thought fit to omit it and I would not have the good Man depriv'd of such a publick testimony of his Modesty and love for Truth About the Year 1637. Sir William Dugdale acquainted our Author that many Learned Men were very desirous to see the Second Part publisht and requested of him to gratifie the world with the Work entire Upon that he show'd him the Second part as also the improvements that he had made upon the First but withall told him what great discouragements he had met with from the Booksellers So for that time the matter rested and upon the Author's death all the papers came into the hands of his eldest Son Sir John Spelman a Gentleman who had sufficient parts and abilities to compleat what his Father had begun if death had not prevented him After the Restoration of King Charles II. Arch-bishop Sheldon and the Lord Chancellor Hyde enquir'd of Sir William Dugdale what became of the Second part of the Glossary or whether it was ever finisht He told them that it was finisht by the Author and that the Copy was in the hands of Mr. Charles Spelman Grandson to Sir Henry They desir'd that it might by all means be printed and that he would prevail upon Mr. Spelman to do it for the Service of the Publick and the honour of his Grandfather Whereupon having got a good number of Subscriptions the management of that whole affair was referr'd to Sir William Dugdale as well to treat with the Booksellers as to prepare the Copy for the Press The share that Sir William Dugdale had in the publication of this Second Part has been made the ground of a suspicion that he inserted many things of his own that were not in Sir Henry Spelman's Copy and particularly some passages which tend to the enlargement of the Prerogative in opposition to the Liberties of the Subject The objection has been rais'd on occasion of a Controversie about the Antiquity of the Commons in Parliament the Authority of Sir Henry being urg'd to prove that there was no such thing as a House of Commons till the time of Henry III. It is agreed on all hands that this Learned Knight was a very competent Judge of that Controversie that as he had thoroughly study'd our Constitution so he always writ without partiality or prejudice that he was not engag'd in a party nor had any other design but to publish the truth fairly and honestly as he found it asserted by the best Historians Upon these grounds his Opinion in matters of this nature has ever been thought confiderable and his bare Judgement will always be valu'd when we can be sure that it is his own And there can be no doubt but his Assertions under the Title Parlamentum upon which the controversie is rais'd are his own and not an interpolation of Sir William Dugdale's For the very Copy from which it was Printed is in the Bodleian Library in Sir Henry Spelman's own hand and agrees exactly with the Printed Book particularly in the passages under dispute they are the same word for word So far then as this Copy goes for it ends at the word Riota it is a certain testimony that Sir William Dugdale did no more than mark it for the Printer and transcribe here and there a loose paper And tho' the rest of the Copy was lost before it came to the Oxford Library and so we have not the same authority for the Glossarie's being genuine after the Letter R yet it is not likely that Sir William had any more share in the seven last Letters of the Alphabet than he had in the others For all the parts of such a Work must be carry'd on at the same time and so to be sure the Author left equal materials for the whole The Gentleman also who is concern'd to prove the Second Part to be all genuine has urg'd Sir William Dugdale's own authority for it and that too while he was living Then I have seen a Letter from Sir William Dugdale to Mr. Spelman giving him an account of the great losses he had sustain'd by the Fire of London and the pains he had taken in the publication of the Councils and Glossary As to the former he expresly lays claim to the better half of it as his own Work and Collection adding that if the Impression had not perisht in all right and reason he ought to have had consideration for the same as also so he goes on for my pains in fitting the Copy of the Glossary for the Printer by marking it for the difference of Letter and introducing and transcribing those loose papers left by your Grandfather without fit directions where they should come in This is all that he pretends to in the Glossary and if he had any further share in it t is likely he would have insisted upon it on this occasion to convince Mr. Spelman the more effectually of the good services he had done him in that business I have been the more particular in this