Tracts written by John Selden of the Inner-Temple, Esquire ; the first entituled, Jani Anglorvm facies altera, rendred into English, with large notes thereupon, by Redman Westcot, Gent. ; the second, England's epinomis ; the third, Of the original of ecclesiastical jurisdictions of testaments ; the fourth, Of the disposition or administration of intestates goods ; the three last never before extant.

CHAP. VI. (Book 6)

Henry Beauclerc restored and invented Common Li∣berties.

REformation was needful by the succeeding Beauclerc, of the common injustice practised throughout the Kingdom, especially by a de∣legation of exacting authority made to one Ranulph, afterwards Bishop of Durham, by le Rous: and was thus endeavoured. Immediately after his Coronation Charters of State-amendment were by publick authority sent into every County with particular Customs expressed, allowed, abrogated or altered in them. That which was directed to Hugh of Bockland, Sheriff of Hereford, reported by Matthew Paris, after Church-li∣berty confirmed, Ita quod nec eam vendam, nec ad firmam ponam, nec mortuo Archiepiscopo,* 1.1 vel Episcopo, vel Abbate, aliquid accipiam de domino Ecclesiae, vel de hominibus, donec successor in eam ingrediatur, thus pro∣vides for the Subject;

Omnes malas consuetudines, quibus regnum Angliae injuste opprimebatur, inde aufero: Quas malas consuetudines in parte hic pono.

I. Si quis Baronum meorum, Comitum, vel aliorum qui de me tenent, mortuus fuerit, Haeres suus non redimet terram suam sicut facere consueve∣rat tempore patris mei, sed justâ & legitimâ relevatione relevabit eam.

II. Homines Baronum meorum legitimâ & justa relevatione relevabunt terras de dominis suis.

III. Si quis Baronum, vel aliorum hominum meorum, filiam suam tra∣dere voluerit, sive sororem, sive neptem, sive cognatam, mecum inde loqua∣tur; sed neque ego aliquid de suo pro hac licentia accipiam, neque desendam quin eam det, excepto si eam dare voluerit inimico meo.

IV. Si mortuo Barone vel alio homine meo filia haeres remanserit, dabo illam cum consilio Baronum meorum cum terra suâ.

V. Si mortuo marito uxor ejus remanserit, & sine liberis fuerit, dotem suam & maritagium habebit, dum corpus suum legitimè servabit.: & eam non dabo nisi per secundum velle suum, & terrae liberorum Custos erit sive uxor, sive alius propinquior, qui justus esse debet.

VI. Praecipio ut homines mei similiter se contineant erga filios & filias & uxores hominum suorum.

VII. Monetagium commune quod capiebatur per Civitates vel Comitatus, quod non fuit tempore Ed. R. hoc ne amodò fiat, omninò defendo.

VIII. Si quis captus fuerit, sive monetarius sive alius, cum falsâ mo∣netâ, justitia recta inde fiat.

IX. Si quis Baronum vel hominum meorum infirmabitur, sicut ipse da∣bit, vel dare jusserit pecuniam suam, ita datam esse concedo; quod si ipse, praeventus vel armis vel infirmitate, pecuniam suam nec dederit, nec dare disposuerit, uxor sua sive liberi, aut parentes, & legitimi homines sui pro animâ ejus eam dividant, sicut eis melius visum fuerit. Somewhat later times admitted the disposition of Intestates Goods,* 1.2 and Probate of

Testaments, to be in Episcopal Jurisdiction. John Stratford in one of his Provincial Con∣stitutions of Church-liberty,* 1.3 and Fairefax a Common Lawyer under Richard the Third, affirm that Power in Ecclesiastick Courts to have been in ancient time (for the Civil Law it self in express Text refers it to the Lay Magistrate) by Act of Parliament ordained.

X. Si quis Baronum, vel hominum meorum, forisfecerit, non dabit va∣dium in misericordiâ pecuniae suae, sicut faciebat tempore patris vel fratris mei (they were the two precedent Williams) sed secundum forisfacturae modum, nec ita emendabit sicut emendasset retro tempore patris mei vel fratris.

XI. Si perfidiae vel sceleris convictus fuerit, sicut culpa sic emendet.

XII. Forestas communi consilio Baronum meorum in manu mea ita reti∣nus, sicut pater meus eas habuit.

XIII. Militibus, qui per loricas terras suas defendunt (i. e. which hold their Lands per fee de Hauberke,* 1.4 to be ready in a Coat of Mail for Martial Service) terras dominicarum carucarum suarum quietas ab omnibus Geldis & omni proprio Dominio meo concedo, ut, sicut tam magno grava∣mine alleviati sunt, ita equis & armis benè se instruant, ut apti & parati sint ad servitium meum, & ad defensionem regni mei.

XIV. Lagam Regis Edwardi vobis reddo, cum illis emendationibus quibus pater meus eam emendavit (you have them in Lambard) consilio Baronum suorum. Thus far out of that transcribed Charter.

XV. Rapinas Curialium, furta, stupra, edicto compescuit, deprehensis oculos cum testiculis evelli praecipiens. William of Malmsbury is hereof Author;* 1.5 but Florence of Worcester, and Roger of Hoveden, that for Theft his punishment was, as now by Hang∣ing, Death; but for maintenance of Malmes∣bury's report, I remember a miracle reported out of a Manuscript in Fox his Ecclesiastical History, of one Edward of King's Weston in Bedfordshire, attainted in time of Henry Fitz l' Empres, for stealing a pair of Hedging Gloves, and a Whetstone, and having by execution lost his Eyes and Genitals, had through devout prayer at Tho. Becket's Shrine in Canterbury, restitution (I fear the Monk that wrote it, might have had a Whetstone without stealing) of whatsoever Members and Faculties were by that inflicted punishment, taken from him.

