as well as the Patentee and if one granteth a Stewardship of a mannor and dismembreth that mannor the office is determined if a corporation granteth the office of a towne-clark and surrendreth their patent to be renewed all their offices are determined Huttons Reports Upon a divorce the woman shal have the goods given in marriage not being spent for the goods were given in advancement of the woman and therefore it is reasonable that shee should have them in that the cause and consideration of that gift is now defeated for the cause ceasing the effect also ceaseth Dyer f. 13. p. 61. Coke l. 5. f. 59. b. Vaughans case The originall cause of the amercement being pardoned the
Ward within Lond. but God forbid but that the Jurors may find assets by descent in any other county within England for the Law is that the Plaintiff in such case shall have execution of all the Lands the heire had and peradventure he might have Lands in diverse counties and therefore though a place be named for necessity sake yet the Jurors may find all that which by law may be chargeable in such a case in whatsoever City and County it lyeth and so was the principall case resolved after in 10. Eliz. though it be not reported there and with it agreeeth 10. H. 6. 13. And the conceit of Brook 2. Mar. Attaint 104. that the jurors of one county are not compellable to find transitory things in another county was altogether denyed by the whole Court for they are bound under the paine of attaint to finde assets in any other county whatsoever for it may be that the executors have goods of the Testators in divers severall counties and that in none of those counties had by him there is assets vide ibidem plura And if the Excutors have any goods of the Testators in any part of the world he shall be charged in respect of them or if Merchants and others which have goods of great value beyond the Seas be indebted in England if those goods should not be liable to their debts it would be a great defect in Law Ib. Coke com f. 282. a. It is an ancient principle of the Law that for transitory actions the Plaintiff may alledge the same in what place or county he will and the Jurors upon not guilty pleaded are to be made to find for the Plaintiff neither can the assault battery or finding of goods c. alledged in another county be traversed without special cause of justification which extendeth to some speciall place as if a Constable of a towne in another County arresteth the body of a man that breaketh the peace there he may traverse the County but he must not rest there but all other places saving in the town where he is Constable vide ibidem plura But in the case of felony the triall shall be by the common Law in the same place where the offence was and shall not be supposed in any other place for in criminall causes the rule holdeth Ubi quis deliquit ibi punietur Coke l. 6. f. 47. b. where one offendeth there he shall be punished yet this rule faileth in treason to adhere to the enemy of the King without the Realme which is declared to be treason by the common Law by the statute of 25. E. 3. de proditionibus for least there should be a want of triall in matter of such consequence the adherence without the Realme must be alledged in some place within England and if upon the indictment they shall find any adherences out of the realme they shall finde the Delinquent guilty 5. R. 2. triall 24 but commonly they did indite him in that county where his Lands did lie which were to be forfeited and so it is declared by the statute of 35. H. 8. c. 2 vide Coke com 261. f. b. Saepe locus in delcto auget vel minuit culpam Reg. I. C. The place doth often augment or diminish the offence as he who striketh a man in Westmin Hall shall have his right hand cut off his Lands Chattels forfeited so if he strike a Juror and besides shall be committed to perpetuall Prison Finch Nâ—mot f. 25. If men tilt or turney in the presence of the King and if two masters of defence play their prizes on the stage and kill one another it is not felony Heb. Rep. f. 89. So tâ—e felonious taking of goods out of any Church or Chappel is sacriledge and a felony more hainous then ordinary and therefore more severely punished It was King Alureds Law Qui in templo quid clepscrit valorem solvito mulctampretio rei congruam pendito manum quacumque furatus est praecidito nec redimere manum potest nisi propria capitis aestimatione whosoever shall steale any thing in a Church let him restore the value let him pay a fine answerable to the worth of the thing let that hand with which he did steale be cut off neither could he redeem his hand but with the price of his life which in those antient times wherein offences were not so frequent was a grievous punishment wherin their was chiefly censured with satisfaction but in the succeeding worser times by the statute of 23. H. 8. It was made capitall without the benefit of Clergy So to kill the Kings Chancellor Treasurer Justices in Eyre and Assise of Oyer and Terminer being in his place and doing his Office is high treason Dalt 226. Si desit obedientia non adjuvat locus Coke l. 7. f. 24. b In Calvins case If obedience be wanting the place furthereth not Samaria in Syria was the cheife City of the ten Tribes but being conquered by the King of Syria and the Jews taken Prisoners and carried away into captivity was after inhabited by the Paynims yet because the people of Samaria were not under actuall obedience by the judgement of the chiefe Justice of the whole world they were adjudged alienigenae Aliens Luke c. 17. Where one of them who was cleansed of his Leprosy by our Saviour being a Samaritan returned and gave praise to God and is by our Saviour called an alien that is a stranger borne because he had the place but wanted the obedience and where obedience is wanting the place helpeth not And this agreeth with the divine saying Si locus salvare potuisset Satan de coelo pro sua inobedientia non cecidisset Adam in Paradiso non cecidisset Lot in Monte non cecidisset sed potius in Sodom If the place could save one Satan for his disobedience had not fallen from heaven Adam had not fallen in Paradise and Lot in the Mountain had not fallen but rather in Sodom A Paribus from equals PArium eadem est ratio things are to be construed according to equality of reason Coke l. 3. f. 12. b. As upon a recognisance acknowledged by the Ancestor or in a judgement upon an action of debt given against him if he dieth sâ—ised of two Acres whereof one is holden in Burrough english or having issue two daughters which make partition in this case if one be onely charged the other shall have contribution because they are in aequali jure in equall right So if a man be bound in a statute or recognisance and after his death some of the land descendeth to the heir of the part of the father and some to the heire of the part of the mother in this case one onely shall not be charged and if he be he shall have contribution against the other So in dower if the tenant vouch the heire in three severall wards every one shall be equally charged as it is agreed 11. H 7. 22. Ibidem
Laborne in his house being one of the Seriants of the City of London Frost cometh to Laborne with a Warrant from the Sheriffs to arrest the said â— upon the Capias Utlegatum which he utterly refuseth but suffereth him to goe at large upon an action of the case brought against the Sheriffs supposing that the Sheriffs arrested him and suffered him to goe at large the Defendants pleaded that they did not suffer him to goe at large and judgment was given for the Plaintiff and the verdict warranted well the count for in judgement of Law the Sheriff and his Serjeants are words equipollent amount to so much and is all one as if the Sheriffs had arrested the said B. vide ibidem plura A Writ is to the Sheriff and he returneth virtute praecepti he hath done well for it is equipollent virtute brevis 11. H 6. 16. In a Writ it is said quam clamat esse jus this equipolleth with a Fee-simple and therefore in the subsequent part of the Writ if he instanceth in a lesser estate as ex dono for life the Writ shall abare 39. H. 5. 38. Upon an Enditement for celebrating Masse contra formam Statuti 1. El I was holden that under this terme Minister a Preist was included because a Preist is bound to celebrate and minister the holy communion c. and also it was holden by all that the terme Clerk is sufficient to prove him a Preist or a Minister Dyer f. 203. b. Coke l. 5. f. 4. b. Verus antiquus redituus the true and antient rent is not to be understood of the quality incident to it but of the quantity of the rent for that is the effect and substance of the thing reserved as if the antient reservation was of rent to be paid in Gold and the novell reservation was to be paid in Silver or if a quarter of Corne was antiently reserved and now the lease is made rendring eight bushells of Corne it is all one for the Law respecteth not the formes of words or their quality but the substance and effect of the matter parum differunt qui re concordant and they differ little which agree and equipoll in substance If one maketh his Will and committeth the Administration to one by it he shall be Executor because it is all one in substance 3. H. 6. so by the grant of a Church the advowson shal passe 7. E. 3. 15. One granteth the nomination of an Advowson Habendum the advowson the Habendum is good for it is the same thing so one granteth the remainder whereas he had a reversion it is good enough to make the thing passe 6. E. 6. Ante 134. vide Ployd 157. b. If a man lease to one an acre of Land for life reserving to himselfe the herbage the reservation is void because he hath leased the same thing in substance and the profits of the Land and the Land it selfe are all one 38. H 6. 34. Words of substance and not usuall are equivalent to words of substance and usuall Ployd 140. b. As if tenant for life and his Lessor make a Feoffment in fee it is the Feoffment of the Lessee for life and the confirmation of the Lessor though there be not a word of a confirmation in it and if tenant for yeares and the Lessor make a Feoffment in fee it shall be the livery and Feoffment of the Lessor and the surrender of the Lessee and yet there was not one word of surrender And if a commoner maketh a deed to the tenant of the Land by which he renounceth the common unto him it shall enure as a release because the words are equivalent to a release So if Land be leased by Indenture for yeares and Covenants made to render and pay for the tenements such a summ it is all one as a reservation of a rent and if the Lessor say I wil have twenty pound rent and the Lessee agree or if the Lessee say I will give twenty shillings rent and the Lessor agree it is a good reservation of a rent so if a man be bound by Obligation to en feoffe I. S. and he maketh a lease for years and a release in fee he hath performed the condition because they are all one vide ibidem Yet words of art may not be supplyed by equivalent and equipollent words though they beare the same sense and substance as in an Enditement of murder voluntarie ex mulitia praecogitata interfecit is not sufficient but the word murder avit must be so in an Enditement quod quoddam tormentum in H. L. exoneravit dans eidem H.L. cum pelletto plumbeo predicto vulnus mortale Dans ei vulnus mortale c. is not sufficient but it should have been percussit which is the word of art Coke l. 5. f. 222. b. Longes case And the reason of this is given by Coke in his Preface to Littleton that words of art are so apt and significant to expresse the true sense of the Laws and so woven into the Laws themselves as it is in a manner impossible to change them neither ought legall termes to be changed SECT 4. From naturall Philosophy NExt to Logick by whose principles as by many hands we are conducted to the knowledge of the Lawes and other Sciences naturall philosophy is to be placed which is the prime and principall part of other Sciences for by the knowledge of naturall things we are instructed to observe the diversity of the actions and manners of men according to the difference of climats and various conditions of them of which any one ignorant wil be altogether unable to judge of civill and aeconomicall affaires and therefore as Mr Ployden Have the Philosophers searched so deeply into the law of nature in their lawes and writings and for the government of the people by them given precepts to follow the rule of nature and have taken nature to be as it were a foundation to all lawes Neither have the Founders of our lawes been remisse in searching out the law of nature neither were they void of the understanding of it for their lawes argue the contrary and shew that those who made them were of more great and profound judgement and as well learned in the law of nature as in all reason and in the Law of God also for nothing in our Law is ordeined contrary to nature or contrary to reason or contrary to the Law of God but according to them all Ployd 304. a. and b. And according to it hath the law established diverse grounds and maxims 1. Quae rerum natura prohibentur nulla lege confirmata sunt Reg. I. C. Marcellus Lawes which are contrary to the Law of nature lose their force and are no lawes at all Finch Nom. f. 75. Such was that of the Egyptians to turne women to Merchandise and Common wealth affaires and men to keep within doores and of the Thracians who counted idlenesse an honest thing and stealing
by his Will or grant a rent-charge out of it for shee hath an estate in it before and at the time of his death which shall prevent the Devisee and shee surviving is remitted to the terme and therefore shall avoide the rent-charge 14. Eliz. Ployd 418 b. If Lessee for yeares granteth his terme to a Feme-covert and another or if a feme-sole and another are Joyn-tenants for years and shee taketh an husband the Joynture is not dissolved but continueth and the Survivor of the feme or the stranger shall have all the terme because the terme is a Chattell reall and the marriage of the feme shall not devest the terme out of the feme but shee had an estate in it as shee had before so that if an estranger oust them the feme ought to joyne with the baron in the suite of ejectione firme and the feme shall have judgement as well as the baron Ployd ibidem So in an action of debt upon arrearages of account against one who was receivor to the feme whilst shee was sole they both must joyne though the Auditors were assigned during the coverture for the very cause of action that is the receipt was in her right 16. E. 4. 8. The husband hath power also to dispose of things in action and his release of an obligation made to the feme or where goods were taken from her whilst shee was sole shall be good against the wife and he dye 87. H. 8. 1. But if he dye without making such a release the Wife shall have an Action upon the Obligation and not the Executors of the husband likewise the wife or her Executor if shee dye shall have those things in action and not the husband but shee may make her husband her Executor and then he shall recover them to her use 39. H. 6. 27. The wife is unable to contract with any without the consent of her husband and upon a Feoffment to a feme covert shee taketh nothing unlesse her husband will agree and where one is bound to enfeoff the husband and wife the husbands refusall is the refusall of them both Finch Nomot f. 44. And where the husband and wife are joynt Purchasers the husband may make a Feoffment and livery upon the Land which shall worke a discontinuance though the wife be in presence upon the Land and will not agree But if the husband and wife bargaine and sell the wives Lands by Indenture and the Vendee grant unto them for the same a yearly rent her acceptance of this rent after her husbands death doth not bar her of the Land although the acceptance be an agreement to the bargaine but the bargaine being but a contract is the bargaine of the husband onely and not of the wife for a wife is sub potestate viri cui invita contradicere non potest and therefore is the Writ cui invita given to the wife by Law for the recovery of her Land after her husbands death being aliened by him and therfore it is that Judges when a woman is to acknowledge any fine of any Lands doe examine her apart from her husband to know whether shee be willing or come to doe it by compulsion of the husband Offi of Ex. f. 210. And upon a joynt purchase of the husband and wife during coverture if the husband alien shee shall recover the whole after her husbands decease unlesse shee acknowledge a Fine and a cui invita is given to the feme by the Statute of Westminster 2. c. 3. upon a recovery by default against baron and feme and by the equity of it a feme divorced shall have a cui ante divortium to recover the Land lost by baron and feme by default before the divorce Ployd f. 58. a. And if Lands be given in Frank-marriage and a divorce had afterwards the feme shall have all the Land ibidem the reason that he there giveth is because the marriages of women and their advancement by it are much favoured in Law as if a woman give Lands to a man causa matrimonij praelocuti and he will not marry her shee shall have a Writ to recover the Land ibidem and Dyer f. 13. A man giveth certaine goods to his Daughter in marriage upon a divorce the feme shal have al the goods so given that are not spent because they were given for her advancement so as it is regularly true In omnibus fere uxori sub potestate viri succurritur Coke l. 9. f. 84. b. In all things almost the Law helpeth the wife because shee is under the power of her husband as if baron and feme as in right of the wife have right to enter into Lands and the Tenant dyeth seised the entry of the husband is taken away upon the heire which is in by descent but if the husband dye the wife or her heires may well enter upon the issue for the laches of her husband shall not turne to the prejudice of the wife or her heires Littl. but otherwise it is if the wrong was done to the feme sole before shee took husband Coke Com. f. 24. a. vide ibidem plura and unlesse it be for the performance of a condition annexed to the estate of Land as if a feme be infeoffed either before or after marriage reserving a rent and for default of non-payment a re-entry in that case the laches of the baron shall dis-inherit the wife for ever ibidem b. Ubi nullam matrimonium ibi nulla dos Bracton Coke com f. 32. a. where there is no marriage there is no dower Ployd f. 375. a. for the marriage of the woman is the principall cause of her dower and though the seisin of the baron and death of the husband are causes sine qua non without which a dower cannot be had yet the procatartique and impulsive cause of the dower of the woman is the paines and burden shee endureth under the power and yoke of matrimony for as Tholosanus Tholosanus Synt. L. 9. c. 11. matrimonium is quasi matris munus a matre potius quam a patre dictum because shee beareth the burden in her wombe and with painfull labour delivereth it and is very indulgent to nourish it and for those reasons as Bracton saith dowers were instituted for a competent livelyhood for the wife during her life to wit propter onus matrimonij ad sustentationem uxoris ad educationem liberorum si vir premoriatur for the burden of matrimony and sustentation of the wife and education of the children if the husband dy before l. 5. c. 22. which Ockam expresseth in a more affectionate terme and calleth her dower praemium pudoris the reward of her chastity and love f. 40. And therfore though it be not necessary that the seisin of the land shal continue during the coverture for notwithstanding the alienation of the husband the wife shall be endowed yet is it necessary the marriage shall continue for if
that be dissolved the dower ceaseth where the husband and wife are divorced a vinculo matrimonij as causa precontractus causa metus causa impotentiae seu frigiditatis causa affinitatis causa consanguinitatis and William Chadweth was divorced for that he did carnally know the Daughter before the marriage of the mother All these are causes of divorce preceding the marriage and dissolve the dower Coke Com. f. 32. a. 235. a. Yet it is said that if the assignement of dower ad ostium ecclesiae be specified to wit that notwithstanding any divorce shall happen yet that shee shall hold it for life that this is good ibidem but divorce a mensa thoro doth not dissolve the matrimony nor bar the feme of her dower Coke l. 7. f. 43. b. As it was adjudged T. 2. Jac. 18. 5. C. 23. S so well and Wilby dower Coke com f. 33. b. Yet if the wife elope from her husband and leave him and goeth away with the adulterer shee shall lose her dower untill her husband willingly without coertion ecclesiasticall be reconciled unto her and permit her to cohabite with him according to the vulgar verses Sponte virum mulier fugiens adultera facta Dote sua careat nisi sponsi sponte retracta And this is true although shee remaineth not continually with the adulterer or if shee tarrieth with him against her will or he turne her away or co-habiteth with her husband by censure of the Church in all these cases shee loseth her Dower Coke ibidem 32. b. yet though shee be barred of her dower shee may have an appeale and the reason is because the Statute of W. 2. c. 34. barreth her of her dower but not of her appeale Coke com f. 33. b. And for the abovesaid reasons dower is one of the three things are principally favoured in our Law and the Law by that name doth give her many freedomes for the very name Dos doth give her a freedome as according to the custome of the Kingdome mulieres viduae debem esse quietae de tallagijs Regist 142. 143. and tenant in dower shall not be distrained for the debt due to the King by the husband in his life time for the Lands which shee holdeth in dower of which Ockam yeeldeth this reason Doti ejus parcatur quia praemium pudoris est let her dower be spared because it is a reward of her chastity Coke com f. 31. a. By the Statutes of 1. E. 5. c. 2. 5. E. 6. c. 31. A wife shall not lose any title of dower which to her was accrued by the attainder of her husband by misprision of treason or any manner of murder or felony whatsoever but if the husband be attainted of high treason or petit treason shee shall be barred of her dower at this day so long as the attainder standeth in force which is more favourable to the woman then the common Law was Coke com f. 392. b. vide ibidem plura And a woman shall be endowed of a seisin in Law as where Lands or Tenements descend to the husband before entry he hath but a seisin in Law and yet the wife shall be endowed albeit it be not reduced to an actuall possession for it lyeth not in the power of the wife to bring it to an actuall possession as the husband may doe of his wifes Land when he is to be tenant by courtesy Coke com f. 31. a. If a man taketh a wife of the age of seven yeares and alieneth his Land and after she attaineth to the age of nine yeares the husband dyeth the wife shall be endowed for albeit shee was not absolutely dowable at the time of her marriage yet was she conditionably dowable to wit if she attained to the age of nine yeares before the death of her husband ibidem f. 33. a. An husband seised in fee of Lands giveth it in exchange and taketh others in exchange so as he was seised of both the wife shall not be endowed of both but she may take her election to be endowed of which she will Coke ibidem 31. If the wife be of the age of nine yeares and her husband dyeth she shall be endowed though her husband be but four years old ibidem or of what age soever the husband be quia non obstabit mulieri petenti dotem minor aetus viri because the inferior and lesser age of the man shall hinder the woman from demanding her dower and that albeit consensus non concubitus facit matrimonium and that a woman cannot consent before twelve nor a man before fourteen yet this inchoate and imperfect marriage from the which either of the parties at the age of consent may disagree after the death of the husband shall give dower to the wife and is accounted in Law legitimum matrimonium quo ad dotem a lawfull marriage in respect of her dower Coke com f. 33. a. If the husband alien his land and then the wife is attainted of felony now is she disabled but if she be pardoned before the death of her husband shee shall be indowed ibidem Dos de dote peti non debet Coke com f. 32. Dower ought not to be demanded of Dower as if there be Grandfather Father and Son and the Grandfather is of three acres of Land in fee and taketh wife and dyeth this Land descendeth to the Father who dyeth the wife of the Grandfather is endowed of one acre and dyeth the wife of the Father shall onely be endowed of two acres for dower must not be demanded of dower but otherwise it had been if the father had come to the Land by Feoffment from the Grandfather or by guift in taile the wife of the Father after the decease of the Grandfathers wife should have been endowed of that part assigned to the Grandmother for that the seisin that descended after the decease of the Grandfather is avoided by the indowment of the Grandmother whose title was consummated by the death of the Grandfather Non debent mulieribus assignari castra in dotem quae fuerunt virorum suorum quae de guerra existant Coke com f. 31. a. Castles ought not to be assigned to women for their dower which appertained to their husbands and which are for war and therefore of a Castle which is maintained for the necessary defence of the Realme a woman shall not be indowed because it ought not to be divided and the publick shall be preferred before the private but of a Castle which is onely for the use and private habitation of the owner a woman shall be endowed and that in the 7 th of Magna charta nisi domas illa sit castrum is taken for a Castle of publick defence De nullo quod est sua natura in divisibile divisionem non patitur nullam partem habebit uxor pro dote sua sed satisfaciat ei ad valentiam Bracton Coke com f. 32. Albeit of many Inheritances which be
