Jurisdictions: or, The lawful authority of courts leet, courts baron, court of marshallseys, court of pypowder, and ancient demesne : together with the most necessary learning of tenures, and all their incidents, of essoynes, imparlance, view; of all manner of pleadings, of contracts, of the nature of all sorts of actions, of maintenance; of diverse other things, very profitable for all students of innes of court and chancery : and a most perfect directory for all stewards of any the sayd courts. / Heretofore writ in French by the methodically learned, John Kitchin of Grays-Inne, Esq; and now most exactly rendred to more ample advantage in the English tongue; with a demonstrative table, pointing out all matter of consequence, throughout the whole work. Whereunto is added the authentick formes of all manner of writs, with their severall returnes in English, very usefull for all men in this Common-wealth, as they be now used.

TO The Students of the Innes of COURT, AND CHANCERY: JOHN KITCHIN wisheth happinesse.

TO the end no failer in the administration of Lawes, from which the Common-Wealth receives its establish∣ment, may through ignorance be admitted, as much as my abilities have prompted me unto, for direction of such as keep Courts, I have here preferred at once, both to profit and censure, both which I shall as justly expect, as that I am confident, my indeavours are neither fruitlesse nor free from Errings; having neither been industriously idle, nor blessed with infalibility; yet such as they are, I most seriously wish them to your advantage, who are many of you imployed in the keeping of Court Leets, Court Barons, and other Courts, and Jurisdi∣ctions.

And therefore I have here in this Book collected all such ca∣ses out of our Books of Law, under such generall heads and no∣tions, which are upon any occasion to be discussed, so that those, who either have not the said Books at large, or have them, and yet want time to peruse them, may here for sweatlesse labour re∣ceive satisfaction in exchange, whereupon I have fixt my hopes, that ignorance the naturall Mother of Errour (which hath so much fostered it selfe, in those imployments, into which many Ignaro's have thrust themselves, with ignorance and confidence of equall size) will lose its no-being in Judiciall performances; and that the knowledge of the Law in this kinde, may prove im∣pulsive to the Love of Justice, which is alwaies the lesse re∣garded, by how much, Ignorance is her Enemy, Ignoti nulla Cupido. For desire and nothing are the same, where the under∣standing is not felicitated with apprehension; which here I teach as far as it is essentiall for any man, Quatenus, he is a Steward of Courts, in which duty I wish him Jurisprudentiall for his owne Honour, and the Publique benefit, desiring nothing in re∣quitall but your kinde accepctance.

From GRAYS INNE.