A Common-place book of the fifteenth century, containing a religious play and poetry, legal forms and local accounts. Printed from the original ms. at Brome Hall, Suffolk, by Lady Caroline Kerrison. Edited with notes by Lucy Toulmin Smith.

with all there pertynences, to the forseyd lord Thomas Scalys, Edward, and Wyllm., to the eyrys and to the assyneys of the same Wyllm., of the chyffe lordes of the ffeys be the seruyis there-of dew and rygth custum, excepte on messe and viij acrys of lond with the pertynens in O., the wych messe and viij acrys of lond with the pertynens late the forseyd Wyllm. S. of O. haue had of gyfte and feffement of Thomas Grene and of Mary hys wyffe. And we þe forseyd Wyllm. and Angn', and owre eyrys, all the forseyd londes, tenementes, rentes, and seruyis, medowys, fedynges, and pastures [heaths, reed-beds,] Turvedowllys, and merces, with all ther pertynences, excepte befor excepte, to the forseyd lord Thomas Scalys, E. and Wyllm., to the eyrys and the syneys of the same Wyllm., a-ȝens all men schall warant for euer more. In the wyche thynge wettenesse of thys presont chartyre owre selysse ar put to; be thys wytenesse John Seyve, etc., et allijs. Dat. apud O. predict.

THESE "articles" carry us back to the older system of English law and polity, when the people being more equally distributed over the land bore a closer relation to the soil than at present, when local justice and local responsibilities were relied on as agents in the administration of public welfare, when peace and order had to be cared for by the people themselves. The Courts Baron and Leet were two important factors in this system.

The Court Baron, or lord's court, was held in every manor, and properly consisted of the free tenants of the lord; the freeholders as suitors (i.e., those who owed suit, or ought to come to each court, from Fr. suir = suivre, to follow) being the judges, the steward being merely the registrar and president. The term is also used to include the customary courts of the copyholders and customary