the obligee to sue the heire Executors or Administrators of the obligor and if the executors have assets in their hands yet the obligee may sue the heire if he will because he hath bound the heire as well as himselfe neither can the heire plead that there is assets in the hands of the executors day of the writ purchased as heretofore in some ancient bookes it hath beene done but he must pleade rien by descent 10. H. 7. f. 8. Ployd f. 440. Davis case For now the law is changed and it is accounted his owne debt and debt will lie against the heire of the heire to many generations as Dier affirmeth f. 868. albeit of this Mr. Ployden maketh a doubt but his plea that he had nothing at the day of the writ purchased nor ever after is good for if he before aliened the assets he is discharged of the debt Popham f. 151. But if the heire doth not confesse the Action and shew the certainty of the assets but pleadeth rien by descent is condemned by default of answer the Plaintiff shall have execution of his other Land or of his goods or of his body by capias ad satisfaciendum as he might have had for the debt of the heire himselfe if he had made the obligation vide 21. E. 3. f. 9. ibidem plura and Coke l. 3. Sir William Herberts case where the case is upon a Scire facias against the heire But otherwise if the executor in debt pleadeth rien entre mains c. and is found against him nothing shall bee put in execution but the goods of the dead because the debt is not the debt of the executor but of the testator and is charged in anothers right and hath the goods in anothers right whereas when the heire denieth assets c. and it is found that he hath assets the debt of his Ancestor is become his debt in respect of the assets which he hath in his owne right and so the property which he hath in his own right of the land maketh the debt his own proper debt and for that reason the writ shall be in the debet and detinet and the Plaintiff may have execution by elegit of the moiety of all his Lands as a fieri facias of his goods Ployd ibidem f. 441. But in Popham f. 151. it is said by Iones and Crew that a generall judgement shall be given against the heire if he doth plead falsly that he hath no assets and not upon a nihil dicit Haeres non tenetur in Anglia ad debita antecessoris reddenda nisi per antecessorem ad hoc fuerit obligatus praeter quam d ebita regis tantum Flet a. l. 2. c 55. An heire is not bound in England to pay the debt of his Ancestor unlesse it be the debts of the King Coke com f. 386. a As if a man bind himselfe by warranty and bindeth not his heire they are not bound for he must say Ego haeâ—edes mei warrantiabimus I and my heires will warrant ibidem Coke com 144 b. If a rent charge be granted to one and his heires he shall not have a writ of Annuity against the heire of the grantor albeit he hath assets unlesse the grant be for him and his heires And the heire by the grant of an Annuity by the Ancestor shall not be bound unlesse hee have assets And it is a Maxime at the common law that the heire shall never be bound to any expresse warranty but where the Ancestor was bound by the same warranty for if the Ancestor be not bound it cannot descend upon the heire as if a man maketh a feoffement in fee and bindeth his heirs to warranty this is a void warranty because the Ancestor himselfe was not bound as also if a man bind his heirs to pay a sum of money this is void Coke com f. 386. a. Exception Customary inheritances shall not be assets to charge the heire in an Action of debt upon an obligation made by his Ancestors although he bind him and his heires And for the same reason issue in taile shall never avoid things done by his Ancestor but such things which are or may be to his disadvantage and not for the benefit of the issue as T 44. E. 5. f. 21. Where tenant in taile was upon a defeasible title and to have a release of right of him that had right he granted to him a Rent-charge of twenty pound and that the charge should be levied upon the issue in taile and because the rent was for the release of right and the issue had benefit by it it was adjudged that the issue shall not avoid the grant and 46. E. 3. f. 4. If Lands be given in taile so as the Donee may alien for the profit of his issue that is a good condition or power limited to him And so if tenant in taile suffer a common recovery in which he is vouched and hath recompence the issue shall be bound and so if he alien with warranty and leaveth assets to his issue the issue shall not avoid the warranty because it is not to his disadvantage Ployd f. 437. b. in Smiths case vide Semper praesumitur pro legitimatione purorum filiatio non potest probari Coke l. 5. f. 98. b. Burys case Legitimation of Children is allwayes presumed and begetting of Children cannot be proved Bury was divorced from his first wife a vinculâ— matrimonâ—j causa frigiditatis and as he lawfully might married a second wife and had issue by her and it was adjudged that the issue of the second wife was legitimate for notwithstanding his naturall imbecility deposed before the divorce it was said that a man might be habilis and inhabilis diversis temporibus and that though the second marriage was yet it remaineth a marriage untill it is dissolved and by consequence the issue which was had during the coverture if no divorce was had in the life of the parties is lawfull for lawfulnesse of Children is allwayes presumed and filiation cannot be proved Ibidem Coke Com. 126. a. A man leaveth his wife enseint with child issue shall not be taken that shee was not enseint by her husband for filiatio non potest probari but the issue must be whether shee were ensciut at the day of her death ibidem f. 244. If the husband be within the foure Seas that is within the jurisdiction of the King of England if the wife hath issue no proofe is admitted to prove the child a bastard for filiatio non potest probari unlesse the husband hath an apparent impossibility of procreation as if the husband be but eight years old or under the age of pro-creation such issue is a bastard albeit he be born within marriage The Law supposeth that to be true which is false because it may be true as a man marrying a woman that was with-child before marriage the Law supposeth the child to be the
and a Law was that thereby there might be certainty of titles and a peaceable possession without contradiction and as a Civilian saith ut sit finis litium that there might be an end of suits and therefore were the Statutes of limitation made within which the demandant that bringeth the action must prove himselfe or some of his Ancestors to be seised and in antient time the limitation in a Writ of right was from the time of H. 1. after that by the Statute of Merton the limitation was from the time of Henry the second and by the Statute of Westminster the first the limitation was from the time of Richard the first but because that limitation of the writ of right was for so long time passed the limitation of a writ of right was changed by the Statute of 32. H. 8. and reduced to threescore years next before the Teste of the Writ and so of other actions Coke com f. 115. a. vide ibidem plura And afterwards another Act was made 21. Jacob. that for the avoiding of suits all writs of Formedon in Descender Formedon in Remainder and Formedon in Reverter for any Mannors c. shall be sued and taken within twenty years and that after the twenty years expired none such or any of their heires shall have any such writ and that no person that hath right or title of entry into any Mannors c. shall thereunto enter but within twenty years vide ibidem cap. 6. plura But it is to be observed that time of limitation is twofold first in writs that is by diverse acts of Parliament the second is to make a title of inheritance and that is as hath been said to pleade a prescription de tempore cujus contrarium memoria hominum non existit Coke com f. 14. 15. which is by the common Law And this also accordeth with the rule of Bracton Longa possessio sicut jus parit jus possidendi tollit actionem a vero domino l. 2. f. 52. Long possession as right begetteth a right and taketh away an action from the true Lord and owner And so in antient times if the disseisor had been long in possession the Disseisee could not have entred upon him neither could the Disseisee have entred upon the Feoffee of the Disseisor if he had continued a yeare and a day in quiet possession and though the Law be now changed yet at this day the Disseisor dying seised being an act in Law barreth the disseisee of his entrance upon the heire and for that many advantages follow the possession and tenant the law taketh away the entry of him that would not enter upon the Ancestor who is presumed to know his title and driveth him to his Action against the heire that may be ignorant thereof Coke com f. 237. b. And for the above said reason the law yieldeth diverse utilities and advantages to the possessor for it is better to be a possessor then to complaine of others who are possessors because it imposeth the burden of proving on the Plaintiff so as if he can prove nothing he which possesseth shall be acquitted neither can possession be avoided but by possession Ployd 137 b. As if I make a lease for years of the lands of my wife and die the lease is not void before entry made by the wife for possession must be avoided by possession and such possession must be gained by entry But if my father die and his land descend to me a Lease for yeares made before my entry is good because I have possession in law and none hath possession in deed but if a stranger abate a lease made by me after is void for the stranger hath possession indeed before my entry upon him Ployd ibid. If an Executor bring an Action of trespasse for goods taken out of his possession it is not needfull to shew the Testament but if hee not ever was possessed of them but doth demand the thing then hee ought to have shewn the testament Ployd f. 46. a. And regularly it holdeth true that when the naked right of Land is released to one that hath jus possessionis and the other by a meane title recovereth the land from him the right in possession shall draw the naked right with it and shall not leave a right in him to whom the release is made as if the heire of the disseisor being in by descent is disseised by A. and the disseisee release to A. now hath A. the meere right to the land but if the heire of the disseisor enter into the Land and regaineth possession that shall draw with it the meere right to the land and shall not regaine the possession onely and leave the meere right in A. but the recontinuance of the possession the meere right is therewith vested in the heire of the disseisor Coke com 266. a. If a woman possessed of a terme for yeares take an husband and the wife dieth though during the life of the wife the terme was not devested out of the wife yet by her death it is vested in the husband and it is given to him by Act in law because it is a thing in possession and not in Action Pl f. 192. b. In pari causa possessor potior haberi debet Reg. I. C. In aequali jure â—elior est conditio possidentis Coke l. 4. f. 90. a As the Lord who is allowed but three Chaplaines retaineth six by his letters testimoniall at one and the same time and all the six are prefeâ—red to six severall plurallities the three which are first promoted are warranted by the statutes and yet the retainer was not according to the statute for in aequali jure melior est conditio possidentis In equall right better is the condition of him who is in possession ibidem If a man purchaseth severall lands at one time which are holden of several Lords by Knights service and dieth the Lord who first seiseth the ward shall have him because they are in aequali jure and there is no priority betweene them which if there were the elder Lord shall have him Perk. f. 6. If ten Mannors be conveyed to two severall persons by one deed which of them happeneth to get the Deed first may detaine it Two Attorneys are retained conjunctim divisim joyntly and severally the plea of him that first pleadeth shall stand because they are in aequali jure to plead If there be two joynt-tenants and one of them taketh all the profits of the land or all the rent the other hath no remedy Coke l. 2. f. 68. a. So the release of all Actions personall by one barreth the other but otherwise it is if the personalty be mixed with the realty and if there be two joynt-joynt-tenants Lords and the tenant holdeth by Knights service and the tenant dieth his heire within age and one Lord seiseth the Ward and the other distraineth for the services he that first seiseth or distraineth shall bind the other And
enrolled enfeoff the King without any consideration the King shall be seised to his owne use as having such prerogative in his person that he shall not be seised to the use of any other 28. H. 8. 7. Dier Bokenghams case by Knightley Cok l. 2. f. 71. b. It is not unjust but equall that the bargain or shall annex such a condition to the State of the land as he pleaseth for cujus est dare ejus est disponere he that hath power to give hath power to dispose ibidem Coke l. 7. f. 6. Calvins case The King by his letters patents or the Parliament by thier votes may grant denizations without limitations or restraint or else limited denizations as to an alien and the heires males of his body 9. E. 4. f. 7. in Bagots case or to an alien for terme of life as to John Fenell 11. H. 6. 3. Or else upon condition whereof I have seen diverse presidents for who hath power to give hath power to dispose ibid. Modus dat domationi Fleta Ployd f. 25. a. The mannor of the gift which the donor limiteth maketh a law to the donee for though in the preamble of the Act of W. 2. there be but three estates limited to wit especiall taile franke-marriage and generall taile yet may the donor make other tailes by his limitation for his will is a law as to the taile and so heires males of the body of the donee and taile to the heires females of the body of the Donee and all other tailes are within the purview of the Act for the will of the donor is the effect of the stature and from it it followeth that the alienation of the donee shall not bind the issues nor the donor And the second wife shall not be endowed neither can the donee charge the land with a rent-charge or other encumbrance neither shall the land be forfeited for felony and all these are included in the first purview to wit that the will of the donor shall be observed and are but consequences and explanations of the first purview vide ibidem plura But if a gift bee repugnant or contrary to law Exception as a gift made upon a condition unlawfull or impossible it is void and of no effect to gain any thing by the making of it in our law As if the condition be to kill a man Ployd f. 34. b. Or if an obligation be made to save one harmeless for killing a man Ibid. f 64. b. these conditions are void So a feoffment made that the feoffee shall not alien the land is void because it is contrary to law for by the law tenant in fee-simple hath power to alien to any man for if such a condition should be good then the condition should oust him of all the power that the law hath given him which is contrary to reason Littleton The like law is upon a devise in fee upon condition that the devisee shall not alien the condition is void And so it is of a grant release or confirmation or any other conveyance whereby a fee-simple doth pass for it is absurd and repugnant to reason that he that hath no possibility to have the land revert to him should restrain his feoffee in fee-simple of all his power to alien And so it is if a man be possessed of a lease for yeares or of an horse or of any other Chattells reall or personall or give or sell his whole interest or property therein upon condition that the Donee or Vendee shall not alien the same the same is void because his whole interest and property is out of him so as hee hath no possibility of a reverter and it is against trade and traffick and bargaining and contracting betweene man and man and against reason that he should oust him of all power given him for regulariter non valei pactum de re mea non alienda a contract or condition that I shall not alien that which is my owne doth not hold and suiquum est liberis hominibus non esse liberam rerum suarum alienationem it is unjust that freemen should not have liberty to alien their owne estates But these are to be understood of conditions annexed to the grant or sale it selfe in respect of the repugnancy and not to any other collaterall thing Coke com f. 223. a. But before the statute of quia emptores terrarum A man might have made a feoffment in fee and added further that if he and his heires did alien without licence that he should pay a fine it had beene good then and then the Lord also might have restrained the alienation of the tenant by condition because the Lord had a possibility of reverter and so it is in the Kings case at this day because he may reserve a tenure to himselfe If A. be seised of black Acre in fee and B. enfeoffeth him of white Acre upon condition that A. shall not alien black Acre the condition is good for the condition is annexed to other land and ousteth not the feoffee of his power to alien the land whereof the feoffment is made and so no repugnancy to the State passed by the feoffment and so it is of gifts or sales of Chattels realls or personalls Coke ibidem But if a feoffment be made upon condition that the feoffee shall not infeoff I. S. c. This is good for he doth not restrain the feoffee of all his power and in this case if the feoffee infeoff I. N. of intent and purpose that he shall infeoff I. S. some hold that this is a breach of the condition for Quando aliquid prohibetur fieri ex directo prohibetur per obliquum for when any thing is forbidden to be done directly it is also forbidden to be done collaterally or obliquely Coke ibidem b. And a gift in taile that is made upon condition that the donee nor his heires shall not alien in fee in taile or for terme of anothers life is good to all those alienations which amount to any discontinuance of the estate taile or is against the statute of W. 2. but as to a recovery the condition is void for that is no discontinuance nor against the said statute Neither is a collaterall warranty or lineall with assets in respect of the recompence restrained by the said statute no more then a common recovery is in respect of the intended recompence Ibidem If a man make a feoffment to Baron and feme in fee upon condition they shall not alien this is good to restraine them by feoffment or alienation by deed because it is tortious but to restraine their alienation by fine is repugnant void because lawfull ibidem Voluntas reputabitur pro facto Bract. the will shall be esteemed for the deed If no place be limited where money is to be paid in the condition of a Bond and the Obligor at or after the day of payment happen in the company of the obligee and offereth
one may come to that and therefore Hill 37. H. 8. in the Star Chamber a Priest was branded with an P. and A. in the forehead and put upon the Pillory with a paper written for false accusation vide ibidem pluâ—a Volenti neque injuriam neque vim fieri Reg. I. C. Volenti non fit injuria f. 501. No injury can be done to a willing man If a Parson Emparsonee present another by it he hath disappropriated the advowson and maketh it presentable by his owne Act and therefore no injury A man shooteth giving warning to all and one will goe to the marke and is hurt he is without remedy 18. E. 4. 8. If I am bound to make an house if you prohibit me to come upon the land I may plead this bar 19. E. 4. 2. If there be Lord Mesne and Tenant and the King being Lord the mesne holdeth of the King in capite and the tenant holdeth of him in Socage if the tenant get a release of the meane or fore-judge the meane he shall now hold in capite for volenti non fit injuria and it shall be injurious to the King if he should lose his tenure in capite and should have in place of it a tenure in Socage Dav. 12. P. f. 67. a. If I exchange land with one hath a bad title which is knowne to me and if I know of a fraudulent conveyance and buy the Lands in both those cases the party shall have remedy though they be willing to the wrong Omne actum ab agentis intentione est judicandum Reg. I. C. Coke com f. 49. Affectio tua nomen imponit operi tuo every act is to be judged from the intention of the agent and every affection or intention giveth the name to thy work As if a man letteth lands c. for terme of yeares the remainder over to another for life in taile or in fee if the termor enter before Livery of Seisin made to him then the frank-tenement and the reversion is in the Lessor but if the Lessor and the Lessee come upon the ground of purpose for the lessor to make or the lessee to take livery the entry vesteth no actuall possession in him till livery be made because the purpose and intention giveth the name to the work and therefore if it be agreed between the disseisor and the disseisee that the disseisee shall release all his right upon the land this is a good release and the entry of the disseisee being for this purpose did not avoid the disseisin for his intent in this case did guide his entry to a speciall purpose Val. 19. Eliz. l. B. Coke ibidem The intention and agreement of the mindes of the parties is the onely thing that the law respecteth in contracts and such words as bewray the assent of the parties and have substance in them are sufficient Ployd f. 141. As if one make an obligation and the obligation is endorsed that the obligee doth will and grant that if the obligor shall stand to the arbitrement ordination and judgement of A. and B. that then the obligation shall be void there an exception was taken to the condition for that the words are the words of the obligee and not of the obligor but it was holden by the better opinion that the condition was good for there is sufficient substance of a condition and the intent of the parties appeareth and yet the words are not usuall for conditions for the words of the condition are the words of the obligors 21. H. 6. f. 55. So a grant of an annuity to one pro consilio impendendo is a grant conditionall for if he will not give counsell the annuity shall cease and yet there is not one word of a condition So T. 9. E. 4. f. 19. 22. where debate was for tithes betweene a Prior and another and the composition betweene them was that the Prior should have the tythes without challenge or contradiction of the other and the Prior granted to the other forty shillings yearly and by the better opinion the grant shal enure conditionally so as if the other disturbe the Prior in receiving his tithes the forty shillings shall cease If one make a Lease for yeares by deed and by the same deed covenanteth that the Lessee shall nor be impeached of wast that word Covenant made at the same time amounteth to as much as if he had said Habendum for years without impeachment of wast P. 21. H. 6. f. 7. I. S. did bind himselfe in an obligation of twenty pound and the obligation was Noverint universi per presentes me I. S. teneri obligari W. B. in twenty pound solvendum eidem I. c. and yet the obligation good and the Court held that the Count shall be made solvendum to the Plaintiff for the interest of the parties there appeareth and the certainty of the bond before shall not be taken away by the Solvendum after M. 4. E. 4. f. 23. So if one have a remainder of land in him and he granteth it to another by the name of a reversion of land that shall be a good grant for there the certainty of the land appeareth and then notwithstanding the mis-terming of the thing the law regardeth the intention of the parties and doth judge according to it So if I be bound to pay you at the feast of Saint Michael which shall be in the yeare of our Lord 1555. 20 s. And at the same feast of Saint Michael then next ensuing other 20 s. The law will adjudge the same feast to have the meaning of such or the like feast for it cannot be the same feast if it come after it so the law will take one word for another to supply the intent of the parties vide ibid. Ployd 141 b. Brownings case Carta non est nisi vestimentum donationis Bract. and the intent directeth gifts rather then the words Ployd 160. b. As if a receivor be bound in an obligation to his master to pay to him omnia recepta recipienda all things received and to be received in his office that by it he is not bound to pay all that he might receive but onely that which he shall receive indeed and so his intent shall rather be taken then the word H. 41. E. 3. f. 6. So where a man maketh a Lease of an house so as the lessee may make his profit of the houses within he cannot pull downe the houses or make wast of them for the intent was not such although the words seeme otherwise T. 9. E. 4. f. 22. And it was said to follow the words was summum jus and that Judges ought not to doe it but to follow the intent rather and Ployd f. 161. b. saith that such was the opinion of Bradwell in 14. H. 8. f. 22. That contracts shall be as it is concluded and agreed betweene the parties and as their intents may be taken and that cavillation with
not though a deed without an inrolement may pass the reversion but it was meant they should pass together if one disseise another of two Acres in Dale and the disseisee release to the Disseisor all his right in all his Lands in Dale and delivereth the release as an escrow to be delivered to the disseisor as his deed before the second of May and before that day the disseisor disseiseth him of another Acre in D. and then the releafe is delivered unto him the second day of May the right to the third Acre shall not pass because it was not his intent to release it Ployd One reciting by his Deed that whereas by prescription he hath used to finde a Chaplaine because some controversie hath growne of it granteth by the same deed to doe it this determineth not the prescription for the intent of the Deed reciting the prescription was to confirme it and not make a new grant 21. H. 7. 6. Though it be a generall rule that the words which the common people use to expresse their intent ought to be taken according to the intent and not according to the very definition in Hills and Granges case f. 170. And that generalis regula generaliter est intelligenda yet this rule is principally to be observed in cases of uses which were onely trusts and confidences between man and man Coke l. 6. f. 64. vide ibidem plura in Sir Moile Finches case And Coke l. 1. f. 100. Shelleys case we finde in diverse cases of our Books that the intention of parties is the direction of uses by a conscionable and benigne construction as if a man seised of Lands of the part of his mother maketh a feoffment in fee reserving a rent to him and his heirs by the common Law the rent shall goe to the heir of the part of the father Lit. But if a man be seised of lands of the part of the mother and maketh a Feoffment in fee to the use of him and his Heirs such use shall not goe to the heire at the common Law but in regard the Land moved from the part of the mother therfore in equity the use which is nothing else but a trust and confidence shall also goe to the heirs of the part of the mother 5. E. 4. f. 4. And though Littleton saith that a man in a Feoffment and grant shall not have a Fee-simple without these words Heirs yet if a man before the Statute of 27. H. 8. had bargained and sold his Land for mony without these words heires the bargainee had a Fee-simple because at the common Law nothing passed from the bargainer but an use which is guided by the intention of the parties which was to convey Land wholly to the bargainee for that the Law intendeth that the bargainee paid the true value of the Land for it is in equity and according to the intent of the parties the bargainee had a Fee-simple without these words heires 27. H. 8. f. 5. Coke ibidem And as Ployd f. 345. a. A fortiori the intent saith he shall be observed in wills where the words cannot be performed for Testamentum est testatio mentis but that which is other then the intention is not the testation of the minde and therefore as he saith also f. 54. b. It is the office of Judges to marshall the words of wills according to the intentions of the parties for the most part of them are made in extremity and when there is no counsell of Law ready or present and the testators themselves are not for the most part learned in the Law and are accounted inopes consilij neither have they knowledge to put words in good order and therefore the ignorance and simplicity of those which make their wills require a favorable interpretation of the words of the will according to the intent As Lands were devised to one for life the remainder for life the remainder Ecclesiae sancti Audreae in Holborne and since the death of tenants for life the Parson of the said Church sued an ex gravi querela and it was pleaded in Judgement that the remainder took no effect because the Church was not a Parson capable and upon that was a demurrer and adjudged that the devise was good and that the Parson shall have execution and yet the Parson was not named in the devise but was comprehended in it Pas 21. R. 2. If a man devise the Mannor of D. and had nothing in it at the time of making the will and that since he purchased it it shall passe by the devise for it shall be taken his intention was to purchase it and if it should not passe the will should be void to all intents Ployd f. 344. a. So if one devise Land to the wife of I. S. and I. S. dyeth and shee taketh to husband another and after the devisor dyeth shee shall have the Land and yet shee was not the wife of I. S. when the devisor dyed nor shall not take it as his wife but the intent was that shee that was the wife of I. S. at the time of the making of the Will shall have it And if a man devise Lands to Alexander Nowell Deane of Pauls and to the Chapter there and their Successors and Alexander Nowell dyeth and a new Deane is made and then the devisor dyeth the land shall vest in the new Deane and Chapter and yet it vesteth not according to the words but according to the intent for the cheife intent was to convey it unto the Deane and the Chapter and their Successors for ever and the singular person of Alexander Nowell was not the principall cause but by chance was one of the causes Ployd 344. b. If one devise by will in writing Land to one and his Heirs and then in another clause after he deviseth out of that Land a rent-charge to him and his heirs it shall be good to the one for the rent and to the other for the Land and the rent in construction of Law shall be taken to be first devised although it be last in words and so one part shall stand with the other and good sence shall be made and the intent of the testator shall be observed in both Ployd f. 541. contrary to the rule of the civill Law ubi pugnantia inter se in testamento jubentur neutrum ratum est If in the Premisses of a will one deviseth Lands to one in fee and in the end of the will he deviseth it to another in fee the latter part shall confound the former because he had last such an intent and as the last will shall repeale the former will by the same reason the last part of the will shall repeale the former part of the will which is contrary to it ibidem vide plura in Paramors case Bendloes Rep. f. 209. B. Being sick sent for a Councellor and desired him to write his last will and testament of his Lands and declared unto