matter because if it should appear in the main that Sir William had taken the liberty of adding or altering every single passage after would be lyable to suspicion and the authority of the whole very much weaken'd For tho' that worthy Person was extremely well vers'd in our English affairs yet it must be own'd that Sir Henry Spelman was a better judge of our ancient Customs and Constitutions and consequently whatever he delivers as his opinion ought to be allow'd a proportionable authority Had he put his last hand to this Second Part the Glossary as it is now printed together would have made a much nobler Work But the latter part in comparison of the other is jejune and scanty and every one must see that it is little more than a collection of Materials out of which he intended to compose such Discourses as he has all along given us in the First Part under the words that are most remarkable It was my good fortune among others of his papers to meet with two of these Dissertations De Marescallis Angliae and De Milite which are publisht among these Remains for the present and will be of use hereafter in a new Edition of the Glossary as properly belonging to it and originally design'd for it by the Author Tho' it is not likely that he should lay aside his Glossary for the sake of the Councils yet it is certain that he enter'd upon this latter Work before the Glossary was finisht He was particularly encourag'd in it by Dr. George Abbot and Dr. William Laud successively Arch-bishops of Canterbury and above all by the most Learned Primate of Armagh Archbishop Usher And in his Preface he tells us that he was much confirm'd in his design by what he had heard from Dr. Wren first Bishop of Norwich and afterwards of Ely He told him how Dr. Andrews the then late Bishop of Winchester had been reflecting with great concern upon the
Surrey 23. King Edgar's Charter of donation of certain Thane-lands 19. Another Charter granted by him to the Monastery of Hide near Winchester 20. By whose advice his Laws were made 61. King Edward the elder how he propos'd his Laws 61. The first that prohibited Law business on Festivals 77. King Edward the Confessor's Charter of donation to Thola 20. Several priviledges granted to the Cinque-Ports 26. His Laws by whom collected 61. His Constitution touching Festivals 79. Edward Earl of Norfolk and Marshal of England 168. Dyed in his minority ibid. Edwin son of Othulf gave certain lands to Arch-bishop Odo 29. Elfere a Saxon bequeath'd Snodland to the Church of St. Andrews 128. Publish'd his Will before Odo Arch-bishop of Canterbury c. 130. Elfstane Bishop of Rochester 130. Elfsy Priest of Croyden 130. Ellingham 161. Elmham 150. Erpingham 151. Erpingham Tho. Commissioner for executing the Office of Earl Marshal of England 169. Escheats the signification of the word 37. No feodal Escheats among the Saxons 37 38. Escuage what in the Empire 36. Neither its name nor rules us'd by the Saxons 37. Essoyning the manner of it not in use before the Conquest 27. King Ethelbald's Charter to the Monks of Croyland 22. Ethelbert the first Christian King of the Saxons 8. He causes his Laws to be put in writing ibid. He took somewhat from the Roman law 102 Etheldreda daughter of K. Alfred her dowry 8. King Etheldred ordain'd every eight Hides of land to find a man for the naval Expedition 17. His Charter of donation to Aethelwold 19. Another Charter granted by him to his Thane Sealwyne ibid. King Ethelstane whom he consulted in making his Laws 61. King Ethelwulfs Charter of priviledges 23. He divided his lands by Will among his three sons 128. Euricus King of the Goths 102. Exauctoratio Militis 185. Expeditio what it signifies in Latin 17. F Fakenham 150. Fasti or Law days among the Romans why so nam d. 72. Seldom two Fasti together 75. Fasti proprie ibid. Fasti intercisi ibid. Fasti Comitiales ibid. All the Fasti not apply'd to Judicature ibid. Fealty the definition of it 35. No Fealty but for a fee. 36. What manner of Fealty among the Saxons ibid. Felbrig 152. Felewell 161. Feodal words none among the Saxons 7 8 9. Feorme what it signifies in the Saxon tongue 15 Ferdwite 37. Festa majora vel principalia 91. Festivals how exempted from Law days 76. The differences of them 91. The Festivals of St. Peter and Paul 92. Of St. George 93. Of Gun-powder Treason ibid. A Feud what it is 1. It s general and particular definition 2. Feuds among the Jews ibid. Among the Gauls 3 Their original 4. Made perpetual and hereditary 5. When and how they became so ibid. Especially in England ibid. The difference between them and Benefices 6 9. The great growth of them ibid. No proper Feuds before the Conquest ibid. Feudal-law generally receiv'd