THE 



LEARNED READING 



OF 



MR. FRANCIS BACON, 



ONE OF HER MAJESTY S COUNCIL AT LAW, 

 UPON 



THE STATUTE OF USES. 



BEING 



HIS DOUBLE READING TO THE HONOURABLE SOCIETY 

 OF GRAY S INN. 42. ELIZ. 



I HAVE chosen to read upon the Statute of Uses, made 27 The introduo 

 H. VIII. ch. 10, a law whereupon the inheritances of this tion. 

 realm are tossed at this day, like a ship upon the sea, in 

 such sort, that it is hard to say which bark will sink, and 

 which will get to the haven ; that is to say, what assurances 

 will stand good, and what will not. Neither is this any Reason of writ- 

 lack or default in the pilots, the grave and learned judges ; ing this treatise. 

 but the tides and currents of received error, and unwar 

 ranted and abusive experience have been so strong, as they 

 were not able to keep a right course according to the law, 

 so as this statute is in great part as a law made in the par 

 liament, held 35 Reginse ; for, in 37 Reginse, by the notable 

 judgment given upon solemn arguments of all the judges 

 assembled in the exchequer chamber, in the famous case 

 between Dillon and Freine, concerning an assurance made 

 by Chudleigh, this law began to be reduced to a true and chudleigh s 

 sound exposition, and the false and perverted exposition, case, l Rep. 

 which had continued for so many years, but never counte- J 2 A*/ &amp;gt; 2ft&quot; * 



11 i ^ -j. f -i L i i * And. 314. 



nanced by any rule or authority 01 weight, but only enter 

 tained in a popular conceit, and put in practice at adven 

 ture, grew to be controled ; since which time (as it cometh 

 to pass always upon the first reforming of inveterate errors) 

 many doubts and perplexed questions have risen, which are 

 not yet resolved, nor the law thereupon settled : the consi- 



