COMMISSION FOR THE VERGE. 87 



for the king s servants and household, ought in the 

 execution of justice to be exemplary unto other 

 places. David said, who was a king, &quot; The wicked 

 &quot; man shall not abide in my house ;&quot; as taking know 

 ledge that it was impossible for kings to extend their 

 care, to banish wickedness over all their land or em 

 pire ; but yet at least they ought to undertake to 

 God for their house. 



We see further, that the law doth so esteem the 

 dignity of the king s settled mansion-house, as it 

 hath laid unto it a plot of twelve miles round, which 

 we call the verge, to be subject to a special and 

 exempted jurisdiction depending upon his person 

 and great officers. This is as a half-pace or carpet 

 spread about the king s chair of estate, which there 

 fore ought to be cleared and voided more than other 

 places of the kingdom ; for if offences should be 

 shrouded under the king s wings, what hope is there 

 of discipline and good justice in more remote parts ? 

 We see the sun, when it is at the brightest, there 

 may be perhaps a bank of clouds in the north, or the 

 west, or remote regions, but near his body few or 

 none ; for where the king cometh, there should 

 come peace and order, and an awe and reverence in 

 mens hearts. 



And this jurisdiction was in ancient time exe 

 cuted, and since by statute ratified, by the lord 

 steward with great ceremony, in the nature of a 

 peculiar king s bench for the verge ; for it was 

 thought a kind of eclipsing to the king s honour, 

 that where the king was, any justice should be 



