Traile baston.
Also the iustices, which were assigned to take these inquisitions, extended the same according to their commission against such as had made intrusions into other mens lands, and for doubt to be impleaded for the same had made alienations ouer into the hands of great men; also against such barretors as vsed to take monie to beat any man, and againe would not sticke to take monie of him whom they had so beaten, to beat him that first hired them to beat the other. The malice of such maner people was now restreined by force of these inquisitions: for such as were found culpable, were worthilie punished, some by death, and some by ransoms: diuerse also for feare to come to their answers fled the realme: also forfeits against the crowne were streightlie looked vnto, found out, and leuied; by reason whereof great summes of monie came to the kings coffers, which holpe well towards the maintenance and charges of his warres. This kind of inquisition was named commonlie Traile baston, which signifieth, Traile or draw the staffe. And forsomuch as the procéeding in this wise against such misdemenors as then were vsed, brought so great a benefit to the realme in restreining such malefactors, which greatlie (as should séeme) disquieted the state of the commonwealth, I haue thought good to set downe the substance of the same, as followeth.
[An extract of the foresaid writ, as it is registred in the booke that belonged to the abbeie of Abington.]
Rex dilectis & fidelibus suis, Radulfo filio Wilhelmi, & Iohanni de Barton de Riton salutem. Quia quàm plures malefactores, & pacis nostræ perturbatores, homicidia, deprædationes, incendia, & alia damna quàm plurima nocte diéq; perpetrantes, vagantur in boscis, parcis, & alijs locis diuersis, tam infra libertates quàm extra, in comitatu Eoracensi, & ibidem receptantur in maximum periculum tam hominum per partes illas transeuntium, quàm ibidem commorantium, in nostri contemptum, ac pacis nostræ læsionem manifestam, vt accepimus: per quorum incursum poterunt peiora peioribus de facili euenire, nisi remedium super hoc citiùs apponatur, nos eorum malitiæ in hac parte obuiare, & huiusmodi damnis & periculis præcauere volentes, assignamus vos ad inquirendum per sacramentum tam militum quàm aliorum proborum & legalium hominum, de contemptu prædicto, tam infra libertates quàm extra, per quos ipsa veritas meliùs sciri poterit, qui sint illi malefactores & pacis nostræ perturbatores, & eos conduxerunt & conducunt ad verberandum, vulnerandum, malè tractandū, & interficiendum, plures de regno nostro in ferijs, mercarijs, & alijs locis in dicto comitatu, pro inimicitia, inuidia, aut malitia. Et etiam pro eò quòd in assisis iuratis, recognitionibus, & inquisitionibus factis de felonijs positi fuerant, & veritatem dixerunt: vnde per conditionem huiusmodi malefactorum, iuratores assisarum, iurationum, recognitionum, & inquisitionum illarum, pro timore dictorum malefactorum, & eorum minarum, sæpiùs veritatem dicere, seu dictos malefactores indictare minimè ausi fuerunt, & sunt. Et ad inquirendum de illis qui huiusmodi munera dederunt, & dant, & quantum, & quibus, & qui huiusmodi munera receperunt, & à quibus & qualiter, & quo modo, & qui huiusmodi malefactores fouent, nutriunt, & manutenent in comitatu prædicto, & ad ipsos malefactores tam per vos, quàm per vicecomitem nostrum comitatus prædicti arrestandos, & prisonæ nostræ liberandos, & saluò & securè in eadem per vicecomitem comitatus prædicti custodiendos, ita quòd ab eadem prisona nullo modo deliberentur, sine mandato nostro speciali.
Et ideo vobis mandamus, quòd ad certos diem & locum, quos ad hoc prouideritis, inquisitiones illas faciatis. Et assumpto vobiscum sufficienti passe comitatus prædicti, si necesse fuerit, dictos malefactores coram vobis sic indictatos, arrestetis, & ipsos prisonæ nostræ liberetis, in forma prædicta: & etiam omnia bona, & catalla ipsorum malefactorum qui se subtraxerint, & fugam fecerint, postquam de felonijs aliquibus coram vobis solenniter indictati fuerint, per vicecomitem comitatus prædicti, in manum nostram capiatis, & ea ad opus nostrum saluò custodire faciatis, donec aliud inde vobis præceperimus. Mandamus enim vicecomiti nostro comitatus prædicti, quòd ad certos diem & locum, quos vos prouidere duxeritis, venire faciat, coram vobis tot & tales, tam milites quàm alios, quos habere decreueritis, de comitatu illo, tam infra libertates, quàm extra, per quos ipsa veritas meliùs sciri poterit, & inquiri. Et quòd omnes illos quos per inquisitionem culpabiles inuenire contigerit, & quos vos sic liberaueritis, à nobis recipiantur & quorum nomina eis scire faciatis, assumpto secum sufficienti posse comitatus prædicti, sine dilatione arrestari, & in prisona nostra saluò & securè custodire faciat in forma prædicta, & communitati dicti comitatus, quod simul cum vicecomite prædicto, vobis quotienscúnq; opus fuerit in præmissis pareat, assistat, & intendat, prout eis iniungetis ex parte nostra. In cuius rei testimonium, &c. ¶ Héerevnto were annexed certeine articles by way of instructions, of what points they should inquire, as partlie aboue is noted out of the addition to Matthew West., but not so fullie, as in the said chronicle of Abington is found expressed, and héere for bréefenesse omitted.
An. Reg. 33.
1305.
Prince Edward cōmited to ward.