Add MS 5761

LEGAL TRACTS; late 13th-early 14th cent. Latin and French. Origin: England. For current bibliographical information on many of these texts see Baker and Ringrose (1996), which has an index of manuscripts. A number of the tracts also appear in Add. 5762. Contemporary marginalia throughout. Possibly belonged, late 15th-early 16th cent., to a branch of the Lucy family: a sketch of a shield with the Lucy arms occurs, f. 1v. Other material, probably relating to provenance, also in late 15th-early 16th cent. hands, is excised on f. 1v. References to 'Gatesby' and 'Gatessbye', in co. Hunt., to Thomas Hunt of 'Esteham', co. Hunt., and to John Ruddyng, occur in 16th cent. hands (f. 140v). Belonged, 16th cent. to: (a) John Boulte. ff. 29, 80v, 114v;- (b) Mistress Porter. f. 100v. The following names also occur in 16th cent. hands: Francys Boulte. f. 140;- Robert Porter. f. 32;- Thomas Porter. ff. 31v, 134v;- John Baker, of 'Bele'. f. 84v. Owned, 18th cent., by Edward Umfreville, coroner of Middlesex (d.1786), whose signature appears, f. 2. The manuscript is not identifiable in Umfreville's sale catalogues of 1758 and 1792. Marginals occur in an 18th cent. hand that also appears in Add. 5762 (see Add. 5761, f. 76v, 5762, f. 38). Purchased in Nov. 1800 at the same time as Add. 5762. See Add. 5015, f. 146v.

Vellum; ff. 140. Sec. fol. 'Rex vicecomitem salutem. Precipe'. 235 x 140mm. Gatherings: i10(lacks 10), ii-xi8(ix lacks 7), xii6, xiii10, xiv4, xv-xviii8. Catchwords, ff. 9v, 41v. Single columns. The following articles begin on a fresh quire: art. 1 (quires i-ix);- art. 2 (quire x);- art. 3 (quires xi-xii);- art. 4 (quire xiii);- art. 10 (quire xv). Single columns. One documentary cursive script throughout. Initials in red and blue. Initial and border in red, blue and gold, f. 2.

Contents:

1. ff. 2-71v. Registrum brevium, beg. with 'de recto' and ending with 'de ingressu'. Latin. Apparently compiled late in the reign of Edward I, see

f. 64v, and references to the statutes of Winchester and Merchants (ff. 31v, 57). See also Add. 5762, art. 1. The text is printed from MSS. including Cotton Julius D. II and Add. 35179, in Early Registers of Writs, ed. E. de Haas and G. D. G. Hall, Selden Soc., 87 (1970), where all known MSS. are listed. See also F. W. Maitland, 'The history of the register of original writs', Harvard Law Review, iii (1889-1890), pp. 97-225 passim (repr. in his Collected Papers, ii (1911), pp. 110-173).

2. ff. 73-80v. 'Fet Asaver', a tract on procedure, attributed to Ralph de Hengham (d.1311). French. Beg. 'Fait asauer al comensement de chescun plai'. See Add. 5762, art. 2 and 6061, art. 2. Printed, with a list of known manuscripts, from versions including Egerton 656, in G. E. Woodbine, ed., Four Thirteenth Century Law Tracts (1910), pp. 2-3, 53-115. See also Add. 38821, ff. 96v-106.

3. ff. 81-94v. 'Summa Magna' and 'Summa Parva' of Ralph de Hengham. Latin. For a modern edition of both tracts see W. H. Dunham, Radulphi de Hengham Summae (1932), where manuscripts of the text and printed editions are fully listed. See Add. 5762, articles 3, 7, and 6061, articles 3, 6. (a) 'Summa Magna'. Beg. 'Patet ordo placitandi'. ff. 81-90v;- (b) 'Summa Parva'. Beg. 'Notandum quod quinque sunt essonia'. ff. 90v-94v.

4. ff. 95-99. 'Judicium Essoniorum', attributed to Ralph de Hengham. Latin. Beg. 'Primum capitulum de difficultate essoniorum'. Compiled circa 1267-1275, see Woodbine, op. cit., p. 28. Printed, with a list of MSS., from versions including Stowe 386, in Woodbine, pp. 2, 116-142. The text in the present MS. is longer than that in the printed version. See also Add. 5762, art. 5, 5924, f. 53v (fragment), 6061, art. 4 and Add. 38821, ff. 106-110

(a French version).

5. ff. 99-100. Treatise on the action 'Quo warranto'. Latin. Beg. 'Verum domino Regis competat'.

6. f. 100v. 'Quot modis essonia sunt calumpnianda'. Latin. Beg. 'Non iacet essonia quia terra'. Printed fromn Harley 395 in Statutes of the Realm, i,

pp. 217-218. See Add. 5762, art. 6.

7. f. 100v. Memoranda on essoins. French. Beg. 'Nota qe v choses couent auer generalement'.

