A. D. 1436. Anno decimo quinto Henrici VI. c A P. v. • What Sort of Perfons may be impanelled upon an Attaint. c. 5*3 Ex Rot. in Turr. Lond. ITEM noftre dit Seignur le Roy confiderant qe le triall de vie & de mort terres & tenementz biens &c chateux de chefcun perfon de fes lieges dicefte Roialme touchan: matiers en fait par le leie de mefme le Roialme remaigne & eftaa & de jour en jour verifemblablement ell pur eftre eue & Fait par les ferementz des enqiieftes de xij. homines duement fummones en fez Courtes et auxi qe les graundes pourleffe & inhonuteife perjurie qe orri- blement continue & journement encreffe en les commune; jurrours du dit Roialme a la pluis graunde verifemblable mefchief qe puis cheier al dit Roialme et qil eft a fuppofer par refon qe le pluis fufriciantz qe hommes foient des terres & tenementz le pluis nonfemblablement ils fount a eftre tretcz ou moevez a perjure par brocage poure ou corrup- tion & qe en chefcun action & biief dateint au meyns y faut eftre xiij. defendantz fil ne foit qe mort dafcuny de eux caufb le contrarie des queux xiij. defendantz chefcun perfon par la leie poet avoir feverall plee h refponfe triable en quecounqe countee qe luy pleaft del Roialme avauntdit & chefcun de icelles xiij. plees & refponfes triables hors del countee en quel laction & brief dateint eft purfue caufera la delaie de la prife de graunde jure dateint jefqes au temps qe chefcun des ditz foreins feveralx refponfes foit trie. Et tout foit qe toutz iceux xiij. foreins feveralx refponfes & plees chefcun apres auter pur caufer plufours de- laies foient plees tries & trovez countre iceux xiij. defendantz ils nount afcun prejudice par icels ne les pleintifs en les ditz actions & briefs dateinz null autre avauntage mes qe le Court du Roy adonqes de proceder a la prife du dit graunde June la quell par fubtilitee qe de jour en jour encrefce purroit caufer la delaie des pleintifs en les ditz actions & briefs dateint par x. ans ou pluis par commune eftimation ad ordeine par laudlori e avauntdite pur partie de remedie de la mefcheef fuifdit qe null vifcount baillif du franchife ne co- roner en actions ou briefs dateint du plee du terre dannuell value de xl. s. ou pluis ne dacTrion de de- tenue des faitz concernants terres & tenements de femblable value ou pluis ne-deplee perfonell dount le juggement de recoverer extende a la fomme de xl. li.' ou pluis retourne ne empanell en null in- quifition ne enqueft nulles perfones mes ceux en- habitantz dedeins fa bailie queux a cell temps eient eft-ate a lour propre opes ou ceux as queux oeps autres perfons ount eftate de fee fimple fee taill ou frank tenement en terres & tenements dannuell Va- lue de xx. li' ou pluis dedeins fa bailie hors del auncien demefme les Cynk portes & tenure de. Gavelkynde de ne meindres iff es en les ditz ac- tions datteint retourne en la Court du Roy qe xl. s. a le primer brief de diftrefle & cent foulz a le fecunde brief de diftreffe h le double a chefcun autre brief de diftreffe envers les perfones em- panelles. & retournes pur eftre jurrez en mefmes les actions. Et qe null perfone de meinrire fuf- nciante du- frank tenement qe dell annuell value de xx. li' en la fourme deffuifdit foit jurrie en la ITEM our Lord the King confidering that the Trial of Life and Death, of Lands and Tene- ments, Goods and Chatties of every Perfon of his liege People of this Realm, touching Matters in Deed, bytheLawof the fame Realm remain and ftand, and daily is very likely to be had and made, by the Oaths or Inquefts of Twelve Men duly fum- moned in his Courts; (2) and alio that the great a " Fcarlefs and Perjury, which horribly continueth, and daily in- fhamelefs. creafeth in the common Jurors of the faid R.eaim, is molt likely to tend to the greateft Mifchief which may fall to the faid Realm ; (3) and that it is to be fuppofed, by reafon that ths more fufficient that Men be of Laiids and Tenements, the more unlikely they are to be drawn or moved to Perjury by Brocage, Power, or Corruption ; (4) and that in every Action and Writ of Attaint at the leaft there muft be Thir- teen Defendants, unlefs that the Death of any caufe the contrary; (5) of which Thirteen Defendants every Perfon by the Law may have a feveral Plea and Anfwer, triable in whatsoever County that him pleafeth of the faid Realm, (6) and every of the fame Thirteen Pleas and Anfwers triable out of the County in which the Action and Writ of Attaint is fued, doth caufe the Delay of. the taking of the Grand Jury of Attaint, until the Time that every of
- the faid foreign feveral Anfwers be tried; (7) And
although that all thefe Thirteen feveral Anfwers and 1 Pleas, every one after other, to caufe more Delays,.
- be pleaded, tried, and found againft thefe Thirteen
- Defendants, they themfelves have no Prejudice by
- the fame, nor the Plaintiffs in the faid Actions and
- Writs of Attaint no other Advantage, but that the
- King's Court then fhall proceed to the taking of the
' faid Grand Jury, which by Subtilty that daily in-
- creafeth may caufe the Delay of the Plaintiffs in the
- faid Actions and Writs of Attaint by Ten Years or
- more, by common Eftimation;" ' (8) Hath or-
dained by Authority aforefaid, for Part of the Re- medy of the faid Mifchief, That no Sheriff, Bailiff of Franchife, nor Coroner, in Actions or Writs of Attaint of. Plea of Land, of the yearly Value of xl. s. or more, nor Action of* Attaint of Deeds con-* DetirM*- cerning Lands or Tenements of like Value, or more, nor perfonal, whereof the Judgement of the Reco- very fhall extend to the Sum of Forty Pounds, or more, fhall return nor impanel in any Inquifition nor Inqueft, any Perfons but fuch as be inhabiting, within his Bailiwick,' which have Eftate to their own Ufe, or they to whofe Ufe other Perfons have Eftate, of Fee-ftmple, Fee-tail, or Freehold, in Lands and Tenements, of the yearly Value of xx. li. or more in his Baiiiwick, out of ancient Demefne, the Five Ports, and the Tenure of Gavelkind, (9) nor fhall rS H. 6. c. 2.' return in the King's Court lefs Iffues in the faid Ac- What I(J " es tions of Attaint, than xl. s. at the firft Writ of Di-jj 1 ?^ "T™* ftrefs, and C. s.. at the fecond Writ ofDiftrefs, and",; ™ Attaint.' the Oouble of every other W rit of Diftrefs againft the Perfons impanelled and returned to be fworn in the fame Actions. (10) And that no Perfon of lefs Sufficiency of Freehold than of the yearly Value of xx. li. in the Form aforefaid, fhall be fworn in the ' King's
