[1261] Second Report of the Commissioners for Weights and Measures, Parliamentary Papers, 1820, Reports, vol. vii. The information thus obtained might have been better sifted. When it is said that a certain customary perch contains 15 feet 1 inch, these feet and inches are statute feet and statute inches. Probably this perch had exactly 15 ‘customary’ feet. So, again, it is likely that every ‘customary’ acre contained 160 ‘customary’ perches.

[1262] See below, [p. 382].

[1263] Compare Meitzen, op. cit. ii. 560.

[1264] Morgan, op. cit. 22.

[1265] Anonymous Husbandry, see Walter of Henley, ed. Lamond, p. 69.

[1266] K. 296 (ii. 87): 6 virgae in length and 3 in breadth.—K. 339 (ii. 149): 28 roda lang and 24 roda brad.—K. 507 (ii. 397): 12 gerda lang and 9 gerda brad.—K. 558 (iii. 229): ‘tres perticas’ = ‘þreo gyrda.’—K. 772 (iv. 84): 12 perticae.—K. 787 (iv. 115): a pertica and a half.—K. 814 (iv. 160): dimidiam virgam et dimidiam quatrentem.—K. 1103 (v. 199): 75 gyrda.—K. 1141 (v. 275): 6 gyrda.—K. 1087 (v. 163): 3 furlongs and 3 mete-yards = an unknown quantity + 12 yards + 13 yards + 43 yards and 6 feet + 20 yards and 6 feet + 7 yards and 6 feet + 5 yards. This charter is commended to geometers. We see, however, that the ‘yard’ in question is longer than 6 feet; it is connected with our perch, not with our cloth yard. Schmid, App. XII.: 3 miles, 3 furlongs, 3 acre-breadths, 9 feet, 9 hand-breadths and 9 barley-corns.

[1267] Meitzen, op. cit. ii. 554. This virga regalis is set down at 4·70 meters; our statute perch stands very close to 5 meters.

[1268] Meitzen, op. cit. i. 278.

[1269] Ellis, Introduction, i. 116.

[1270] The use of quarentina for furlong may be due to the Normans.