PROCEEDINGS BEFORE THE JUSTICES 67 



ally from each hundred/ who are to do whatever shall 

 be enjoined upon them to do ; constables and sub-con- 

 stables are frequently included in this summons.^ Next, 

 at the appointed day and place, in the presence of the 

 justices, the sheriff replies that he has executed the writ, 

 and that the jurors are present ; ^ then either the whole 

 number, or in some cases twelve, are sworn by the jus- 

 tices '' and charged to inquire into all cases of infringe- 

 ment of the law, while the constables are charged to per- 

 form the duties assigned to them by the statute. ^ For 

 both a day is named on which they are to make their 

 presentments and render their reports, or suffer a penalty 

 for neglect.^ 



The actual work of the session may be said to begin 

 when the constables and the juries of indictm.ent from 

 each district^ make their presentments under oath; usu- 

 ally to the effect that such and such individuals, perhaps 

 a long list, are guilty of specific offences against the stat- 

 utes. It sometimes happens in the case of such indict- 

 ments, most frequently perhaps in those brought by the 



'Other districts are wapentake, 161; burg, 204; city, 173: "villa," 

 161; " villata," 181. 



-173; 221. 



•'He is sometimes forced to distrain the jurors to appear; 221-222. 



' 199, and 222. 



•'^222. In Cornwall the "decenna" and the " decennarii " have the 

 brunt of the task of making presentments; 150-151. 



® In one instance where the jurors fail to report on the day assigned 

 they are told that the penalty of 40 s. will be inflicted if there should be 

 any further delay; 222-223. 



' If the justices are holding their sessions in various places within the 

 county during the same year, in each place the presentments are made 

 from the neighboring hundreds or towns only; cf. e. g., 181. In two 

 of the Wiltshire rolls there is a double set of proceedings, i. e. before 

 deputies and before justices; 228-229. 



