THE USE OF THE LAW. 211 



court the sheriff, by a writ called an exigent, doth proclaim 

 men sued in courts above to render their bodies, or else 

 they be outlawed. 



This sheriff doth serve the king s writs of process, be The office of 

 they summons, attachments to compel men to answer to the sheriff - 

 the law, and all writs of execution of the law, according to 

 judgments of superior court, for taking of men s goods, 

 lands, or bodies, as the cause requireth. 



The hundred courts were most of them granted to reli- Hundred courts 

 gious men, noblemen, and others of great place. And also to JJ^J&quot;^^ 

 many men of good quality have attained by charter, and JJJntJk &quot; 

 some by usage, within manors of their own liberty, of keep 

 ing law days, and to use there justice appertaining to a 

 law day. 



Whosoever is lord of the hundred court is to appoint Lord of the 

 two hip h constables of the hundred, and also is to appoint nu . n(lred f a p- 



n iii -it i -i-i A point two high 



in every village a petty constable, with a tithing man to oons t a bles. 

 attend in his absence, and to be at his commandment when 

 he is present in all services of his office for his assistance. 



There have been by use and statute law (besides survey 

 ing of the pledges of freemen, and giving the oath of alle 

 giance, and making constables) many additions of powers 

 and authority given to the stewards of leets and law-days 

 to be put in ure in their courts ; as for example, they may 

 punish innkeepers, victuallers, bakers, butchers, poulterers, 

 fishmongers, and tradesmen of all sorts selling with under 

 weights or measures, or at excessive prices, or things un 

 wholesome, or ill made in deceit of the people. They may 

 punish those that do stop, straiten, or annoy the highways, 

 or do not, according to the provision enacted, repair or 

 amend them, or divert water courses, or destroy fry offish, Of what mat- 

 or use engines or nets to take deer, conies, pheasants, or ter ? the 7. &quot;V&quot; 

 partridges, or build pigeon houses, except he be lord of the and law -days/ 

 manor, or parson of the church. They may also take pre 

 sentment upon oath of the twelve sworn jury before them 

 of all felonies ; but they cannot try the malefactors, only 

 they must by indenture deliver over those presentments of 

 felony to the judges, when they come their circuits into 

 that county. All those courts before mentioned are in use, 

 and exercised as law at this day, concerning the sheriffs 

 law days and leets, and the offices of high constables, petty 

 constables, and tithing men ; howbeit, with some further 

 additions by statute laws, laying charge upon them for 

 taxation for poor, for soldiers, and the like, and dealing 

 without corruption, and the like. 



