I mean of such as florish in our days. When this carcass was thus found, every man marvelled at it, and good cause why. A messenger also was sent unto Tiberius, the emperor, to know his pleasure, whether he would have the same brought over unto Rome, or not? but he forbade them; willing his legate not to move the dead out of his resting place, but rather to send him a tooth out of his head; which being done, he gave the same to a cunning workman, commanding him to shape a carcass, of light matter, after the proportion of the tooth, that at the least, by such means, he might satisfy his curious mind, and the phantacies of such as are delighted with news.

66

To be short, when the image was once made, and set up an end, it appeared rather an huge collossy, then the true representation of the cascass of a man. And when it had stand in Rome, until the people were weary of it, and thoroughly satisfied with the sight thereof, he caused it to be broken all in pieces, and the tooth sent again to the carcass from whence it came, willing them moreover to cover it diligently, and in any wise not to dismember the corpse, nor from thenceforth to be so hardy as to open the sepulchre any more."

DESCRIPTION OF ENGLAND.

CAXTON, about three months after his printing the above Chronicles of England, printed a little tract in folio, of the same size with the Chronicles, which he called "The Description of England, Wales, and Scotland, and also Ireland." This book, as before observed, is usually joined with the Chronicles; and was printed from Trevisa's translation of the Polychronicon. It was afterwards reprinted with the "Fructus Temporum," &c. in the edition of it by Julian Notary, in 1515. The following rubrics are prefixed:

"1. Here followeth a little treatise, the which treateth of the description of this land, which of old time was named Albion, and after Britain, and now is called England; and speaketh of the nobleness and worthyness of the same.

"2. It is so, that in many and divers places, the common Chronicles of England are had, and also now late enprinted. And for as much as the description of this land, which of old time was named Albion, and after Britain, is not described, ne commonly had, ne the noblesse and worthyness of the same, is not known; therefore I intend to set in this book, the description of this said isle of Britain, and with the commodities of the same."

This description consists of twenty-nine chapters; and it has been observed by bishop Nicholson, in his English Historical Library, “That from the conquest, down to the reign of king Henry VIII. our English geographers, have either been very few, or the want of printing has occasioned the loss of most of them; and that this of Caxton's is the only thing in its kind which we have." Caxton, however, was merely the printer of this book.

On the Laws of the Britons, and the Names of those Laws.

Dunwallo, that hyghte1 Molliuncius, also made first laws in Britain; the which laws were called

1 is called.

Molliuncius' laws, and were solemnly observed unto William Conqueror's time. Molliuncius ordained among his laws, that cities, temples, and ways that leaden men thereto, and plowmen's solowes, should have privilege and freedom for to save all men that flee thereto for succour and refuge.

Then afterward Mercia, queen of Britons, that was Gwytelinus' wife, (of her the province had the name of Mercia, as some man suppose,) she made a law full of wit and of reason, and was called Merchene law. Gildas, that wrote the Chronicles and Histories of the Britons, turned these two laws out of Briton speech, into Latin. And afterward, king Aluredus turned all out of Latin into Saxon's speech, and was called Marchene law. Also the king Aluredus wrote in English, and put to1another law, that hight West Saxon law.

Then afterwards Danes were lords in this land, and so came forth the third law, that heet Danelaw. Of these three laws, St. Edward III. made one common law, that yet is called St. Edward's Law...

I hold it well done to write here and expowne many terms of these laws: 1. Myndebrugh ; hurting of honour and worship; in French, blessure d'honneur. —2. Burbruck; in French, blessure de court ou de cloys. -3. Grichbruche; breaking of peace.-4. Myskennynge; changing of speech in court.-5. Shewing;

1 added.

setting forth of merchandize.-6. Hamsoken, or Hamfure, a rere' made in house.-7. Forstalling; wrong, or bette down in the king's highway.-S. Fritsoken; surety in defence.-9. Sak; forfeit.10. Soka; suit of court;, and thereof cometh Soken. 11. Theam; suit of bondmen.-12. Fighting-wytte ; amersement for fighting.-13, Bloodwytte; amersement for shedding of blood.-14. Flytwytte; amends for chydinge of blood.-15. Leyrwytte; amends for lying by a bondwoman.-16, Gultwytte; amends for trespass.-17. Scot; a gadrynge to work of bayllyes.* -18. Hydage; tallage for hydes of land.—19. Danegheld; tallage given to the Danes, that was of every bona taterre, that is, every ox-land three-pence.-20, A Wepyintake, and an hundred, is all one for the country or towns were wont to give up wepyn, in the coming of a lord.-21, Lestage; custom challenged in cheapings fares.-22. Stallæge; custom for standing in streets in fair time.

1 The word rere probably signifies breach.-There is some difference, however, between Hamsoken and Hamfure. The latter only implies a breach of the peace in a house; the former is the liberty or privilege of a house; or the franchise by which lords of manors were empowered to take cognizance of such violations of the peace.

2

beating down,-cheapening?

3 shedding.

4 That is a collection by the bailiff of a manor, of the contribution called Scot-ar assessment according to the ability of the subject.