in every Kingdom 5. It s youth infancy and full age 9. Where it had its original ibid. Feudatarii 9. Feudum militare nobile 4. Rusticum ignobile ibid. Feuda majora regalia ibid. The word Feudum or Feodum not us'd in K. Beorredus's days 9. Fideles who 4. Fidelity what 59. Fines for Licence of alienation 33. The Thane-lands free from them ibid. Not in use among the Saxons 34. Fitz-Alan Jo. Lord Maltravers Marshal of England 168. Fitz-Osborn Will. Lord Marshal to King William the Conquerour 165. Flegg 154. Flitcham 145. Flitchamburrough 52 145. Folcland what 12. Not alienated without licence 33 34. Free from homage 35. Ford-Park 110. Forests belong to the King alone 118. Subjects can have 'em only in custody ibid. Fouldage 162. Franc-almoin 2 7. Frank-tenements 12. Freeborgs or Tithings 51. Frekenham 153. G Garbulsham 158. Gavelkind what and why so call'd 12. Observ'd throughout all Kent 43. At first the general Law of all Nations ibid. Germans their Customs and Tenures carry'd into several Countries 5. They receiv'd the Roman Law 127. Gey-wood 143. Gilbert the third son of William the King's Marshal 166. Made Marshal of England ibid. Kill'd in a Tournament ibid. Gimmingham 152. Goths carry the German Laws into Spain Greece c. 5. They were the first that put their Laws in writing 102. Trusted Priests with the passing of wills 130 Government the ancient Government of England 49. c. 53. Grand-days in France and England 92. Grand Serjeanty 2. Grantesmale Hugh Marshal under K. William I. 165. Greeks from whom they had much of their ancient Rites 74 127. Gresham 152. Gressenhall 150. Grey Rad. de exauctoratur 185. Guthrun the Dane 61 77. H Hales 156. Harkela Andr. de exauctoratur 185. Harleston ibid. Hartlebury-park 110. Hawkins Pet Keeper of Bramsil-park wounded by Arch-bishop Abbot 109 c. Hengham 157. King Henry I. imprison'd the Bishop of Durham 62. His Constitution about Festivals and Law-days 81. King Henry II. ratify'd the Laws of Edw. the Confess and Will the Conquerour 81. Henry Bishop of Winchester conven'd K. Stephen to his Synod 132. Heribannum what 17. Heriots paid after the death of great Men. 31 32 To whom forgiven 32. The difference between them and Reliefs 32 33. By whom and when first ordain'd 32. What the word Heriot signifies ibid. Heriots and Reliefs issuing out of the same lands 33. No badge of lands held by Knight-service ibid. Heydon 151. High Courts see Court of Justice Hikifricus Pugil quidam Norfolciensis 138. Hilary-Term its ancient bounds 82 83. The end of it sometimes held in Septuagesima 95. Hockwold 161. Holkham 149. Holland Tho Marshal of England 168. Holland Tho. Earl of Kent Duke of Norfolk 169. Made Earl Marshal of England ibid. Holland Tho. Farl Marshal of England during the minority of John Mowbray 165. Holme in Norfolk 147 152 Homage by whom first instituted 5. Feodal homage 34. Of two sorts ibid. When begun in France and England ibid. The reason of it 34 35. Who are to do it 35. Usual in Soccage-tenure 35. As well a personal as a praedial duty ibid. Homines commendati 35. Hominium homagium what 34. Homagium ligeum ibid Feodale aut praediale ibid. Hoveden Roger when he wrote 31. Howard Sir John Kt. created Duke of Norfolk and Earl Marshal of England 17â— Slain in Bosworth-field ibid. Howard Tho. the son of the former Earl of Surrey 170. Imprison'd in the Tower ibid. Defeated the Scotch under K. Henry VII ibid Made Lord Treasurer of England and restor'd to his fathers dignities ibid. Kill'd James IV. K. of Scotland in battel ib. Sent Ambassadour into France ibid. Made Vice-Roy of England ibid. Where he dy'd ibid. Howard Tho. the fourth Duke of Norfolk of that name and Earl Marshal of England 1â—1 Howard Tho. the Grand-son of the former Earl of Arundel and Surrey ibid. The first Earl of England ibid. Made Earl Marshal for life ibid. Hugh Bishop of Coventry exercis'd the Sheriffs place 116. Excommunicated ibid. De Humâ—z
the shooting here mentioned seemeth not to be the long-bowe which stirreth the body and is profitable to health but that deadly Engine which imagineth mischief as a law the Cross-bowe whose force a man cannot mitigate as in other weapons and is properly numbred amongst the instruments of War and therefore by a multitude of Canons prohibited to Clergy-men so that they may not use them pro justitia exercenda as appeareth by the Constit of Othob Tit. de Clericis arma portan nor equitantes per loca periculosa as it is in the Gloss upon the Decret of Gratian p. 992. where the Text is Clerici arma portantes usurarii excommunicentur But I have gone the length of my tedder I mean as far as the Apologie leadeth me and therefore now manum de tabula The case of this Reverend and most