THE OFFICE OF ALIEXATIONS. 371 



that preferred the recognitions of final concords taken in 

 their circuit ; and the masters of the chancery were often 

 overtaken by the fraud of solicitors and attorneys, that fol 

 lowed their clients causes here at Westminster; and, on 

 the other side, light and lewd persons, especially, that the 

 exactor of the oath did neither use exhortation, nor examin 

 ing of them for taking thereof, were as easily suborned to 

 make an affidavit for money, as post-horses and hackneys 

 are taken to hire in Canterbury and Dover way ; insomuch 

 that it was usual for him that dwelt in Southwark, Shore- 

 ditch, or Tothill Street, to depose the yearly rent or valua 

 tion of lands lying in the north, the west, or other remote 

 part of the realm, where either he never was at all, or whence 

 he came so young, that little could he tell what the matter 

 meaned. And thus consuetudinem peccandi fecit multitudo 

 peccantium. For the removing of which corruption, and of 

 some others whereof I have long since particularly heard, 

 it was thought good that the justice of assize should be en 

 treated to have a more vigilant eye upon their clerks writ 

 ing ; and that one special master of the chancery should be 

 appointed to reside in this office, and to take the oaths con 

 cerning the matters that come hither ; who might not only 

 reject such as for just causes were unmeet to be sworn, but 

 might also instruct and admonish in the weight of an oath, 

 those others that are fit to pass and perform it ; and foras 

 much as thereby it must needs fall out very often, that either 

 there was no man ready and at hand that could, with know 

 ledge and good conscience, undertake the oath, or else, that 

 such honest persons as were present, and did right well 

 know the yearly value of the lands, would rather choose and 

 agree to pay a reasonable fine without any oath, than to ad 

 venture the uttermost, which, by the taking of their oath, 

 must come to light and discovery. It was also provided, 

 that the fermour, and the deputies, should have power to 

 treat, compound, and agree with such, and so not exact any 

 oath at all of them. 



How much this sort of finance hath been increased by 

 this new device, I will reserve, as I have already plotted it, 

 for the last part of this discourse : but in the mean while I 

 am to note first, that the fear of common perj ury, growing 

 by a daily and over-usual acquaintance with an oath, by 

 little and little raiseth out that most reverend and religious 

 opinion thereof, which ought to be planted in our hearts, is 

 hereby for a great part cut off and clean removed : then that 

 the subject yieldeth little or nothing more now than he did 