XVI. Contra Trapezitas (quos vulgò monetarios vocant) praecipuam sui diligentiam exhibuit;* 1.6 nullum falsarium quin pugnum perderet impune abire permittens, qui fuit intellectus falsitatis suae commercio fatuos irri∣sisse: This falsifying of money by Hoveden, was loss of our Eyes and Genitals:* 1.7 Gemiticensis and the Monk which made the continuance to Florence of Worcester, agreeing to Malmesbury in this, that the offenders lost their right hands; but further adding that, which the first God of the Gentiles was compelled to endure, deprivation of his external parts of humane propagation.

XVII. Statuit ut nullus obolus (the Author is Roger of Hoveden) quos & rotundos esse jussit, aut etiam quadrans, si integer esset,* 1.8 respu∣eretur.

* 1.9XVIII. Mercatorum falsam ulnam (Malmesbury speaks) castigavit brachii sui mensurâ adhibitâ, omnibusque per Angliam propositâ.

XIX. Curialibus suis ubicunque villarum esset, quantum à Rusticis gra∣tis accipere, quantum & quoto pretio emere debuissent, edixit, transgressores vel gravi pecuniarum mulctâ, vel vitae dispendio afficiens.

XX. Much stir both at Rome and in England was touching Investi∣ture of Bishops and Abbots by Lay hands: Anselme, Arch-Prelate of Canterbury mainly opposing himself against it; whose perswasion so at length wrought with the King, that it was permitted ut ab eo tempore in reliquum (Matthew of Westminster after others reports it) nunquam per donationem Baculi pastoralis vel annuli quisquam de Episcopatu vel Ab∣batiâ,* 1.10 per Regem, vel quamlibet laicam personam, investiretur in Anglia; Retento tamen electionis & regalium privilegio;* 1.11 Notwithstanding this in the year M.C.VII. per annulum & baculum (as Matthew Paris tells us) was by the same Henry one Rodolph made Arch-Bishop of Canterbury.

* 1.12XXI. He restored (John Stow now speaks to you) to his Subjects the use of Lights in the night, which lights, and also fire, had been for∣bidden by his Father to be used, after the ringing of a Bell at eight of the Clock at night.

XXII. Fecit omnes Milites Angliae crines suos ad justum modum ab∣scindere,* 1.13 qui priùs longitudine capillorum (out of Flores Historiarum) cum foeminis certabant.

XXIII. A Tribute of 3 s. of every Hide was exacted for augmenta∣tion of a Dowry for the Kings Daughter Mawde', to be married to the Emperour Henry the Fourth:* 1.14 whereupon, saith Polydore, Secuti sunt istud institutum quaerendarum dotum ad collationem filiarum, caeteri deinde Reges, adeo posteritas suorum commodorum tenax semper fuit; referring that known Service of ayde à file marrier,* 1.15 to this as the first example thereof; though the antiquity of that custom can reckon as many years as since Romulus his first institution of Patrons and Clients (whence Feuds and Courts-Baron, as Udalricus Zasius conjectureth, by way of imitation, proceeded in following times) and no less the whole title thereof. And the other à faire Fitz Chevaler, & de rançome, are in the old Graund Cu∣stumier of Normandy.

XXIV. Imminent peril was then, lest French Conspiracies should get violent possession of the Dutchy of Normandy; to prevent it with a Sinewy Army, primùm omnium populo imponit (take it upon Polydore's credit) grave tributum causâ novi belli gerendi,* 1.16 id quod apud posteriores Reges in consuetudinem venit. Of the Norman Line Masculine he was the last; and this the last, I make of his Laws.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Matth. Paris, pag. 74.
• * 1.2

  V. Glanvil, lib. 7. cap. 8.
• * 1.3

  Lind. provinc. constit. de immunit. Eccles. lib. 3. & de testament. Statutum § Ecclesiast. 2 Rich. 3. Testam. 4. v. inf. in Stephan. 1. C. tit. de testament. l. consulta divalia v. in Johann. art. 15.
• * 1.4

  V. Hotoman. verb. feudal. Hauberticum feudum.
• * 1.5

  Malmesb. lib. 5. de gest. reg.

  Atque alibi antiquitus quod docent Isocrates in oratione contra Lochic. Sen. Epist. 7. Lam∣prid. in Alex. Severo & alii, caeterum an in bonos Motes, Remque publicam. conducat, di∣sputant: quin & ausi sunt negasle, Frisius in lib. de Rep. Tho. Morus, in Utopiâ, &c.

  Ex lib. Monarch. Cant. de M••rac. B. Tho. apud Foxum. in hist. Eccles. lib. 4. fo. 228.
• * 1.6

  Malmesbur.
• * 1.7

  Guil. Gemiti∣cens. de Du∣cibus Norm. lib. 7. ca. 23. & Contin. ad Florent. Wi∣gorn. pag. 498.
• * 1.8

  Roger de Ho∣ved. annal. 2. fo. 270.
• * 1.9

  Malmesb. l. 5.
• * 1.10

  Math. Westm. lib. 2. Flor. hist.
• * 1.11

  Malmesb. l. 5. de gest. reg. Mat. Paris pag. 87.
• * 1.12

  Stovaeus an∣nal. p. 190.
• * 1.13

  Flor. hist. l. 2.
• * 1.14

  Polyd. hist. lib. 11.
• * 1.15

  Halicarnass. 2. antiq. Rom. & v. Sueton. in Caligula cap. 42.

  Zas. in comm. ad lib. 2. F. de orig. Turr.
• * 1.16

  Polyb. lib. 11. hist. Ang.