Instances illustrative of the Method of promulgating Statutes in England and Scotland.
I.—ENGLAND.
28 May; 3 Edw. I. A. D. 1275.
WRIT to the Justices of Chester, with certain Statutes under the Great Seal, commanding him, amongst other Things, to cause the same to be read, and publicly and solemnly proclaimed in full County, and in every Hundred, City, Borough, Market Town, &c.; and to make Transcripts thereof, and deliver the same to Four or Two of the most trusty and discreet Knights of the same County, for the Purposes in the Writ particularly specified.—Similar Writs were sent to all the Sheriffs of England.
From the Patent Roll, 3 Edw. I. m. 10.
Rex Justic̃ suo Cestr̃ Sal̵tm. Cum ꝓpt͛c͠oem utilitatē & tocius regni nr̃i meliorac͠oem & pop̃li nr̃i relevac͠oem, de ꝯĩ consilio Prelatoꝝ & Magnatū ejꝰdē regni, qasdam ꝓvisiōes & quedam statuta, cū magna diligencia ordinari & pꝰmod̵ sigillo nr̃o signari fec͛imꝰ tam a nob̴ & Ministris nr̃is quibꝫcūqꝫ qa͏̄ ab ip̃is Prelatis & Magnatibꝫ suis, ac tota ꝯĩtate regni p͛dc̃i, ad ꝑpetuam memoriam rei geste inviolabilit͛ obs͛vand̵; De Statutis legendis & ꝓclamand̵ in Com̄ Cestr̃ & alibi.Vob̴ mandamꝰ in fide & dilecc͠oe quibꝫ nob̴ tenemini, firmit͛ injūgentes, qd̵ꝓvisiones & statuta illa in pleno Com̄ Cestr̃, & in singul̵ Hundr̃ ejusdē com̄, civitatibꝫ, burgis, vil̴l̴m͛catoriis, & locis aliis ubi expedire videritis, legi & publice & sollēpnit͛ꝓclamari, & ea in om̄ibꝫ et sing̃lis articulis suis & ab om̄ibꝫ de bal̴l̴a vr̃a futris temporibꝫ juxa tenorē eoꝝdem firmit͛ & inviolabilit͛ obs͛vari; & ꝓvisionibꝫ & statutis illis sic ꝓclamatis, & ea in sing̃l locis infa bal̴l̴am vr̃am ubi expedire videritis distincte & aꝑte cōscribi, & ea fidelibꝫ nr̃is locoꝝ illoꝝ, sic scipta, sine dil̵oe lib̴ari, vob̴ ac bal̴l̴is & fidelibꝫ nr̃is h̴ere cum eis judicav͛itis ostēdēda, & qatuor vl̵ duobꝫ militibꝫ de fidelioribꝫ & discrec͠oribꝫ militibꝫ com̄p͛dc̃i, de assensu tocius ꝯitatis tadi faciatis, ad secritatē nr̃am & dc̃e ꝯitatis cꝰtodiend̵. Et ita vos h̴eatis in hoc mandato nr̃o exequendo ne nob̴ seu aliis, ꝑ vos vl̵ vr̃os, seu vob̴ꝑ def̴cm vr̃m vl̵ vr̃oꝝ, imputari possit vl̵ debeat, qd̵ ea que in dc̃is ꝓvisionibꝫ & statutis continentr vel eoꝝ aliqua in bal̴l̴a vr̃a minꝰ plene obs͛ventr. Et hoc vob̴ & univ͛sitati com̄p͛dc̃i tenore p͛senciū significamꝰ. T. R. apud Westm̄ xxviij. die Maii.
Cons̃ lr̃e diriguntr singul̵ Vicecōitibꝫꝑ Angl̵.
24th Novr 16 Edw. III. A. D. 1343.
WRIT to the Sheriff of Essex, and Hertford, to proclaim and publish a certain Ordinance relating to Money: With the Return thereto.
From the Original in the Tower of London.
EDWARD ꝑ la gace de Dieu Roi Denglet͛re & de France & Seignr Dirlande au Visconte de Essex & Hertf̴ salutz. Come nadgers prce q̃ comune clamour estoit ꝑ my nr̃e roialme Denglet͛re q̃ nr̃e bone monoie & fort lest͛ling fust contrefaet es ꝑties de la la mier̃, & la monoie ensi contrefaite feable & de meyndre value q̃ nest lestarlyng est porte & curt come estarlyng̃ en nr̃e dit Roialme, & nr̃e bone monoie avant dite enporte ꝑ Marchaunz & autr̃s queraunz lors singuler ꝓfit, en cõe damage de noꝰ & de nr̃e Poeple; fust entr̃ autr̃s choses ordeigne ꝑ nos & ꝑ assent des Prelatz Countes Barons & autr̃s de nr̃e dit Roialme,[1]q̃ nul hōme de qel estat ou condicioun qil feust pive ou estraunge ne portast nr̃e dit bon monoie lestarlyng̃, ne argent en plate ne vesseal dor ne dargent hors de nr̃e dit Roialme, sr forfeture de la monoie plate vessel avant ditz; ne q̃ nul ne porte deins nr̃e dit Roialme monoie contrefaite la nr̃e, sr forfeture de vie & de biens; issint tote foit q̃ gentz de qecumqꝫ, pais qil fuissent prroient salvement porter a nr̃e eschaunge, come bilion & ne my ailliours, argent en plate vessel & tote manere de monoie dargent ne mye contrefeate lestarlyng̃, de quecumqe coyne qils fuissent & illoeqes reteynrent la verroie value en estarlyng: Nous pr cõe ꝓfit de nos & de tot nr̃e Roialme, voilliaunz la dite ordeiginance estre tenue en cel ꝑtie eioms ordeigne, q̃ bone garde & estreit se face es touz les lieus sr la costere de la mier en portz & ailliors ou man͛e darravilie est ꝑ bonz & leals iurez, qi en nr̃e noun diligiaument
↑See Rot. Fin. 5 E. III. m. 19: 9 E. III. m. 10. and page 273 of the Statutes in this Volume.
