XII. Carta Ranulphi Comitis de xx. solidis.

ANULPHUS comes Cestrie, Cöstab. suo et dapifero Justic. vicecomiti, baronib} et balliuis suis et omib} hominib} et amicis suis salutë. Sciatis me p Dei amore et p salute

wheresoeuer hee may appoint, so likewise it is as general! an opinion of the contrarie part that no other person can make a forest hut the King onely, and such as are especially authorized by him so to doe, because the King hath that Soueraigntie and royall prerogatiue reserued to himself onely."—Manwood.

* Sakerborh is as a pledge to sue, one that puts in surety for another. — Spelm. Glossary. It occurs in the grant of Randle de Blundeville to his barons of Cheshire, "seil. quod unusquisque eorum curiam suam habeat liberam de omnibus placitis et querelis in curia mea motis, exceptis placitis ad gladium mcum pertinent ¡bus ; et quod si quis hominum suorum pro aliquo delicto captus fuerit per dominium suum sine redemptione replegietur ita quod dominus suus eum pcrducat ad tres comitatus ct eum quietum reducat nisi sacraber sequatur." The grant itself owes its import ance to the stringent enactments of the forest laws. According to Manwood the law was, that " if any deere be found dead or wounded, there shalbe an inquisition made by foure of the next villages to the forest, which shalbo written in the roll, the finder shalbe put by vj. pledges, and the flesh shalbe sent to a spittle house if there bee any nigh." The effect of the grant appears to be, that no monk or servant of the Abbey should be molested in such a case, unless the complainer gave security to substantiate his accusation. Most probably this would operate as a complete pro hibition of such complaints.

rtt. De ¿tañí a lu е, etc. 13

anime mee et ànimaru antecessoru meoru et successoru meoru cöces- sisse et dedisse et presenti carta mea cöfirmasse Deo et beate Marie et Abbathie de Stanl. et monachis ibidem Deo seruiëtib} in purä et ppetuä elemosynä xx solidos añuos in vicecomitatu meo de Cestria sine dilatione vel retenemëto, pcipiend vigil. Natalis dñi p. manu vicecomitis mei, quicüq. sit vicecomes, nullo alio precepto inde expectato, quousq. eis alibi melius puiderim in terra vel in alio beneficio. Häc autë elemosynä warätizabimus ego et heredes mei im- ppetuu predicte abbathie et monachis. Hijs testib} Rogö de Lascy constab. Cestrie, Pho de Orreby Justic. Cestrie, Hug. et Henr. Dis pens., Petro clico de Cestrie, Hug. et Galfr. de Dutton, Rogö et Willo de Menilwarin, Joscerano de Hellesby, Rico de Kyngesl. et multis alijs.