Worthy Person deserveth great commiseration and tender handling for who can prevent such unexpected casualties Yet may the consequence prove so mischievous both to himself and those that are to receive their Consecration from him as of necessity it must be carefully look'd into and provided for Let me remember an ancient precedent even in one of his own Predecessors Stigand Arch-bishop of Canterbury in the time of the Conquest who because he had not Canonically received his Consecration but from the hands of Pope Benedict who stood Excommunicate and sacris interdictus was not only deprived himself by authority of a Council but also the Bishops and Abbots which had taken their Consecration from him Therefore the Bishops of Wells and Hereford foreseeing that evil to make all clear fetch their Consecration at Rome from Pope Nicholas Vitabant enim saith Flor. Wigorn. in An. 1070. à Stigando qui tunc Archiepiscopatui Doroberniae praesidebat ordinari quia noverant illum non Canonice Pallium suscepisse It is good to follow the counsel of Gratian in the like matter Consultius est in hujusmodi dubio abstinere quam celebrare ca. 24. 1716. But because we are fallen into a case wherein perhaps some extraordinary Consecration may be required let me also relate a strange Consecration used in the entrance of the Reign of Henry I. An. 1100. where Eadmere a Monk of Canterbury being elected by the Clergy and People of Scotland to be Bishop of St. Andrews with the great good liking of King Alexander and the Nobility Yet by reason of some discontentments the same King had conceived against the Arch-bishop of York within whose Province Scotland then was he would by no means agree that Eadmere should take his Consecration from that Arch-bishop and after much consultation how then it might otherwise be performed it was at last agreed that the Staff of the Bishoprick should be solemnly laid upon the Altar and that Eadmere taking it from thence should receive it as deliver'd him from God himself which accordingly was done This calleth to my mind another of like nature somewhat more ancient where Wulstan the good Bishop of Worcester both resigned his Bishoprick by laying the Staff thereof upon the shrine of St. Edward the Confessor by the agreement of a Council holden under Lanfranc and in like manner received the same again from thence in the presence of King William the Arch-bishop Lanfranc and many others not without some miracle as Matthew Paris writeth it in An. 1095. These as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And thus in this matter of Shooting If I have done as the Proverb saith Shot like a Gentleman that is fair tho far off it sufficeth I humbly crave pardon 19. Octob. 1621. Recep Apolog. â—5 Octob. praeced SOME Letters and Instruments Concerning The killing of Hawkins by Arch-bishop ABBOT A Letter written by his Majesty to the Lord Keeper the Bishops of London Winton Rochester St. Davids and Exeter Sir Henry Hobart Kt. Chief Justice of the Common-Pleas Mr. Justice Dodderidge Sir Henry Martin and Mr. Doctor Steward or any six of them whereof the Lord Keeper the Bishops of London Winton and St. Davids to be four IT is not unknown unto you what happened this last Summer unfortunately to our Right Trusty and our Right Well-beloved Counsellour the Lord Arch-bishop of Canterbury who Shooting at a Deer with a Cross-bow in Bramsil-park did with that shoot casually give the Keeper a wound whereof he died Which accident tho it might have happened to any other man yet because his Eminent Rank and Function in the Church hath as we are informed ministred occasion of some doubts as making the Case different in his Person in respect of the Scandal as is supposed We therefore being desirous as it is fit We should to be satisfied therein and reposing especial Trust in your Learning and Judgement have made choice of you to inform Vs concerning the nature of this Case And do therefore require you to take it presently into your consideration and the Scandal that may have risen thereupon And to certify Vs what in your Judgements the same may amount unto either to an Irregularity or otherwise And lastly what means may be found to redress the same if need be of all which points We shall expect to hear your Reports with what diligence and expedition you possibly may Dated at Theobalds 3. Oct. 1621. A Letter from the Lord Keeper to Arch-bishop Abbot intimating the Reception of his Majesty's Letter May it please your Grace MY Lord of Winchester my Lord Hobart Sir John Dodderidge Dr. Martin and my self having met this afternoon about a Letter sent unto us together with some others under his Majesty's Signet and finding the Contents thereof