As exemplified in the Manor of Castle Combe. 155 
present more tranquil days), of the nature of assaults, for which 
the usual penalty imposed was a pecuniary fine, and the forfeiture 
of the weapon employed, the value of which is always carefully 
given.! The offender was also bound over to keep the peace, and 
to find sureties for the same, in considerable sums, for the time. 
Some offenders were proceeded against, not for particular breaches 
of the peace, but as habitual disturbers of it, “communes perturbatores 
pacis in perturbationem totus dominit.” This, I presume, was the 
offence styled Barratry in the old law books. 
Both males and females were occasionally convicted of Haves- 
dropping, that is, “listening at windows at night, to hear the 
conversation going on within.” Night-walking, “ noctivagari,” 
was also treated as a serious offence. And as the public-houses 
were compelled to close at nine o’clock at night, all good subjects 
were of course expected to be asleep soon after that hour, and fined 
if they were found about. Indeed, it is stated in one accusation 
against a prisoner for assault, in the year 1429, as an aggra- 
vation of the offence, that it took place at nine o’clock at night, 
and had the effect of “disturbing and waking from their sleep, the 
tenants who lived in the neighbourhood.” Another singular and 
common offence was called “hole-creeping,”’ explained to mean the 
creeping into pig-styes, and geese or hen-houses—whether for 
shelter, or with the intention of stealing the swine or poultry, 
does not seem clear. 
Scandal seems to have been severely punished. In one case of 
the year 1570, John Brewer pleaded for damages to the extent of 
39s. 11d. against Nicholas Willes for using these words, viz., ‘‘ Thou, 
John Brewer, art a fals theff, and thou mayntenest theves in thi 
hous.” The Jury brought in a verdict of guilty, and awarded 
damages 26s. 8d. and for costs of Court 12s. 
The keeping of bad houses, or harbouring of dishonest women, 
was checked by frequent convictions and fines; as also habitual 
1 Sometimes this is a knife, as in the case of assault on the Parson by John 
Tailor. Sometimes it is a sword, a dagger, or an axe, (baselars), In several 
cases it was a candlestick! occasionally a stick ‘nullius valoris,” and, of course, 
sometimes the fist, “suo pugno,” which could not conveniently be forfeited to 
the Lord. 
x 2 
