vill3-第39章

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draws　distinctions　and　establishes　definitions　which　were　unknown　to　earlier　practice。　The　Leet　became　a　separate　institution　early　enough；　although　its　name　is　restricted　to　one　province　　Norfolk　　even　at　the　time　of　the　Hundred　Rolls。（20*）　The　foundation　of　the　court　was　laid　by　the　frank…pledge　system　and　the　necessity　of　keeping　it　in　working　order。　We　find　the　Leet　Court　sometimes　under　the　names　'Curia　Visus　franci　plegii；'　or　'Visus　de　borchtruning'；（21*）　and　it　appears　then　as　a　more　solemn　form　of　the　general　meeting。　It　is　held　usually　twice　a　year　to　register　all　the　male　population　from　twelve　years　upwards；　to　present　those　who　have　not　joined　the　tithings；　and　sometimes　to　elect　the　heads　or　representatives　of　these　divisions　　the　'Capitales　plegii；'（22*）　Sometimes　the　tithing　coincides　with　the　township；　is　formed　on　a　territorial　basis；　as　it　were；　so　that　we　may　find　a　village　called　a　tithing。（23*）　This　leads　to　the　inference；　that　the　grouping　into　tens　was　but　an　approximate　one；　and　this　view　is　further　supported　by　the　fact　that　we　hear　of　bodies　of　twelve　along　with　those　of　ten。（24*）　　　　　As　to　attending　the　meeting；　a　general　rule　was　enforced　to　that　effect；　that　the　peasantry　must　attend　in　person　and　not　by　reason　of　their　tenure。（25*）　But　as　it　was　out　of　the　question　to　drive　all　the　men　of　a　district　to　the　manorial　centres　on　such　days；　exceptions　of　different　kinds　are　frequent。（26*）　Besides　the　women　and　children；　the　personal　attendants　of　the　lord　get　exempted；　and　also　shepherds；　ploughboys。　and　men　engaged　in　driving　waggons　laden　with　corn。　Servants　and　aliens　were　considered　as　under　the　pledge　of　the　person　with　whom　they　were　staying。　　　　　The　aim　of　its　whole　arrangement　was　to　ensure　the　maintenance　of　peace；　and　therefore　everybody　was　bound　on　entering　the　tithing　to　swear；　not　only　that　he　would　keep　the　peace；　but　that　he　would　conceal　nothing　which　might　concern　the　peace。（27*）　It　is　natural　that　such　a　meeting　as　that　held　for　the　view　of　frank…pledge　should　begin　to　assume　police　duties　and　a　certain　criminal　jurisdiction。　Mr　Maitland　has　shown　how；　by　its　intimate　connexion　with　the　sheriff's　tourn；　the　institution　of　frank…pledge　was　made　to　serve　the　purpose　of　communal　accusation　in　the　time　of　Henry　II。　The　Assize　of　Clarendon　（1166）　gave　the　impulse　in　regard　to　the　Sheriff's　Court；　and　private　lords　followed　speedily　on　the　same　line；　although　they　could　not　copy　the　pattern　in　all　its　details；　and　the　system　of　double　presentment　described　by　Britton　and　Fleta　proved　too　cumbersome　for　their　small　courts　with　only　a　few　freeholders　on　them。　In　any　case　the　jurisdiction　of　the　Court　Leet　is　practically　formed　in　the　twelfth　century；　and　the　Quo　Warranto　inquiries　of　the　thirteenth　only　bring　out　its　distinctions　more　clearly。（28*）　　　　　The　questions　as　to　the　opposition　between　Court　Baron　and　Customary　Court　are　more　intricate　and　more　important。　Mr　Maitland　has　collected　a　good　deal　of　evidence　to　prove　that　the　division　did　not　exist　originally；　and　that　we　have　before　us　in　the　thirteenth　century　only　one　strictly　manorial　court；　the　'halimotum。'　I　may　say；　that　I　came　to　the　same　conclusion　myself　in　the　Russian　edition　of　the　present　work　quite　independently　of　his　argument。　Indeed　a　somewhat　intimate　acquaintance　with　the　early　Court　Rolls　must　necessarily　lead　to　this　doctrine。　If　some　distinctions　are　made；　they　touch　upon　a　difference　between　ordinary　meetings　and　those　which　were　held　under　exceptional　circumstances　and　attended　by　a　greater　number　of　Suitors　than　usual。　The　expression　'libera　curia'　which　meets　us　sometimes　in　the　documents　is　an　exact　parallel　with　that　of　'free　gallows；'　and　means　a　court　held　freely　by　the　lord　and　not　a　court　of　free　men。　Mr　Maitland　adds；　that　he　has　found　mention　of　a　court　of　villains　and　one　of　knights；　but　that　he　never　came　across　a　court　of　barons　in　the　sense　given　in　later　jurisprudence　to　the　term　'Court　Baron。'　Here　I　must　put　in　a　trifling　qualification　which　does　not　affect　his　main　position　in　the　least。　