warrens without warrant, and likewise who have had such chaces and warrens from of old by grant of the King, and have exceeded the bounds and metes thereof, and from what time.
Also what lords or their stewards or bailiffs whosoever or also the ministers of the lord the King have not suffered execution of the commands of the lord the King to be made, or also have contemned to do them or in any wise hindered them from being done, from the time of the constitutions made at Marlborough in the 52nd year of the reign of the lord King Henry, father of the King that now is.
Again, touching all purprestures[74] whatsoever made upon the King or the royal dignity, by whom they have been made, how, and from what time.
Touching knights' fees of every fee soever, and land or tenements given or sold to religious or others to the prejudice of the King, and by whom, and from what time.
Touching sheriffs taking gifts for consenting to conceal felonies done in their bailiwicks, or who have been negligent in attaching such felons by any favour, as well within liberties as without; and in like manner touching clerks and other bailiffs of sheriffs, touching coroners and their clerks and bailiffs whomsoever, who have so done in the time of the lord King Henry after the battle of Evesham, and in the time of the lord the King that now is.
Touching sheriffs and bailiffs whomsoever taking gifts for removing recognitors from assizes and juries, and from what time.
Again, touching sheriffs and bailiffs whomsoever who have amerced for default those who were summoned to inquisitions made by command of the lord the King, when by the same summons sufficient persons came to make such inquisitions, and how much and from whom they have taken for the cause aforesaid, and at what time.
Again, touching sheriffs who have delivered to bailiffs, extortionate and burdensome to the people beyond measure, hundreds, wapentakes or ridings at high farms, that so they might raise their farms; and who were those bailiffs and on whom such damages were inflicted, and at what time.
Again, when sheriffs ought not to make their tourn save twice a year, who have made their tourn more often in a year, and from what time.
Again, when fines for redisseisin or for purprestures made by land or water, for hiding of treasure and for other such things, pertain to the lord the King, and sheriffs ought to attach the same, who have taken such fines, and from whom and how much.
Again, who by the power of their office have troubled any maliciously and hereby extorted lands, rent or other payments, and from what time.
Who have received command of the lord the King to pay his debts and have received from the creditors any portion for paying them the residue, and nevertheless have caused the whole to be allowed them in the Exchequer or elsewhere, and from what time.
Who have received the King's debts or part of his debts and have not acquitted the debtors, as well in the time of the lord King Henry as in the time of the lord the King that now is.
Who have summoned any to be made knights and have received bribes from them to have respite, and how much and at what time. And if any great men or others without the King's command have distrained any to take up arms, and at what time.
Again, if any sheriffs or bailiffs of any liberty soever have not made summons in due manner according to the form of the writ of the lord the King, or have otherwise fraudulently or insufficiently executed the royal commands through prayer, price or favour, and at what time.
Again, touching those who have had approvers[75] imprisoned and have caused them to appeal[76] loyal and innocent persons for the sake of gain, and sometimes have hindered them from appealing guilty persons, and from what time.
Again, who have had felons imprisoned and permitted them for money to depart and escape from prison free and unpunished, and who have extorted money for dismissing prisoners by plevin,[77] when they have been replevied, and from what time.
Again, who have received any gifts or bribes for exercising or not exercising or executing their offices, or have executed the same or exceeded the limits of the King's command otherwise than pertained to their office, and at what time.
And let all these things be enquired of, as well in the case of sheriffs, coroners, their clerks and bailiffs whomsoever, as in the case of lords and bailiffs of liberties whatsoever.
Again, what sheriffs or keepers of castles or manors of the lord the King, for any [works], or also what surveyors of such works wheresoever made by the King's command, have accounted for a greater sum in the same than they have reasonably spent and hereupon have procured false allowances to be made to them. And likewise who have retained or moved away to their own use stone, timber or other things bought or purveyed for such works, and what and how much damage the lord the King has had thence, and at what time.
Touching escheators and subescheators, during the lord the King's seisin, doing waste or destruction in woods, parks, fishponds, warrens within the wardships committed to them by the lord the King, how much, and in the case of whom, and in what manner and at what time.
Again, touching the same, if by reason of such seisin they have unjustly taken goods of deceased persons or of heirs into the hand of the lord the King, until they were redeemed by the same, and what, and how much they have so taken for such redemption and what they have retained thereof to their own use, and at what time.
Again, touching the same, who have taken gifts from any for executing or not executing their office, how much and from whom and at what time.
Again, touching the same, who have insufficiently extended[78] the lands of any man for favour to him or another to whom the wardship of those lands should be given, sold or granted, to the deception of the lord the King, and where and in what manner, and if they have taken anything therefor, and how much, and at what time.[79]
[69] Geoffrey Fitz Peter, justiciar of England, 1198–1213.
[70] It was to writs of this nature that the barons objected. Cf. Magna Carta, 34. "The writ called Precipe shall not hereafter be issued to any one touching any tenement, whereby a freeman may lose his court." It illustrates the method by which the King stole from the barons the administration of justice.
[71] Printed in Fœdera, I., ii., 517.
[72] The recovery of goods equivalent in value to goods wrongfully seized by way of distraint.
[73] For a curious instance of this liberty, see No. 22.
[74] Encroachments.
[75] A criminal who turns King's evidence.