suerum cum averijs Abbot Conventus renounceth all the Common which he hath used to have of his Cattle with the Cattle of the Abbot and Covent and that release of Common was there taken void because he did not shew to whom he renounced the common yet there was a full intent for he had common in the Land of the Abbots and he had intent to release it to him but for the incertainty it was void And a Lease was made to Baron and Feme and the reversion of the Land that the Baron held was granted and it was held void notwithstanding the intent because it missed of the certainty of the particular estate H. 13. E. 3. Fitz. grants 63. And so where there were Lord and tenant of three acres and the Lord granted the signiory which he had out of one Acre it was held void in 17. E. 3. notwithstanding the intent because his intent did not agree with Law and so where a man holdeth of one by Castle garder Homage and Fealty and he granteth to another all his services it was held in 31. E. 1. that the Castle-garder cannot passe because he did not grant such a Castle but reserved it and therefore he who hath not the Castle cannot have the Castle guarder so his intent in granting al the services could not make all to passe because it was not according to Law and so the Law ruleth the intent and the intent not the Law Ployd ibidem in Throckmortons case Coke l. 1. f. 84. b. A man giveth Land to M. and 1. his Sisters and to the heirs of the bodies of them lawfully begotten by which they had a joynt estate for life and severall inheritances and the Donor intending that neither of them should break the Joynture but the Survivor should have all per jus accrescendi added this clause sub hac forma that shee that should longest live should have all the Land but because his intent is contrary to Law for this cause if the Joynture be severed by fine the Survivor shall not have the part so severed by the said clause which he hath inserted of his conceit and his own imagination contrary to Law and reason ibidem But in Wills the intent shall be observed and onely thought of because the Testator had no time to order all things according to Law by presumption but is suddenly made oftentimes and so the diversity Ployd f. 162. b. And therefore Ploy f. 414. a. The intent in devises maketh estates to passe contrary to the rules of the common Law in deeds and other gifts As if I devise Land to one A. for life whereas there is not any such the remainder in fee he in the remainder shall take the Land though there be no estate precedent And 34. E. 3. one had issue a Son and Daughter and deviseth Land devisable to one for life upon condition that if the Son disturbe tenant for life or his Executors of their Administration that then the Land shall remaine to the Daughter and dyeth the Daughter after the death of the tenant for life bringeth a Formedon in remainder against the son alledgeth that the tenant had disturbed the Tenant for life and the Executors and the Tenant traversed it upon it issue joyned and the condition took the fee out of the Son and put in the Daughter by allowance in Law in performance of the intent of the Devisee though the remainder did not vest when the first estate took effect Ployd ibidem Coke com f. 322. a. b. If a man lease Lands devisable for life c. the reversion by his testament in fee c. and dyeth and then the Tenant maketh wast the Devisee shall have a writ of Wast although the Tenant never attorned because the will of the Devisor made by his will shall be performed according to the intent of the Devisor and if the Tenant will never attorne then it shall never be performed and therefore he shall have an action of wast or distraine without Attornement Littleton for it is a maxime of the common Law ultima voluntas testatoris est perimplenda secundum veram intentionem sufam Coke ibidem for if a man devise his Tenements to another by testament Habendum sibi in perpetuum and dyeth and the Devisee entreth he hath a Fee-simple causa qua supra and yet if a feoffment had been made to him by the Devisor in his life of the same Tenements Habendum sibi in perpetuum and livery and seisin upon it made he shall have an estate onely for terme of his life Littleton Ibidem Coke com f. 9. b. Though by the common Law an estate of inheritance may not passe without these words Heires yet in devise it may as if a man devise twenty acres to another and that he shall pay to the Executors for the same ten pound he hath a Fee-simple by the intent of the Devisor albeit it be not the value of the Land 21. E. 3 16. So if a man devise Lands to give or to sell or in feodo simplici or to him or his Assignes for ever in all these cases a Fee simple doth passe by the intent of the Devisor but if the devise be to a man and his Assignes without saying for ever the devisee hath but an estate for life if I devise Land to one sanguini suo it is a Fee simple but if it be semini suo it is an estate tayle ibidem Exception Coke l. 1. f. 85. 86. in Câ—rbets case It was ruled by all the Justices that such an estate which cannot by the rules of the common Law be conveyed by act executed in his life by advice of counsell learned in the Law such an estate cannot be devised by the will of man who is intended in Law to be in ops consilij as if I devise Lands to one by will in perpetuum he hath a fee for such an estate may be conveyed by estate executed but if I devise further that if the Devisee doth such an act that then another shall have his Lands to him and his Heires that is void because such limitation if it was by act executed is void for as Dyer f. 33. pl. 12. A man cannot devise an estate in fee to one and if he doe not such an act his estate shall cease and another have it for when he hath disposed the estate in fee he hath not power in the same will to devise it to another and f. 4. pl. 7. when the intent of man who maketh a testament doth not agree with the Law the intent shall be taken void as if a man devise his Land to H. in fee and that if he dye without heir that M. shall have the Land this devise is void because one Fee-simple cannot depend upon another in law the same law is if the devise be to the Abbot of Saint Peter de W. where the foundation is to the Abbot of St. Paul
if he be an honest man Swimb f. 210. It is an observation of a Divine that oathes ex officio had their birth from Caiphas Math. 26. who who first imposed it on our Saviour in the name of the living God saying I adjure or charge thee in the name of the living God that thou tellest us whither thou be'st Christ the Son of the living God And Mr. Pryn saith that Cardinall Woolsy the highest Priest in England was the first that invented oathes ex officio in England and that they were much inveighed against by Latimer in his Sermons and condemned by the expresse words of the petition of right providing against such oathes Prin. Vind. f. 42. Impotentia excusat legem impotency excuseth the Law Coke com f. 29. a. The Law tendreth the weaknesses and debilities of others execuseth their un-abilities ultra posse non est esse because no man is able to doe more then he can do As if a man dyeth seised of Lands in fee-simple c. and these Lands descend to his Daughter and shee taketh an husband and hath issue and dyerh before any entry the husband shall not be tenant by courtesy because it was in the power of the husband to have entred but if a man be seised of an advowson or a rent in fâ—e and hath issue a daughter who is married and hath issue and dyeth seised the wife before the rent became due or the Church became void dyeth he shall be Tenant by courtesy because he could by no industry enter or attaine to any other seisin then a seisin in Law or bring it to an actuall seisin And f. 258. b Though an Hermite or an Anachorite be shut up himself so as by his order he is not to come out in person yet to avoid a descent he may command one to make claim and such a recluse may allwayes appeare by an Attorney in such cases where others must appeare in proper person and f. 263. b. An Abbot of a Monastery dyeth and during the vacation one wrongfully entreth into a certaine parcell of the Land of the Monastery claiming the Land to him and his heirs and dyeth seised and the Land descendeth to the heire and then one is elected Abbot the Abbot may enter upon the heire for by the death of the Abbot no person is able to make continuall claime and therefore a descent in that kind shall not prejudice the succession Coke l. 1. f. 98. a. If the Lessee Covenant to leave wood in the same plight the wood was at the time of the lease and afterwards the trees be sub-verted by tempest hs is discharged of his covenant by reason of his impotency and l. 4. f. 11. a. If the Lord release to the Tenant so long as I. S. hath heire of his body and sixty years passe and then I. S. dyeth without heire of his body in this case though the sixty years be passed yet the Lord may distraine for it was impossible that she should attaine to any seisin within that time and therefore the act of limitation made in 32. H. 8. doth not extend to such rent or service that by common possibility could not happen or become due within sixty years and so if Land holden by Homage and Fealty be conveyed to a Mayor and Commonalty c. in this case they cannot doe their Homage and Fealty yet though they have enjoyed the Land above sixty years if they alien the Land the Lord may distraine for Homage and Fealty 33 H 8. Br. Tit. Fealty 15. vide ibidem pluta in Bevills case and lib. 6. f. 21. b. in Butlers case It was resolved that legall imprisonment without Covin is a good excuse of non-residency in any Parson by reason of his impotency Quod remedio destituitur ipsa revalet si culpa ab sit the thing which is destitute of remedy availeth in the matter it selfe if there be no fault or laches in the party Coke l. 6. f. 68. a. As if a man be seised of a manner part of which is in lease for life and part in lease for yeares and levieth a fâ—ne to A. to the use of B. in tail with diverse remainders over in this case B. shall avow for rent or have an Action of Wast without any Attornement for when the reversion is setled in any one in judgement of Law and he hath no meanes to compell the tenant to attorne and no laches or fault is in him there he shall avow or have an Action of Wast without Attornment As if the Lord in Mortmaine or if a villaine claimeth a reversion by this claime the Law vesteth thiS reversion in him and he hath no meanes to compell the tenant to attorne and therefore he shall avow or have an Action of Wast without Attornement the same Law is of Letters Patents and of the devise of a reversion for in all those cases culpa abest there is no fault 9. H. 6. vide ibidem plura in Sir Moile Finches case And Coke l. 8. f. 172. b. in Hales case If the heire at full age tender his livery and dyeth within three months before he hath accomplished it so as the making of his homage or suing out of his livery without default in him is become impossible by the act of God he shall have as much advantage by his tender as if he had made homage or sued out his livery for impotency in this case excuseth the Law and in the judgement of the Law the interest of the King by the said limitation is determined as if the Lord had taken homage of the heire when he made his tender vide ibidem plura Coke l. 10. f. 139. b. If tenant for life or for years doth not repaire a wall of dirt so as by his default the Land is surrounded and becometh unprofitable that is Wast but if the Land be surrounded by the extraordinary rage and violence of the Sea without any default in him that is not Wast no more then if an house was burnt by lightning or subverted by the rage of the wind or tempest without default of the Lessee for impotency excuseth the party vide ibidem plura in Kighleys case So as it is regularly true that the Law tendreth the infirmities of unable persons and excuseth their impossibilities as of men illiterate out of the Realme in Prison Infants Idiots out of their sound minde as also of blind and deafe dumbe and blind If a man illiterate be bound to make a deed he is not bound to seale or deliver any writing that shall be tendred unto him and if it be Latine or other Language which he understandeth not he may demand that one read it and expound it unto him and if none be there present to read and expound it the party may refuse to deliver it for his ignorance excuseth him Coke l. 2. f. 3. Mansers case And for that reason if the Deede be read unto him in other words then are contained within
the Deed or writing it shall not bind the party that delivered it for it is at the perill of the party to whom the writing is made that the true purport effect of the writing be declared if the party that shall deliver the writing doth require it but if the party who shall deliver the writing doth not require it he shall be bound by the Deed though it shall be contrary to his meaning and it mattereth not though a meere stranger readeth the writing which is well proved by the usuall forme of pleading in such case to wit that he was a Lay-man and not lettered and that the Deed was read to him in other words c. generally without shewing by whom it was read Coke l. 2. Thorowgoods case f. 11. b. If a disseisor dye seised the Disseissee being within age Covert Baron in Prison or out of the Realme it shall be no descent to take away the entry Finch Nomot f. 26. In omnibus fere minori atati succurritur Coke l. 9. 84. In all cases for the most part there is favour shewed to them within age As In a writ of customes and services which is in the nature of a writ of right in which finall judgement shall be given against an infant who is in by descent in 6. H. 3. Tit. page 144. It is adjudged he shall have his age so in a Cessavit against an infant who hath the tenancy by descent he shall have his age though it be upon his own cesser because he cannot know what arrearages he shall tender before judgement and that also is in the nature of a writ of right for if he make not true tender he shall lose his Land 28. E. 3. 99. But in a per quae servitia against an infant who hath the tenancy by descent he shall not have his age because he hath benefit and availe over and above the Premisses and therefore is he called tenant paravaile and it is against reason that when the heire hath profit by the tenancy that he shall not pay annuall rent and it is no mischeife unto him for notwithstanding his Attornement within age he may at his full age disclaime to hold of him or to acknowledge that he holdeth of him by lesser or other services Coke ibidem And regularly it is true that an infant may doe any thing for his own advantage and not to his prejudice as to be an Executor or to purchase without the consent of any other for it is intended his benefit and at his full age he may either agree thereunto or perfect it or without any cause alledged waive or disagree to the purchase and so may his heire if he doth not agree at his full age Coke com f. 2. b. In a writ of mesne the proceedings shall not be stayed for the nonage of the infant because it is not reason that the infant shall be distrained for the services of the mesne during his nonage and shall not have remedy untill he is at full age Coke l. 9. f. 85. a. If an infant make a Feoffment in person if he dye without heire the Land shall not escheate but otherwise it is if it be by letter of Attorny Dyer f. 10. Coke l. 4. f. 125. a. An infant shall sue by procheine amy but defend by guardian Coke com f. 135. a. If an infant buyeth Lands in fee with the mony for which he did sell his own Land yet may he avoid his own alienation Doct. Stud 21. An Execution Elegit and Statute Merchant c. shall not be sued against the heire during his infancy Coke com 290. a. An infant shall avoid matters in faite either within age or of full age but matters of Record as Statutes c. acknowledged by him a fine levied by him or recovery against him by default in a reall action must be avoided by him during his minority to wit Statute by Audita querela and the fine and recovery by a writ of error because they are judiciall acts and taken by a Court or a Judge and therefore the nonage of the party to avoid the same shall be tryed by inspection of Judges and not by the Country and because his nonage must be tryed by inspection this cannot be done at his full age but if that age be inspected by the Judges and recorded that he is within age albeit he come of full age before the reversall yet may it be reversed after his full age Coke com f. 380. b. The Law doth provide for the safety of a mans or womans estate that before the age of twenty one years they cannot alien any Lands Goods or Chattells or bind themselves by deed Coke com f. 171. b. Unlesse it be for necessary meate drink and apparrell necessary physick and such other necessaries and likewise for his good teaching and instruction whereby he may profit himselfe afterwards but it must be pro necâ—ssario vestitu for convenient apparrell and not for Gold lace 11. H 7. and ought to be suitable to his calling Popham Rep. f. 152. But if he bind himselfe in an obligation or other writing with a penalty for the payment of any of these the obligation shall not bind him also all other things of necessity shall bind him as presentation to a benefice for otherwise the lapse should incurr against him Also if an infant be Executor upon payment of any debt due to the Testator he may make an acquittance and in that case a release without payment is void ibidem f. 172. a. If a man inheritor taketh wife who have issue a Son between them and the Father dyeth and the son entreth into the land and endoweth the mother and then the mother alieneth that which she hath in dower to another in fee with warranty and then dyeth and the warranty descendeth to the Son this warranty collaterall shal bar the Son Little but if the Heir be within age at the time of the descent of the warranty he may enter and avoid the estate either within age or at any time after his full age but if he within age at the time of the alienation with warranty and become of full age before the descent of the warranty the warranty shall barr him for ever Coke com f. 380. b. Though no laches shall be adjudged in an infant in case of descent as Littleton saith yet in some other cases laches shall prejudice an infant as laches shall be adjudged in an infant if he present not to a Church within six months for the Law respecteth more the priviledge of the Church that the cure be served then the priviledge of he infant so the publicK repose of the Realme shall be preferred before the priviledge of infancy in the case of a fine where the fine beginneth in the time of the Ancestor As if a fine be levied before the act of non-claime and one of full age had right at the time of the time levied and dyeth within the
flyeth to the wall or to some other unpassable place to save his life and upon the pursuit of the other he killeth him this is man-slaughter in his own defence 3. E. 3.284 From morall Philosophy NExt in order succeeedeth morall Philosophy the exact knowledge of which as Picolonomy Inductio ad libros Civil Philos cap. 6. cannot be comprehended without the precognition of the naturall and therefore hath the precedency for the morall faculty doth instruct men to avoid vices and to cure the maladies of the mind which cannot be compleatly accomplished without the naturall contemplation of the affections of the soul it is called Ethica by the Phylosopher or institutions of manners by which the oblique manners of men are rectified and their Enormities regulated and certainly from such exorbitances of manners originally proceeded the institutions of Lawes and from whence as Doderidge all Laws are in generalty derived for in the primary age which may rather be named the Iron then the golden age when men lived like beasts Dod. English Lawyer f. 250. the one praying on the other according to the censure of the Philosophicall Poet. Quod praedae obtulerat fortuna cuique ferebat Sponte sibi quisque valere vivere doctus What fortune offered for a pray each one Layd claime to it learned to live alone And serve himselfe Then were Laws first excogitated to suppresse the barbarous Savageness of such humane beasts and to reduce them to a more civill association as the Venusine Poet rightly Jura inventa metu injusti fateare necesse est Tempora si fastosque velis evolvere mundi If we revolve the Annalls of mans time From the worlds birth we must confesse and find That Laws were founded for feare of the unjust Seeing then Laws were introduced from the depraved judgements and corrupt manners of men who will not acknowledge that the science by which they are formed and the principles deduced from it are requisite and materiall to the fundamentall knowledge of the Law From which Fountaine our Law doth draw these grounds and maximes Illud possumus quod jure possumus Reg. I.C. We can doe that which by right we can doe for as Boetius potentia non est nisi ad bonum ability and power is not but to good for the power to have liberty to doe wrong is not by such liberty augmented but diminished potentia injuriae est impotentia naturae the power to doe injury is the impotency of nature as to decay and dye is no power but in respect of the privation and diminution in the thing is rather impotency as the Angells and Saints confirmed in glory and cannot sin are more powerfull then man who through his impotency can sin So a King ruling royally and with whom whatsoever shall please him hath the power of a Law and may doe what evill he lift is more impotent then he that doth all according to the rule and square of Law and therefore doth the Law give this rule Illud Rex solum potest quod de jure potest Coke l. 3. 99. f. 123. l. 1. 11. f. 7. Solum Rex hoc non potest quod non potest injuste agere The King onely can doe that which by right he can doe and the King can onely not doe this that he cannot doe any thing unjustly as 4. E. 4. 15. the King can be no disseisor he can be no wrong doer so if the King granterh and releaseth the services to the tenant and his heires that shall not extinct the tenure in all for necessity of the tenure and the King cannot by his charter alter the Law and therefore it shall be expounded as neere to the intention of the King as may be and that is to extinguish all the services but it onely which is incident inseperably to every tenure and that is fealty for it the King cannot doe by Law Coke l. 9. f. 123. a. And Coke l. 11. f. 72. a. The King shall not be exempt by construction of Law out of the generall words of Acts made to suppresse wrong because he is the Fountaine of Justice and common right and the King being Gods Lievtenant cannot doe wrong and with it accordeth 13. E. 4. 8. in the case of Alton woods l. 1. f. 41. So Lands were given to Henry the seventh and the heires males of his body and the question was whether the King in regard that he was not expresly restrained by the Act of 13. E. 3. de donis conditionalibus post prolem masculam sussitatum might alien or no and it was adjudged he could not alien but was restrained by the said Act for it were an hard argument to grant that the Statute which restraineth men to doe wrong and evill shall permit liberty to the King to doe it Ployd f. 246. Signior Barklys case Coke ibidem vide plura Potestas regis juris est non in juriae cum sit author juris non debet inde injuriarum masci occasio unde jura mascuntur Bract. l. 2. The Kings power is of right and not injury and as he is the author of right there ought not from thence to arise occasion of injury from whence rights proceed As if one who intendeth to sell his Land and by fraude conveyed it by deed enrolled to the King to the intent to deceive the purchaser and then he selleth the Land to another for a valuable consideration maketh conveyance accordingly in this case the purchaser shal enjoy the land against the Queen by the Statute of 27. Eliz. c. 4. For though the Queen be not excepted yet the act being general made in suppressing of fraud shall bind the Queen So if tenant in tail be seised of Land the remainder over in tail or in fee and he in the remainder knowing that tenant in tail will alien the Land and by recovery bar his remainder to the intent to deprive the tenant in tail of his birth-right and power that the Law hath given him to bar the remainder and of intent and purpose to deceive the purchaser granteth his reversion to the Queen by deed enrolled and then tenant in tail for a valuable consideration alieneth the Land by common recovery and dyeth without issue the purchaser shall enjoy the Land against the Queene by the Statute of 27. Eliz. the words of which are that every conveyance c. made c. to the intent and of purpose to deceive a purchaser t. shal be deemed onely against such purchaser c. to be utterly void vide ibidem plura in Magdalen Colledges case l. 2. in Cholmlys case f. 51.52 And the King hath a prerogative above all his Subjects that where by fraude or salse suggestion he is deceived that he in that case shall avoid his owne grant jure regio 22. E. 3. 47. in the Earle of Kents case Stanf. pr. regis 84. a. As the King can neither doe himselfe injury nor others And
