THE USE OF THE LAW. 233 



seisin to a man, and to the heirs of his body ; this word 

 (body) making the entail may be demonstrated and re 

 strained to the males or females, heirs of their two bodies, 

 or of the body of either of them, or of the body of the 

 grandfather or father. 



Entails of lands began by a statute made in Edward the By the stat. of 

 First s time, by which also they are so much strengthened, W^- i-made 

 as that the tenant in tail could not put away the land from estates in tall 6 

 the heir by any act of conveyance or attainder, nor let it, were so 

 nor incumber it, longer than his own life. strengthened 



But the inconvenience thereof was great, for, by that nonforfeitable 

 means, the land being so sure tied upon the heir, as that by any attain- 

 his father could not put it from him, it made the son to be der&amp;lt; 

 disobedient, negligent, and wasteful, often marrying with- The r ? at m &quot; 



-Lj.ir.Li&amp;gt; i A i L i convenience 



out the fathers consent, and to grow insolent in vice, know- t hat ensued 

 ing that there could be no check of disinheriting him. It thereof, 

 also made the owners of the land less fearful to commit 

 murders, felonies, treasons, and manslaughters ; for that 

 they knew none of these acts could hurt the heir of his in 

 heritance. It hindered men that had entailed lands, that 

 they could not make the best of their lands by fine and im 

 provement, for that none upon so uncertain an estate, as for 

 term of his own life, would give him a fine of any value, 

 nor lay any great stock upon the land that might yield rent 

 improved. 



Lastly, those entails did defraud the crown and many The prejudice 

 subjects of their debts; for that the land was not liable th ? C J? W re : 

 longer than his own life time, which caused that the king ce 

 could not safely commit any office of account to such, 

 whose lands were entailed, nor other men trust them with 

 loan of money. 



These inconveniences were all remedied by acts of par 

 liament; as namely, by acts of parliament later than the The stat. 4 H. 

 acts of entails, made 4 H. VII. 32 H. VIII. A tenant in ? and 32 n.a. 

 tail may disinherit his son by a fine with proclamation, and i?Jl e ^ a 

 may, by that means also, make it subject to his debts and 

 sales. 



By a statute made, 26 H. VIII. a tenant in tail doth 26 H. 8. 

 forfeit his lands for treason ; and by another act of parlia- 32 H, a. 

 ment,32 H. VIII. he may make leases good against his heir 33 H. 8. 

 for twenty-one years, or three lives ; so that it be not of his 13 & . 39 Eliz. 

 chief houses, lands, or demesne, or any lease in reversion, ^^s two prl &quot; 

 nor less rent reserved than the tenants have paid most part lsS forfeit-l 

 of twenty-one years before, nor having any manner of dis- aljle for felony. 



charge for doing wastes and spoils: by a statute made 2 ; , N ^ e .f Cll(i 

 no IT T7Tir p , M i i i 1-11 able for the 



33 II. VIII. tenants of entailed lands are liable to the debts of the 



