442 A. D. 1285. 



fruftrated by the miftakes or wilful perverfions of the fherrifs, it was 

 now enaded, that debtors fhould acknowlege their debts before the 

 chief magiftrate or other fufficient perfon appointed by the king, and a 

 clerk alfo appointed by the king, in London and the other good towns ; 

 that the bill, written by the clerk, fhould be fealed and regiftered agree- 

 able to the former ad, e>:cept that the king's feal fhould be of two pieces, 

 whereof the largeft fliould remain with the magiftrate or perfon ading 

 for him, and the other with the clerk ; and each of them was directed 

 alfo to keep a duplicate of the enrollment. On failure of payment at 

 the day appointed, the magiftrate, if the debtor was a layman and with- 

 in his jurifdiftion, was to commit him to prifon, where he was to re- 

 main at his own expenfe till he made fatisfadion. If the debtor was 

 not within the jurifdidion of the magiftrate, the chancellor was to ad 

 agreeable to the former law. The debtor was allowed fix months after 

 his imprifonraent to raife money out of his property, failing which it 

 was to be delivered to the merchant at a reafonable extent (or valua- 

 tion) for payment of the debt, damages, cofts, labour, &c. The lands 

 and goods, but not the body, of a clergyman were liable for his debt *. 

 The regulations were alio extended to tranfadions in fairs, and the 

 king's feals were fent to a proper perfon in every fair. With refped to 

 the commonalty of the merchants of London, it was enaded, that two merch- 

 ants fhould be chofen and fworn, before whom the recognifances fhould 

 be taken, and the ieals lliould be opened, whereof one piece fliould re- 

 main with them, and the other with the clerk. This ordinance was in 

 force in England and Wales for the fervice of all perfons who chofe to 

 avail themfelves of it, except Jews. \_Stat. 3, 13 Edw. /.] 



The king, underftanding that Gregory de Rokefley and Henry Wa- 

 leys citizens of London f , and other merchants of England, Ireland, 

 Gafcoigne, and Wales, had made a pradice of obliging the barons of 

 the Cinque ports and the other feamen of the kingdom to pay average, 

 in cafes of goods thrown overboard in ftorms, upon articles which ought 

 to be exempted, ordained by his letters patent :j:, that the veflel with her 

 apparel, the provifions and cooking utenfils, the mafter's ring, necklace, 

 fafti, and filver cup, and alio the freight payable for the goods brought 

 into port, fliould be exempted from paying any average ; but that all 

 other things in the veflel, not excepting even the feamen's bedding, ftiould 

 be appraifed, and bear a proportion of the lofs incurred by throwing 

 any of the goods overboard for the prcfervation of the reft; and that 

 the mafter fliould not have any freight for the goods thrown overboard. 



• There it fome obfcurity, or relu£lance to f Both of them had frequently been mayors of 



touch upon the fubjcft, in the provilion for com- the city. 



pclhng clergymen to pay their debts. Perhaps % Tlic king took the advice of his council ; but 



theic was uo inllaocc of a clergyman afting dif- the parliament had no concern in enafting this 



Konettly. law. 