to require from us some information of the nature of an unfortunate Act which doth referr unto your Grace We thought our selves ty'd in all justice and respect to send your Grace as I do here inclosed a copy of his Majesty's Letter And to let your Grace understand that we are ready to receive from your Grace in writing all the qualifying circumstance of the Fact if any such there be omitted in this Letter that we may be better grounded to deliver our Opinions as is desired concerning the nature of this unlucky accident And we have appointed two of the clock in the afternoon upon Saturday next to be the time and this Colledge of Westminster to be the place of our meeting to receive what information of the Fact your Grace shall 〈…〉 unto us And ceasing to be further troublesome I shall 〈…〉 Your Grace's poor Friend and Servant Jo. Lane C. S. Westminst Coll. 〈…〉 of October 162â— The Arch-bishop's Answer My very good Lords I Thank you for sending me the Copy of his Majesty's Letter which concerneth the â—nhappy 〈…〉 that befell me in Hampshire I here inclosed send unto your 〈◊〉 a â—opy of the Verdict given up by the Jurors unto the Coroner as also a 〈…〉 of some circumstances of this Fact which are not expressed in that Verdict 〈◊〉 the first being already upon Oath it needeth not as I
filiam cujusdam viri Vlfi quem concupiverat maritali sibi foedere copulare Here it appeareth that the King's Licence or good will was sought but the reason appeareth not The good will of King Solomon was sought that Abishag might be given to Adoniah for his wife but not in respect of Tenure in either case It is an express law of King Canutus Ll. 72. ne nyde man naðer ƿif ne maeden c. That no man should constrain either woman or maid to marry otherwise than where they will nor shall take any mony for them unless by way of thankfulness some do give somewhat If these passages carry any shew of Wardship I must still let you know that Knights Fees were not at this time descendable unto Women by the Feudal law no nor long after when they were become hereditary in the masculine line Ne à Lancea ad fusum haereditas pertransiret as you may see by Cujacius in feud Lib. 1. Tit. 1. The first law that I meet with touching Feudal marriages is in Magna Charta Libertatum Hen. I. yet is there nothing spoken of marrying the heir male of the Kings Tenant within age And touching the female issue it is only provided that the King should be so far acquainted with their marriage as that he might be assur'd they should not marry with his enemies lest the feuds or feifs which were given for service against them should by this occasion be transferr'd to them Hear the words of the Charter Et si quis Baronum meorum vel aliorum hominum meorum siliam suam nuptui tradere voluerit sive sororem suam sive neptem sive cognatam mecum inde loquatur sed nec ego aliquid de suo pro hac licentia accipiam nec defendam ei quin eam det excepto si eam velit jungere meo inimico Et si mortuo Barone vel alio homine meo filia haeres remanserit sine liberis fuerit dotem suam maritationem habebit eam non dabo marito nisi secundum velle suum c. Ordaining that the Wife shall be Guardian of the Childrens lands or some near kinsman qui justus esse debet and that other Lords observe the like courses touching their Wards Thus among the Normans but I don't find in all the Feodal law of these times any thing sounding to this purpose nor any mention of Marriage or Wardship of the body or lands I take them therefore to have risen from the Normans a little before their coming into England but in a diverse manner according to the diversity of the places and the moderate or covetous disposition of the Lords For it seemeth that tho' the profits of the land belong'd wholly to the Lord and were therefore ordinarily so taken by him yet some of the Lords deducting only the charge of Education of the Ward and just allowances restor'd him his lands at full age with the surplusage upon accompt And the Grantee of a Wardship from the King was in Normandy tyed to do it as appeareth by the 215. Artic. of the reformed Customes for otherwise they were not Guardians properly and Tutores rei pupillaris but fructuarii rather and suum promoventes commodum See the Comment to that Article So in point of Feodal marriage it seemeth that the Charter of Henry I. was grounded upon the Norman Custom which tho it required the consent of the Lord in tendring of Marriage to Women for the reason aforesaid yet did it not permit either him or the kindred or friends whom they called the parents to make it venal or to take any thing for the same as you may see by divers passages there and by a case adjudged in the Comment to the 228. Article