a fine with proclamations now by the present right he hath five years by the first favant and if after these five years A. doth dye he shall have other five years for the next remainder by the second savant which giveth them as to other persons which have a future right and if after those five yeares B. doth dye he shall have other five years by the other remainder for saith he it is the text of the civil Law when two rights meet together in one person it is all one as if they were in severall persons Ployd ibidem vide ibidem plura in the Lord Zouches case Exception Coke l. 7. Calvins case f. 14. b. This rule holdeth not in personall things that is when two persons are necessarily and inevitably required by Law as in the ease of an alien borne there is for in the case of an alien borne you must of necessity have two severall legiaries to two severall persons and no man will say that now the King of England may make a League with the King of Scotland and that because in the Kings person there concur two distinct Kingdomes it is all one as if they were in severall persons vide ibidem f. 2. Coke l. 4. f. 118. a. Though a Bishop when he is translated to an Arch-Bishoprick or a Baron be created an Earle now he hath both those dignities and as it is commonly sayd when two rights concurr in one person it is all one as if they were in severall persons yet the Act of 21 H. 8. was alwayes construed strictly against Non-residence and Pluralities as a thing much prejudiciall to the service of God and the instruction of his people and therefore within that Act an Arch-Bishop shall have no more Chaplaines then as an Arch-bishop or an Earle then as an Earle for though they have diverse dignities yet is it but one and the same person to whom the attendance and service shall be made and if a Baron be made Knight of the Garter or Warden of the Cinque Ports he shall have but three Chaplaines in all Et sic de similibus quia difficile est ut unus homo vicem duorum sustineat because it is an hard thing for one man to undergoe or sustaine the Place and Office of two persons Coke l. 4. In the case of the death of one within the Verge the Coroner of the houshold of the King and the Coroner of the County shall joyne in the Inquiry and if one be Coroner of both he shall well execute this authority Quilibet potest renunciare juri pro se introducto Coke Comment f. 99. a. Every man may renounce or refuse a Law made or brought in for himselfe as a man seised of lands may at this day give the same to a Parson Bishop c. and their successors in frank-almoigne by the consent of the King and the Lords mediate and immediate of whom the Land is holden for every one may renounce a Law brought in for himselfe and f. 223. b. The Statute of 32. H. 8. giveth power to tenant in tail to make a lease for three lives or twenty one years yet if a man make a gift in tail upon condition that he shall not make a lease for three lives or twenty one years the condition is good for the Statute doth give him power to make such leases which may be restrained by condition and by his own agreement for this power is not incident to the estate but given to him collaterally by the act according to that rule in Law Quilibet potest c. Coke l. 10. f. 101. a. In the Act of 23. H. 6. c. 10. the words upon reasonable sureties of sufficient persons are added for the security of the Sheriff and therefore if he will take but one surety be it at his perill for he shall be amerced if the Defendant appeareth not and for it the Statute doth not make the obligation void in such case for the said branch which prescribeth the forme requireth that the obligation shall be made to the Sheriff himselfe c. by the name of their office and that the prisoners shall appeare in which clause no mention is made of the sureties so as the intent of the Act was that for that it was at the perill of the Sheriff to leave it to his discretion to take one or more for his indemnity and peradventure it may be better for him sometimes to take one that is sufficient then two others and though the sureties or surety have not sufficient within the same County as the Statute mentioneth yet the obligation is good enough for those words of the Act as to that point are more for counsell and direction of the Sheriff then for precept and constraint to him and that for the safety of the Sheriff for if the Defendant cannot find two sufficient sureties having sufficient within the same County the Sheriff is not bound to let him to bail and this resolution agreeth with the ancient rule to wit Quilibet potest c. An Orphant in London exhibited a bill in the Court of request against another for discovery of part of his estate Phesant prayed a prohibition upon the custome of London but it was resolved that he might sue in what Court he would and wave his priviledge there 19. C. B. R. But this case extendeth not to any thing that is against the Common-wealth or common right Coke com f. 166. a. Summum jus summa injuria Ployd 160. b. The rigor of the Law is the extremity of injury if a man make a lease of a messuage so as he may make his profit of his houses there within he cannot abate the houses or make wast of them by the opinion of the book H. 17. E. 3. f. 7. for the intent was not such though that the words seem otherwise and sayd to pursue the words is Summum jus which the Judges ought not to doe but ought rather to pursue the intent And for the same reason the Executors of Tenant for life shall have reasonable time to remove his goods after his decease and a man shall have reasonable time wherein he shall purchase a Writ of Journys accompt Finch Nomot Jus descendit non terra 20 H. 6. 5. The right descended and not the land and Coke Inst f. 345. a. b. There is a right which includeth an estate in esse in Conveyances which he in reversion and remainder hath and hath jus in re and may be granted to a stranger with attornement or released to him in possession as if Tenant in fee-sample maketh a Lease for yeares and releaseth all his right in the Land to the Lessee and his heires the whole estate in Fee-simple passeth and also the release to him in possession with the reservation of a rent is good and there is another right which is called a bare meere and naked right and jus adrem when an estate is turned to a right
remotissime vana which by the intendement of the Law never cometh into act Coke l. 2. f. 5. 2. n. b. in Sir Hugh Chomleys case vide ibidem plura And hereby the way may pertinently be observed that a possibility cannot be released as if before judgement the Plaintiff in an action of debt releaseth to the baile in the Kings Bench all demands and after judgement is given this shall not bar thee to have execution against the baile because at the time of the release he had but a meere possibility and neither jus in re or jus ad rem but the duty is to commence after upon a contingent and therefore could not be released presently So if the Conusee of a Statute release to the Conusor all his right in the Land yet afterward he may sue execution for he hath no right to the Land till execution but onely aâ— possibility and so have I known it adjudged Coke com f. 265. b. So if A. grant to B. that if he doe such an act he shall have an annuity of twenty pounds during his life before the Act done he cannot release the annuity Coke l. 1. in Albanys case Lex semper dabit remedium the law so favoreth right that it will suffer things against the principles of Law rather then a man to be without his remedy As a man who is outlawed may bring an action to reverse it an outlawry there is no Plea 4. H. 7. 40. The Tenant shall have a replevin against the Lord that did wrongfully distraine though the beasts be come back to himself because he can have no action of trespasse against him for that prisall and shall recover damages for the tortious prisall F. n. b. f. 69. H. A man after judgement is passed against him shall plead against the King a Charter of pardon or any such thing done in the meane betwixt the verdict and the judgement because against the King he can have no Audita querela 11. H. 7.10 otherwise it is against a common person And therefore is it a principle in Law cuicumque aliquis quid concedit concedere videtur id sine quo res ipsa esse non potest Coke l. 11. f. 52. a. Which Ploydon thus expresseth that it is held as a maxime in 2. R. 2. in trespasse that if any man hath interest to any thing by the grant and assent of another and the party who hath such interest cannot have the principall thing without doing the other thing that he may doe the said other thing and justify it because it is a meanes to come to his profit for there it is holden That if one grant to me all his Trees growing in his Woods I may cut them down and carry them through all his Land and though his Grasse be spoiled with the carriage he shall not have a Writ of trespasse of it for Trees are such things that if they be not carryed by Carts he cannot have them nor make his profit of them But if one sell all his Fish in his Pond and the Vendee dig a trench so as the water may run out that by such meanes he may take the Fish an action of trespasse will lye against the Vendee because he might take the Fish by Nets or other Engines but if there had been no other meanes to take them it had been otherwise and to come to the banks to fish he may well justify it for without it he cannot take them by any meanes so as a man shall alwayes justify the necessary circumstance where he hath title to the principall thing Ployd f. 15. 16. a. vide ibidem plura in Renigers case So when a Lessor in the Lease except the Trees and after hath an intention to sell them the Law giveth to him and to those who will buy them power as incident to the exception to enter and shew the Trees to those who will have them for without entry they cannot view and without view they cannot buy Coke l. 11. f 52. in Lisords case So 19. H. 6.29 A man seised of a mese in a Burrough c. devisable deviseth it to his wife in taile and that if his wife dye without issue that his Executor may sell it and it dispose for his soule in this case the Executor may by the Law enter into the house to see whether it be well repaired or no to the intent to know at what valew he may sell the reversion And the Law giveth power to him who will repaire a Bridge to enter in the Land and to him who hath a Conduit within the Land of another to enter into the Land for it to mend as cause shall require as it is resolved in 9. E. 4.35 Coke ibidem vide plura And Coke l. 5. f. 12. a. If a man hath Mines hidden within his Land and leaseth his Lands and all his Mines in it there the Lessor may dig for them for quando aliquis quid concedit c. and this accordeth with 9. E. 4.8 that if a man lease his Land to another in which there is a Mine to wit an hidden Mine he cannot dig for it and if he doe it is wast but if he lease his Lands and all the Mines in it it is otherwise for the reason aforesaid vide ibidem plura in Saunders case If tenant at will soweth Corne on the ground and the Lessor out him he shall have free entry egresse and regresse to carry it away for when the Law giveth any thing to any one it giveth implicitly whatsoever is necessary for the taking and enjoying of the same and the Law driveth him not to an action for the Corne but giveth him a speedy remedy to enter into the Land and to take and carry it away and compelleth not him to carry it at one time or to carry it before it be ready to be carryed and if the Lessee be disturbed of this way the Law doth give unto him he shal have his action upon the case and recover his damages for whensoever the Law giveth any thing it giveth a remedy for the same Coke com f. 56. a. If there be Lord Mesne and Tenant and the Lord purchaseth the tenancy in fee the mesnalty is extinct but whereas the tenant held of the meane by five shillings and the mesne of the Lord by twelve pence so as he hath more in advantage by foure shillings he shall have the foure shillings as a rent-seck yearly of the Lord and yet he shall distraine for it for seeing the mesnalty is extinct the Law reserveth the distresse to the rent for quando lex aliquid concedit c. And therefore if a man maketh a Lease for life reserving a rent and bindeth himselfe in a Statute and hath the rent extended and delivered unto him he shall distraine for the rent because it cometh to him by course of Law Multa constituuntur in lege ne curia Domini Regis deficeret in Justitia
Court 34. H. 6. 43. And a maihme may be tryed by the inspection of the Court 28. Ass 38. If question be made whether they be summoners and viewers which appeare it shall be tryed by the examination of the Justices 33. H. 6. 10. So whether an Earle be an Earle or a Baron a Baron or no shall not be tryed by the Country nor by the Justices but by the writ of the King Coke l. 5. in the Countesse of Rutlands case And in Plea of an alien borne the league between the King and the Soveraign of the alien borne shall be tryed by the record of Chancery for every league is of record and generally all matters of record shall be tryed by the record it selfe and not by the Country or otherwise Coke l. 9. f. 31. vide de hoc plura ibidem And when a man is found an idiot from his nativity by office he who is so found may come into the Chancery before the Chancellor and pray that before him or such Justices or sages of the Law he may be examined whether he be an idiot or no or by his freinds may sue a Writ out of the Chancery retornable in the Chancery to bring him into the Chancery there before us or our counsell to be examined and if he be found upon that examination not to be an idiot the office so found c. is utterly void without any traverse or monstrans de droit or otherwise F. n. b. 233.10 E. 3. Title Livery 30. An Apostate shall be certified by the Abbot or other religious governor to whom he oweth obedience F. n. b. 232. In an appeale or upon an approvement the Defendant may pleade not guilty and try it with the Plaintiff by combat or battaile in person before the Justices 9. Ass Pl. 1. But the Defendant is restrained from choice of battle if there be any notorious presumption of the fact in him Finch Nomoâ— f. 422. vide ibidem plura And in a Writ of right the tenant may joyne issue upon the meere right and try it by combat or battaile by his champion with a free-man the champion of the demandant and not in person before the Justices 9. E. 4.35 If it be in question which of the Sheriffs made such a retorne it shall be tryed by the Sheriff 9. H. 4.1 If question be made if such a one be Sheriff it shall be tryed by the examination of the Sheriff himselfe 10. H. 4.7 Yet is he made by Letters Patents on record and therefore it also may be tryed by record 32. H. 6.27 A retorne made by the under Sheriff if it be denied shall be tryed by the under Sheriff and the Sheriff cannot disavow it if he confesse him to be his under Sheriff 10. H. 4.7 If an approver say that he commenced his appeale before the Coroner by duress that shall be tryed by the Coroner and if the Coroner deny it he shall be hanged 12. Ass 29. Tryall if the Statute shewed forth be a true Statute or no shall be tryed by the examination of the Mayor and Clerk of the Statutes who took the Statutes F. N. B. 104. H. In Assize the Tenant saith that the Lands are taken into the hands of the King it shall be tryed by the examination of the Escheator 9. H. 4.1 To a petit Cape the Tenant saith that he was in Prison three dayes before and three dayes after it shall be tryed by the examination of the Attorny 13. R. 2.22 Not attached within fifteen dayes in an assize shall be tryed by the examination of the Bayly So that the tenant was not summoned according to the Law of the Land shall be tryed by Law-gager and the Law-gager doth countervaile a Jury for the tenant shall make his Law duodecima manu to wit by eleven besides himselfe unlesse it be against a Corporation for then it shall for necessity be tryed by the Country because it cannot wage Law In a Writ of deceit upon a Recovery by default the tryall shall be if the judgement was given upon the petit capit by the Summoners if upon a grand Cape by the Summoners Pernors and Viewers 48. E. 3.11 So if a Recovery by default in a reall action be pleaded and the other saith not comprised it shall be tryed by the Summoners and Viewers 10. H. 4.7 and yet their is no remedy if they speake falsly and therefore ubi majus periculum ibi cautius est agendum where there is a greater danger there we ought to be more wary The cause of challenge shall be tryed by two tryers to be appointed by the Justices 9. E. 4.5 But the tryall of any one of the grand Jury shall be taken by foure Knights Tryall may be in debt upon a simple contract detinue c. either by Law gager by the Defendant himself or by the Country at the election of the Defendant 30. Ass P. 19. Coke l 9. f. 32.33 And Coke com f. 74. If a Subject of the King be killed by another of his Subjects in a forraine Country the wife or heire of the dead may have an appeale for that murder or homicide before the Constable and the Marshall whose sentence is upon testimony of witnesses or combat and their proceedings according to the civill Law and not by the oath of twelve men and so was it resolved in the twenty fifth of Elizabeth in the case of Sir Francis Drake who struck off the head of Dowty in partibut transmariuis that his Brother and Heire might have an appeale but the Queen would not constitute a Constable of England and therefore the appeale was dormant And Coke com f. 261. b. By the Statute of 25. E 3. De proditionibus it is declared that it is Treason by the common Law to adhere to the Enemies of the King within the Realme and without if he thereof be proveablement attaint of overt-fact and that he shall forfeit all his Lands c. But least the common Law declared by Parliament should be illusory and that the Delinquent might not be attainted thereof for necessities sake the adherency without the Realme must be alledged in some place within England and if upon evidence they shall finde any adherency out of the Realme they shall finde the Delinquent guilty but most commonly they endited him if he had Lands in some County where the Lands did lye that were to be forfeited and so it is declared by the Statute of 35. H. 8. And that it shall be tryed by twelve men of the County where the Kings Bench shall sit and determined before the Justices of that Bench or else before such Commissioners and in such Shire of the Realme as shall be assigned by his Majesties commission and this Statute for this point remaineth in force at this day and so was it resolved by all the Judges 33. Eliz. in Orurks case and 34 Eliz. in Sir John Perots case for Treasons done in Ireland for that it is out of the Realme
it shall be apportioned vide ibidem plura If a man be bound to appeare at a day before Justices at which day the obligor casteth him into Prison so as he cannot come the bond is saved otherwise if he were in Prison for Felony or any other misdemeanor for that is his own act and fault 32. H. 6. Bar 60. Or if he cast himselfe into Prison Nâ—y Max. f. 13. An infants appeale shall not stay for his full age for he shall not take advantage of his own wrong 27. H. 8. 11. One in Execution escapeth and the Goaler taketh him againe the party if he will may have him to remaine in Prison in execution for him still for the escape is his own wrong 13. H. 7. 1. So Coke l. 3. in Britons case If one in Prison upon execution escape if he be taken he shall not bring an Audita querela to discharge himselfe of his imprisonment for he shall not take advantage of his own wrong He that is party to a wrong shall not take advantage by the same wrong Perk. 41. b. As if Lessor and Lessee for yeares joyne in the cutting downe of twenty Oakes the Lessor shall not punish him in a Writ of Wast and take advantage of his own wrong The heire which is party to the death of his Father shall not have an appeale of it And if issue in taile disseise the Discontinuee of his Father and then enfeoff his Father and his Father then dyeth seised and the issue in tail enter he shall not be remitted If Lessee for life of one Acre of Land leaseth the same Acre to his Lessor for yeares the remainder to a stranger in fee and maketh livery and seisin to the Lessor accordingly it is no forfeiture Perkins ib. If tenant for terme of life enfeoff the feme of the Lessor of the same Land leased and maketh a Letter of Attorny to the Lessor to make livery and seisin and he doth so accordingly it is no forfeiture Perk. ibidem f. 42. a. If an house fall down by tempest the Lessee for life or yeares hath a speciall interest to take Timber to reedify the same if he will for his habitation but if the Lessee pull down the house the lessor may take the Timber as parcell of his inheritance and besides have an action of Wast and recover treble damages Coke l. 4 f. 63. a. in Harlackendems case A deviseth lands to B. untill eight hundred pounds be levied for the marriage of his daughters his Son and Heire entreth and concealeth the will receiveth the profits before the will is discovered then the devisee entreth receiveth the profits until they amount to six hundred and forty pounds the heir is to supply the rent for the heire shall not take advantage of his own wrong Coke l. 4. Dormit Lex aliquando jus moritur nunquam Coke com 279. b. For as Littleton there hath it it is commonly said that a right cannot dye For of such an high estimation is right in the eye of the Law as that the Law preserveth it from death and destruction trodden it may be but not trodden out for where it hath been said that a release of right doth in some cases enure by way of extinguishment it is so to be understood as here Littleton saith in respect of him that maketh the release or else in respect by construction of Law it enureth not alone to him to whom it is made but to others also who be strangers to the release which as hath been sayd is a quality of an inheritance extinguished As if there be Lord and Tenant and the Tenant maketh a Lease for life the remainder in fee If the Lord release to the Tenant for life the rent is wholly extinguished and he in the remainder shall take benefit thereof and even so when the heire of a disseisor is disseised and the disseisor maketh a release for life the remainder in fee if the first disseisee release to the Tenant for life this shall enure by way of extinguishment because it shall enure to him in the remainder who is a stranger to the release and yet in truth the right is nor extinguished but followeth the possession to wit the tenant for life hath it during his time and he in the remainder to him and his heirs and the right of the Inheritance is in him in the remainder for a right to Land cannot dye or be extinct in deed and therefore if after the death of tenant for life the heire of the disseisor bring a Writ of right against him in the remainder and he joyne the Mise upon the meere right it shall be found for him because in Judgement of Law he hath by the said release the right of the Disseisee for it is commonly and truly said that right never dyeth but is transferred and conveyed by Feoffments Grants Confirmations Prescriptions or Fines c. releases from one man to another so as the Species of it continually remaineth Res inter alios acta alteri nocere non debet factum unius alteri nocere non debet Coke com f. 152. b Things acted among others ought not to hurt either and one mans deed ought not to hurt another and Coke l 9 f. 59. It is the rule of Law and reason prohibetur ne quis faciat in suo quod nocere possit in alieno sic utre tuo ut alienum non laedas it is forbidden least any one should doe that in his own that may hurt another and so use your own that you injure not another If a man hath a Water-course running in a channell of a River up to his house for his necessary ules and a Glover levy a Lime pit for Calve-skins and Sheep-skins so neer his Water-course that the corruption of the Lime pit hath corrupted it by which his tenants goe out of his house for it an action of the case lyeth as is adjudged in 13. H. 6. 26. b. So he who hath severall Piscaries in his own Water shall have an action of the case against him who erecteth a Dye-house by which he maketh slime filth and other dirty things to run out of the said house into the said Piscaries by which he hath totally lost the profit of the said Piscaries vide in the Book of Entries Nusance f 406. b. vide the same in Aldreds case for erecting of a Swine-house plura alia ibidem And so also in Penruddocks case Coke l. 5. and in Batius case l. 11. 54. Where you shall find diverse notable cases to the same purpose Lessee for yeares shall so take his hedge-boote that he doth not destroy common of Estovers which another man hath there 46. E. 3. 17. He which hath common in Land not inclosed shall keep his Cattle out of a stranges Land 20 E. 4. 11. If Beasts be driven by the high way he ought at his perill to keep them out of the Lands adjacent to the high way
tenant of the Land to be summoned whereas he was not summoned and the tenant looseth by default upon the grand Cape returned the tenant may have a writ of deceit against the recoverer and against the Sheriff for his false returne F. N. B. 97. C. and may defeate the judgement and no damages shall be recovered against the Sheriff in such case onely he shall be fined 5. E. 4 4â— And if he dye his heire may have an action of deceite and restitution of the Land 8. H. 6.5 If a man bargaine with another and assume upon consideration to enfeoff him of ceraine Land and he enfeoffeth another he to whom the assumpsit was made may have an action of deceite or an action upon the case at his pleasure 3. H. 7.14 If one selleth to another a horse which he knoweth to have a secret disease in his body or selleth Corne which is full of gravell an action of deceite lyeth 20. H. 6.36 without warranty but F.N.B. 94. C. is of the contrary opinion If the Sheriff arrest the body by a Capias ad respondendum and returneth not the Writ the party shall have an action of false imprisonment Kell way f. 3. b. The Law ordaineth that he who will be sure of his goods shall buy them in Market overt and that sale shall bind all strangers as well as vendors and yet it is agreed in 33. H. 6. That sale in open Market shall not bind him who hath right to the goods if the sale be by fraud or the Vendee hath notice that the property of the goods appertaineth to another So the Law hath ordained the Court of the common Pleas as Market-overt for the assurances of Lands by fine so as he that will be assured of Land not onely against the Vendor but against all strangers it is good for him to passe it in this Market-overt by fine yet Covin and deceite shall avoid it overt by fine yet Covin and deceite shall avoid it 〈…〉 a Feoffment by Covin which amounteth to a wrong and disseisin Fine levyed by him who is particeps criminis and who had not nor pretended to have any right to the land shall not be a bar to the Lessor Coke l. 3. f. 78. Fermors Case A resignation made by an Abbot by covin shall not abate the Writ 4 E. 2. 22. A covenous Conveyance that assets shall not descend is not of force 34 E. 3. 19. 19 E. 2. 3. And 17 E. 3.59 That an estate made to the King and Letters patents granted over and all it by covin between him that granted to the King and the Patentee to make an evasion out of the Statute of Mortmaine shall not bind but shall be repealed A presentation obtained by fraud and deceit is voyd Dyer 339. b. Letters of administration obtained by fraud and covin are voyd and shall not repeale the former administration Dyer 339. a. vide Dyer 295. many Cases there put concerning covin If I sell to one cloath and warrant it to be of such a length and it is not of such a length the buyer may have an action of the case against me by vertue of the warranty although the warranty be by word and not written but if the warranty be made at some other time after the bargaine he may not have a Writ of deceit unlesse it be made by writing F. N. B. 98. k. If a man sell to one Seeds and warranteth them to be of another Countrey if they be not a Writ of deceit lyeth but if he warrant that the Horse which he selleth should go fifty miles in a day or that the Seeds shall grow it is otherwise And a Writ of deceit lyeth for selling of corrupt Victuall without warranty but not for selling of rotten Sheep though it be with warranty but to warrant a thing which is evident to sense as to be black which is blew is voyd unlesse the buyer be blind or the thing which is bought be absent 11 E. 4 7. 3 H. 4. 1. If I sell one certaine Pipes of Wine and warrant them to be good and they be corrupt the Vendee may have an action of the case against the Vendor F.N.B. 99. b. Yet according to the opinion of some an action will lye without warranty 7 H. 4. 14. But Master Fitzherbert saith that there ought to be a warranty and his taste ought to be his judge in such case and where it is with warranty the Writ must say that the Defendant at the time of the warranty made knew that the Wine which he sold was corrupt A Writ of deceit was brought for selling a certain quantity of Wooll and warranting it to be fifty sacks whereas it wanted of that measure the Defendant pleaded in bar that it was weighed before the sale and the servants of the Plaintiffe being his Factors did accept of it and carryed it beyond the Sea whereupon the Plaintiff demurred 13 H. 4. 1. Semper qui dolo fecit quominus haberet pro eo habendus est ac si habet Reg. J. C. Alwayes whosoever shall give or grant any thing by fraud whereby he may seem not to have it he is to be esteemed as if he hath it And therefore if a man by fraud make a Deed of gift of all his goods to one of his Creditors to deceive the rest the gift by the Statute of 13 Eliz. is voyd Twins case l. 3. f. 81 quod vide where you shall finde the signes and marks of fraud accurately and fully discovered And Coke l. 5. f. 60. a. b. debt against the heire upon an obligation the Defendant pleaded Riens per descent the Plaintiff replyed that he had Assets in D. c. and the Plaintiff giveth in evidence that the father dyed seised of lands in fee the Defendant sayd that he aliened before the Writ the Plaintif averred by covin and proved that it was done by fraud to defraud the Plaintiff and therefore it was resolved to be voyd by the Statute of 13 Eliz. c. 5. and that the fraud might be wel given in evidence because the Statute saith that the estate as to the Creditors shall be voyd and therefore shall be taken by favourable interpretation for to suppresse fraud and that it shall be mischeivous to the Creditors and increase maintenance and covin if the Plaintif should be driven to plead that the Feoffment was by fraud because it is commâ—nly hatched in arbore cava and so artificially covered and concealed that the party grieved hath no meanes to find and know it and therefore jâ—dgment was given for the Plaintiff viâ—â—e ibidem And Burrels case l. 6. f. 730. a. and l. 8. f 133. in Turners case So Hobart f. 72. Humbertons Case Humberton recovered a debt against T H. and dyed and upon a Scire facias against the Ter tenants the Sheriff returned J. H. Tenant of an house that was his at the time of the judgement and J. H. came in and pleaded that T. H.
