her loose her dowre wholy, and otherwise not, so long as she holdeth herself a widow: whereof it is said in Kentish:

"He that doth wende her,

Let him lende her."

"Tenant by the courtesie of the one

halfe."

XVI. And they claime also, that if a man take a wife which hath inheritance of Gauelkind, and the wife dieth before him, let the husband haue the one halfe of those lands and tenements whereof she died seised so long as he holdeth him a widower, without doing any strippe, or waste, or banishment, whether there were issue betwéene them or no: And if he take another wife, let him loose all.

"The discent

changed."

XVII. And if any tenement of Gauelkinde do escheate (and that escheate be to any lorde which holdeth by fée of hawberke, or by serieancie) by death or by of Gauelkind gauelate [cessauit], as is hereafter saide, or be to him rendred [given by] by his tenaunt which before held it of him by quiteclaime thereof made, or if his escheate be by gauelate as is hereafter saide, let this land remaine to the heires unpartable and this is to be understood, where the tenant so rendring, doth reteine no seruice to himselfe, but saueth neuerthelesse to the other lordes, their fées, fermes, and the rents wherewith the aforesaide tenements of Gauelkind (so rendred) were before charged, by him or them, which might charge them.

XVIII. And they claime also, that if any tenant in Gauel

kinde reteine [withhold] his rent, and his seruices "Forfaiture

of the tenement which he holdeth of his lord, let by cessauit or gauelate." the lord séeke by the award of his court from thrée wéekes to thrée wéekes, to finde some distresse upon that tenement, untill the fourth court, allwaies with witnesses :

queux il puisse son tenant iustiser, donc a la quart court seit agard, quil pregne cel tenement en sa mein en noum de destress, ausi come boef ou vache, e le tiene vn an, e vn iour en sa mein sance meyn ouerir: dens quel terme, si le tenant vent, e rend ses arrerages, e feit renables amendes de la detenue, a donc eit, e ioise son tenemet sicom ses auncestors e ly auant le tyndront. Et sil ne vent deuant lan, e le iour passe, donc auge le seigneur al prochein counte suiant oue tesmoynage de sa court, e face la pronuncier cel proces pur tesmoynage auer: et per agard de sa court, apres ceo counte tenue, entra, e meynouera en celes terres e tenemenz, sicome en son demeyne. Et si le tenant vent apres, e voille ces tenemenz reauer e tener sicome il fist deuaunt, face gree al seigneur, sicome il est auncienement dist:

Nezhe rype jelde.

and neghe jýb zelde,
and fif pond for þe pere.
en he bicome Dealder.

XIX. Aussi il cleyment que nul homme deit serment sur liure fere, per destress, ne per poer de seigneur, ne de baylif, encountre sa volunte saunz bref le roy (sinon pur feaute fere a son seigneur), meske per deuaunt coronner, ou auter minister le roy, qui real poer eyont de enquerer de trespas fet encountre la coronne nostre seigneur le roy.

XX. E cleyment auxi, que checun Kenteys put autre assonier en la court le roy, en counte, en hundreth e en la

:

and if within that time he can finde no distresse in that tenement, whereby he may haue iustice of his tenant then at the fourth court let it be awarded that he shall take that tenement into his hande, in the name of a distresse, as if it were an oxe or a cow, and let him kéepe it a yéere and a day in his hand without manuring it; within which terme, if the tenaunt come and pay his arrerages, and make reasonable amendes for the withholding, then let him haue and enioy his tenement as his auncetors and he before held it. And if he do not come before the yéere and the day past, then let the lord go to the next countie court with the witnesses of his owne court, and pronounce there this processe, to haue further witnesse. And by the award of his court (after that countie court holden) he shall enter, and manure in those lands and tenements, as in his demeanes [owne]. And if the tenant come afterward, and will rehaue his tenements, and holde them as he did before, let him make agréement with the lord, according as it is aunciently saide:

Nezhe rýb jelde.

and neghe rýb zelde:

and fif pond for þe pere.

en he bicome Dealder.

"No oath

XIX. Also they claime, that no man ought to make an othe upon a booke (neither by distresse, nor by the power of the lorde, nor his bailife), against his will, without the writ of the king (unlesse it be for fealtie

but for

fealtie."

to be don to his lord), but only before the coroner, or such other minister of the king as hath royall power to enquire of trespasse comitted against the crowne of our lord the king. XX. And they claime also, that euerie Kentishe man may essoine an other, either in the king's court, or in the county, or in ye hundreth, or in ye court of his

Essoignes."

court son seigneur, la ou assoigne gist, aussi bien de commune sute, come de play.

XXI. Estre ceo il cleyment per especial fet le roy Henrie, pere le roy Edward, que ore est, que dieu garde, que de tenementz que sont tenus en Gauylekende ne seit prise battaille, ne graund assise per xij. chiuallers, sicome aillours est prise en le reaume: ceo est a sauoir, la ou tenant e le demaundant tenent per Gauylekende: mes en lu de ces graundes assises seient prises jurees per xij. homes tenātz en Gauylekend: issi que quatre tenantz de Gauilekend elisent xij. tenantz de Gauylekende iurours. E le chartre le roy de ceste especiaute est en la garde Sire Johan de Norwode le iour S. Elphegh en Canterbyre, le an le roy Edward, le fiz le roy Henrie, XXI.

XXII. Ces sont les vsages de Gauylekend, e de Gauylekendeys en Kent, que furent deuaunt le Conquest, e en le Conquest, e totes houres ieskes en ca.

lord, where essoine lieth; and that aswell in case of commune sute, as of plea.

"No battail

nor graund

assise in

Gauelkynde

lands.

XXI. Moreouer they claime by an especial déede of king Henry [the thirde] father of king E. which now is (whom God saue) that of the tenements which are holden in Gauelkinde, there shall no battail be ioined, nor graund assise taken by xij. knights, as it is used in other places of the realme: that is to weet, where the tenant and demaundant hold by Gauelkinde: but in place of these graund assises, let juries be taken by xij. men, being tenats in Gauelkind: so that foure tenants of Gauelkinde choose xij. tenants of Gauelkinde to be jurors. And the chartre of the king of this especialtie, is in the custodie of Sir John of Norwood, the day of S. Alphey, in Canterburie, the yéere of king Edward, the sonne of king Henrie, the xxi.

XXII. These be the vsages of Gauelkind, and of Gauelkinde men in Kent, which were before the Conquest, and at the Conquest, and euer since till now.