where the Tutor or Guardian and the Parents and Friends thus offending are all condemn'd to pay costs and damages And note that according to the Norman custom the consent of the Parents viz. the next kindred and friends was as requisite as the consent of the Lord or Tutor which as I conceive gave the occasion of the words Si parentes conquerantur in the Statute of Merton as in respect of the ancient right they had in consenting to the Marriage And insomuch as we don't find that the various usages touching Wardship and Marriage were compos'd into an uniform law till Magna Charta Henr. III. did determine it it may be conceiv'd to have been the reason that Rand. Higden before mention'd and our other Authors did ascribe this part of our Feodal Law to be introduced by Henry III. But it is manifest by Glanvil that it was in use in Henry II's time and by the Charter of Henry I. to have been so likewise under William Rufus yet is there nothing hitherto any way produc'd to bring it from the Saxons or to shew it to have been in use amongst them CHAP. XVI No Livery no Primer Seisin IF the King's Tenant in capite or by Knight-service dieth the King shall have his lands till the heir hath done homage which if he be of full age he may do presently but if he be under age the land must continue in the King's hands till his full age And when either the one or the other sueth to have it out of the King's hands his obtaining it is called Livery and the profits receiv'd in the mean time by the King are call'd his Primer Seisin But neither of these could be among the Saxons for that their hereditary lands were not Feodal but libera ab omni gravedine as before we have shew'd And their temporary lands could not be subject to it for that their Estate extended no farther then to a Franck Tenement And neither the one or the other was then tyed to do Homage as shall appear when we speak of Homage After the coming of the Normans they were presently afoot amongst us even in William Rufus's days but uncertain and irregular which was a certain note of their novelty and that Feuds hereditary were new begun The great Charter of Liberties granted by Henry I. implyeth as much where to moderate them the King saith thus Si quis Baronum meorum seu Comitum sive aliorum qui de me tenent mortuus fuerit haeres suus non redimet terram suam sicut faciebat tempore fratris mei sed legitima justa relevatione relevabit eam Similiter homines Baronum meorum justa legitima relevatione relevabunt terras suas de Dominis suis I take this redeeming of the land out of the King's hands to be a Composition for his Primer Seisin and for the Livery and Relief things uncertain at this time even in their Norman appellations and not likely therefore to be known unto the Saxons CHAP. XVII That Reliefs whereon the Report most relyeth were not in use among the Saxons nor like their Heriots OF all the Feodal profits alledged in the Report to be receiv'd
every feodal Lord and not begun in France 'till Feuds were there made hereditary by Hugh Capet nor in England till William the Conqueror did the like as before appears The reason of it was to preserve the memory of the Tenure and of the duty of the Tenant by making every new Tenant at his entry to recognize the interest of his Lord lest that the Feud being now hereditary and new heirs continually succeeding into it they might by little and little forget their duty and substracting the services deny at last the Tenure it self We see at this day frequent examples of it for by neglecting of doing homage and those services Tenures usually are forgotten and so revolv'd to the King by Ignoramus to the great evil of their posterity that neglect it But the Saxons having only two kind of lands Bocland and Folcland neither of them could be subject unto homage for the Bocland which belong'd properly to their greater Thanes tho' it were hereditary yet was it alodium and libera ab omni seculari gravedine as before is shewed and thereby free from homage And the Folcland being not otherwise granted by the King or his Thanes than at will or for years or for life the tenant of it was not to do any homage for it For Justice Littleton biddeth us note that none shall do homage but such as have an estate in fee simple or fee taile c. For saith he 't is a maxim in law that he which hath an estate but for term of life shall neither do homage nor take homage But admit the Saxons had the ceremony of doing homage among them yet was it not a certain mark of Knights-service for it was usual also in Socage-Tenure And in elder ages as well a personal duty as a praedial that is done to Princes and great Men either by compulsion for subjection or voluntary for