Series 1 > Miscellany of the Scottish History Society (Second volume)

INTRODUCTION
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leave the country except on consideration of the return of a
certain proportion of plate.1
On ff. 77a, b, are more statutes for Exchequer reform, printed
among the statutes of uncertain date.2
On If. 78-84a is an elaborate record of the London eyre of
14 Edward n., which adds materially to the account which is
already in print,3 particularly in the record it gives of the
suits of private persons. At the close (f. 84b) a number of
London ordinances are given, which have already appeared in
print.4 There are reasons for ascribing these to 1280.5
Last of the London documents (f. 86a) is a series of present¬
ments against two Officials of the Archeacon of London, and
an Official’s farmer, charging them with extortions from a
number of London citizens, who are named.
On f. 86b is a table of the value of the sack of wool in
several counties, followed on f. 87a by a complaint to the
King and Council of the extortions of the Bishop of Lincoln6
and his commissaries, archdeacons, officials, deans, summoners,
and parochial chaplains. They are charged with making false
accusations, and drawing the accused to courts at a distance in
order to obtain fines. Summoners are willing to pay twenty
marks for their offices, although they have nothing certain by
way of salary except what they derive from such extortions.
They are the cause why husbands quit their wives, and
wives steal the goods of their husbands, giving the money
to the summoners. The sum extorted amounts to more
than the King’s tenth penny, and if inquiry were made the
King would gain i?2000 and more.
This is followed by a letter close of Edward m. to his
Boston weigher, 23 September 1336.7
1 Cf. Rolls of Pari., ii. 105. 2 Statutes of the Realm, i. 195-7-
3 Riley, Liber Cust. i. 285 sqq.
4 Riley’s Liber Albus, pp. 260-6 (end of first paragraph).
5 Cf. the MS. Liber Horn, at the Guildhall, London.
6 Not in the Rolls of Pari.
7 Cf. Cal. Letters Close, 26 Sept. 1336, p. 707.