8. ff. 101-103. On distraint. Latin. Beg. 'Detentio namii pro districcione'.

9. ff. 103-108v. 'Natura brevium'. French. Beg. 'Le bref de nouele disseisine'. The tract first printed under the title Natura Brevium in 1494 is very different from the present version.

10. ff. 109-111. 'Modus Componendi Brevia', ascribed to Ralph de Hengham. Latin. Beg. 'Cum sit necessarium'. Compiled after 1285, see Woodbine, op. cit., p. 38. Printed, with a list of MSS., from Add. 32085 among other versions, in Woodbine, pp. 2, 143-162. The present text is shorter than the printed versions and ends 'illa fuerit disseisitus'. See art. 22 below, Add. 5762, art. 8 and 6061, art. 7.

11. ff. 111-112v. 'Exceptiones ad Cassandum Brevia', ascribed to Ralph de Hengham. French. Beg. 'Cum exception pur bref abatre'. Compiled after 1285, probably as the second part of 'Modus Componendi Brevia' (art. 10 above), see Woodbine, op. cit., p. 38-50. Printed, with a list of MSS., from Harley 395, 667 and 748 in Woodbine, pp. 2, 163-183. See also Add. 6061, art. 8.

12. ff. 113-116. 'Narrationes brevium'. Latin. Beg. 'In brevi expressivo recti'. See Add. 5762, art. 12, 5924, art. 2, 6061, art. 10, Harley 1208, ff. 133-139 and Stowe 386, ff. 55-57.

13. ff. 116-119v. 'Exceptiones contra narrationes brevium'. Latin. Beg. 'Finitis articulis in narrationibus . . . Potest obiti contra breve'. See Add. 5762, art. 13, where the order of material differs slightly from the present version, Add. 5924, art. 2, 6061, art. 10, and Harley 1208, ff. 125v-133.

14. ff. 119v-121v. 'Summa docens modis datur assisa'. Latin. Beg. 'De hiis datur assisa . . . Fossato levato'.

15. ff. 121v-125. 'Cadit Assisa'. Latin. Beg. 'Cadit assisa si petatur'. Preceded by form of writ. Other copies include Add. 5762, art. 4 and Royal 9 A.VII, ff. 205v-213.

16. ff. 125v-126. 'Officium Coronatoris'. Latin. Beg. 'Hec sunt inquirenda a Coronatore'. Printed from Harley 667 in Statutes of the Realm, i, pp. 40-41.

17. ff. 126-128v. 'Capitula itineris', etc. (a) Statute for oaths of King's officers in the Eyre. Latin and French. Beg. 'Principium itineris justiciis circa sacramentum'. Printed, ibid., i, p. 232, from the Liber Horn at the Corporation of London Record Office. ff. 126-126v;- (b) 'Capitula itineris'. Latin. Printed, ibid., i, pp. 233-238, from the Liber Custumarum at the Corporation of London Record Office. As follows: 'Vetera capitula corone'. Beg. 'De veteribus placitis corone'. ff. 126v-127v;- 'Nova capitula corone'. Beg. 'Quot et que maneria'. ff. 127v-128v.

18. ff. 128v-129. 'Extenta maneria'. Latin. Beg. 'Inquirendum est de castris'. Printed, ibid., i, pp. 242-243, from the Liber Horn at the Corporation of London Record Office.

19. ff. 129-132v. Assize of the forest, with associated writs. Latin. For a similar collection see Harley 1208, ff. 106-112. (a) Writ 'de regardo'.

f. 129;- (b) 'Vetera capitula foreste'. Beg. 'Videnda sunt assarta in foresta'. f. 129v;- (c) 'Nova capitula foreste'. Beg. 'Inquiratur que purpresture'.

ff. 130-131;- (d) Writs for the forest iter of Walter Scammel, Dean of Salisbury, and Matthew de Columbario; 1277. See CPR 1272-1281,

pp. 192, 237. ff. 131-131v;- (e) Assize of Woodstock; 1184. Printed in

W. Stubbs, Select Charters . . ., 9th ed., pp. 186-188. ff. 131v-132;-

(f) Customs and assize of the forest; 6? Edward I (1277-1278). Beg. 'Si quis forestarius'. Continues without a break after (e) above. Ends. 'in exitu porcorum'. Printed from Lansdowne 480 in Statutes of the Realm, i,

pp. 243-245, where the text is longer. ff. 132-132v.

20. ff. 132v-136v. 'Expositio carte'. Latin. Beg. 'Per que verba sit donacio'.

21. ff. 136v-138v. 'Summa Bastardie'. Latin. Beg. 'Nota quod si bastardus se clamando'. Other copies include Add. 5762, art. 9 and Royal MS. 9 A.VII, ff. 165-171.

22. ff. 138v-140. French version of the 'Modus Componendi Brevia'. Beg. 'Cum meister il soit'. See art. 10 above.