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The Constitution’s Deep Roots
after the same manner, saving to him his wainage, if he falls under our
mercy; and none of the aforesaid amerciaments shall be assessed but by
the oath of honest men in the neighbourhood.
21. same for nobles
Earls and barons shall not be amerced but by their peers, and after the
degree of the offence.
22. same for clergymen
No ecclesiastical person shall be amerced for his tenement, but according
to the proportion of the others aforesaid, and not according to the value
of his ecclesiastical benefice.
23. Neither a town nor any tenant shall be distrained to make bridges or
embankments, unless that anciently and of right they are bound to do it.
24. No sheriff, constable, coroner, or other our bailiffs, shall hold ‘‘Pleas
of the Crown.’’
25. All counties, hundreds, wapentakes, and trethings, shall stand at the
old rents, without any increase, except in our demesne manors.
26. If any one holding of us a lay fee die, and the sheriff, or our bailiffs,
show our letters patent of summons for debt which the dead man did
owe to us, it shall be lawful for the sheriff or our bailiff to attach and register the chattels of the dead, found upon his lay fee, to the amount of the
debt, by the view of lawful men, so as nothing be removed until our
whole clear debt be paid; and the rest shall be left to the executors to fulfil
the testament of the dead; and if there be nothing due from him to us, all
the chattels shall go to the use of the dead, saving to his wife and children
their reasonable shares.
27. If any freeman shall die intestate, his chattels shall be distributed by
the hands of his nearest relations and friends, by view of the Church, saving to every one his debts which the deceased owed to him.