THE RULES OF S. ROBERT 127 



you nor any of your bailiffs under you in any way, by 

 unlawful exactions, or fear, or accusations, or receipt of pre- 

 sents or gifts, vex or hurt or ruin those who hold of me — 

 rich or poor ; and if in any of these said ways they are by 

 anyone vexed, hurt, or ruined, by fixed inquest which I 

 will that you make in your eyre wherever it can be attained, 

 quickly make amendment and redress.' 



The fourth rule teaches how a lord or lady can 

 further examine into their estate, that is to say, 

 how he or she can live yearly of their own. 



In two ways by calculation can you inquire your estate. 

 First this, command strictly that in each place at the lead- 

 ing of your corn there be thrown in a measure at the 

 entrance to the grange the eighth sheaf of each kind of 

 corn, and let it be threshed and measured by itself. And 

 by calculating from that measure you can calculate all the 

 rest in the grange. And in doing this I advise you to send 

 to the best manors of your lands those of your household 

 in whom you place most confidence to be present in August 

 at the leading in of the corn, and to guard it as is aforesaid. 

 And if this does not please you, do it in this way. Com- 

 mand your seneschal that every year at Michaelmas he 

 cause all the stacks of each kind of corn, within the grange 

 and without, to be valued by prudent, faithful, and capable 

 men, how many quarters there may be, and then how many 

 quarters will be taken for seed and servants on the land, and 

 then of the whole amount, and of what remains over and 

 above the land and the servants, set the sum in writing, 

 and according to that assign the expenses of your house- 

 hold in bread and ale. Also see how many quarters of 

 corn you will spend in a week in dispensable bread, how 

 much in alms. That is if you spend two quarters a day, 

 that is fourteen quarters a week, that is seven hundred and 

 fourteen quarters a year. And if to increase your alms you 

 spend two quarters and a half every day, that is seventeen 