stranger tendreth them mony for the Land and they intending to sell it more deere defer the sale for two yeares and take the profits themselves the heire for the laches and long delay may enter and put them out of the Land 38. Ass Pl. 3. 39. Ass Pl. 3. A man indebted by specialty or upon an account determined tendreth the mony to the Debtee after the day in which it was due and payable and it is refused and after mony is embased it seemeth to many that the debtor shall beare the losse although he had made tender at the very day of payment because he must say vncor prist Dyer f. 83. Pl. 76. Caveat Emptor Coke Com. f. 102. a. Let the the buyer be vigilant and wary what he buyeth for though by the Civill Law every man is bound to warrant the thing that he selleth and conveyeth yet the Common Law bindeth him nor unlesse there be a warranty either in Deed or in Law Ibi. Coke l. 4. f. 26. a. A Copy-holder who is out of possession ought not to sell his Land untill he hath gained the possession and if any one will purchase any title he is not to be favored but in such case Caveat Emptor let the buyer take heed for if any one hath a pretended right and title to Copy-hold Land bargaine and sell it to another it is within the Statute of 32. H. 8. c. 5. vide ibidem plura If I take an horse of another mans and sell him and the owner taketh him againe I may have an action of debt for the mony for the bargaine was perfect by the delivery of the horse Caveat Emptor Nay Max f. 94. If I sell my Horse to another man for ten hundred pounds who taketh his horse againe I shall have all the mony Ibidem f. 95. Qui timent caveant vitent Offi. of Exe. 251. They who feare are wary to shun dangers as an Executors office is dangerous and therefore ought to feare what encombrances fall on him and to keep goods to pay all debts if any should be concealed Non temere credere nervus est sapientiae Coke l. 5. f. 114. b. Not hastely to beleive is the sinew of wisdome and therefore the Law hath appointed the last time in the day to pay mony upon a condition that both parties may certainly meet together which is founded on the experience of the sages least any of the parties should be constrained to make a Letter of Attorny or repose confidence or trust in any other to pay it for him when he will doe it for himselfe And it is wisdome not rashly to trust any Caveat actor Reg. I. C. Let the actor beware what he doth One entreth into Bond to A. that he and A. shall stand to the Arbitrement of I. S. If A. refuse he him-himselfe shall take the forfeiture of the Bond. If a man have a Chappell which is his donation by Letters Patents and he presenteth me his clerk to the Ordinary he shal not make collation afterwards If a Parson impropriate presenteth one to a Church it maketh it disappropriate If he who holdeth his Land by homage and fealty taketh his Land of the King by office found that he holdeth it by forty shillings per annum he shall pay the rent hereafter Abundans cautela non nocet Coke l. 11 f. 6. b. An abundance of circumspection doth not hurt vide ibi Qui sentit onus sentire debet commodum Coke l. 1. f. 99. a. He who beareth the burden and taketh the paines ought to receive the profit as if a Feoffment be upon condition that if the Feoffor or his Heirs pay the sum of 20 l. or to doe any act before a certain day that they shall re-enter in this case if the father dye before the day of paymenr and the daughter for the safe-gard of the inheritance pay the mony or satisfieth the condition in this case the Son after borne shall not devest it for if the daughter had not performed the condition the Land had been utterly lost and therefore in this case a good argument may be made that the daughter shall detaine the Land for Qui sentit onus sentire debet Commodum ibidem vide Hobart Rrep fo 4. in Youngs and Radfords case Ployd f. 514. Trevilian was Tenant in tail of Tenements and he being only seised of such an estate a common recovery was had against him and Avice his wife who vouched over according to the course of common recoveries and it was found that the wife had nothing in the Tenements the husband dyeth the wife shall have nothing of the intended recompence in the case because she had nothing in the Tenements and so could lose nothing If Tenant for life or in Dower do devise the Corn growing on the ground upon the land at the time of their death this is a good Devise and he in the reversion shall not have it 4 H. 3. Devise 26. And the Statute of Merton which saith Omnes viduae possunt legare sua blada is but an affirmation of the common Law which was used in the time of H. 3. 19 H. 6. 6. A man seised of land in see in right of his wife leaseth the land to a stranger and the Lessee soweth the land and after the wife dyeth the Corn being not ripe the Lessee may devise the corn and yet his estate is determined 7 E. 3. 67. A man seised of land in the right of his wife and soweth it and deviseth the Corn growing on the ground and dyeth before it is severed the Devisee shall have it and not the wife 7. Ass pl. 19. One seised of lands in fee hath Issue a Daughter and dyeth his wife Privement Ensaint with a Son the Daughter entereth and soweth the land and before the severance a Son is born and his next friend entereth yet the Daughter may devise the Corn growing on the land If a Mannor be put in execution upon a Statute-merchant and the Conusee sow the land he may well devise the Corn growing on the ground Perkins f. 100. vide ibidem plura Qui sentit commodum sentire debet onus Cok. l. 5. f. 24. He that feeleth or reapeth the profit must bear the burthen and the charges A man leaseth an house by Indenture for years and the Lessee covenanteth for him and his Executors to repaire the house at all times necessary The Lessee assigneth it over to H. who suffereth it to decay the Lessee bringeth an action of Covenant against the Assignee and it was adjudged the action did lye in that the Lessee had taken upon him to bear the charges of reparation the annuall rent was the less which trenched to the benefit of the Assignee and he that enjoyeth the profit must bear the burthen and charges vide ibidem plura Co. l. 5. f. 100. a. The Statutes will have all those which are in perill and which are to take comodity by the
Statute allwayes been expounded that they who were ignorant of the first retainer should not run into any penalty of the Statute So whosoever retaineth one is a ward to another not knowing that he is ward also if homage be due and the tenant after maketh a Feoffment and the Lord not knowing of the Feoffment distraineth for the homage his ignorance shall excuse him of his damages in a replevin though he cannot avow for the homage but if he had known the Feoffment he should have yeelded damages ibidem If a resignation be made by an imcumbent to a Bishop the Bishop is bound to give the Patron notice or otherwise he shall not have the advantage of the lapse and if the same Bishop dye his Successor shall be bound in the same manner although the resignation was not made to him for he shall have advantage by reason of the avoidance of the said resignation then he is bound to do that thing his successor should do upon the pain of a Quare Impedit for it is intended that the books of resignation to the successor remain with him Calloway 18 H. 7. f. 49. f. by Frowick If a Patron who is a Lay-man present his Clark to the Ordinary and he is not well lettered it is lawfull for the Ordinary to refuse him and of it to give notice to the Patron for to present another before there shall be a collation by Lapse because the Patron could not have Cognisance whether he be a Clark or no but if a Patron be a spirituall man and present one not well lettered and the Ordinary refuse him he shall not give notice of it to the Patron because it is intended that a Clark may have Conusance of the sufficiency of another before he presentted him to the Bishop ibidem by Frowick So when a man doth an act as to enter into Land seise goods take a distresse or such other he must by the Law see at his perill that it be lawfully done Doctor and Student ibidem As if a Servant cometh with his masters horse to Towne where by custome goods may be attached for debt and upon a Plaint against the servant an officer of the Towne attached the masters horse thinking it to be the Servants that ignorance excuseth not ibidem So if the Sheriff by a replevin deliver other beasts then were distrained though the party that distrained shew him they were the same beasts yet an action of Trespasse lyeth against him for he shall be compelled by Law as all Officers commonly be to execute the Kings Writ at his perill according to the tenor of it and to see that the act that he doth be lawfully done ibidem But some say if upon a Summons in a praecipe quod reddat the Sheriff by information of the Detendant summoneth the tenant in another mans Land thinking it to be the tenants Land there he shall be excused for he doth not seise Land but onely summoneth the tenant on the Land and that upon the information of the Demandant and though he be ignorant that that is the Land yet that sufficeth to the Sheriff as to his entry for the summoning as they say though it be not the tenants Land Ibidem SECT VII From the Politicks THe last Fountaine from whence the law deriveth grounds is the politicall Science which of all therof as Plato is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Ar. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Queen and Regent for shee prescribeth certain Laws by which they may be soundly taught and gloriously published and graciously ministreth to them her protection and shee is the Lady and Mistresse of all humane actions for though other Sciences and especially the Ethicall instructeth men how to live well and happily yet many Egregious Philosophers which professe the protection of that Art and Science are observed to live loosely and vitiously and as Cicero alios esse pecunia Cupidos gloriae non nullos multos libidinum servos some to be coveteous of Gold others ambitious of glory and many to serve their lusts so as if they were not restrained by the Scepter of this Science by which Magistrates and Laws are ordained to curbe those who will not be adduced for the love of virtue to doe that which is right and just and formidine paenae for feare of punishment to fright and force them into 〈◊〉 more vertuous and civill manner of living 〈◊〉 magisterio as Camerarius fully vita communis 〈◊〉 ur constituitur jure legibus ut societates hoâ— num quae res publicae vocantur in terris conserventuâ— â—nâ— by whose magisteriall rule the lives of all men are so ordered and disposed by right and Lawes that the societies of men which are called republicks may be preserved on the earth Without doubt therefore many principall and royall grounds of the Law must spring and grow from this soveraign Science from which the Law receiveth its constitution and confirmation as the grounds ensuing will manifest Salus populi prima lex esta Lâ—x 12. tabularum and Coke l. 11. f. 113. b. Salus populi suprema est lex the health and welfare of the people is the prime and cheifest Law that is the prime and principall scope to which all our actions ought to tend is the publick good of the people and Common-weale and therefore doth our Law favour things for the Common-weale and as Dyer f. 36. Pl 40. In cases which sound for the good of the Common-weale a man may justify the doing of a wrong As in time of War a man may justifie the raising of Bulwarks in another mans soile and so may he justifie the raising of an house that burneth â—â—r the safeguard of the houses of the Neighbors So if the Sheriff pursue a Felon to an house and for to have the Felon he breaketh the door of the house he may justifie it because it is for the Common-weale that such Felons should be taken but it is otherwise in particular cases as if the Sheriff break the house to arrest one in the house by vertue of a Capias in debt or trespass he shall be punished for that was a particular case and not for the good of the Common If the Lessor have Villains and one or divers of them commit felony and that the Lessee pursueth them as Felons by which he exileth them of the Mannor he is not punishable in wast but if the Villains slander him for which he doth them exile it is punishable by Knighâ—ly Fisher-men may justifie their comming upon land adjoyning to the Sea to dry their Nets though it be anothers ground for fishing is for the Common-weale and sustenance of all the Realm 8 E. 4. 18. b. and upon this reason the Civilians say Si piscator ligat navem ad arborem dominus eam incidere non potest If a Fisher-man tyeth his Ship to a tree the Master of that soil cannot cut the tree And for this reason the King before the Statute
of Magna Charta c. 11. might enter into anothers Woods and cut the Trees for reparations of Castles but by that Statute he did restrain himself so to do Ployd 3. 22. b. vide ibidem plura A Mil-stone that is lifted up to be picked and beaten cannot be distrained for it remaineth parcel of the Mill which is a thing for the Common-weale weale 14 H. 1 25. Things brought into an Inn Faire or Market shall not be distrained 22 E. 4. 49. No more shall Cloath lying in a Taylors Shop or an Horse that is a shooing shall not be distrained for the rent issuing out of the Shop Coke Com. f. 47. a. When a man and a woman are riding on a horse or Axe in a mans hand cutting of wood and the like they are for that time priviledged and cannot be distrained Valuable things shall not be distrained for rent for benefit and maintenance of Trade which by consequence are for the Common-weale and are there by authority of Law as an horse in the Hostrey nor the materials in a Weavers Shop for making of cloath nor sacks of Corn or meal in a Mill nor in a Market nor any thing distrained for damage feasant for it is in custody of the Law and the like So Beasts belonging to a Plow averia carucae shall not be distrained and no man shall be distrained for the Instruments of his Trade or profession as the Axe of a Carpenter or the Books of a Scholar whilest Goods or other Beasts may be distrained ibidem Coke l. 10. f. 139. b. An action of the case was brought against D. and counts that D. was seised of certain lands in Kent by reason of which his ancestors and all the Ter tenants from the time whence c. have made and repaired when it shall be materiall so many perches of the walls of the Sea in K. c. and for default of repairing c. the water entred and over-flowed the lands ef the Plaintiff the Defendant traversed the Prescription and it was found for the Plaintiff and that there was a default in the Wall for not repairing by which the Plaintiff recovered Damage and a Writ awarded to the Sheriff to distrain B. to repair the wall there where it was materiall Note this judgment in an action of the case and the reason is pro bono publico for Salus populi est suprema lex and therefore is that part of the judgment in this action of the case that the Defendant shall be distrained to repair the wall ibidem Publica utilitas privatorum commodis est praeferenda Reg. I. C Publicum bonum privato est praeferendum the publick utility and good is to be pâ—eferred before private gaine and profit and therefore shall be more favourably expounded by the Law then when it is onely for private Coke comm f. 181. b. As the Tenant holdeth of the Lord by fealty and one grain of wheat c. and the Lord purchaseth part the whole shall be extinct because it is entire but if an entire service be pro bono publico as Knights-service Castle-guard Cornage c. for defence of the Realm or to repair a Bridge or a way or to keep a Beacon or to keep the Kings Records or for advancement of Justice and Fence as to aid the Sheriff or to be Constable of England though the Lord purchaseth part the service remaineth and so it is pro opere devotionis pietatis for works of devotion and piety Coke comm f. 149. a. Coke l. f. 63. a. In the Chamberlain of Londons case the Inhabitants of a Village may make Ordinances or by-Lawes for the reparation of a Church or of an high-way or any such thing as is for the publick good generally and in such case the greater part shall bind all without any custome So Corporations cannot make Ordinanccs or constitution or By-lawes without custome or charter unlesse it be for things which concern the publick good as reparations of Churches common-waies or the like So in Corporations such Ordinances or Bylawes are allowed by Law which are made for the due execution of the Lawes and Statutes of this Realm and for the good or due government of the body Corporate And the Ordinance of the Mayor Aldermen and Comminalty of London that all Citizens Free-men and strangers shall not put any broad cloath to sale within the City before it be carried to Blackwell Hall to be viewed and searched so that it may appear to be vendible and that hallage be paid for it to wit 1 d. was good and allowable by Law because it was for the better execution of the Statutes made in that behalf without deceit and also that the assesment of the said peny for hallage was good and reasonable because it was pro bono publico vide ibidem plura Coke comm f. 181 b. If a Charter of Feoffment be made and a Letter of Attorney to four or three joyntly and severally to deliver Seisin two of them cannot make Livery because it is neither by the four or three joyntly nor any of them severally but if the Sheriff upon a Capias directed to him make a Warrant to foure or three joyntly and severally to arrest the Defendants two of them may arrest him because it is for the execution of Justice which is pro bono publico jura publica privato promiscue decidi non debunt and publick Lawes ought not promiscuously to be decided by the private ibidem Coke com f. 165. a. If a Castle that is used for the necessary defence of the Realm descend to two ot more Coparceners this Castle might be divided by Chambers and Rooms as other houses be but yet that it is pro bono publico defensione regni for the publick good and defence of the Realm it shall not be divided for the right of the Sword as Britton saith which suffereth not division that the force of the Realm do not fail so much but Castles of habitation for private use and that are not for the necessary defence of the Realm ought to be parted between Coparceners as other houses ib. And for the same reason a woman shal not be endowed of a Castle that is maintained for the necessary defence of the Realm because it ought not to be divided and the publick shall be preferred before the private but of a Castle that is for private use and habitation she shall be endowed Co. com f 31 b. vide ibidem plura So a protection cum clausula volumus is of two sorts the one concerneth services of War as a Kings Souldier c. the other wisdome and counsell as the Kings Ambassador and Messenger pro negotiis regni both these being for the publick good of the Realm private mens actions and suits must be suspended for a convenient time for the publick is to be put before the private but the cause of granting the protection must be expressed in the protection to the end
quae quidem diaturnitate temporis efficit L. 1 de repub f. 2. ut nonnulla toleranda esse videantur que contra jus boni aequi esse videantur we are to yeild something to custome which certainly by long continuance of time doth effect that some things may seem to be tolerated which seem to be against the rule of right and equity so Moses tolerated and suffered the Jewes libello repudii by a bill of refusall to forsake their wives though the indissoluble bond of matrimony was ordained of God and this dispensation as our Saviour saith was permitted for the hardnesse of their hearts because their hearts through inveterate custome were hardned against that divine ordinance Consuetudo more utentiam approbata vim legis obtinet Bract. l. 3. c. 1. Coke l. 4. f. 21. Consuetudo est altera lex a custome approved by the manner of the users obtaineth the force of a Law and is another Law Arist 1. R. for those things are done by custome as the Phylosopher saith which therefore we doe because we have often done them and when a reasonable act once done was found to be beneficiall and agreeable to the people then did they use and practise it often and so by the reiteration and multiplication of the same became a custome and so being without interruption time out of mind practised for the quiet by the approbation of the people obtained the vigor of a law for as Bo. princep legum Sod de repub l. 1. c. 1. pulus morum magister the Prince is the master founder of laws ordinances and the people of manners and customes Just l. 1. tit 2. which accordeth with the description of Justian quod quisque populus sibi jus constituit id ipsius proprium civitatis est what every people ordaine to be a Law to themselves that is a proper and municipall Law of the City Cicer. in La. Maxima est vis consuetudinis saith the eminent Legist of Rome the force of custome is very great in so much that as by the Law of nature consuetudo est altera natura so by the Law of Nations consuetudo est altera lex for as Coke l. 5. Epist ad lectorem of his own knowledge professeth that at this time all Kingdomes and common Wealths are governed by Laws and that every Nation hath his peculiar and approved Customes which are the most usuall binding and firmest Lawes so as it is said per varios casus artem experientia fecit it may be said per varios usus legem experientia fecit Co. com f. 97. b. There are particular Customes and generall Customes particular Customes are such as are used in some certain County City Towne or Lord-ship and generall Customes are such as are used throughout all England which are the common Law of England In his preface for as Davis the common Law of England is nothing but the common Custome of the Realme and Coke the common Law is nothing else but a common opinion generally received and Finch the common Law is a Law used by prescription throughout the Realme of England Finch Nomot f. 75. Ployd f. 95. a. The common Law is nothing else but common use and the mirror of Justice c. 1. l. 9 The Law is ancient uses warranted by Scriptures and is called the common Law Dav. pref because given to all in generall and to conclude this point with this definition which seemeth to me to include all Custome is a reasonable act iterated multiplied and continued by the people L. 1. R. c. 3. de temps dont memoire ne court time out of minde Aristotle saith injustum est apud omnes praeter consuetudines patrias quicquam agere all Nations hold it unjust to doe any thing against the Customes of the Country which is a principle in our Law that Custome is another Law Ennig Frag. and that we may say with the ancient Roman Poet as he sung of the Romans Moribus antiquis stat resque Britanna virisque The state of England standeth on the ancient Law And though it be jus non scriptum and onely written in the memory of man yet as Sir John Davis it doth far excell our written Lawes namely our Statutes or Acts of Parliament which is manifest in this that when our Parliament have altered In his preface and changed any fundamentall point of the common Law those alterations have been found to be so inconvenient for the Common-Wealth as that the common Law hath been in effect restored againe in some points by other Acts of Parliament in succeeding ages as it is a fundamentall principle of the common Law Quod haereditarium jus omne per feodum simplex transit that all estates of inheritance are fee-simple which the Statute of 13. Ed. 1. de donis conditionalibus intended to limit and to give every man power to create a new estate in taile and establish a perpetuity of his Lands so as the same should not be aliened or letten but during the life of tenant in taile whereupon these inconveniences ensued purchases defeated leases evicted and other estates and grants made upon good consideration avoided creditors defrauded of their just debts and offendors enboldened to commit capitall offences c. who therefore were first barred by common recoveries and then docked by fines 15. E. 3. 14. by Herb. Coke l. 4. Ep. ad lectorem So the Statute of non-claime of 34. E. 3. is against a main point of the common Law whereby ensued the universall trouble of the Kings Subjects and therefore was it altered by the Statute of H. 7. c. 24. Coke ibidem 32. So by the grounds of the Law Lands were not devisable before the Statute of 32 34. H. 8. concerning which dayly experience teacheth us that many subtile and intricate questions arise concerning the construction of Wils to the ruine of many and hindrance of multitudes Coke ibi And it is a politick axiom that the alteration of any fundamentall point of the common Law which is ratified by use and experience is most dangerous and therefore we ought to vote and resolve with all the Earles and Barons in Parliament holden in the twentieth yeare of H. 3. against the Bishops who would have introduced the civil Law Nolumus leges Angliae mutare we will not change the Lawes of England To which purpose I add the asseveration of Cicero ante nostram memoriam terterum morem Frey Cil. de repub ac majorum instituta retinebant excellentes viri before our memory excellent men did retaine the custome of the ancient and the institutes of their elders Optimus legum interpres Consuetudo Co. l. 2. f. 81. a. The best expounder of the Law is custome If land holden by grand Serjanty be aliened without licence it is forfeited by the Common Law because the service of the body cannot be transferred to another 14 E. 3.
