NIHIL est adeo aut memoriæ insitum, aut infixum animo, quin intervallo temporis obscurari, sensimque sine sensu deleri possit. Proin necessarium plane est, ut si quid dignum nobis, posteris, literarum luce aliquando contingat, id (testi temporum, veritatis vitæ, nuncio vetustatis) scripto committatur, neque labili tantum mandetur memoriæ, quæ raro sive fidem liberat, sive fidelem acceptorum rationem reddit qua in re ætas hæc nostra succedentibus retro sæculis aliis est ingratissima; sæculum prius (hoc nostro minus felix) magis industrium, ad magnum tum ipsorum, tum nostri, tum posteritatis omnis emolumentum, fide & studio singulari, suorum temporum dicta & facta insignioris notæ omnia literis tradiderunt: nam ut missis cæteris in hoc uno insistam,

NOTHING is or can be so fixed in mind, or fastened in memory, but in short time is or may be loosened out of the one, and by little and little quite lost out of the other. It is therefore necessary that memorable things should be committed to writing, (the witness of times, the light and the life of truth,) and not wholly be taken to slippery memory, which seldom yieldeth a certain reckoning: and herein our present time is of all that ever was to future posterity the most ungrateful; for they of former (though not of such flourishing time) to the great benefit of themselves, of us, and our posterity, have faithfully and carefully registered in books, as well the sayings as the doings which were in their time worthy_of note and observation. For omitting others, and tak

ing one example for all, how carefully have those of our profession in former times reported to ages succeeding, the opinions, censures, and judgments of their reverend Judges and Sages of the common laws: which if they had silenced and not set forth in writing, certainly as their bodies in the bowels of the earth are long ago consumed, so had their grave opinions, censures, and judgments been with them long since wasted and worn away with the worm of oblivion: but we, as justly to be blamed, as the thing itself to be bewailed, having greater cause, are less careful, having better opportunity, are less occasioned, and being in greater necessity, are of all others the most negligent, whom neither the excellency and perfection of knowledge, a thing most pleasant, nor the practice thereof in furtherance of justice, a thing most profitable (although one great, learned and grave man hath made an entrance) can among so many in this flourishing spring-time of knowledge move any other to follow his example: the neglect whereof is, in my opinion, many ways dangerous; for I have often observed, that for want of a true and certain Report, the Case that hath been adjudged standing upon the

quam studiose nostri olim ordinis viri sententias, responsa, decreta reverendissimorum nostræ legis præstitum transcripserunt: quæ si

involvissent silentio, neque propalassent, certe eadem terra quæ jamdudum corpora, nomina item & judicia contexisset: verum o nos (sive conqueri de hoc, sive lugere potius debeamus) in causa graviore magis supinos; in majore necessitate minus solicitos, incommodiore opportunitate magis improvidos, quos neque eximia scientiæ perfectio, quæ est suavissima, neque ejus usus in administranda justitia, quæ est res utilissima, neque doctissimi pariter atque gravissimi viri exemplum, qui in hoc ipso studio non ita pridem præivit, viamque munivit, præsertim in hoc tanto literatorum numero, ipsoque bonarum literarum vere, movere potest. Atque hic quidem neglectus (mea sententia) multifariam est est periculosus: quandoquidem sæpius observavi causam aliquam judicum sententiis definitam, dum aut dubia aut mala fide ferebatur relationum errore, (eorum præsertim hominum qui quæstionis statum non intellexerunt,) quasi equuleo aliquo distentam, ita hinc atque illinc varie protrahi ac torqueri, at sæpenumero ipsius causæ membra & partes distortæ,

deartuatæ ac luxatæ, recta vero ratio & regula quæ movebat judices semper aut penitus neglecta aut non animadversa fuerit. Hinc orta sunt tot absurdarum opinionum monstra, quæ errore publico alta ac circumvecta, & gravissimis reverendissimisque legum judicibus imputata, sæpius apud hominum vulgus, aliquando etiam ab ipsis doctis ita recipiuntur, ut eorum judiciis sensibusque aut imponant aut illudant. Ut ergo non assentior iis, qui memoriam habent pro ærario, quod frustra quandoque depositum requirent urgente necessitate, ita neque illos probo, qui musæa vagis & incertis relationibus suffarciunt, quibus cito in errorum labyrinthum volentes & ultro inducentur. Certe quidem lectionem, auditionem, congressus, meditationem, recordationem, omnia hæc & singula fateor ad legum nostrarum cognitionem requiri, utpote quæ ex tot tamque infinitis prope particularibus consistit, verum ordinata in scribendo observatio & methodus, etiam cæteris omnibus est magis necessaria: est enim lectio sine auditione præter tædium obscura, sine lectione auditio lubrica & incerta neutra sine congressu, neque cum congressu utraque absque meditatione, & recordatione, neque omnia hæc sine

rack of many running Reports (especially of such as understood not the state of the question) hath been so diversely drawn out, as many times the true parts of the Case have been disordered and disjointed, and most commonly the right reason and rule of the judges utterly mistaken. Hereout have sprung many absurd and strange opinions, which being carried about in a common charm, and fathered on grave and reverend judges, many times with the multitude, and sometimes with the learned, receive such allowance, as either beguile or bedazzle their conceits and judgments. Therefore as I allow not of those that make memory their storehouse, for at their greatest need they shall want of their store; so I like not of those that stuff their studies with wandering and masterless Reports, for they shall find them soon to lead them to error. troth, reading, hearing, conference, meditation, and recordation, are necessary, I confess, to the knowledge of the common law, because it consisteth upon so many, and almost infinite particulars: but an orderly observation in writing is most requisite of them all; for reading without hearing is dark and irksome, and hearing without reading is

