Anno quarto Henrici octavi.
At Westminster the fourth day of November after the Prorogation.
CAP. II.
An Act for punishment of murder.
'WHEREAS, robberies, murders, and fellonies daily increase more and more, and bee committed and done in more heinous open and detestable wise then hath beene oft seene in times part, and the persons so offending little regard the punishment thereof, by the course of the common law, ne by reason of any Statute heeretofore made, but beare them bold of their Clergie, and imagining and pleading of sained and untrue forreine Plees, triable in forreine Counties, to the intent to be remooved from place to place, by colourable and untrue suggestions, and for to be untruely acquit by favour, might, and corruption, so that they liue in maner without feare or dread.' For reformation whereof, and for the common wealth of this Realme, and to put the said murderers, fellons, and oftendors in more feare and dread so to offend: be it ordained, established and enacted by the King our Sovereigne Lord, the Lords Spirituall and Temporall, and the commons in this present Parliament assembled, and by authoritie of the same, Church. High-waies, Houses. Clergie. that all person or persons hereafter committing murder or fellonie in any Church, Chappell, or halowed place, or of and upon malice prepensed, rob or murder any person or persons in the Kings highway, or else rob or murder any person in his house, the owner or dweller of the house, his wife, child or servant then being therein, and put in feare or dread by the same, that such persons so offending, be not from henceforth admitted to his or their Clergie, such as be within holy orders onely except. And ouer that be it enacted by the said authoritie, that if any murderer or fellon upon his arreignement, heerement, doe aledge, that he had taken any Church or Churchyard for murder, felonie, or other place priviledged for the same in a forreine Countie, and against his will taken out thereof, that then the Kings Attournie or any other person that will sue or alledge for the King, that the said murderer or fellon so arreigned, was taken at Targe in the same Shire where he is so arreigned, that then the same allegeance and issue to be tried by the Inquest that should trie the said murder or fellonie within the same Shire, and before the same Justice where the said murderer or fellon is arreigned, as though the said forreine Plee had not beene pleaded by the said fellon. And if it be found by the same Inquest, that the said murderer or fellon was taken within the same Shire (as is aforesaid) that then hee to have none advantage or benefit of the matter alledged by him for taking, out of the Church or Churchyard or other place privileged in any such forreine Shire, and this Act to indure to the next Parliament.
An Act for sealing of Clothes of Gold and Silver.
'WHERE at a Parliament holden in the twelfth year of the Reign of King Edward the Fourth, amongst other it was ordained, established, and enacted, That the Collectors of the Subsidy and the Comptrollers should at all times be ready when they should be required, to seal any manner of Cloth of Gold, Silver, Baudekin, Velvet, Damask, Saten, Sarsenet, Tartron, Chambler, and every other cloth of Silk, and every corse of Silk and Gold, and every corse of Silk of the making beyond the Sea, and the same merchandises should seal at every time when they should be required, without delay, tarrying or any thing for their sealing to take by any mean, upon the pain of forfeiture to the owner of such merchandises xx. s. by every of the said Collectors and Comptrollers at every time when they refuse to seal any such merchandises, after such request made, or take any thing for sealing of any such merchandises, as by the same Act amongst other things more plainly appeereth. Sithen the making of which Act the laid Collectors and Comptrollers, and their Clerks, not fearing the penalty limited in the same Act, have used, and daily use to take for sealing of every piece of the same merchandises above rehearsed, ij. d. to the great loss, hurt and damage of the Merchants owners of the same: For the same Merchants at many times bring and convey in one Ship iij. or iiij. M. pieces of the same merchandises, which amounteth to xxx. or xl. li. after the rate of j. d. a piece. And forasmuch as the foresaid penalty expressed in the said Statute is but xxs. therefore the said Collectors, Comptrollers, nor their Clerks fear not to run in the jeopardy of the same:' wherefore be it ordained and enacted by the King our Sovereign Lord, the Lords spiritual and temporal, and the Commons in this present Parliament assembled, and by the Authority of the same,Collectors. Comptrollers That from henceforth the Collectors and Comptrollors of the said Subsidy, nor their Clerks nor any of them, take for the sealing of any pisce of the said Merchandises (above rehearsed) any thing, upon pain of forfeiture at every time, xx. li.
II. And also be it enacted by the fame authority, that if, and as often as the same Collectors and Comptrollers, or any of them unreasonably delay, or tarry the said Merchants, or any of them, for and about the feeling of the same merchandises; that then and so often the same Collectors and Comptrollers, and every of them so unreasonably delaying and tarrying the same Merchants, or any of them, to forfeit for the same xl s. the one moiety of every of the said penalties Forefiet.(so forfeited) to be to the King our Sovereign Lord, and the other moiety thereof to the merchant so grieved, that will sue for the same by way
