 pell cestassauer un mysall un portos un 
graiell un chalys deux peires de veste- 
- mentz oue lec touallez necessaries lez 
queux ornementz issint nomez amontent 
a la value de x. li queux biens Sont en 
Certificate of the Town Gild of Malmesbury. 
125 
chaplain a dwelling-house for him and 
his successors and other goods to serve 
in the said chapel, to wit, a mysall, a 
portos, a graiell, a chalys, two pairs 
of vestments with the necessary towels, 
the which ornaments thus named 
amount to the value of x. li., the which 
goods are in the keeping of the chaplain 
of the said chapel.’ 
Ja garde de chapelleyn du dicte chapell.” 
BA very interesting account of Malmesbury Common, with a plan, 
quoting Gent. Mag. of 1832, and Mr. Trice Martin, in his preface 
~ to the Registrum Malmesburiense, vol. ii., p. xliti., giving 
& 
; jf “ an interesting archaism which accompanies the delivery of the allotted portions 
of land to the commoners. Seizin was given by the transferring of a twig and 
the repetition of the rhyming formula :— 
‘This land and twig I give to thee, 
. As free as Athelstan gave it to me, 
And I hope a loving brother thou wilt be.’ 
_ The appearance of the rhyme at once denotes that we are in the presence of 
_ archaic custom, and the last line recalls that ‘common brotherhood ’ which is the 
typical feature of early communities,” &c. 
a» 
