Royal MS 20 A VIII

STATUTES (4 to 20 Edw. I) and law-treatises, including part of the treatise called Britton. In Latin, except where otherwise noted. Contents:-

1. The Second Statute of Westminster, 13 Edw. I [after Easter, 1285]; in Latin, except clause xxxiv which is in French, clause xlix being here omitted (see below, art. 4, and cf. Statutes of the Realm, i, p. 71). f. 1.

2. Form of agreement for the sale of corn. French. f. 20.

3. Table of headings to the above Statute of Westminster, followed by a commentary on the first six chapters. f. 21.

4. The same statute in French, both the doubtful clauses xxxiv and xlix being included. f. 23.

5. The part of the Statute of the Exchequer known as Districtiones Scaccarii, n. d. (see Stat. Realm, i, p. 197 b), but apparently ending with the words 'les nouns des plegg.' ('Explicit' following at the foot of the page and a leaf being lost after f. 41.) French. f. 41 b.

6. Statutum de respectu militum habendo, n. d. Ib. p. 229. Imperfect at the beginning. f. 42.

7. 'Articuli contra regiam prohibicionem, n. d.: the first half of the statute Circumspecte agatis (see next article), ending 'licet porrigatur'. f. 42.

8. 'Regie prohibiciones': second half of the same ordinance (14 Edw. I, ib. p. 101, cf. 9 A. II, art. 14, 11 A. VIII, art. 17). Beg. 'Sub qua forma laici'; ends 'prohibicione non obstante'. f. 42 b.

9. 'Hic demonstratur quot modis', &c.: the Modus calumpniandi essonia. Ib. p. 217. f. 43.

10. 'Dies communes in banco', including also Dies communes de dote. Ib. p. 208. f. 43.

11. 'Homage': Modus faciendi homagium et fidelitatem, in French. Ib. p. 227. f. 43 b.

12. 'Statutum de conspiratoribus', 20 Edw. I : Statute of Berwick or of Champertie [1291-1292] in French, with the provisions and writ in Latin. Ib. p. 216. f. 44.

13. 'Articuli querendi in visu franciplegii, n. d., in French. Ib. p. 246. f. 44 b.

14. 'Statutum mensure', n.d.: the paragraph called Compositio monetae, beg. 'Per discrecionem'. Ib. p. 200, note. f. 45.

15. 'Statutum Wintonie', here dated 8 Oct. in the sixth year 'del coronement' Edw. I [1280], but the correct date is 1285. Ib. p. 96. French. f. 45.

16. 'Statuta de bastardis': the treatise Summa bastardiae (see 9 A. VII, art. 36, 10 A. V, art. 20). f. 47.

17. Note 'Excepcio dicitur quatuor modis', &c. (see 10 A. V, art. 20) appended, with some other notes, to the preceding article. f. 51.

18. 'Statuta de bigamis' [4 Edw. I, after Michaelmas, 1276], the names of the bishops, &c., being omitted. Stat. Realm, i, p. 42. f. 51 b.

19. 'Gauelet', n. d. : the Statutum de gaveleto in London. Ib. p. 222. f. 52.

20. Fet assaver (see 9 A. VII, art. 35, 10 A. V, art. 24, &c.): treatise in French. Imperfect by tearing of. f. 55 and loss of a leaf after f. 60, and incomplete at the end, where several pages are left blank. Breaks off at the end of f. 61 recto 'tibi preceptum fuit'. f. 52 b.

21. Fragments (three leaves are lost after f. 62, one after f. 68) of the legal treatise known as Britton, see next article. This portion, written in the same hand as the articles preceding, apparently comprised the four chapters 1, 11, 30, 31 of bk. i (parts of chapters 1 and 31 being lost), and is complementary to the larger portion of the work contained in the next article; but which was first written is open to doubt. There is no title. French. f. 63.

22. 'Brutoun' (so page-heading, f. 74 b, &c.): the tract known as Britton (see 20 A. VII, art. 2), wanting the four chapters contained in art. 21, and also imperfect at the end from bk. iv, ch. 9 (De Atteynte, middle). The text of both these articles seems akin to Lansdowne MS. 575 (S of Nichols, who does not seem to have used this MS.). French. f. 69.

Vellum; ff. 163. 93/4 in. x 61/4 in. Early XIV cent. Gatherings of 8 leaves (iii⁴, xii⁷) lettered (artt.1-21) a-k, with catchwords. Art. 22 has a distinct system of signatures (i-xii), with catchwords. Sec. fol. 'heredes aut'. Initials flourished in blue and red. Scribbled names occur of 16th-17th cent. owners, Thomas Davis and John Davis ('coste him xxty d.'), both bakers, of Hereford (ff. 11, 19 b, 20 b, 45 b), and Robert Jones ('coste him ii.s; f. 8 b). Other names are Richard Fote (f. 43b), Barth. Edmondes of Hereford (f. 64), John ap Thomas of Webley [Weobley], co. Heref. (f. 62 b). On f. 61 b are scribbled verses (late 16th cent.):-

'When Cupid first i frunte shippe And loue-ded leid my will, Whith mani a wanton lepe and shipe I shailled paste my scell, And like a ricelles marilere I sanded on the sallow. It cam to paste ere I was ware Most ware the blake and wallow. Fa lance lido, Fa della dow.'

The MS. afterwards belonged to John Theyer, no. 168 (see ticket on last leaf) of Theyer sale-cat.; CMA. 6560.