manors and towns where they have been dwelling, and by virtue of the same exemplifications and their evil interpretations of the same, they affirm them to be quit and utterly discharged of all manner of serfdom, due as well of their body as of their said tenures, and will not suffer any distress or other justice to be made upon them; but do menace the servants of their lords of life and member, and, which is more, gather themselves together in great routs, and agree by such confederacy, that every one shall aid other to resist their lords with strong hand; and much other harm they do in sundry ways, to the great damage of their said lords and evil example to others to begin such riots; so that if due remedy be not the rather provided upon the same rebels, greater mischief, which God prohibit, may thereof spring through the realm. It is ordained and established that the lords which feel themselves grieved, shall have special commission under the great seal to the justices of the peace, or to other sufficient persons, to inquire of all such rebels, and of their offences, and their counsellors, procurers, maintainers and abettors, and to imprison all those that shall be thereof indicted before them, as well for the time past as for the time to come, without delivering them out of prison by mainprise, bail or otherwise, without assent of their lords, till they be attainted or acquitted thereof; and that the same justices have power to hear and determine as well at the king's suit as at the suit of the party. * * And as to the said exemplifications, made and purchased as afore is said, which were caused to come in the Parliament, it is declared in the said Parliament that the same may not nor ought to avail, or hold place to the said villains or land tenants, as to the franchise of their bodies; nor to change the condition of their tenure and customs of old time due; nor to do prejudice to the said lords, to have their services and customs as they were wont of old time; and it is ordained that upon this declaration the said lords shall have letters patent under the great seal, as many and such as they shall need, if they the same require. 2. LETTER OF JOHN BALL TO THE COMMONS OF ESSEX. Thomas Walsingham, Historia Anglicana, II., 33, 34; Rolls Series. English. John Schep, som tyme Seynt Marie prest of York, and now of Colchester, greteth welle Johan Nameles, and Johan the Mullere, and Johan Cartere, and biddeth hem that thei ware of gyle in borugh, and stondeth togiddir in Goddis name, and biddeth Peres Ploughman go to his werke, and chastise welle Hobbe the robber, and taketh with you copies of the same, if perchance they have thereof made any before in order to use or renew the effect of the same another time, if they may. And likewise, it is accorded that all entries made in lands or tenements, and also all feoffments made in the time of the same rumor by compulsion and menace, or otherwise with force of people, against the law, shall be void and holden for none. And the king straitly forbiddeth to all manner of people, upon pain of as much as they are able to forfeit to him in body and goods, that none from henceforth make nor begin again, in any manner, such riot and rumor, nor other like them. And if any do the same, and this be duly proved, it shall be done concerning him as of a traitor to the king and to his said realm. 5. PARDON OF THE KING TO THE LORDS. 5 Rich. II, Stat. 1, c. 5. Statutes of the Realm, II, 20. Our sovereign lord the king, perceiving that many lords and gentlemen of his realm, and others with them in the rumor and insurrection of villains, and of other offenders, which now of late did traitorously rise by assemblies in outrageous numbers in divers parts of the realm, against God, good faith, and reason, and against the dignity of our sovereign lord the king and his crown, and the laws of his land, made divers punishments upon the said villains and other traitors, without due process of the law, and otherwise than the laws and usages of the realm required, although they did it of no malice prepense, but only to appease and cease the evident mischief, and considering the great diligence and loyalty of the lords and gentlemen in this behalf, which were not learned of the said laws and usages, and though at that time they had been learned, a man might not upon those punishments have tarried the process of the law, and that this they did with good intent, of their advice and of their good discretions, and willing therefore to do them grace, according as they have the same greatly deserved, of the assent aforesaid hath pardoned and released to the said lords and gentlemen, and all others being in their aid at the same deed, and to every of them, as much as to him thereof pertaineth, or to him and to his heirs may pertain; so that hereafter for whatsoever thing that was done by them upon the said punishments in resistance, they shall never be impeached nor grieved in body, goods, nor their heritages and possessions, in any way, by our sovereign lord the king, his heirs or ministers, nor none other in time to come, but utterly shall be thereof quit for ever by this grant and statute without having thereof other special charter or pardon. |