aparont soient les avantdiz tonemenz renduz; issi ke si nul pur plus prochein allege, v pur parcuner ki entere[1] soit, eient les amis jur de fere li venir sulump les destance des leus; e si hors de tere, quarante jurs. E si a sun jur vient, eit memes li estat ke il eust eu si il eust este en present le jur ke son ancestre murust. E si a son jur ne viengne, e quide droit avoir, eit son cleim sulump lei de tere.
Derechef del an e del jur useez en la cite fet a savoir ke ki ke unkes eit tenu teres v tenemenz per decente v per purchaz, dunt il eit seisine per baillifs v per certain tesmoinage de vinue[2] un an e un jur sanz cleim v chalenge de nulli, soit li demandant forclos a remanant, si il ne fust de denz age v hors de la tere v en prisun v ke ce soit rennable partie en owel genuil,[3] ce est a savoir, frere a soer, uncle a neveu, aunte a niece.
Derechef usage est del an e del jur avantdiz, ke si nul soit ke preinge rente de nul tenement en la franchise de la cite avandite, e sa rente enterement soit arere un an v plus, e il ne itruve ke destreindre, e il ieit edifice e gent habitanz, per cungie de baillifs de la vile prenge les us e les fenestres, e si par ce ne pust son tenement justiser ne autre destresce ne itruffe, per agard de la curt e la veue del alderman de la rue e de un serjant soit mis [soit mis[4]] estage v loc v il iad us, et soit enroulle en la curt et siwi per utaine e autre utaine et tierce utaine e quarentaine un an e un jur acumpli del premer jur de la siwte, et si dunc nul ne vienge pur fere gre, perde le tenant sanz recoverer, li quel ke il soit de age v nun[5]; issi ne purkant ke devaut ke li jugement passe[6] purra tuzjurs gre fere; le quel jugement ne soit pas delaie al damage del demandant. E autele siwte soit fete de tere vende v enblaure ni ad.[7] E ke nul home main ni mette en terres ne en tenemenz avantdiz dementiers ke li sequestre li rois iest."
[A pointed oval seal and counter-seal, suspended by a four-cord plat. Indorsed in a very different hand are the words "Adquis' p' J. de Hoi custod."]
The following is an abstract of the above document:—
The mayor is chosen annually by the twenty-four jurats and commonalty to be the chief upholder of the franchise. He has not, per se, jurisdiction on any plaint or plea touching the provostry of the city.
There ought to be twenty-four jurats chosen from the "plus prudes homes et plus sages" of the city, to aid and counsel the mayor in maintaining the franchise. They may he convened by summons, and, in default, are liable to be fined one besant.
Two sworn bailiffs are annually chosen to keep the provostry and to do justice to the commonalty. The mayor and twenty-four select four prudes-homes at the Michaelmas Burgmote, of whom the commonalty choose two to
- ↑ i. e. en terre.
- ↑ venue; i. e. the neighbourhood .
- ↑ "En owel genuil" is in equali genuculo or generatione. If the claimant was next of kin to the tenant, the adverse possession would not bar him; for it was presumed that the tenant held for the benefit of his relation.
- ↑ These two last words are repeated by mistake.
- ↑ i. e. of age or not.
- ↑ "So nevertheless, that before judgment passes," &c.
- ↑ i. e. like suit lies for recovery of land sold, but unsown:— for if there are crops, there is security for the rent or purchase-money without seizure of the land. Such appears to be the meaning.