land of the Tenant is void Dyer 199. b. Custome that the Tenant shall be amerced if he do not put his Cattell in the Pound of the Lord 21 H. 7. 20. Malus usus est abolendus Lit. Sect. 212. 9. Co. com f. 141. a. An evill use is to be abolished for every use that is evill is against reason for vertue is an habit consentaneous to reason Arist 6. Eth. c. 13. in consuetudinibus non diuturnitas temporis sed soliditas rationis est consideranda In customes the long continuance of time is not to be considered but the soundness and solidity of reason and for that reason the Brechon Law in Ireland was by Lionell Duke of Clarence wholly abolished because it was not a Law but a lewd custome and absonant to reason for by that Law Bastards did equally inherit with legitimate Sons which is contrary to the divine Law and the Lawes of Nations which is grounded on naturall reason So coke l. 4 f. 38. b. Two Lords of two severall Mannors had two Wasts adjoyning parcels of their Mannors without inclosure or separation yet the bounds of both Mannors were well enough known by certain marks In which Wasts the Tenants of both Mannors had reciprocally Common because of vicenage of time whereof the memory of man did not run to the contrary But yet in this case one may inclose against the other and by it take away the Common for cause of vicenage because the Tenants of one Mannor could not put their beasts in the Wasts of another Mannor and that the Cattell of the Tenant of one Mannor did stray into the wasts of the other Mannor and therefore the enclosure is lawfull onely to prevent the escape of the Cattell malus usus abolendus Consuetudo tollit legem coke com f. 31. b. Custome taketh away the common Law as by the custome of Gavelkind the wife shall be endowed of the Moyety so long as she keep her self sole and without child which she cannot wave and take the Thirds for her self The customes of Gavelkind and Borough-english are against the maxime of descent of Inheritance 35 H. 6. 26. a. And the Customes of Kent The Father to the Bough and the Son to the Plow is against the Maxime of Escheats And that the Lessee in tail shall enter notwithstanding the Feoffment of his Father with Warranty is against the Maxime of Discontinuance and there are many other customes which are contrary to the particular grounds of the Law and yet are reasonable for they may have a reasonable beginning and are neither prejudiciall to the Common-weal nor to the present interest of any particular person Davis Rep. f. 32. a. b. Custome and Prescription cannot take away an act of Parliament Coke com f. 113. a. Dr. Student l. 1. c. 26. f. 47. A custome or prescription of this Realm against the Statutes of the Realm prevail not in Law But as Coke com f. 115. a. There is a diversity between an Act of Parliament in the Negative and in the Affirmative for an Affirmative Act doth not take away a Custom as the Statutes of Wills of 32 H. 8. do not take away custom to devise lands as it hath been often adjudged Moreover there is a diversity between Statutes that be in the Negative for if a Statute in the Negative be Declarative of the ancient Law that is an affirmance of the Common Law there as well as a man may prescribe or alledge a custome against the common Law so a man may do against a Statue for as our Author saith Consuetudo privat communem legem As the Statute of Magna charta provideth that no Leet shall be holden but twice in the year yet a man may prescribe to hold it oftner and at other times for the Statute was but in affirmance of the common Law So the Statute of 34 E. 1. provideth that none shall cut down any Trees of his own within a Forrest without the view of the Forrester but insomuch as this act is in affirmance of the common Law a man may prescribe to cut down Trees in a Forrest without the view of the Forrester vide ibidem plura Consuetudo licet sit magnae authoritatis nunqâ—am tamen praejudicat manifestae veriti coke l. 4. f. 18. a. Custome though it be of great authority yet doth it never by prejudice hinder the manifest truth As that the Plaintiffs bring an action in London for that the Defendant called the wife of the Plaintiff Whore and the Defendant by an Habeas corpus removed it into the Kings Bench and it was moved to have a Procedendo to remand it because that the Action was maintainable in London for the same words but not at the common Law and the Procedendo was denied by the whole Court for such a custom to maintain actions for such brabling words is against the Law and custome though it be of great force yet doth it never prejudice the manifest truth Coke l 6. f. 6. b. In Sir John Moulins case the question was Whether a Mannor was holden of the King and though that divers Offices Licences of Alienations and other Records were shewn by which it appeared that the Law had alwaies so taken it that the said Mannor was held of the King in Capite acd that custome is the best Interpreter of the Lawes yet in so much as by construction of Law upon the Letters Patents it appeared that there was no immediate Tenure of the King the Offices c. should not alter the true Tenure that originally did appear to them as Judges of Record and though custom be of great authority yet doth it never prejudice the truth ibidem Consuetudo debet esse certa nam incerta pro nullis habentur Davis f. 33 Custome ought to be certain for incertainties are esteemed for nothing in the Law and it must be as Littleton ex certa causa rationabili usitata for there are three essentiall qualities of a custome reason ableness usage and certainty A Writ Dum fuit infra aetatem was brought against an Infant the Tenant pleaded custome that when the Infant was of such an age that he could count twelve pence and measure a yard of cloath that his Feoffment shall be good It was adjudged void for the incertainty 13 E. 3. Fitz. dum fuit infra aetatem 3. In trespass for Trees carried away the Defendant pleaded custome that the Tenant of the Mannor which first came to the place where c. shall have the Windfalls there that custome was void also for the incertainty vide ibidem plura Consuetudo semel reprobata non potest amplius induci Davis f. 33. b. A Custome must have continuance without interruption of time whereof c. for if it be discontinued within the time of memory it is gone As if a Copyholder be leased of the Lord of the Mannor for life or for years according to the course of the common Law it shall never
lands of the Grantor H. 13 E. 4. f. 6. So if the Title appeareth to the King upon Plea of other parties the Court of Office shall adjudge it for the King though he be not party to the Issue Ployd f. 243. b. vide ibidem plura And as the Common Law cannot bind the King no more can private Customes and therefore the custome of that if one pawn Goods that he that hath the pawn shall hold them whose soever they be untill the mony for which they were pawned be paid unto him shall not bind the King where his goods were pawned by a stranger So sale of goods made by a stranger â—n Market-overt shall not alter the property nor bind him M. 3. H. 6. 28. And if a man have wrack of the Sea if the Goods of the King be wracked he shall gain no property by it against the King And so it is of Prescription to have goods waved or estrayed M. 35 H. 6. 27. Ployd ibidem vide plura Nullum tempus occurrit regi Ployd f. 243. No Prescription of time runs against the King As if right of entry descend to the King and the Disseisor dieth seised it shall not take away the entry of the King M. 35. H. 6. 27. So if a Villain alien his land the Lord may enter when he pleaseth Coke com f. 41. b. If Tenant for life or Tenant in Dower grant over his or her estate and the Grantee dieth there shall be an Occupant but against the King there shall be no Occupant because nullum tempus occurrit regi Coke l. 6 f. 29. b. At the Common Law if any one had usurped upon the King and his Presentee had been admitted instituted and inducted for without Induction the Church is not full against the King yet the King may have a Quare Impedit and by it he shall remove the Incumbent for no act of the Bishop or any other can bar the King of his right nullum tempus c. vide ibidem plura Ployd 243. a. Coke l. 7. f. 28. If Title to present by Lapse be devolved to the Queen and the Patron presenteth a Clark who is admitted instituted and inducted and dieth the King hath lost his Title to present by Lapse for the King had but unam unicam presentationem hac vice which cannot be extended to the second avoidance and the statute de prerogativa regis quod nullum tempus occurrie regi is to be understood when the King hath a certain permanent interest and not when he hath an interest specially limited vide ibidem plura in Baskerviles case All which proceed from the Prerogative the Common Law giveth the Prince which is so large Nom. f. 85. Davis in his Preface as Sir Henry Finch saith that you shall find that to be Law almost in every case of the King that is Law in no case of the Subject And therefore Sir John Davis confidently averreth that the Common Law doth excell all other Lawes in upholding a free Monarchy which is the most excellent form of Government exalting the Prerogative Royall and being tender and watchfull to preserve it And yet maintaining all the ingenuous libertie of the Subject Davis ibidem But though the Common Law allow so many Prerogatives to the King yet shall he not hurt others by them As if a Bridge be repairable by the Subject and is in decay the pardon of the King shall not excuse him who ought to do it because others to wit the Subjects of the Realm have an interest in it So if one have Jewels in pawn for ten pounds and he that putteth them to pawn is attainted the King shall not have the Jewels unless he pay ten pounds for his Prerogative will not prejudice another Ployd f. 487. a. b. So the Earle of Kent had the return of certain Cattell in Replevin in 13 R. 2. and the Proprietor of the Cattell was attainted There it is holden that the Earle of Kent shall retaine the Cattell against the King untill he is satisfied for the thing and the Prerogative of the King will not discharge them of the return because the Prerogative will not give prejudice to another vide ibidem plura in Nichols case Rex est caput salus reipublicae a capite bona valetudo transit in omnes Coke l. 4. f. 124. b. The King is the head and safety of the Common-weale and as from the head health is conveyed to the body so from the King safety is conveyed to the Common-weale which is the body of the Kingdome for from him Justice is distilled to all by which all men are preserved in peace and safety as Ployd f. 242. b. All justice tranquility and repose is derived from him as the Fountain of it and therefore by Bracton he is called Author juris L. 3. c. 9. the Author of right by whom right is separated from injury equity from iniquity that all subject to him may live honestly that not one should hurt another and that to every one what is his be by a right contribution restored And by Homer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gods Schollars and by a more divine Poet Gods themselves especially because they sit on Gods own Seat when they minister justice to the people Dixi quod dii estis and that the Rules of Justice be their principall Lesson Which like the Sun in the Firmament to which Justice is rightly resembled he is to communicate to all the Creatures of his Common-weale And as the King is the Sun and Fountain of Justice so are the Judges and Professors of the Law but Conduit Pipes to convey the streames of his Justice throughout all the Kingdome L. 4 Ep ad l. A. Chron. 19.6 7. Whereupon Sir Edward Coke hath this observation from the divine Text videte Judices Take heed you Judges what yee do for yee judge not for man but for the Lord who is with you in the Judgment wherefore let the fear of the Lord be upon you take heed and do it for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God nor respect of persons nor taking gifts And so saith he must every Judge be just without respect to give every man his own Protectio trahit subjectionem subjectio protectionem Coke l. 7. f. 5. Calv. case Protection draweth subjection and subjection protection Legiance is the mutuall Bond and Obligation between the King and his Subjects whereby Subjects are called his leige Subjects because they are bound to obey and serve him and he is called their leige Lord because he shall maintain and defend them And as there ought to be a mutuall connexion of dominion and fidelity between the Lord and Tenant ita quod quantum debet domino ex homagio tantum illi debet dominus ex dominio as Glanvil saith so that how much the Tenant oweth the Lord by homage and service so much doth the Lord owe the Tenant by his power and
of false imprisonment because that he is Iudge of the Cause 14 H. 8. 16. Factum a Judice quod ad ejus officium non pertinet ratum non est Reg. I. C. Coke l. 10. f. 76. b. Judicium a non suo Judice datum nullius est momenti An act done by a Iudge which doth not appertain to his Office is not allowed and a Judgment given by him is not his proper Iudge is of no weight nor moment As if the Sheriff who is prescribed by the Law to hold his Turn within a month after Michaelmas holdeth his Turn after the moneth and taketh an Indictment of robbery at the same Turn and the Indictment is by a Certiorari removed into the Kings Bench by advice of all the Iustices the party so indicted was discharged because the Indictment was utterly void coram non judice because at that time the Sheriff had no authority to hold it And if a man have a Leet which is holden at a day certain if he hold it another day such Court so holden is void and without Warrant but it is otherwise of a Court Baron Coke ibidem but if the Court of Common Bench holdeth plea without an Originall it is not void for they are Iudges of those pleas and it cannot be said that the proceeding is coram non judice 19 E. 4. 8. Iudgment in the Marshalsey when none of the parties be of the houshold of the King may be avoided by plea without any Writ of Error which proveth that it is void 6 N. 2. So in Trespass before the Marshall if none of the parties be of the houshold of the King it is coram non judice because they passe their power 29 E. 4. 16. If one of the Queens houshold sue another of the same houshold and the Plaintiff is put out of service the plea depending the other may shew this and abate the Writ but otherwise it is if the Defendant be put out of service Lib. de divers des Courts f. 102. b. And if a man be impleaded in the common place for lands within the Cinque-ports the Tenant may shew to the Court that the land is within the Cinque-ports and by this plea the Court shall be outed of iurisdiction but if the Tenant doth plead in bar which is found against him and the Demandant haue judgment to recover the land tâ— is judgment shall bind the Tenant for ever Ib. 107. b And so it is of land in ancient Demesne if a Writ be brought for them in the common place if the Tenant appear and plead the bar and taketh no exception to the jurisdiction and the plea is found against him so that the Demandant recovereth he shall not reverse this by a Writ of Error because he might have taken exception to the jurisdiction of the Court and that should have been allowed ibidem But the Lord may reverse this judgment by a Writ of Deceit and make the land ancient Demesne as it was before If a man devise to one lands devisable the Devisee cannot sue for these lands in the Ecclesiasticall Court but if he make a devise of goods and chattles reall as a terme of years or of a ward he may for such sue in that Court F. N. B. f. 43. b. Jurisdictio est potestas de publico introducta cum necessitate juris dicendi Coke l. 10 f. 73. Iurisdiction is a power introduced by the publick for the necessity of decreeing and doing right The Iurisdiction of the Court of the Marshally was first instituted for the necessity of the rule and governance of the Servants of the Kings house-hold and therefore was it anciently stiled placita corona aulae hospitiâ— domini regis the Pleas of the Court of the house-hold of the Lord the King by which words it is proved that the one or the other party ought at the least to be of the house-hold of the King for how can these words stand when neither of the parties be of the house-hold of the King and that is the reason that it is not necessary in suites before the Steward and Marshall to alledge that the Plaintiff or Defendant were of the house-hold of of the King for the stile of the Court doth the same imply ibidem So the jurisdiction of the Court of Py-powders was introduced for the necessity of doing right in suits and matters concerning Markets and as that Court hath not jurisdiction but for things concerning the Market so hath it not Iurisdiction for matters concerning the Market unlesse they be done in the same Market M. 42. 42. Eliz in B. R. Hall brought a Writ of Error against Jones of a judgement given in the Court of Py-powders of the Market c. for Jones one of the Registers of the Bishop of Gloucester because Hall had published slanderous words of him c. and the judgement was reversed for two errors because those words did not concerne any matter concerning the Market and therefore the Court had no jurisdiction of it but if one slander any that shall come into the Market in any thing which concerneth his trade an Action well lyeth against hims and 2. it appeareth in the count that the words were spoken before the Market and not in it for the Court hath onely jurisdiction of those things which are done and said in the Market ibidem a. b. Where there is no colour to hold Plea as in a Court Baron of Land not holden of a mannor all is void but where there is colour to hold Plea though it be by plaint where it should be by originall yet the Iudgement rendred is onely voidable by a Writ of Error ibidem Non pertinet ad judicem secularem cognoscere de ijs quae sunt spiritualibus annexa Bract. l. 5. c. 2. It doth not appertaine to the secular Iudge to take cognizance of those things which are annexed to spirituall things And therefore the branches of Trees which are priviledged from Tithes shall be also priviledged but the suite for the Tithe branches of Trees which are not priviledged shall be in the spirituall Court as well as the suite for the Tithe of Trees themselves Res judicata pro veritate accipitur Coke com 103. a. The thing adjudged is taken for truth As in an Action of debt upon an Obligation against an Abbot the Abbot acknowledgeth the Action and dyeth the successor shall not avoid execution though the Obligation was made without the assent of the Covent for he cannot falsify the recovery in an higher Action and the thing judged is taken for truth and this is but a Chattle and so is it of a Statute or Recognizance acknowledged by an Abbot and Prior ibidem And therefore doth the Law so much respect the certainty of Iudgement and the credit and authority of Iudges as it will not permit any error to be assigned that impeacheth them in their trust and office and in wilfull abuse of the same but onely
is an Accessary Ployd 175. But if it be to kill I. S. and he killeth I. D. mistaking him for I.S. then he is no accessary because it is different in substance And if I bid I. S. to steal such things out of an house without breaking of the house and yet he breaketh the house I am accessary to the Burglary But if a man bid one rob I. S. as he goeth to Sturbridge Faire and he rob him in his house he is not accessary for the variance is of substance Ployd ib. 175. Quando aliquid mandatur mandatur omne per quod pervenitur ad illud Coke l. 5. f. 115. b. when any thing is commanded every thing is commanded whereby we may come to it Whereas a Writ of Estrepment will lye in an action of Wast because he cannot receive more damages then are contained in the Count and can assign no Wast after the Writ purchased if a Writ of Estrepment commeth to the Sheriff by virtue of it he may resist those which will make waste and if otherwise he cannot yet it is lawfull for him to imprison them and to make Warrants to others to do the same and if it be necessary he may take a Posse commitatus for his aid though the words of the Writ onely be that he shall personally go to the Messuage and altogether take order that no wast or estrepment of the said Messuage be according to the foâ—m of the statute whilest the said plea hangeth indiscussed because when any thing is commanded every thing also is commanded by which we may come to it Quando aliquid prohibetur prohibetur id per quod pervenitur ad illud Col. 9. f. 57. a. then any thing is forbidden that also is forbidden by which we come to it As confederation and combination among men uniting themselves together either by obligation or by promise to execute any unlawfull act is punishable by Law before the unlawfull act be executed and the Law punisheth the combination and the confederacy to the end to prevent the unlawfull act and therefore the usuall commission of Oyer and Terminer giveth power to the Commissioners to enquire of all combinations confederacies and false allegiancies and false allegiance is a false binding of anyâ— one to another by Obligation or promise to execute an illoyall act Boni judicis est lites dirimeâ—e expedit reipub ut sit finis litium propter communem omnium utilitatem Coke l. 5. f. 73. b. It is the part of a good Judge to cut off strifes and it is profitable to a Common-weal that there be an end of Suits for the common good of all in Williams case When a Chappell is not private to the Lord and his Family but is publick and common to all the Tenants of the same Mannor who may be many and of great number there no action upon the case lieth against the Vicar who ought and is bound by prescription by himself or some other to celebrate Divine Service in his Chappell c. for then every one of his Tenants may also have an action upon the case as well as the Lord himself and so infinite actions for one default but it is the part of a good Judge to break and put of suits and strifes c. and it is profitable to the Common-wealth that there be an end of suits for otherwise great oppression may be under the colour and pretext of Law For as Coke l. 6 f. 9. a. If there should be no end of suits then a rich and malicious man will by actions and suits infinitely vex him who hath right and in the end because he cannot attain to any end compell him to redeem his charge and vexation and to leave and relinquish his right vide ibidem plura And therefore Coke l. 9. f. 73. b. Accords with satisfaction are much favoured in Law for the interest of the Common wealth that there may be an end of suits and Coke com f. 306 b. every plea ought to be tryable for without tryall the case will never come to an end which would be discommodious to the republick And therefore doth the Law shun circuity of actions and such actions as are needless and may be saved and as Coke l. 5 f. 31. Circuitus est evitandus As if he that hath ten pounds issuing out of certain land disseiseth the Tenant of the land In an assise brought by the Disseisee the Disseisor shall cut off the rent in the damages insomuch as if the mean profits of the land were at the value of thirteen pounds the Disseisee shall recover but three l. 3 H. 6. 18. and the Disseisor shall cut of all the damages he hath expended in repairing the houses 14 E. 3. 92. and if Rent-service happen during the Disseisin it shall be cut off 9 E. 3. 8. and the reason of the cutting off in such case is because that otherwise the arrearages of the rent-service charge or seck shall be revived and therefore to avoid cercuity of action the arrearages during the Disseisin shall be cut off in damages Coke com f. 265. a. If there be Father and Son and the Father be disseised and the Son living the Father releaseth to the Disseisor all his right which he hath or may have in the same Tenements without clause of Warranty and then the Father dieth the Son may lawfully enter upon the possession of the Disseisor because he had no right in the land in his Fathers life but the right descended to him after the release made yet if there had been a Warranty annexed to the release then the Son should be barred for the Warranty may rebutt and bar him and his Heires of a future right which was not in him at that time and the reason wherefore a Warranty shall bar a future right is for avoiding of circuit of action as he that made the Warranty should recover the land against the Ter-tenant and he by force of the Warranty to have as much in value against the same person ibidem Upon the grant of a Ward with Warranty the Defendant in a Writ of right of Ward may rebutt the Plaintiff by that Warranty and shall not be driven to bring an action of Covenant for avoiding circuit of action Finch f. 55. In an action of Waste upon a lease of yeares by Deed and in the same Deed the Lessor granteth to the Lessee that he shall not be impeached of waste the Lessee may plead this in an action of waste and shall not be driven to bring an action of Covenant for avoiding circuit of action When a Father enfeoffeth his Son and Heir with Warranty and dieth now the Son in a Praecipe brought against him may vouch the Feoffor of his Father for the Law will not suffer him to vouch himself and when he cometh in as Voucher then to deigne the Warranty for the circuity of Voucher Malificia non debent manere impunita impunitas continuum
affectum tribuit delinquendi minatur innocentes qui parcit nocentibus Coke l. 4. f. 45. a. Evil doings ought not to go unpunished because impunity ministreth a continuall affection of offending and he threatneth the innocent who spareth the Delinquent And Aristotle Pol. 7. Actiones justitiae sunt necessariae in civitate licet non eligibiles Though the actions of Justice that is the sentences and punishments of evill and condemned persons are not secundum se of their own nature eligible yet are they necessary in a City that the City may be the better ruled and saved for as Solon there are two things and tyes by which a Common-wealth is contained and preserved praemium poena reward and punishment and it is truly said Etsi meliores sunt quos ducit amor tamen plures sunt quos corrigit timor Thoughâ— they be the better persons whom the Love of goodness vertue draweth yet there are more whom the fear of punishment doth deter and correct and therefore the wisdome of our Law doth abhor that greater offences should pass unpunished So as that if a man be convict either of verdict or by confession upon an insufficient Indictment and no Judgment upon it given he may again be indicted and arraigned because his life was never in jeopardy and the Law wanteth his end which provideth that no evill Deeds should pass unpunished Coke l. 4. f. 45. a. for as Coke saith l. 5. f. 53 b. Oderunt peccare mali formidine penae The wicked to offend themselves refrain And from the same are scar'd for feare of pain And therefore by the Common Law is the offence of felony so severely punished and though the Judgment against such a Malefactor in that he shal be hanged by the neck untill he be dead yet implicitively he is punished First in his wife that she shall lose her Dower Secondly in his Children that they shall become base and ignoble Thirdly that he shall lose his Posterity for his blood is stained and corrupted that they cannot inherit to him or to any other Ancestor Fourthly that he shall forfeit all his Lands and Tenements which he hath in fee or in tail or for term of his life And fifthly all his Goods and Chattels And the reason was that men should fear to commit Feloâ—y ut poena ad paucos metus ad omnes perveniat that the punishment might be inflicted on few and the feare may come to all But some Acts of Parliament have altered the common Law in some of these points as by the Statute De donis conditionalibus lands in tail were not forfeited neither for Felony nor for Treason but for the life of Tenant in tail And this Law continued in force from the thirteenth year of Edward the first untill the twenty sixth year of Henry the eighth when by Act of Parliament Estates in tail are forfeited by attainder of high Treason but as for Felons the Statute De donis Conditionalibus doth still remain in force so as for attainder of Felony Lands and Tenements in tail are not forfeited but onely during the life of Tenant in tail but the Inheritance is preserved for the Issues but being attainted of high Treason or Petit treason the wife shall not be received to demand her Dower but in certain cases specially provided for Ployd f. 195. Coke com f. 392. a. b. And now the wife of a person attainted of misprision of Treason Murthâ—r or Felony is dowable by the Statute of 5 E. 6. c. 〈◊〉 c. in that case made and provided which is more favourable to the women then the Common Law was Coke ibidem Receditur a placitis Juris potius quam injuâ—iae delicta maneant impunita Bac. Max. f. 51. The Law will dispence with some grounds of the Law rather then crimes and wrongs should be unpunished quia salus populi suprema lex the safety of the people is the supream Law and the safety of the people is contained in the repressing of offences by punishment It is a positive ground that the accessory in Felony cannot be proceeded against untill the principall be tried yet if a man by subtility and malice set a mad man by some device to kill one and he doth so now forasmuch as the mad man is excused because he cannot have any will or malice the Law accounteth the Incitor as principall though he be absent rather then the Crime shall go unpunished 13 Eliz 1. So it is a ground in the Law that the appeal of Murther goeth not to the Heire where the party murthered hath a wife nor the younger brother where there is an elder yet if the wife murther the husband because she is the party Offendor the appeal leapeth over to the heire and so if the Son and Heir murther his Father it goeth to the second brother Ed. 4 M 28. 6. Stanf. l. 2 f. 60. But if the Rule be one of the higher sort of Maximes that are regulae rationales and not positivae then the Law will endure rather a particular Offence to escape without punishment then violate such a Rule As it is a Rule that penall Statutes shall not be taken by equity And the Statute of 1 E. 6. enacteth that those that are attainted for stealing of Horses shall not have their Clergy The Judge conceived that this should not extend to him that should steal but one horse and therefore procured a new act for it in 2 E. 6. c. 33. for it is not like the case upon the Statute of Gloucester that gâ—â—â—â—h an action of waste against him for term of life or years and yet if a man hold for a year he is within the Statute for penall Lawes are taken strictly and litterally onely in the point of defining and setting down the fact and punishment and in those clauses that concern them and not in generall words which are but circumstances and conveyances in the putting of the case and so note the diversity for if the Law be that for such an offence a man shall lose his right hand and the Offendor hath his right hand cut off in the Wars he shall not lose his left hand but the crime shall rather pass unpunished vide ibidem plura Nemo punitur pro alieno delicto Coke com f. 145. b. No man is punished for another mans fault And therefore the Defendant in a Replevin cannot claim property by his Bayliff or Servant and the reason is for that if the claim fall out to be false he shall be fined for his contempt which the Lord cannot be unless he maketh claim himself for no man shall be punished for anothers fault Dyer f. 66. pl. 14. It is the Law of God that every one shall bear his own burthen and receive judgment according to his proper fact and merit whether it be good or evill As whereas the Plaintiff chargeth the Defendants with an escape made and suffered by them they ought not to accuse
