De laudibus legum Angliæ writen by Sir Iohn Fortescue L. Ch. Iustice, and after L. Chancellor to K. Henry VI. Hereto are ioind the two Summes of Sir Ralph de Hengham L. Ch. Iustice to K. Edward I. commonly calld Hengham magna, and Hengham parua. Neuer before publisht. Notes both on Fortescue and Hengham are added

THe Ciuil lawes com∣mit the tuition of Or∣phans to the next of their bloud, whether the kinred grow on the fathers side, or on y^e mother side, that is to say, to euery man ac∣cording to the degree and order, wherein his turne is next to succeede the pu∣pill in his inheritāce. And the reason of this lawe is for that no man will be∣haue himselfe more ten∣derly or more fauourably in the carefull education of the Infant, thē he that is next of his bloud.

Neuerthelesse the Lawes of England, touching the custodie of Orphanes, doe determine much other∣wise. For there, if an in∣heritance, being holden in Socage descende to an Orphane, from any of the kinred of his Fathers side, the same Orphane shall not be vnder the kee∣ping of any of that kinred but he shall bee gouerned by his cosins or kinsfolke of his mothers side. And if the inheritance come to him from any kinesman of his mothers side, then the pupill with his inhe∣ritance shall bee in the custodie, till hee come to lawfull age, of him that is next of his kinne of his fathers side, and not of any kinesman of the mo∣thers side. For our lawes

say, that to commit the tuition of an infant to him, that shall next suc∣ceede him, is like as if one should betake a lambe vnto a Wolfe to bee de∣uoured. But if the inheri∣tance be not holden in so∣cage, but by Knights ser∣uice, then by the Lawes of the same land, the child with his inheritance shall bee in the keeping of none of his kindred of neither side, but in the custodie of the Lord of the fee, vntill hee come to the age of one and twentie yeeres. And thinke you, that anye man can or will better in∣struct and traine vp the childe in feates of Armes, which, by reason of his tenure, hee is bounde to yeeld to y^e Lord of his fée,

then the Lord himselfe, to whom such seruice is by him due? Which is also to be iudged of more power and honour, then the friends and kinsfolke of his tenaunt. For hee, to the intent hee may in time to come bee the better serued of his tenaunt, will vse the more diligence towardes him, And it is to be pre∣sumed, that hee is more expert & skilfull to trade him in these things, then his other friends, rude peraduenture & vnpracti∣sed in martiall feates, specially if his patrimo∣nie bee but small. And what can bee more profi∣table for the childe, which by reason of his tenure, shall in the seruice of his Lord, endanger his life

and all that hee hath, in the actes of Chiualrie, then in his nonage, to be brought vp in the disci∣pline and practise of the same, seeing that in his ripe age hee shall not bee able to auoide the aduen∣ture thereof? And to say the truth, it shall bee no small commoditie for the Realme, that the inhabi∣ters of the same bee well expert in the knowledge of Armes. For, as saith the Philosopher, euery man doth the things bold∣ly, wherein hee assureth himselfe to be skilful. And do you not then, most no∣ble Prince, allow this Lawe, and commende it aboue the other now de∣scribed?