The　Introduction　to　the　Selden　Society's　second　volume；　which　is　our　greatest　authority　on　this　subject；　mentions　a　case　when　the　halimot　was　actually　divided　on　the　principle　laid　down　by　Coke　and　later　lawyers　generally。　I　mean　the　case　of　Steyning；　where　the　Abbot　holds　a　separate　court　for　free　tenants　and　another　for　his　villains。　The　instance　belongs　to　the　time　of　the　Edwards；　but　it　is　marked　as　an　innovation　and　a　bad　one。（29*）　It　shows；　however；　that　the　separation　of　the　courts　was　beginning　to　set　in。　The　Steyning　case　is　not　quite　an　isolated　one。　I　have　found　in　the　Hundred　Rolls　the　expression　Sockemanemot　to　designate　a　court　attended　by　free　sokemen；（30*）　and　it　may　be　suggested　that　the　formation　of　the　so…called　Court　Baron　may　have　been　facilitated　by　the　peculiar　constitution　and　customs　of　those　courts　where　the　unfree　element　was　almost　entirely　absent。　The　Danish　shires　and　Kent　could　not　but　exercise　a　certain　influence　on　the　adjoining　counties。　However　this　might　be；　the　general　rule　is；　undoubtedly；　that　no　division　is　admitted；　and　that　all　the　suitors　and　affairs　are　concentrated　in　the　one　manorial　court　　the　halimot。　　　　　It　met　generally　once　every　three　weeks；　but　it　happens　sometimes　that　it　is　called　together　without　a　definite　limit　of　time　at　the　pleasure　of　the　lord。（31*）　Cases　like　that　of　the　manors　of　the　Abbey　of　Ramsey；　in　which　the　courts　are　summoned　only　twice　a　year；　are　quite　exceptional；　and　in　the　instance　cited　the　fact　has　to　be　explained　by　the　existence　of　an　upper　court　for　these　estates；　the　court　of　the　honour　of　Broughton。（32*）　The　common　suitors　are　the　peasants　living　within　the　manor　　the　owners　of　holdings　in　the　fields　of　the　manor。　In　important　trials；　when　free　men　are　concerned；　or　when　a　thief　has　to　be　hanged；　suitors　are　called　in　from　abroad　　mostly　small　free　tenants　who　have　entered　into　an　agreement　about　a　certain　number　of　suits　to　the　court。（33*）　These　foreign　suitors　appear　once　every　six　weeks；　twice　a　year；　for　special　trials　upon　a　royal　writ；　for　the　hanging　of　thieves；（34*）　etc。　The　duty　of　attending　the　court　is　constantly　mentioned　in　the　documents。　It　involved　undoubtedly　great　hardships；　expense；　and　loss　of　time：　no　wonder　that　people　tried　to　exempt　themselves　from　it　as　much　as　possible。（35*）　Charters　relating　to　land　provide　for　all　manner　of　cases　relating　to　suit　of　court。　We　find　it　said；　for　instance；　that　a　tenant　must　make　his　appearance　on　the　next　day　after　getting　his　summons；　even　if　it　was　brought　to　him　at　midnight。（36*）　When　a　holding　was　divided　into　several　parts；　the　most　common　thing　was　that　one　suit　remained　due　from　the　whole。（37*）　All　these　details　are　by　no　means　without　importance；　because　they　show　that　fiscal　reasons　had　as　much　to　do　with　the　arrangement　of　these　meetings　as　real　interests：　every　court　gave　rise　to　a　number　of　fines　from　suitors　who　had　made　default。　　　　　The　procedure　of　the　halimot　was　ruled　by　ancient　custom。　All　foreign　elements　in　the　shape　of　advocates　or　professional　pleaders　were　excluded。　Such　people；　we　are　told　by　the　manorial　instructions；　breed　litigation　and　dead…letter　formalism；　whereas　trials　ought　to　be　conducted　and　judged　according　to　their　substance。（38*）　Another　ceremonial　peculiarity　of　some　interest　concerns　the　place　where　manorial　courts　are　held。　It　is　certain　that　the　ancient　gem髏s　were　held　in　the　open　air；　as　Mr　Gomme　shows　in　his　book　on　early　folk…mots。　And　we　see　a　survival　of　the　custom　in　the　meeting　which　used　to　be　held　by　the　socmen　of　Stoneleigh　on　Motstowehill。（39*）　But　in　the　feudal　period　the　right　place　to　hold　the　court　was　the　manorial　hall。　We　find　indeed　that　the　four　walls　of　this　room　are　considered　as　the　formal　limit　of　the　court；　so　that　a　man　who　has　stept　within　them　and　has　then　gone　off　without　sufficient　reason　is　charged　with　contempt　of　court。（40*）　Indeed；　the　very　name　of　'halimot'　can　hardly　be　explained　otherwise　than　as　the　moot　held　in　the　hall。（41*）　The　point　is　of　some　interest；　because　the　hall　is　not　regarded　as　a　purely　material　contrivance　for　keeping　people　protected　against　the　cold　and　the　rain；　but　appears　in　close