Of the law-terms, a discourse wherein the laws of the Jews, Grecians, Romans, Saxons and Normans, relating to this subject are fully explained / written by ... Sir Henry Spelman, Kt.

CHAP. V.

How other Fastival and Vacation Days were exempted.

LET us now see how other Festi∣vals and parts of the year were taken from the Courts of Justice. The first Canon of note that I meet with to this purpose is that in Concilio Tri∣buriensi Ca. 35. in or about the year 895. Nullus Comes, nullúsque omnino secularis Diebus Dominicis vel Sanc∣torum in Festis seu Quadragessimae, aut jejuniorum, placitum habere, sed nec po∣pulum praesumat illo coercere.

After this manner the Council of † Meldis Ca. 77. took Easter-week, com∣monly called the Octaves, from Law-business; Paschae hebdomade feriandum, forensia negotia prohibentur. By this example came the Octaves of Pente∣cost, St. Michael, the Epiphany, &c. to be exempted, and principal Feasts to be honoured with Octaves.

The next memorable Council to that of Tribury was the Council of Ertford in Germany in the year 932. which though it were then but Pro∣vincial,

yet being afterwards taken by Gratian into the Body of the Canon Law, it became General, and was im∣posed upon the whole Church. I will recite it at large, as it stands in Bi∣nius, for I take it to be one of the foundation-stones to our Terms. Pla∣cita secularia Dominicis vel aliis Festis diebus, seu etiam in quibus legitima Je∣junia celebrantur secundum Canonicam institutionem, minimè fieri volumus. In super quoque Gloriosissimus Rex [Fran∣corum Henricus] ad augmentum Chri∣stianae Religionis concessit, (or as† Gra∣tian hath it) [Sancta Synodus decre∣vit] ut nulla judiciaria potest as licentiam habeat Christianos suâ authoritate ad placitum bannire septem diebus ante Na∣talem Domini, & à Quinquagessima usque ad Octavas Paschae, & septem di∣ebus ante Natalem Sancti Johannis Ba∣ptistae, quatenus adeundi Ecclesiam ora∣tionibúsque vacandi liberiùs habeatur facultas. But the Council of St. Me∣dard extant first in† Burchard, and then in Gratian enlargeth these va∣cations in this manner, Decrevit Sancta Synodus, ut a Quadragessima usque in Octavam Paschae, & ab Adventu Do∣mini usque in Octavam Epiphaniae, nec∣non & in Jejuniis quatuor temporum,

& in Litaniis Majoribus, & in diebus Dominicis, & in diebus Rogationum (ni∣si de concordia & pacificatione) nullus supra sacra Evangelia jurare praesumat. The word [jurare] here implyeth Law causes, or hold Plea on these days, as by the same phrase in other Laws shall by and by appear, which the Gloss also upon this Canon maketh manifest, saying, in his etiam diebus causae exerceri non debent, citing the other† Canon here next before reci∣ted, but adding withall, that the Court and Custome of Rome it self doth not keep Vacation from Septua∣gessima, nor, as it seemeth, on some other of the days. And this presi∣dent we follow, when Septuagessima and Sexagessima fall in the compass of Hilary-Term.

Notes

• †

  Bin. Tom. 3. Part. 1. Sect. 2. Cir∣ca annum Christi 845.
• Concil. Tom. 3. part. 2. pag. 142. In isti∣us Concil. Cap. 2.
• †

  Decret. Cau. 15. quaest 4. C 1.
• al. Septua∣gessimâ.
• †

  Cau. 22. •• 5. Ca, 17.
• †

  Cau. 15. q. 4. C. 1.