raising up a nobility covetous of extensive estates and hereditary jurisdictions, which must in the long run cripple the ancient power of the king and the system of self-government which still subsisted among the people. The struggles of the English against their conquerors were after a short interval succeeded by a series of struggles between the Crown and the Barons, which began in the conspiracy of Ralph Guader and Roger son of William Fitz-Osbern, and continued until the nobility of the Conquest was nearly extinct. The reign of the Conqueror witnessed only the opening of this long contest, which had the effect in its turn of compelling the kings to foster every remnant of local independence amongst the English as a check on the rebellious and tyrannical policy of the great feudatories. But this did not prevent the rapid assimilation of the government, in its highest range, to the feudal model; which was the most prominent result of the Conquest, regarded in its constitutional aspect.

EXCERPTS.

A. D. 1066. WILL. PICTAV., Gesta Willelmi, ed. Maseres, p. 145. Die ordinationi decreto, elocutus ad Anglos condecenti sermone Eboracensis archiepiscopus, aequitatem valde amans, aevo maturus, sapiens, bonus, eloquens, an consentirent eum (Willelmum) sibi dominum coronari, inquisivit. Protestati sunt hilarem consensum universi minime haesitantes, ac si coelitus una mente data unaque voce. Anglorum voluntati quam facillime Normanni consonuerunt; sermocinato ad eos ac sententiam percunctato Constantini praesule. . . . Sic electum consecravit idem archiepiscopus, aeque sancta vita carus et inviolata fama, imposuit ei regium diadema ipsumque regio solio favente multorum praesentia praesulum et abbatum. . . .

FLOR. WIGORN. Consecratus est honorifice, prius, ut idem archipraesul ab eo exigebat, ante altare Sancti Petri Apostoli, coram clero et populo jurejurando promittens se velle sanctas Dei ecclesias ac rectores illarum defendere, necnon et cunctum populum sibi subjectum juste et regali providentia regere, rectam legem statuere et tenere, rapinas injustaque judicia penitus interdicere.

CHRON. SAX. And he came to Westminster and Archbishop Ealdred consecrated him king, and men paid him tribute, and delivered him hostages, and afterwards bought their land.

WILL. MALMESB., Gesta Regum, lib. iii. § 279. Convivia in praecipuis festivitatibus sumptuosa et magnifica inibat; Natale Domini apud Gloecestram, Pascha apud Wintoniam, Pentecosten apud Westmonasterium agens quotannis quibus in Anglia morari liceret: omnes eo cujuscunque professionis magnates regium edictum accersiebat, ut exterarum gentium legati speciem multitudinis apparatumque deliciarum mirarentur. . . . Quem morem convivandi primus successor obstinate tenuit, secundus omisit.

CHRON. SAX., A.D. 1087. Thrice he wore his crown every year, as often as he was in England; at Easter he wore it at Winchester; at Whitsuntide at Westminster; at Midwinter at Gloucester; and then were with him all the rich men over all England, archbishops and suffragan bishops, abbots and earls, thegns and knights.

R. HOVEDEN, Chronica, ii. 218. A.D. 1070. Willelmus rex, quarto anno regni sui, consilio baronum suorum, fecit summoneri per universos consulatus Angliae Anglos nobiles et sapientes et sua lege eruditos, ut eorum et jura et consuetudines ab ipsis audiret. Electi igitur de singulis totius patriae comitatibus viri duodecim jurejurando confirmaverunt primo ut quoad possent recto tramite, neque ad dextram neque ad sinistram partem devertentes, legum suarum consuetudinem et sancita patefacerent, nil praetermittentes, nil addentes, nil praevaricando mutantes.

FLOR. WIGORN., A.D. 1084. Rex Anglorum Willelmus de unaquaque hida per Angliam sex solidos accepit.

FLOR. WIGORN, A.D. 1086. Willelmus rex fecit describi omnem Angliam, quantum terrae quisque baronum suorum possidebat, quot feudatos milites, quot carrucas, quot villanos, quot animalia, immo quantum vivae pecuniae quisque possidebat in omni regno suo, a maximo usque ad minimum; et quantum redditus quaeque possessio reddere poterat et vexata est terra multis cladibus inde procedentibus. Et in hebdomada Pentecostes suum filium Heinricum apud Westmonasterium, ubi curiam suam tenuit, armis militaribus honoravit. Nec multo post mandavit ut archiepiscopi, episcopi, abbates, comites, barones, vicecomites, cum suis militibus, die Kalendarum Augustarum

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sibi occurrerent Searesbyriae: quo cum venissent, milites illorum sibi fidelitatem contra omnes homines jurare coegit.

CHRON. SAX., A. D. 1086. After that he went about so that he came at Lammas to Salisbury, and there came to him his witan, and all the landowning men of property there were over all England, whose soever men they were, and all bowed down to him and became his men, and swore oaths of fealty to him that they would be faithful to him against all other men.

ORDERIC. VITAL., lib. iv. c. 7. Ipsi vero regi, ut fertur, mille et sexaginta librae sterilensis monetae, solidique triginta et tres oboli, ex justis redditibus Angliae per singulos dies redduntur exceptis muneribus regiis et reatuum redemptionibus, aliisque multiplicibus negotiis quae regis aerarium quotidie adaugent; rex Willelmus omne regnum suum diligenter investigavit, et omnes fiscos ejus, sicut tempore Edwardi regis fuerunt, veraciter describi fecit. Terras autem militibus ita distribuit, et eorum ordines ita disposuit, ut Angliae regnum LX millia militum indesinenter haberet, ac ad imperium regis, prout ratio poposcerit, celeriter exhiberet.

