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20. Estronge à escot.

Item.-Use est que si home estrange soit demuront deyns la vile, il paiera à la comune à chescun escot assise deyn la vile le duble qe frank home paie.

21. Home puet achater sa franchise.

Item.-Use est que si estrange home de bone fame et conversacioun soit demuront deyns la vile et desiront estre frank home de la vile, les jurés pount granter lui la franchise paiount à la comune com ils pount acorder en lour assemblé; et quele houre quils sount acordés, il sera chargé sur un livre à mayntenir la franchise ove ces biens et chateux, et estre feal et leal et tenir le conseil et estre obeisaunt, et fere en tots poynts com un autre frank home à la comune, et qil ait un propre meson pris de XL.s deyns la vile par entre laan, par kai il puse estre justisé, sous payne de forfeture de sa franchise. Et quant il est en court juré, le clerk comune entra soun nome en la papir comune pur tesmoygner le dit grant. Et totes ces enfants franchement procreés après le dit jour de grant pount clamer et enjoyer la franchise. Mes sil ait ascun enfants ou enfant avant le dit jour de grant, ou ki procree enfants nient mulieres, ils naveront poynt la franchise par mesme le grant, si il ne soit de novel grant com est susdit. Et fait à saver que les jurés ne pount granter la franchise à nul estrange sil ne soit receant deyns la franchise.

22. Letre del franchise.

Item-Use est à granter letre de la franchise de nyent plus loyns date que de deux aans dount la cause est contenu en la letre que suet-hâc formâ-Universis illustris domini E. R.

noble lord Edward King of England, to whose knowledge the present letters shall come, the barons of the same lord the king, of the port of Romney, wish health in the Lord. Be it known to your body universal, that N., the bearer of these presents, is our perpetual fellow-baron and compeer of our liberty, and bearing lot and paying scot with us, and in all things bearing his burdens. And therefore, when the same N. shall come among you with his ship and his merchandise, if it so likes him, be pleased to admit him, giving no hinderance to him or his ship, and permitting none to be given, but allow the same N. to buy, sell, and freely to exercise his bargains and business which he may have to do among you, since it has been granted us by our lords the kings of England, from time whereof memory runneth not, that we should be free and ought so to be through the whole of England and Ireland, and wheresoever else we go, within the dominion of the said lord the king, from all toll, custom, and demand. In witness whereof, we have caused these letters-patent to be made unto the aforesaid N., sealed with our common seal, to continue for two years next following from the day of the execution of these presents; and at the end of the said two years, the same to be brought back to our commonalty, because it lately happened that one of our compeers, having a letter of perpetual freedom, was robbed upon the sea of the aforesaid letter, whereby the stealer of the said letter made himself free wherever he went, to the damage of the lord the king, and the manifest hurt of our liberty, Given on the day, year," &c.

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23. Of the king's purveyor.

Item. It is used, that if the purveyor of our lord the king, come with a commission from our said lord to procure victuals and carriage in the town, he shall not be received nor suffered to do his business; nor shall the bailiff or barons pay any manner of attention to him, until he shall have brought a letter of intendance from our guardian, or except his commission speak expressly as well within the franchise of the cinque ports as without. And, moreover, he shall have no manner of victuals nor

Anglie fidelibus, ad quorum noticiam presentes litere pervenerint, Barones ejusdem domini R. de portu de Romney, salutem in Domino. Noverit universitas vestra quod N. lator presentium perpetuus combaro noster est et compar de nostrâ libertate, et una nobiscum lottans et scottans, et in omnibus onera portans. Et ideo cum idem N. cum navi suâ et mercandisis suis inter vos pervenerit, ipsum si placet, admittere velitis nullam sibi molestiam vel ejus navi inferentes vel inferri permittentes, sed eundem N. emere, vendere, et libere mercimonia sua et negocia que inter vos habuerit agenda exercere permittatis; quum concessum est nobis a dominis Regibus nostris Anglie, a tempore quo non exstat memoria quod liberi simus et esse debemus per totam Angliam et Hiberniam et alibi ubicunque loco pervenerimus, in dicti domini Regis potestate, de omni theolonio, consuetudine et demandâ. In cujus rei testimonium has literas nostras sigillo nostro comuni sigillatas predicto N. fieri fecimus patentes, duraturas per duos annos proximè sequentibus post diem confectionis presentium, et in fine dictorum duorum annorum eas comunitati nostre referendas, eâ occasione dudum accidit quod quidam noster comparium habens literam perpetuam, de predictâ literâ in mari fuerat spoliatus, per quantum predicte litere raptor liberum se fecit utcunque pervenit, ad dampnum domini Regis et libertatis nostre lesionem manifestam. Data apud-die, anno etc.