their Predecessors but excuse themselves and answer for their proper fact and demeanor for it is a common erudition that the Defendant in his answer and bar ought either to traverse or confess and avoid the Plaintiff vide ibidem plura Yet in Treasons and Felonies one shall be punished for anothers offence and by our Law and not without good reason the Sons of them which are disloyall Subjects and Traytors to their Prince are barred from the Inheritance of their Ancestors that their Fathers infamy may alwaies accompany them and that their life should be a punishment to them and their Fathers fault a continuall corasive and that is done because their Fathers Ulcers are feared in them and that being bred and brought up of naughty Parents they will be prone to do the like and this penalty is used in the nature of a medicine that by suffering shame he may be deterred from crime and therefore as Coke com 5. f. 391. l. by his attainder of Treason or Felony is the blood so stained and corrupted that his Children cannot be Heires to him nor to any other Ancestor And therefore where the Tenant is outlawed of Felony it is in the Lords election to have a Writ of Escheat supposing that his Tenant was outlawed of Felony or that he died without Heir for by the attainder the blood is corrupted 48 E. 3. 2. But it seemeth by Nichols case that the party attainted ought to be dead before the land can escheat for according to Dyer and Brian in the Kings case after the attainder and till Office be found the Fee-simple shall in facto be in the person of the attainted so long as he shall live for as he hath a capacity to take lands of a new purchase so he hath power to hold his ancient possessions and he shall be Tenant to a Praecipe and if he died before Office found and the land be held of the King the land shall go to the King in nature of a common Escheat Ployd 477. Nichols case but in case of Treason the King shall be presently after the attainder in actual possession without Office found by the Statute of 33 H. 8. c. 20. If the Father purchaseth land and his eldest Son is attainted of Felony and dieth the next in degree of descent and worthiness of blood unto the Son attainted shall not have the land but it shall escheat to the immediate Lord of whom the land is held for the blood is corrupted otherwise it had been if he had died in the life of the Father having no Issue Dyer 48. An account is brought against two the one entreth into an account and it is sound against him it shall bind both 44 E. 3. 18. One is imprisoned in the Marshalsey and a stranger breaketh the Prison and the prisoner escapeth the Marshall shall be charged for the whole debt If I have a way over the lands of twenty men and one of them stoppeth the way in his land I shall have an action against all those over whose lands the way was 33 H. 6. 26. by profit A rate is put upon a Town for the fees of a Knight of the Parliament The Beasts of him hath paid his part are taken for the residue he shall not have a Replevin but the beasts shall be sold to pay his duty 11 H. 4. 2. In quo quis delinquit in eo de jure est puniendus Co. com f. 233. b. In what one offendeth in the same by right he is to be punished As if any Keeper kill any Deer without warrant or fell or cut any Trees or under-woods and committeth them to his own use it is a forfeiture of his Office for the destruction of the Deer is by a mean the destruction of the Venison And so it is if he pull down the Lodge or any house within the Park for putting of Hay into for feeding of the Deer or such like it is a forfeiture and the reason why the Office shall in such and the like case be forfeited because in what one offendeth in that he shall be punished Dispensatio mali prohibeti est de jure Domino regi concessa propter impossibilitatem providendi de omnibus particularibus dispensatio est mali prohibiti provida relaxatio utilitate seu necessitate pensata Coke l. 11. 88. a. The dispensation of a prohibited evill is by right granted or allowed to the King because of an impossibility for providing for all particular things and a dispensation is a provident relaxation of an evill prohibited recompensed with profit and utility As where an Act of Parliament which generally prohibiteth a thing upon penalty which is popular or where it is onely given to the Queen may be inconvenient to divers particular persons in respect of the person place or time c. therfore in such causes the Law hath given power to the Queen to dispense with particular persons But when the wisdome of Parliament hath made an Act to restrain pro bono publico the Importation of any forrein Manufactures to the intent that the Subjects may apply themselves to the making of the said Manufactures c. and by it maintain themselves and families Now for private gaine to grant the importation of them to one or divers against the said Act is a Monopoly and against the Common Law and against the end and scope of the Act it self vide ibidem plura in the case of Monopolies Coke l. 5. f. 28. Cawdrys case By the Ecclesiasticall Lawes of this Realm a Priest cannot have two Benefices nor a Bastard be a Priest but the King by his Ecclesiasticall power and jurisdiction may dispense with both these because they are mala prohibita and not mala in se The King by a clause of non obstante may dispense with the Statute-law and that if the Statute saith that dispensation shall be meerly void 2 H. 7. Grants 73. Finch f. 82. Coke comm f. 120. a. A party or Minister disabled by reason of any corrupt Contract c. by the Act of 13 Eliz. which is an absolute and direct Law cannot be dispensed withall by any Grant c. with a non obstante as it may be when any thing is prohibited sub modoâ— as upon a penalty given to the King Coke l. 4. f. 35. b. in Bozums case when the King by the common Law cannot in any manner make a grant there a non obstante of the common Law will not make the grant good against the reason of the common Law as if the King granteth a protection in an assize or Quod impedit with a non obstante of any Law to the contrary that grant is void for by the common Law a protection doth not lye in any of these cases 39. H. 39. But when the King may lawfully make a grant but the common Law requireth that he may be so instructed that he be not deceived there a non obstante may supply it as when the King
Law Wafrages and protection to the passing Merchants of the Sea was one of the principall causes of the payments of those duties Davis ibidem f. 12. And Dyer f. 43. Putteth a difference between a custome and a subsidy and saith that the custome for Merchandizes to be transported out of the Realme is an inheritance of the King and by the common Law and not given by any Statute and that appeareth by the Statute of 14. E. 3. which was the first Statute which maketh mention of any custome and that Statute doth not give or limit any Custome to the King but abridgeth and abateth the custome which was paid for Wool or Leather but a subsidy saith he is a Tax assessed by Parliament and granted to the King by the Commoners during the life of every King only which is made cleer by the case reported by Dyer 1 Mar. f. 92. where King Edward the sixth had granted a Licence to a Merchant stranger to transport all Merchandizes paying pro custumis subsidiis tot tantas denariorum summas quot quantas any english Merchant and Denizen should pay and no more And it was resolved by all the Judges after the death of Edward the sixth the grant was good for the Customes but void tor the Subsidies because the King had an Inheritance in the Custome as a Prorogative annexed to the Crown but in the Subsidies he had an estate only for life by act of Parliament But there is a third kind of duty payable for Merchandizes which are called Imposts or Impositions and these were sometimes rated and assessed by Parliament and then were they of the nature of Subsidies and sometimes were imposed by the Prerogative Royall to support the necessary charges of the Crown and then as the ancient Senator of Rome said Nihil magis justum est quam quod necessarium est There is nothing more just then that which is necessary Davis f. 12. vide ibidem plura The Impost upon Wines was first assessed by Parliament and limited to be paid for certain years which being expired is now continued by Parliament ibidem Opoâ—tet patrem familias vendacem esses non emacem Cato major Davis f. 10. The Master and Father of a Family ought to be a buyer and not a seller By the Grecians Kings were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pastors of the people and Emperors by the Romans Patres Patriae Fathers of their Country for their vigilant and Paternal care they were to take for the preservation and provision for the people for he is the publique Pater familias and is to bend his thoughts to the utility and commodity of the publique and as he is reputed a provident Father of a Family who hath more commodites to sell then occasions to buy so ought he to be a seller rather then a buyer and to provide that more native commodities be exported for sale and the less forrein Merchandizes imported to the buyer And therefore the little custome of forrein Commodties was then accepted of the King when but a little quantity of such forrein Wares were imported into England For in the time of Edward the first and after that in the times of Edward the third the native Commodities of England exported were of greater quantity and value by two parts of three at the least then the forrein Merchandizes imported by which King Edward the third raised so great a revenue out of the Native Commodities of his Dominions that it was noted for good Husbandry in that King for a Father of a Family ought rather to be a buyer then a seller but now it is altogether contrary for at this time the Out-gate is lesser then the In-gate and the forrein Commodities imported are of greater quantity and value by two parts then our native Commodities exported which is a great shame to our Nation to be so enamoured with Mercery and Grocery Wares imported by strangers and to expend upon those more then the value of all the Staple Commodities of our Country which will be in the end the decay and ruine of the Common-weale Davis ibid. Thesaurus regis est pacis vinculum bellorum nervi Coke l. 3. f. 12. b. The treasure of the King is the bond of peace and the sinewes of war And therefore the Common Law preferreth and advanceth the right of the King insomuch as Sir Henry Finch observeth you shall find it to be Law almost in every case of the King that is not Law in case of the Subjects and that with an intention to inhaunce the Kings Treasure and to replenish his Coffers whereby he may in time of peace advance the glory and honour of the Nation and in time of War be enabled to protect the Common-wealth against forrein incursions and invasions for the Kings Treasure is the bond of peace and sinewes of war And therefore in the case of the King which is not so in the case of a common person the body the lands and the goods of the Accomptant or Debtor of the King at the Common Law were liable to the execution of the King Dyer 234. before the Statute of 33 H. 8. c. 38. Coke ibidem and upon the same reason is this principall grounded Quando jus domini regis Subditi in simul concurrunt jus regis preferri debet Coke l. 9. 3. 129. b. when the right of the King and the Subject concur together the right of the King ought to be preferred As in Dame Hales case Ployd 262. Baron and Feme were Joynt-tenants of a term for years the Baron is selo de se he shall forfeit all and yet till the Office it surviveth but after the Office it hath relation before or at the least at the time of the death vide ibidem plura in Quicks case So Ploâ—d f. 263. b. If a Feme take husband and hath Issue and the land descend to the Feme and the Baron enter so that he is intituled to be Tenant by the Curtesie and then the Feme is found an Ideot and her Estate in the land is also found the King shall have the land and if the Feme dye the Baron shall never have the land by Curtesie for by the first possession of the Feme the Baron was entituled to be Tenant by Curtesie and when the Office is found the Title of the King shall have relation also to the first possession and so both the Titles commence at the same time but the King shall have the preheminence and because the Title of the King is in this case to the Frank-tenement of the land in that that he shall have the custody of it during the life of the Feme it shall utterly take away the Title of the Baron which before the Office found was vested in the Baron and therefore after the death of the Feme he shall not be Tenant by courtesie but the Issue shall have the lands out of the hands of the King if it be not
another to save his life thrust him from it whereby he is drowned this is neither se defendendo nor by misadventure but is justifiable Bac. Max. f. 25. So if diverse Felons be in a Goale and the Goale by casualty is set on fire whereby the prisoners get forth this is no escape nor breach of prison 15. H. 7. 2. by Keble So if a man have right to Land and doth not make his claime for feare of force the Law alloweth him continuall claime which shall be as beneficiall to him as any entry 12. H. 4. 20. Lit. So where Baron and Feme commit a Felony the Feme can neither be principall nor accessary because the Law intendeth her to have no will in regard of the obedience and subjection shee oweth to her husband Stanf. 26 2. E. 3. 1â—0 Cor. Fitz. So one reason why Embassadors are used to be excused of practises against the State where they reside unlesse it be in point of conspiracy which is against the Law of Nations and Society is because it doth not appeare whether they have it in Mandatis and then they are excused by necessity of obedience Bacon Max f. 26. So if I be tenant for yeares of an house and it by the Act of God or a stranger be over-throwne by great tempest or by sudden floods or invasion of Enemies in all these cases I am excused in wast 42. E. 3. 6. 19. E. 3. by Fitz. wast Ployd f. 9. b. Any man in his defence or a Champion upon tryall may kill others and that is for the necessity of the salvation of his life in his defence and by the common Custome of the Realme the Hostelers shall be charged with the Goods of the Guests lossed and taken out of their houses yet if their houses be broken by the Kings enemies and the goods of the guests lessened or embezelled they shall not be charged with them because they could not resist them ibidem So for necessity the funerall expences shall be first paid by the Executors Broh executor 162. So a man may milk a Cow that he hath by return irrepleaible and that is for necessity Finch Nom. I. S. 35. Davis 122. 1. Nihil magis est justum quam quod necessarium est Nothing is more just then what is necessary So the King by his Prerogative for the necessary charges of the Crown may decree Imposts and Impositions payable upon Merchandizes contrary to the petition of right and property Though a man may not be punished for an act he doth by necessity of obedience yet if the act be unlawfull he is not the less to be blamed or if it be not necessitas culpabilis As those which releived Sir John Oldcastle with provision were not punished because they did it pro timore mortis for feare of death Steel in the C. of M. H. Coke com l. 5. f. 40. b. Necessitas saepenumero vincit communem legem Necessity for the most part overcommeth the common Law As if two Joynt-tenants be of land to them and the heires of one of them they shall not joyn in a Writ of Right But two Joynt tenants and the heires of one of them in a Writ of Advowson shall joyn in a Writ of right of Advowson And the reason of the diversity is because that in the first case they have severall means and remedies as it is agreed in 46 E. 3. 21. But in the other case if Tenant for life shall not joyn with him that hath the fee neither the one nor the other shall have any remedy and therfore in this case necessity overcometh the Law ibidem Coke l. 10 f. 61. a. Illud quod alias licitum non est necessitas facit licitum necessitas inducit privilegium quod jure privatur Bract. f. 247. that which is not otherwise lawfull necessity maketh lawfull and necessity introduceth a priviledge which is deprived by Law As if a Bishop granteth an Annuity-out of his Bishoprick that is restrained by the Statute of 1 Eliz because it is a diminution of its revenues and depauperation of its successors But if a Bishop grant an Office to one only that is not restrained by the statute of 1 Eliz. because such Grants are for necessity for if the Bishop should not have power to grant such Offices of service and necessity for the life of the Grantees no sufficient persous would serve them in such Offices or at the least would not discharge it with such alacrity if they had no estate for their lives but that their estates did depend upon uncertains as the death or translation of the Bishop Bacon Max. f 17. Privilegium non valet contra rempublicam The necessity of priviledge prevaileth not against the Common wealth for publick necessity is greater then private and therefore in all cases if the act be against the Common-wealth necessity excuseth it And accordingly the Law imposeth on every Subject that he prefer the urgent service of his Prince and Country before the safety of his life As in a tempest if those in a Ship throw over their Goods they are not answerable But if upon command they have Ordinance and amunition to releive any of the Kings Townes they cannot justifie the throwing of them over ibidem So in the case of Husband and Wife if they joyn in committing Treason the necessity of obedience doth not excuse the wife as in felony because it is against the Common-wealth 13 H 8.16 by Shelly So if a fire be taken in a street I may justifie the pulling down of the Wall or House of another mans to save the row from the spreading of the fire 12 H. 10 by Brook 22 Assise pl. 66 But if I be assailed in my House City or Town and distressed and to save my life set fire on my house which taketh hold upon other houses adjoyning I am subject to their action of the case because I cannot rescue my own life by any thing which is against the Common wealth but if it had been but a private trespass as the going over anothers ground or the breaking of his inclosure when I am pursued for the safety of my life it is justifiable 6 E. 4. 7. But necessitas culpabilis excuseth not as to kill one se defendendo is not matter of justification because quarrels are presumed not to grow without some wrong and the Law supposeth the party not to be without some malice and therefore it putteth him to sue out his pardon of course and punisheth him with the loss of his Goods Bacon Max. f 28. Compulsion also is a good excuse in our Law against the words of the Law And therefore whatsoever I do by duresse is not my act but may be avoided according to the rule Actus me invito factus non est meus actus An act done against my will is not my act as when I am compelled for fear of imprisonment to make a Bond or a Deed such a fear sufficeth to avoid
words in a condition shal be taken out of their proper sense ut res magis valeat quam pereat Coke com 213. a. If one giveth Lands to two and the heires of their two bodies ingendred the Donees have joynt estates for life and severall inheritances for if one of the Donees hath issue and dyeth the other shall have all by survivor during his life but if the Survivor hath issue and dyeth then the issue of the one shall have the one moiety and the issue of the other the other moiety of the Land and shall hold the Land together in common and the cause why they shall have severall inheritances is for that they cannot by any possibility have an heire between them engendred and when the grant is impossible to take effect by the letter there the Law shall-make such constâ—uction as the guift by possibility may take effect Co. 83. b. If Lessor of an house for twenty yeares maketh a Lease for two yeares rendring rent and after granteth all his terme and interest to another if the Lessee atturne the Reversion shall passe and if no Atturnement be had yet the ieterest in the Reversion shall passe so as the Grantee shall have the Land after the two yeares determined for the grant of one shall not be adjudged void if to any intent it may take effect Coke l. 4. f. 53. b. If a Termor grant his Terme Habendum immediate post mortem suam the Grantee shall have it presently ut res magis valeat quam periat Noy Max. f. 16. So if a man make a Lease for ten yeares and after for twenty yeares the latter shall be a good Lease for ten yeares after the first is expired Ibidem A release of all Actions against a Prior and Covent shall be construed all Actions against the Prior for an Action cannot be brought against the Covent Coke l. 1. f. 76. Gardiner and Bredons case Tenant for life of Land the Remainder in taile Tenant for life and he in the first Remainder in taile joyne in a fine sur conusans de droite come ceo c. to another in fee who granted a Rent charge of forty pounds to tenant for life it was agreed by all the Justices that the fine levied by tenant for life him in the first Remainder was no discontinuance of the first Remainder in taile nor of the second because every of them did only give that they may lawfully give and no forfeiture in the case be cause the law which abhorreth all wrong shal conster it first to be the grant of him in the Remainder in taile and then the grant of Tenant for life ut res magis valeat quam pereat but if a Feoffment had been made by word then it is the surrender of Tenant for life and the Feoffment of him in the Remainder Ibidem Coke l. 1. f. 45 a. In 2. R. 3. 4. it is holden by Starky and others that if the Patent of the King may be taken to two intents good then it shall be taken more beneficially for the King but if it may be taken to one intent good and to another intent void then it shall be taken to that intent to make the grant good and not to that intent to make it void ut res magis valeat c. vide ibidem plura in Alton Woods case Coke l. 5. f. 8. a. In Cessavit where the Tenure is alledged by Homage Fealty and Rent and the Demandant counteth that in doing the said services he did cease it shall be taken by construction to such services onely of which a man may cease 6. H. 7. 7. as of Rent and not of Homage and Fealty and the reason of this is ne res destruatur least the thing should perish vide ibidem plura Ployd f. 197. b. Anthony Browne Justice said that it is an office of a Judge to expound the thing ut res magis valeat quam pereat and to make all parts of the Deed and intention of the parties also to agree together Coke l. 4. f. 4. If I grant to you that you and your heires shall distraine for a rent of forty shillings to wit within my Mannor of S. that by construction of Law shall amount to a grant of a Rent out of my Mannor of S. for if it shall not amount to a grant of a rent the grant would be of little force or effect if the Grantee shall not have but a nude distresse and no rent in him for then he shall never have an Assize of it and for that reason it hath been often times ruled that it shall amount to the grant of a Rent by construction of Law ut res magis valeat 3. E. 3. 12. c. Benedicta est expositio quando res redimitur a destructione Coke l. 4. f. 25. b. Blessed is the exposition when the thing is redeemed from destruction every Mannor which consisteth of Frank-tenements and Copy-holders hath two severall Courts the Court of Frank-tenements wherein the Suitors are Judges and is called the Court Baron and the Court of Copy-holders wherein the Lord or Steward of the Mannor are Judges and if all the Tenements escheate or the Lord release the tenure and service of his Frank-tenements yet the Lord may hold his Court of Copy-holds and make admittance and grant of them ne res destruatur it is a ground in Law verba debent intelligi ut aliquid operetur Coke l. 8. f. 24 words must so be understood that they must worke some thing and not be idle and frivolous in Edward Foxes case wherein it was resolved that a demise and grant upon consideration of fifty pound for ninty nine yeares amounted to a bargaine and sale for the said yeares for when a Frank tenement or tenement passeth by Deed indented and inrolled it is not necessary to have those precise words of bargaine and sale but words which amount to so much are sufficient as if a man covenant in consideration of mony to stand seised to the use of his Son in fee if the Deed be enrolled it is a good bargaine and sale and yet there are no words of a bargaine and sale but amount to as much Coke l. 7. f. 40. So if a man for mony alien and grant Land to one and his heires or in tail or for life by Deed indented and enrolled it shall amount to a bargaine and sale and the Land shall passe without any livery and seisin It is a ground in Law verba sunt accipienda cum effectu Coke l. 4. f. 51. a. b. Words are to be taken with effect as if a man hath in the right of his wife any estate in Fee-simple Fee-taile or for terme of life c. the Baron shall have all the arrerages as well before marriage as after the death of his wife by the Statute of 10. H. 6. 11. for though by the Common Law the Executors c. of the wife might have an Action
