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.

dong ony heggys, and beryng a wey the wood, presentith be[ȝ]oure othys.

Also ȝe schall enquere ȝef ony strayes be comyne in to this lordschepe, be it horsse, nete, or schepe, or ony oyer catell, and no mane knowith hos ye propirte is, ȝe schall do us to wete. For ȝef it hath be with in this lordschippe twelmoneth and a day it schall be forfete to my lord, and ȝef it hath not be so long ȝe schall tell us how long it hath be in this lordschepe, and proclamaschone schall be made ther-of; and ȝef ony mane come and make lawfull pruf, he schall haue his best aȝene, and ȝef he pay my lord for the pasture for the tyme ther beyng.

Ye that be hedborwes [Hed-borowes. The head-borough, or chief-pledge, was originally one man out of every ten who gave surety to keep peace and order, as head of the ten others in the tything.] of the lete ȝe schall trewly enquere and make presenment of all maner of poyntys that longith to the lete on the kynges be-halffe and on my lordes. The kynges counsell, my lordes, the stuerdys, yower felowes, and yowre owyne, ȝe schall well and trewly kepe, and for no-thyng spare, nowther for maleys nor yl-wyll, nor for loue nor for fauor no-thyng present, but as ye know of ryte, and may know or enquere, and trewe sertyficat make. So helpe you god and holy-dom, and be this boke.

Fest ȝe schall enquere ȝef all the persons yat schulde do sute to this lete atte thys day, ȝef yat they be her, and they that make defawte presente ther namys be [ȝ]owre othis.

Also ȝe schall enquere ȝef all yo yt haue dwelyd