THE OFFICE OF SENESCHAL 95 



what default it died. For, from want of guard, a horse or 

 aver may perish in many ways — by running to the mares, 

 or be drowned by falling into ditches or water, or be hurt 

 in some other way ; or the loaded cart may overturn and 

 hurt the horse, or the driver may put out its eye or break 

 its leg or thigh, whereby the horse or the aver is lost. And 

 so with oxen, and cows, and all other beasts. 



The wethers and ewes and hogs, by want of guard, may 

 be killed or hurt by dogs or stolen ; and the wethers and 

 ewes may struggle and be strangled, and then the keepers 

 shall say that they died by violence, or they may be sold 

 and killed, for although it is a chance for this it is 

 good to have an inspection, for one can quickly know 

 a fresh carcase and a fresh skin. And if the shepherd can 

 acquit himself, before one who knows little, of ten carcases 

 or twenty oxen stolen or taken in the way mentioned, by 

 returning the skins, he has a good bargain. 



And the bailiff ought, after shearing, to cause all the skins 

 of all the sheep killed in the larder or dead of murrain to be 

 brought before him, and then he can see how many are fresh 

 and which are flayn without leave and inspection ; and then 

 he must see that all the skins of the sheep are of one mark 

 and that the wool and the skins match, and that the skins 

 be not changed or bought, and then sell the skins with the 

 wool. And the wool ought to be sold by sack or by fleece, 

 according as he shall see there is the greatest profit and 

 advantage. And if he sell by sack, each sack shall weigh 

 xxx stone of wool by touch, or xxviij stone by stone and 

 balance, well weighed by the right stone of twelve pounds. 

 And the bailiff, or some one in whom he trusts, should be 

 every year at the selling and tithing of the lambs and at 

 the tithing of the wool and skins, because of fraud. 



The bailiff ought, in August, to see and command 