EADMER, Hist. Nov., i. p. 6. Quaedam de eis quae nova per Angliam servari [Willelmus] constituit ponam...

1. Non ergo pati volebat quenquam in omni dominatione sua constitutum Romanae urbis pontificem pro apostolico, nisi se jubente, recipere, aut ejus litteras si primitus sibi ostensae non fuissent ullo pacto suscipere.

2. Primatem quoque regni sui, archiepiscopum dico Cantuariensem seu Dorobernensem, si coacto generali episcoporum concilio praesideret, non sinebat quicquam statuere aut prohibere nisi quae suae voluntati accommoda et a se primo essent ordinata.

3. Nulli nihilo minus episcoporum suorum concessum iri permittebat, ut aliquem de baronibus suis seu ministris, sive incesto sive adulterio sive aliquo capitali crimine denotatum, publice nisi ejus praecepto implacitaret, aut excommunicaret aut ulla ecclesiastici rigoris poena constringeret.

CHARTER OF WILLIAM I TO THE CITY OF LONDON.

Will'm kyng gret Will'm bisceop and Gosfreg portirefan and ealle pa burhwaru binnan Londone Frencisce and Englisce freondlice. and ic kyde eow pat ic wylle pat get beon eallra þæra

laga weorde pe gyt wæran on Eadwerdes dæge kynges. and ic wylle þæt ælc cyld beo his fæder yrfnume. æfter his fæderdæge. and ic nelle gepolian þat ænig man eow ænig wrang beode. God eow gehealde.

Translation.

William, king, greets William, bishop, and Gosfrith, portreeve, and all the burghers within London, French and English, friendly; and I do you to wit that I will that ye two be worthy of all the laws that ye were worthy of in King Edward's day. And I will that every child be his father's heir, after his father's day. And I will not endure that any man offer any wrong to you. God keep you.- (Liber Custumarum.)

STATUTES OF WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR.

The following short record, which is found in this, its earliest form, in the Textus Roffensis,' a manuscript written during the reign of Henry I, contains what is probably the sum and substance of all the legal enactments actually made by the Conqueror, independent of his confirmations of the earlier laws; they are probably the alterations or emendations referred to by Henry I in his charter, as made by his father in the laws of King Edward. The charter which follows is the important Act by which William divided the ecclesiastical from the secular jurisdiction over the clergy, in matters not strictly spiritual, which had of course always been treated, as they continued to be, by the bishops, in their own courts and councils.

Hic intimatur quid Willelmus Rex Anglorum cum principibus suis constituit post Conquisitionem Angliae.

1. In primis quod super omnia unum vellet Deum per totum regnum suum venerari, unam fidem Christi semper inviolatam custodiri, pacem et securitatem inter Anglos et Normannos servari.

2. Statuimus etiam ut omnis liber homo foedere et sacramento affirmet, quod infra et extra Angliam Willelmo regi fideles

esse volunt, terras et honorem illius omni fidelitate cum eo servare, et ante eum contra inimicos defendere.

3. Volo autem ut omnes homines quos mecum adduxi aut post me venerunt sint in pace mea et quiete. Et si quis de illis occisus fuerit, dominus ejus habeat infra quinque dies homicidam ejus si potuerit; sin autem, incipiat persolvere mihi xlvi. marcas argenti quamdiu substantia illius domini perduraverit. Ubi vero substantia defecerit, totus hundredus in quo occisio facta est communiter persolvat quod remanet.

4. Et omnis Francigena qui tempore regis Edwardi propinqui mei fuit in Anglia particeps consuetudinum Anglorum, quod ipsi dicunt onhlote et anscote, persolvatur secundum legem Anglorum. Hoc decretum sancitum est in civitate Claudia.

5. Interdicimus etiam ut nulla viva pecunia vendatur aut ematur nisi infra civitates, et hoc ante tres fideles testes; nec aliquam rem vetustam sine fidejussore et waranto. Quod si aliter fecerit, solvat et persolvat, et postea forisfacturam.

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6. Decretum est etiam ibi, ut, si Francigena appellaverit Anglum de perjurio aut murdro, furto, homicidio, ran, quod Angli dicunt apertam rapinam quae negari non potest, Anglus defendat per quod melius voluerit, aut judicio ferri aut duello. Si autem Anglus infirmus fuerit, inveniat alium qui pro eo faciat. Si quis eorum victus fuerit, emendet xl. solidos regi. Si Anglus Francigenam appellaverit et probare noluerit. judicio aut duello, volo tamen Francigenam purgare se sacra

mento non fracto.

7. Hoc quoque praecipio et volo, ut omnes habeant et teneant legem Edwardi regis in terris et in omnibus rebus, adauctis iis quae constitui ad utilitatem populi Anglorum.

8. Omnis homo qui voluerit se teneri pro libero sit in plegio, ut plegius teneat et habeat illum ad justitiam si quid offenderit. Et si quisquam talium evaserit, videant plegii ut simpliciter solvant quod calumniatum est, et purgent se quia in evaso nullam fraudem noverint. Requiratur hundredus et comitatus, sicut antecessores nostri statuerunt. Et qui juste venire deberent et venire noluerint, semel summoneantur; et si secundo venire noluerint, accipiatur unus bos, et summoneantur tertio. Et si non tertio venerint, accipiatur alius bos: quarta autem vice si non venerint, reddatur de rebus hominis illius qui venire noluerit quod calumniatum est, quod dicitur ceapgeld; et insuper forisfactura regis.

9. Ego prohibeo ut nullus vendat hominem extra patriam super plenam forisfacturam meam.

10. Interdico etiam ne quis occidatur aut suspendatur pro