the day of payment make his Executors and 〈…〉 dye and the heire enter into the Land as he ought c. the Feoffor ought to pay the monies to the Executor because the Executors as he saith l. 5. f. 99. a. represent the person of the Testator for all Goods and Chattels but if the condition upon the Mortgage be to pay the Mortgagee or his heires the mony c. and before the day of payment the Mortgagee dyeth the Feoffor cannot pay the mony to the Mortgagee but the payment ought to be made to the heire for expressum c. and the Law shall never seek out a person when the parties themselves have appointed one for designatio unius est exclusio alterius the appointment of one is the exclusion of the other But if the condition be to pay the mony to the Feoffee his Heires or Executors then the Feoffor hath election to pay it either to the Heire or Executor Coke com ibidem It is a sure ground in the Law expressum facit cessare tacitum Davis 45. in the case of Tenures and therefore the expresse reservation in Letters Patents excluded the reservations and implication in Law as if the King in his Letters Patents reserveth no tenure it shall be a capite tenure but if another tenure be expressed that shall prevaile as Coke l. 6. f. 6. where in a Patent the words of the Tenendum were Tenendum de nobis per servittum unius rosae pro omnibus servitij and wheras it was objected that no tenure can be without fealty yet in this case fealty that is an incident to all services shall be admitted to stand with the words and that then the tenure so expresly reserved was so compleate that it might well exclude the Knights service tenure which otherwise the Law would have implyed Davis Ibidem where it was also resolved that although the expresse tenure be void yet no tenure by implication of Law shall arise against the expresse tenure of reservation And so in the case of a void Habendum which standeth upon the same reason it was adjudged in B.R. between Higs and Crosse 33 and 34 Eliz. which in Bucklers case is cited by Coke l. 2. f. 55. Tenant for life maketh a Lease for years and after granteth the reversion to A. Habendum from a day to come for life after the day the Lessor for years atturneth in that case the Habendum is void and that void Habendum maketh void the whole Grant and excluded the implication of Law in the Premisses and no Estate shall pass by implication of Law in the Premisses against the express limitation of the partie in the Habendum Davis ibidem A man maketh a Lease rendring rent and doth not say to whom the rent shall be paid this by implication shall be to the Lessor and his Heirs But if the words be to the Lessor the Heir shall not have it Dyer 45. 12 Eliz. 3. c. So as an Estate by implication shall be controlled by an express limitation But if I grant to another a rent which I have in fee the grant shall be for life but if I say further Habendum after the death of I. S. there all shall be void Ployd 52.156 So if the King granteth lands by Letters Patens Habendum from a day to come there the whole grant is made void by the Habendum coke l. 5. f. 93. Barwicks case He in the reversion for life gtanteth his Estate Habendum after Michaelmas and after Michaelmas the Tenant attornes yet resolved the grant is void though if there had been no Habendum it had been good by the Premisses of the Deed coke f. 2. c. 55. Davis f. 26.27 Coke l. 7 f. 41. b If the Father by Deed indented in consideration of a hundred pounds paid by his son covenanteth to be seised to the use of his son there no use shall be raised to the son if the Deed be enrolled by the statute of 26 H 8. c. 10. for that it is in the nature of a bargain and sale and that which is expressed shall cause that which is implied to cease ibid. Coke l. 4. f. 8. a. in Nokes case It was resolved by the whole Court that an express Covenant doth qualifie the generality of the Covenant in Law and restraineth it by the mutuall assent of both parties which shall extend to no further then the express Covenant Quia clausula generalis non refertur ad expressa because a generall clause implyed in Law hath no reference to an express and particular Covenant in deed Yet Quadam tacita habentur pro expressis As if the Father Tenant by Knights-service enfeoff his son and heir within age it is not necessary to aver by collusion for it is apparant Ployd Winbichs case and 27 H. 8. Dacres case 33 H. 6. 14 c. So if I covenant to stand seised to the use of my Wife Son or Cosin that shall well raise a use without any express words of consideration for sufficient consideration appeareth because paternall love and affection appear If in a Lease the express Covenant is that the Lessee and his Executors shall repaire the house demised This shall not excuse the Assignee who by an implyed Covenant in Law adherent to the Estate is tied to repair it Coke l. A Warranty in Law is not distroyed by an express Warranty as if a man lease for life rendring rent and further bindeth himself and heirs to Warranty there the express Warranty shall not take the Warranty in Law but he may choose which he pleaseth Coke l. 4. f. 81. a. vide ibidem plura Lex neminem cogit ad impossibilia Coke com f. 231. b. l. 5. f. 75. a. The Law compelleth no man to impossibility If a Deed remain in one Court it may be pleaded in another Court without shewing forth for the Law doth not compell any one to impossibilities ibidem If a Lease be made upon condition that the Lessee dwell upon the lands demised the lease being for forty years and he dieth at the end of ten years yet the Executor shall enjoy the land because the condition is become impossible Et nemo tenetur ad impossibilia Dod. No man is bound to impossibilities 37 38 Eliz. If a man make a Lease for years of woods and it is covenanted that the Lessee shall leave the woods in as good plight as it was at the time of the Lease made and during the term the woods fell down by suddain tempest the Lessor shall not have an action of Covenant because it is impossible the Lessee shall perform it Perk. f. 142. b. Coke l. 1. f. 98. a. Coke com f. 206. a. If the condition of a Bond be impossible at the time of making the Condition the Condition is void because impossible and the Bond good As if a man be bound in an Obligation c. with Condition that if the Obligor doth go from the Church of S. Peter
the poor and the twenty pounds to the Queen and therefore doth the Statute of 3 Jac. c. 4. give a more speedy remedy for the said twelve pence yet shall they not be punished but upon one of them Yet when the latter affirmative Statute is contrary to the precedent Statute in matter the former abrogateth the latter as by the Statute of 33 H 8. c. 23 it is enacted that if any person being examined before the Councell of the King or three of them shall confess any Treason misprision of Treason or Murther or be to them vehemently suspected he shall be tried in any County where the King pleaseth by his Commission and after by the Statute of 1 2 P. M. c. 10. it was enacted That all trialls hereafter to be had for any Treason shall be had according to the course of the Common Law and not otherwise That latter act and though the latter words had not been had abrogated the first because they were contrary in matter But that doth not abrogate the Statute of 34 H. 8. c 2. of the triall of Treasons beyond the Seas notwithstanding the words are in the negative because it was not contrary in matter for it was not triable by the Common Law Dyer 132. Stanf. 89. 90. So the Statute of 1 E. 6. of Chanteries being in the affirmative doth alter the Statute of H. 2. c. 41. which giveth a Cessavit cantaria also in the affirmative for the one is contrary to the other in matter vide plura Coke l. 9. f. 63. a. But whensoever Lawes are contrary in quality that is where the first is a materiall or express affirmative and the latter an express or materiall negative and when the first is a materiall or express negative and latter affirmative there the latter Law doth abrogate the former As the Statute of 5 E. c 4. which prohibiteth every person to use or exercise any craft mystery or occupation unless he hath been an Apprentice for seven years doth alter the Common Law by which any one may in any manner worke in any lawfull Trade without any service precedent for without an Act of Parliament no man can be restrained to worke in any Trade Coke l 11. f. 54. a. in the Taylors of Ipsiches case And to conclude to this Argument with the generall ground given by Sir Edward Coke l. 1. 11. f. 67. a. That for that Acts of Parliament are established with such gravity and wisdome and the universall consent of all the Realme they ought not through any strained construction out of the generall and ambiguous words of a subsequent Act be abrogated as where the Statute of 16. R 23 c. 5. enacteth that all the Lands and Tenements of any one attainted in a Praemunire shall be forfeited to the King in the case of one Prudgion Pasch 21. Eliz. being tenant in taile of certaine Lands and Tenements who was attainted of a Praemunire the question before all the Judges of England was whether the estate taile was a bar or no and it was resolved by all the Justices that those generall words had not repealed the Statute de donis conditionalibus but that onely he shall forfeite them for his life and that the issue in taile should inherit vide ibidem plura Lex non patetur fractiones divisiones Statuum Coke l. 1. f 87. a. The Law will not suffer fractions and divisions of estates As if a man make a lease for life upon condition that if he doth not pay twenty pounds that another shall have the Land that future limitation is void Ployd f. 25. c. M. 18. H. 8. 3. And if after the Statute of 1. R. 3. before the Statute of 27. H. 8. A man had made a Feoffment to the use of one for life or in taile and after to the use of another for life or en-taile and after to the use of another in fee they in the Remainder might not make a Feoffment nor grant their estates by the generall words of that act for then there should be a fraction and division of estates which the Law will not suffer vide ibidem plura in Corbets case Coke l. 3. f. 32. b. If a man be seised of a Mannor to which a Leet waife or stray or any other hereditament which is not of any annuall value is appendant or appurtenant there by a devise of the Mannor with the appurtenances those shall passe as incidents to the Mannor for in that the Statute enableth him by expresse words to devise the Mannor by consequence it enableth him to devise the Mannor with all incidents and appendants to it and it was never the meaning or the intention of the makers of the Statute that when the Devisor hath power to devise the principall that he shall not have power to devise it that was incident and appendant to it but that the Mannor c. shall be dismembred and fractions made of things which by legall prescription have been united and annexed together Ibidem for the Law will not permit such factions in Estates Coke com f. 147. b. If a man hath a rent-charge issuing out of certaine Land and he purchaseth any part of the Land to him and his heires the whole rent-charge is extinct because the rent is entire and against common right and issuing out of every part of the Land and therefore by purchase of part is extinct in the whole and cannot be apportioned Coke com 309. b. If the reversion be granted of three acres and the Lessee agree to the said grant for one acre this is good for all three and so it is of an Attornement in Law if the reversion of three acres be granted and the Lessee surrender one of the Acres to the Grantee this Attornement shall be good for the whole Reversion of the three Acres according to the grant Apices juris non sunt jura Coke com f. 2 83. b. nimia subtilitas reprobatur in Lege Coke l. 4. 4â— b. The Law of England respecteth the effect and substance of the matter and not every nicity of forme or circumstance and too much subtility is reproved in the Law As it was alledged for an exception in the Enditement that the Enditement was taken before I. S. Coronatore in comitatu praedicto and not de comitatu praedicto or comitatus praedicti and every Coroner of one County is a Coroner in every County of England but not of every County but it was not allowed for the Coroner in the County c. shall in all reasonable intendement be taken for the Coroner of the County and so it is used in the Writ de coronatore elegendo ibidem vide plura Coke l. 5. f. 120. 122. It is a rule in Law that Enditements ought to be certaine but there are three manner of certainties the first is to a common intent and that sufficeth in Bars which are to defend the party and excuse him the second is to a generall
intent which is required in Inditements Counts and Replications c. for that they are to excuse or charge the party the third is a certaine intent to every particular and this certainty is rejected in Law for nimia subtilitas in jure reprobatur and such certainty confoundeth certainty vide ibidem plura in Longs case Coke l. 8. f 56. b. Whereas the Queen granted a Mannor to B. and his heires to have and to hold the said Mannor to B. and his assignes omitting the words heires in the Habeâ—dum it was resolved in Auditor Kings case by the whole Court that the fee of the Mannor passed by the Premisses of the Letters Patents and that the Habendum was void for the Premisses were certaine enough to passe the Fee-simple and the omission of his heires in the Habendum shall not subvert it was certaine in the Premisses for the intention of the Queen appeareth to passe the Fee-simple by the Premisses and her grant ought to be interpreted in intentionem non in deceptionem Regis and when as a litterall and strict construction is made to make his grant void contrary to the intention of the King it soundeth in deceite of the King and it is a great indignity to him for nicities in Law to make his Charter under the great Seale of England of things which may be lawfully granted void and of none effect for Apices juris non sunt jura and it was said by Coke Lord cheife Justice and affirmed by the other Justices that of latter times such nice and strict constructions have been strayned by some of Letters Patents to subvert the force and effect of them that many good Letters Patents are drawn into question to the dishonor of the King and disinherison of the Subject contrary to the true reason and ancient rule of Law for as it is said Co. l. 4. f. 5. b. Simplicitas legibus amica Coke l. 10. f. 125. b. In the Mayor c. of Lynns case it is said that untill these latter times it was never read in any of our Books that any body politick or corporate did endeavour or attempt by any suite to avoid any of their Leases Grants and Conveyances made to them by the misnaming of the very name of the Corporation but God forbid that their Leases and Grants should be defeated for every curious and nice misnomer vide ibidem plura in the Mayor c. of Linns case where it was adjudged that a bond made to the Mayor and Burgesses of Linn was good though therein was omitted the Burrough of Kings Linn which was their name given them by their Patent because it was idem re sensu though not idem litteris Syllabis Fortior potentior est dispositio Legis quam hominis Coke com f. 224. a. The disposition of the Law is of more force and stronger then the disposition of man If a man grant to another by his deed the office of a Parkship of a Park to have and occupy the said office for terme of life he hath an estate in that office upon condition in Law to wit that the Parker shall well and lawfully keep the said Parke and shall doe that which to such office appertaineth to doe or otherwise it shall be well lawfull to the Grantor and his heires to oust him and grant it to another and such a condition in Law annexed to a thing is as strong as if the condition had been put in wrting Littleton ibidem If a man hath title to enter upon tenant in taile if he maketh a claime to the land then is the estate taile defeated for this claime is an entry made by him and is of the same effect in Law and if the tenant in taile after such claime continueth his occupation that is a disseisin to him that made such claime and as often as his adversary doth wrong and injury to him so often may he bring a Writ of Trespasse or a Quare clausum fregit for the wrong disseisin Littleton whereby it appeareth that continuall claime which is an entry in Law is as strong as an entry in deed Coke com f. 236. b. Coke com f. 338. a. A surrender in Law in some cases is of greater force then a surrender in deed as if a man maketh a lease for yeares to begin at Michaelmas next this future interest cannot be surrendred because there is no reversion wherein it may be drowned that by a surrender in Law it may be drowned as if the Lessee before Michaelmas take a new Lease for yeares either to begin presently or at Michaelmas this is a surrender in Law of the former lease and in this case Fortior aequior est dispositio legis quam hominis Coke l. 10. f. 67. b. 37. H. 6. 16. And if the Lessees be a corporation aggregated of many so as they cannot make an expresse surrender without deed in writing under their seale yet they can by act in Law surrender their terme without any writing So if the Prior by consent of the Covent maketh a Lease for yeares rendring rent if the prior by Deed expresly releaseth the rent and dyeth the Successor shall recover the arrerages but if the Prior oust the Lessee and dyeth that discharge in Law shall discharge the rent which incurreth during the ouster against the Successor 34. H. 6. 21. Coke l. 10. f. 67. If an heire within age assigne more dower then he ought to have done yet the guardian in right may have a Writ of Admeasurement of dower but if he grant over his estate his Assignee which is guardian in faire shal not have the Writ because it was a thing in action given to the Lessor F. N. B. 149. 9. Coke l. 6. 38. b. When a Deed is requisite ex institutione legis it ought to be shewn though it be collaterall and convey nothing as a Mayor and Comminalty Tenant Pur autre vie if he attorne to the Grantee in reversion the Law requireth that it be done by deed and that in pleading the deede of Attornement be shewen but when it is requisite ex provisione hominis not as when a man maketh a Lease for yeares of Land to A. upon condition that he shall not assigne it over but by deed onely and not by word in this case ex provisione hominis the Assignement ought to be by deed but because ex institutione legis the Deed is not necessary to the Assignee he may plead the Assignement without shewing of the Deed and in quo minus by the fermor of the King he ought to alledge that he is a fermor of the King to enable him to sue there but he need not shew it to the Court because a collaterall action ibidem So the Collector shall not shew it 22. H. 6. 42. neither shall the Sub-Collector shew it 21. E. 4. 50. And the Devisor shall not shew the Testament for it appertaineth to the Executor 4. Ass 20. One Parcener
may have a Quare impedit against another if shee be disturbed of her presentment by turne so cannont Joyn-tenants or tenants in common F. N. B. 34 I. For equality of partition among Coparceners a rent granted shall be a Fee-simple without the word heires Coke com f. 10. a. Coke com 102. a. Homage ancestrell is a speciall Warranty in Law and the Lands generally which the Lord hath at the time of the Voucher shall be lyable to execution in value whether he hath them by descent or purchase but in the case of an expresse warranty the heire shall be charged onely with such Lands as he hath by descent from the same Ancestor so in this case Firmior potentior est operatio legis quam dispositio hominis Lease upon condition that if it happen that the Lessee make any wast in or upon the Premisses it shall be lawfull for the Lessor to re-enter and the Lessee suffereth the house to fall in default of covering and reparations Dyer and Wash said that the Lessor might re-enter for such wast is punishable by the statute of Gloucester for destructionem facere in domibus Dyer 281. b. and so it is if he suffer wast to be done by a stranger Doct. Stud. l. 2. c. 4. yet if the Tenant had been bound in an Obligation that he shall do no wast he shall not forfeit his Bond by the wast of a stranger for greater is the operation of the Law c. A man is seised of three Mannors of equall value and taketh a wife and she taketh one entire Mannor for her Dower which is charged with a rent she shall hold it charged otherwise it is if she had recovered her Dower by a Writ of Dower and had had a third part of each assigned to her Inutilis labor sine fructu non est effectus legis Non licet quod dispendio licet Sapiens incipit a fine Et lex non praecipit in utilia Coke com f. 127. b. The Law commandeth no vain chargeable and unprofitable things As a Villain by the Law shall not have an appeal of Mayhem against his Lord for in an appeal the Mayhem man shall onely recover damages and if the Villain in this case recovereth damages against his Lord and thereupon hath execution the Lord may take it that the Villain hath in execution from the Villain and so the recovery void inutilis labor stultus and unprofitable labour is foolish and idle which the Law prescribeth not Coke com f. 197. a. Tenants in Common of an Hawk and an Horse shall joyn in Assise for otherwise they would be without remedy for one of them cannot make his plaint in an Assise of the Moyety of an Hawk or Horse because the Law will never inforce a man to demand that which he cannot recover as the Moyety of an Hawk or an Horse or any other entire thing for Lex neminem cogit ad vana in utilia Coke com f. 319. b. If a Lease be made for term of life the remainder to another in tail the remainder over to the right Heirs of the Tenant for life and Tenant for life granteth his remainder in fee to another by his Deed the remainder shall presently pass without any Attornment for none can atturn but himself and it were in vain that he should atturn upon his own Grant for quod vanum est lex non requirit Coke l. 5. 84. a. Where a man is in custody of the Sheriff by process of Law and after another Writ is delivered to him to take the body of him who is in custody presently he is in his custody by force of the second Writ by judgment of Law although he make not an actuall arrest of him for to what purpose shall he be arrested of him who is and was before in his custody for the Law prescribeth no fruitless things Actus legis nemini facit injuriam Coke com 178. a The Act of Law doth injury to none As if the land out of which a rent-charge is granted be recovered by an elder Title and thereby the rent-charge is voided yet the Grantee shall have a Writ of Annuity because the rent-charge is avoided by course of Law So if Tenant for another mans life grant a rent-charge by Deed to one for one and twenty years Cestuy que use dieth the rent-charge is determined yet may the Grantee have during the years a Writ of Annuity for the arrearages incurred after the death of Cestuy que use because the rent-charge did determine by the act of God and course in Law which wrong no man ibid. Coke l. 5. f. 87. a. If the Defendant in debt dieth in execution the Plaintiff shall have a new execution by Elegit or Fieir facias because otherwise the Plaintiff should lose his debt without any default in him and the act of God and the act in Law will not prejudice any one Trewgrijard being a Burgess of the Parliament who was taken upon an Exigent post capias and yet upon his Writ of priviledge of Parliament the Sheriff let him go at large for the King and the Realm hath an interest in the body of every Subject and the Common-wealth shall be preferred yet the party of the Parliament may be taken in execution again after the Plaintiff shall not be prejudiced in his execution by the act of Law which doth no man wrong neither is the Sheriff chargeable because his Office consists chiefly in the execution and service of writs and is sworn to do it Dyer 60. Lex plus respicit acta sine verbis quam verba sine actis Coke l. 3. f. 26. The Law respecteth more acts without words then words without acts As at the Common Law if lands be given to Baron and Feme in taile or in fee and the Baron dieth there the Feme cannot devest the Frank-Tenement out of her by any verball waiver or disagreement in pais as if before any entry made by her she saith that she waiveth and altogether disagreeth to the said state and that she never will take or accept of it yet the Frank-tenement remaineth in her and she may enter when she pleaseth and waive it in Court of Record for the Law more respecteth Acts without words then words without Acts and therefore if she entreth and taketh the profits although she say nothing it is a good agreement in Law And so it is adjudged in Mich. 34 E. 1. Avowry 232. That if a man take a distress for one thing yet when he cometh in Court of Record he may make an Avowry for what thing he pleaseth a multo fortiori when a Frank-tenement is vested in him it cannot be devested by nude words in pais and with it accordeth 17 E 3. 6. 17. Where the Baron alieneth his lands and retaketh the estate to him and his wife in taile the Baron dieth the Lord of whom the land was holden by Knights-service supposing that the Baron died sole
seised by word assigned Dower to the Feme which she accepteth yet was it adjudged that that refusall of the estate of inheritance and acceptance of her Dower in pais shall not devest the Frank-tenement out of her So 13 Ric. 2. Joynt-tenancy a Charter of Feoffment was made to foure and seisin delivered to three in the name of all and after the Seisin delivered the fourth commeth and vieweth the Deed and saith by word that he will have nothing in the Land and it was adjudged that that agreement by word in pais shall not devest the Frank-tenement out of him and Thorp 35 Ed. 3. Disclaimor said that in such a case the Tenement remained in all untill a disagreement in Court of Record So if there be Lord and Tenant by Deed enfeoffeth the Lord and a stranger and maketh Livery to the stranger in the name of both if the Lord by word disagreeth to the estate it is nothing worth but if he enter into the Land generally and take the profits that amounteth to an agreement to the Feoffment but if he enter into the Land and distrain for his Seignory that act amounteth to a disagreement of the Feoffment and shall devest the Frank tenement out of him 10 E. 4. 12. by all the Justices But if Lands be given to Baron and Feme and after by the Statute of 32 H 8. the Baron alieneth the Land to the use of him and his heires and after deviseth it to his wife for life the wife enters claiming by word the estate for life this is a good agreement to the estate for life and a good disagreement to the estate of inheritance Dyer 351. b. And if A. maketh an Obligation to B. and deliver it to C. to the use of B. this is presently the Deed of A. But if he offereth it to B and he refuseth it in pais by it the Obligation shall lose his force Dyer 167. The same Law is of the gift of goods and chattels and if the goods be delivered to the use of the Donee the goods were in him presently but he may refuse them in pais and by it the property shall be determined ibidem SECT III INclusio unius est exclusio alterius Coke l. 11. f. 50. a. b The inclusion of one thing is the exclusion of another As when an act of Parliament giveth a power and interest to one certain person by that expresse designation of one all others are excluded although such a statute be in the affirmative As where the statute of 31 E. 3. c. 12. it was provided that error in the Exchequer shall be corrected and amended before the Chancellor and Treasurer and therefore it could not be corrected before any other and the generall Rule is put that when any thing is to be done before any person certain by any statute it cannot be done before any other and yet the statute of 31 E. 3. is in the affirmative Ployd 106. b. in Stradlings case So whereas by the statute of 8 H. 6. c. 9. forcible Entry is designed to the Justice of Peace to make restitution by it others be excluded though the statute be in the affirmative and therefore neither Justices of Oyer or Terminor or of Goal-delivery c. shall do it Dallisan 3 Eliz vide ibid. plura And this is true in all acts which are the introduction of a novel Law as the above said acts are but where acts of Parliaments are no introductions of a new Law it is otherwise So the act of 35 Eliz. doth not exclude those to whom the Forfeitures are limited by the act of 23 Eliz because by it they are not given to a new person but to the same person to wit the Queen and is but an act of addition to give more speedy remedy As the statute of W. 2. c. 9. in a VVrit of Mesne giveth more speedy proces and in the end fore-judger whereas the proces at the Common Law was but Distresse infinite yet the Plaintiff may take which proces he will either at the Common Law or upon the statute because they are both in the affirmative Coke l. 11. f. 64. a. And also in many cases the designation of a novell person in a latter act of Parliament shall not exclude another person that was authorized to do the same thing by an act precedent As by the statute of 8 H. 6. c. 16. after Office found he who found himself grieved might within a moneth after traverse take the Tenements to farm that then the Chancellor Treasurer or other Officer shall demise to him to farm untill c. 13 E. 4. f. 8. and yet by the statute of 1 H. 8. c. 16. he hath liberty by the space of three monthes and after by the statute of 32 H. 8. c. 40. the Master of the Court of Wards by advice of own of his Councell is authorized to make a Lease of Land in VVard or an Ideot And though the latter act design another person yet it is not the first altogether taken away for before any Lease made by the Master of the VVards the Chancellor and Treasurer may do it and so e contrario as Stanf. holdeth Prerog f. 69. a. b. VVhere he maketh mention of this Rule â—eges posteriores priores contrarias abrogant vide ibidem plura Coke com f. 210. a. If the Condition upon a Mortgage be to pay to the Mortgagee or his heires the money and before the day of payment the Mortgagee dyeth the Lessor is not to pay the money to the Executors but to the Heire for in this case designatio unius personae est exclusio alterius Consensus tolliâ— errorem Coke com f. 37. a. Consent taketh away error As Dowment ad ostium Eclesiae ex assensu patris seem to be good albeit the wife be within the age of nine years But without question for the same reason a Joynture made to her under or above the age of nine years is good ibidem Coke com f. 125. b. a. If a Venire facias be awarded to the Coroners where it ought to be to the Sheriff or the Visne cometh out of the wrong place yet by assent of the parties and so entred of Record it shall stand for all consent taketh away error ibidem Coke l. 5. f. 36. b. Dyer 367. in Bainhams case Coke l. 5. f. 40. a. b. in Dormers case A common Recovery is not to be resembled to a judgement or proceeding at the common Law for by usage and custome it is become a common assurance and conveyance of Lands and because it is done by mutuall consent errors are not to be allowed for consensus tollit errorem If the Demandant and Tenant consent that two of the foure in a Writ of Right shall be Esquires where by the Law they ought to be Knights and well because by consent Tryall of Villenage was altered from the naturall tryall by consent Pleader of a Feoffment upon condition without deed and