Les termes de la ley; or, Certain difficult and obscure words and terms of the common laws and statutes of this realm now in use, expounded and explained Now corrected and enlarged. With very great additions throughout the whole book, never printed in any other impression.

Countermand.

COuntermand is, where a thing formerly executed is after∣ward by some act or ceremony made void by the party that hath first done it. As if a man hath made his last Will, whereby he devises his Land to J. S. and afterwards he infeoffs another of the same Land, there this Feoffment is a Countermand to the Will, and the Will as to the disposition of the Land is void. If a woman seised of Land in fee makes a Will in writing, and devises that if A. of B. survives her, then she devi∣ses and bequeaths to him and his heirs her Land, and afterward she entermarries with the said A. of B. there, by taking him to hus∣band and coverture at the time of her death, the Will is Coun∣termanded.

But if a Baroness widow retains two Chaplains accord∣ing to the Statute, and takes one of the Nobility to husband, and afterwards the husband dies, the Reteiner of those two Chaplains remains, and they without new Reteiner may take two Benefices, for their Reteiner was not determined

nor countermanded by such Marriage.

If a woman makes a Lease at will, and afterwards takes an husband, this Marriage is no Countermand to the Lease, without express matter done by the Husband after the Mar∣riage to determine the Will. Also if a Lease be made at will to a woman, and she takes an Husband, the Lease continues notwithstanding the Marriage, and is no Countermand there∣unto.