A philologicall commentary, or, An illustration of the most obvious and useful words in the lavv with their distinctions and divers acceptations, as they are found as well in reports antient and modern as in records and memorials never printed : usefull for all young students of the law / by Edward Leigh ...

WAPENTAKE.

Wapentake. When any on a certain day and place took upon him the Government of the Hundred, the free Suiters met him with Launces, and he descending from his Horse, all rose up to him, and he holding his Launce upright, all the rest, in sign of obedience, with their Launces touched his Launce or Weapon; for the Saxon word •• apen is weapon, and tact, tactus, touching, whence wapentake or touching a weapon. Cook's 2d part of Instit. c. 10.

It came of the Danes, or Saxons, for that so* 1.1 many Towns came by their order then to one place, where was taken a muster of their armour and weapons, in which place from them that could not find sufficient pledges for their good abearing, their weapons were taken away. Weapon, or wapon in old English do signifie all arms offensive, as Sword, Dagger, Spear, Launce, Bill, Bows, Ar∣rows.

The Northern English beyond Trent, called a Hundred so.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Wapenta∣kia a Wa∣pen. hoc est, armis: quae quo∣ties novus esset hun∣dredi do∣minus, ei in subjecti∣onis signum reddebant. Vossius De vitiis Sermonis l. 2. c. 9. Smiths Common wealth of England. c. 19.