their protection without receiving any feud or other grant of land or benefit from them And he or they which in this manner put themselves into the homage of another for protection sake were then called homines sui and said commendare se in manus ejus or commendare se illi and were thereupon sometimes called homines ejus commendati and sometimes commendati without homines as in Doomsday often Tho' we have lost the meaning of the phrase yet we use it even to this day Commend me unto such a man which importeth as much as our new compliment taken up from beyond the Seas let him know that I am his servant See the quotations here annexed and note that tho' the Saxons did as we at this day call their servants and followers homines suos their men yet we no where find the word Tenure or the ceremony of homage among them nor any speech of doing or of respiting homage CHAP. XXI What manner of Fealty among the Saxons SO for Fealty if we shall apply every oath sworn by Servants and Vassals for fidelity to their Lord to belong unto Fealty we may bring it from that which Abraham imposed upon his servant put thy hand under my thigh and swear c. For the Saxons abounded with oaths in this kind following therein their Ancestors the Germans who as Tacitus saith took praecipuum Sacramentum a principal oath to defend the Lord of the Territory under whom they lived and to ascribe their own valour to his glory So likewise the homines commendati before mention'd yea the famuli ministeriales and houshold servants of Noble persons were in ancient times and within the memory of our fathers sworn to be faithful to their Lords These and such other were anciently the oaths of Fealty but illud postremo observandum saith Bignonius a learned French-man of the King 's great Council fidelitatem hodie quidem feudi causa tantum praestari shewing farther that Fealty was first made to Princes by the Commendati and Fideles without any feud given unto them and that the Princes afterwards did many times grant unto them feuda vacantia as to their servants but whether the oath of fealty were so brought in upon feodal tenants or were in use before he doth not determine In the mean time it hereby appeareth that fealty in those days was personal as well as feodal or praedial which imposeth a necessity upon them of the contrary part in the Report that if they meet with fealty among the Saxons they must shew it to be feodal and not personal for otherwise it maintaineth not their assertion I will help them with a pattern of fealty in those times where Oswald Bishop of Worcester granting the lands of his Bishoprick to many and sundry persons for three lives reserv'd a multitude of services to be done by them and bound them to swear That as long as they held those lands they should continue in the commandments of the Bishop with all subjection I take this to be an oath of Fealty but we must consider whether it be personal or praedial If personal it nothing then concerneth Tenures and consequently not our question If praedial then must it be inherent to the land which here it seemeth not to be but to arise by way of contract And being praedial must either be feodal as for land holden by Knight-service or Colonical as for lands in Socage If we say it is feodal then must there be homage also as well as fealty for homage is inseperable from a feud by Knight-service but the estates here granted by Oswald being no greater than for life the Grantees must not as we have shewed either make or take homage And being lastly but Colonical or in Socage it is no fruit of a Tenure in Capite by Knight-service nor belonging therefore to our question So that if fealty be found among the Saxons yet can it not be found to be a fruit of Knight-service in Capite as the Report pretendeth it See Fidelitas in my Glossary CHAP. XXII No Escuage among the Saxons What in the Empire THe word Scutagium and that of Escuage is of such novelty beyond the Seas as I find it not among the feudists no not among the French or Normans themselves much less among the Saxons Yet I meet with an ancient law in the Novella of Constantine Porphyrogenita Emperour of Greece in the year 780. that gives a specimen of it tho' not the name Quaedam esse praedia militaria quibus cohaereat onus Militiae ita ut possessorem necesse sit se ad militiam comparare domino indicante delectum vel si nolit aut non possit se ad delectum exhibere certam eo nomine pecuniam fisco dependere quae feudorum omnium lex est c. This tells us that there were certain lands to which the burden of warfare was so adherent that every owner of them was tyed upon summons made by his Lord to make his appearance therein or else to pay certain money by way