In

slippery and uncertain, neither of them truly yield seasonable fruit without conference, nor both of them with conference, without meditation and recordation, nor all of them together without due and orderly observation: Scribe sapientiam tempore vacuitatis tuæ,' saith Solomon. And yet he that at length by these means shall attain to be learned, when he shall leave them off quite for his gain, or his ease, soon shall he (I warrant him) lose a great part of his learning: therefore as I allow not to the student any discontinuance at all (for he shall lose more in a month than he shall recover in many) so do I commend perseverance to all, as to each of these means an inseparable incident. I have since the 22d year of her Majesty's reign, which is now twenty years complete, observed the true reasons, as near as I could, of such matters in law (wherein I was of counsel, and acquainted with the state of the question,) as have been adjudged upon great and mature deliberation; and as I never meant (as many have found) to keep them so secret for my own private use, as to deny the request of any friend to have either view or Copy of any of them: so till of late I never could be persuaded (as many can wit

justa & ordinata observatione ac methodo, tempestiVOS fructus proferunt: 'Scribe sapientiam tempore vacuitatis tuæ,' inquit Solom'. Et tamen qui ista tandem ratione doctus evaserit, siquidem penitus desueverit studiumque intermiserit sive otio, sive lucro deditus, audacter dico, magnam scientiæ partem, quam longo spatio acquisiverat, brevi est amissurus: et proinde sicut nullam studioso intermissionem totalem concedo, quia auferet unus mensis quod multi non restituent, ita perseverantiam ei imprimis commendo, quasi singulis hiisce mediis comitem individuum. Anni jam viginti & plus eo facti sunt a vicesimo secundo imperii serenissimæ nostræ Principis, ex quo observavi quantum potui veras earum actionum rationes (quarum præsertim pars fui & quæstionis statum intellexi) quæ matura deliberatione & judicio decisæ sunt, & ut nunquam animum induxi (id quod complures experti sunt) ita eas in privatos usus seponere, ut petitioni cujusquam hominis amici deessem, sive ut videret sive ut transcriberet, ita nunquam in hoc usque tempus persuaderi potui (testor qui me norunt omnes) sic eas ullis precibus divulgare, ut prelo committi paterer. Verum cum

cogitarem quomodo regia plane cura & prudenti electione principis nostræ, forensia judiciorum subsellia occupata sint & ornata viris sapientia & eruditione præstantibus (qui in florentissimo hoc felicissimi ipsius imperii vere munus illud sunt assequuti) adeo ut metuendum plane sit ne non preferat ætas subsequens quos substituat pares, attentavi præcipua quædam eorum judicia in lucem emittere (quantum per negotiosum hoc meum, si quod tamen sit omnino otium, licuerit) ad eorum memoriæ adjumentum qui ea audierunt, perfecteque cognoverunt, ad aliorum instructionem qui non cognoverunt, sed imperfecte audierunt, denique ad commune bonum (quod propositi nostri præcipuus scopus est) ut rata ac secura quies & status is comparetur, qui in generalibus hiisce quæstionibus de possessionibus antehac in magna opinionum varietate anxie disceptarunt. In hiis autem judiciorum relationibus, non unam de industria methodum observavi, quo in alia forte editione (siquidem ita Deo visum fuerit) illam deinceps sequar, quam a doctis probari intellexero: quin & sententiam subticebo meam, cum fieri possit ut eas relationes præponerem ipse, quæ sunt minus laboriosa,

compendiosæ

ness) to make them so publick, as by any entreaty to commit them to print: but when I considered how by her Majesty's princely care and choice, her Seats of Justice have been ever for the due execution of her laws, furnished with judges of such excellent knowledge and wisdom (whereunto they have attained in this fruitful spring-time of her blessed reign) as I fear that succeeding ages shall not afford successors equal unto them, I have adventured to publish certain of their resolutions (in such sort as my little leisure would permit) for the help of their memory who heard them, and perfectly knew them, for the instruction of others who knew them not, but imperfectly heard, of them; and lastly, for the common good, (for that is my chief purpose,) in quieting and establishing of the possessions of many in these general cases, wherein there hath been such variety of opinions. In these Reports I have (of purpose) not observed one method, to the end that in some other edition (if God so please) I may follow the form that the learned shall allow of, and will sequester my own opinion: for it may be I should prefer those Reports which are less painful, more compendious, and yet (perhaps) no less profitable. I have add