23. De purveiour le Roi.

Item.-Use est que si purveiour notre Seignur le Roy viegne ove comission notre dit Seignur, à prendre vitailes et cariage deyns la vile, ne deit il estre receu ne suffré faire son office, ne nule manere entendence ne deit bailif ne les barons à lui faire tankil avera porté bref dentendence de notre gardeyn, ou que soun commission parle expressement auxi bien deyns la franchise des Cink Ports com dehors. Et ankore navera il nule manerę vitailes ne cariage sils ne soiount prisés par bons gents, et liveré

carriage unless they be appraised by good men, and delivered by the bailiff or by one of the jurats, and that by tally of the price between the bailiff or jurat, in the name of him of whom the victuals are taken, and the said purveyor, if he bring not (immediate) payment.

24. Common letters for all places.

Item. It is used, that in case a freeman resident needs to have letters from the commonalty for debt or covenant due to him, or for trespass, to such city, borough, or town where the said debtor, covenanter, or trespasser abides, the said plaintiff shall come to the jurats and shall say-" Sirs, I have need of letters from the commonalty for so much debt or covenant, or such a trespass that one N. owes me, or that he has feigned and has made unto me, as appears by a writing or by tally, or for other merchandise bought by him, which person is residing or amenable in such a city, borough, or town ;" and upon this showing, the jurats shall of right grant their letters founded on the suggestion, he paying at the sealing, for wax one penny, and the chancellor's fee, and also to the clerk his fee. It is to be understood that the first letter shall go to the mayor, bailiff, and citizens of such a city, &c., to the effect that it please them to arraign, and, if need be, to do justice upon their justiciable one N., for so much money due to our fellow baron N., as he says. And, if they do nothing upon the first letter, the aforesaid jurats are bound to send their second letter to the said city, &c., at the cost of the plaintiff; and if they will not make execution nor return to their two letters, they shall send the third letter, upon which, if they do nothing, the above-mentioned jurats shall take a distress upon the next comer from the same city, in default of return of the above-mentioned letters, sent to them for such a debt, &c. But, notwithstanding, by the courtesy of the cinque ports the said distress shall be restored, on condition that the same person of whom the said distress is taken, be sworn on the book that he will go to the town-hall and inform his mayor, bailiff, and citizens that he was distrained for default of return of such and such letters, sent to them for such a debt, &c. And if

par bailif ou par ascun des jurés, et ceo par taile du pris par entre le bailif et juré en noun du celui sur ki les vitailes sont pris et le dit purveiour, si il ne se porte paiement.

24. Comunes letres pur tutz.

Item.-Use est que en caas que frank home receant bosuygne daver letres de la comune pur dette ou covenant à lui due, ou pur trespas à quele cité, borgh, ou vile ou le dit detour, covenonter ou trespasour soit demuront, le dit pleyntif vendra à les jurés et dira-Sires, il me bosoigne davoir letres de la comune pur tant de dette, ou covenant ou tiel trespas kun tiel N. moi deit, ou kil moi ad fynt, et kil moi ath fait, com apiert par un escrit, ou par taile, ou pur autre merchandises de lui akatés, quest receant ou justizable en tiele cité, burgb, ou vile. Et à cel demonstrance les jurés deyvont de droit granter lour letres foundés sur la suggestion, paont à conseler pur sire j d. et le fee du chonselere et yssint al clerk son fee. Cest à savoir la primere letre ci irra à maire, bailif, et citeseyns de tiel cité, etcet. quil lour plese areigner et si mester soit justizer lour justizable un tiel N. de tant dargent due à notre combaron N. ausicom il dit. Et si à la primere letre rien ne fasent, les avantdits jurés sont tenus de mander lour seconde letre à la dite cité, etc., à les coustages du dit pleyntif. Et sils ne voilont faire execution ne retourner sur lour ij letres, ils manderont la tierce letre-à les queles si rien ne fasount, les susdits jurés ci deyvount prendre une destresse sur le procheyn entrevenant de mesme la cité en defaute de retourn, de les susdits letres à eux mandés, pur tiele dette, etc. Mes nekedent par la corteisie des Cynk Ports deit la dite destresse estre delivré en condicioun que mesme la persone, sur ki la dite destresse est prise, sera juré sur livre, quil irra à lostel et certifiera son maire, bailif et citeseyns qui estoit destreynt par defaute de retourn de tiels letres à eux mandés pur

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