the history of the common law of england-第1部分

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The　History　of　the　Common　Law　of　England


　by　Matthew　Hale

　1713　　


　I。　Concerning　the　Distribution　of　the　Law　of　England　into　Common　　Law；　and　Statute　Law。　And　First；　concerning　the　Statute　Law；　or　　Acts　of　Parliament　　　　　　　　　　The　Laws　of　England　may　aptly　enough　be　divided　into　two　　Kinds；　viz。　Lex　Scripta；　the　written　Law：　and　Lex　non　Scripta；　　the　unwritten　Law：　For　although　（as　shall　be　shewn　hereafter）　all　　the　Laws　of　this　Kingdom　have　some　Monuments　or　Memorials　thereof　　in　Writing；　yet　all　of　them　have　not　their　Original　in　Writing；　　for　some　of　those　Laws　have　obtain'd　their　Force　by　immemorial　　Usage　or　Custom；　and　such　Laws　are　properly　call'd　Leges　non　　Scriptae；　or　unwritten　Laws　or　Customs。　　　　　　Those　Laws　therefore；　that　I　call　Leges　Scriptae；　or　written　　Laws；　are　such　as　are　usually　called　Statute　Laws；　or　Acts　of　　Parliament；　which　are　originally　reduced　into　Writing　before　they　　are　enacted；　or　receive　any　binding　Power；　every　such　Law　being　　in　the　first　Instance　formally　drawn　up　in　Writing；　and　made；　as　　it　were；　a　Tripartite　lndenture；　between　the　King；　the　Lords　and　　the　Commons；　for　without　the　concurrent　Consent　of　all　those　　Three　Parts　of　the　Legislature；　no　such　Law　is；　or　can　be　made：　　But　the　Kings　of　this　Realm；　with　the　Advice　and　Consent　of　both　　Houses　of　Parliament；　have　Power　to　make　New　Laws；　or　to　alter；　　repeal；　or　enforce　the　Old。　And　this　has　been　done　in　all　　Succession　of　Ages。　　　　　　Now；　Statute　Laws；　or　Acts　of　Parliament；　are　of　Two　Kinds；　　viz。　First；　Those　Statutes　which　were　made　before　Time　of　Memory；　　and；　Secondly；　Those　Statutes　which　were　made　within　or　since　　Time　of　Memory；　wherein　observe；　That　according　to　a　juridical　　Account　and　legal　Signification；　Time　within　Memory　is　the　Time　　of　Limitation　in　a　Writ　of　Right；　which　by　the　Statute　of　　Westminster　1。　cap。　38。　was　settled；　and　reduced　to　the　Beginning　　of　the　Reign　of　King　Richard　I　or　Ex　prima　Coronatione　Regis　　Richardi　Primi；　who　began　his　Reign　the　6th　of　July　1189；　and　was　　crown'd　the　3d　of　September　following：　So　that　whatsoever　was　　before　that　Time；　is　before　Time　of　Memory；　and　what　is　since　　that　Time；　is；　in　a　legal　Sense；　said　to　be　within　or　since　the　　Time　of　Memory。　　　　　　And　therefore　it　is；　that　those　Statutes　or　Acts　of　　Parliament　that　were　made　before　the　Beginning　of　the　Reign　of　　King　Richard　I　and　have　not　since　been　repealed　or　altered；　　either　by　contrary　Usage；　or　by　subsequent　Acts　of　Parliament；　　are　now　accounted　Part　of　the　Lex　non　Scripta；　being　as　it　were　　incorporated　thereinto；　and　become　a　Part　of　the　Common　Law；　and　　in　Truth；　such　Statutes　are　not　now　pleadable　as　Acts　of　　Parliament；　（because　what　is　before　Time　of　Memory　is　supposed　　without　a　Beginning；　or　at　least　such　a　Beginning　as　the　Law　　takes　Notice　of）　but　they　obtain　their　Strength　by　meer　　immemorial　Usage　or　Custom。　　　　　　And　doubtless；　many　of　those　Things　that　now　obtain　as　Common　　Law；　had　their　Original　by　Parliamentary　Acts　or　Constitutions；　　made　in　Writing　by　the　King；　Lords　and　Commons；　though　those　Acts　　are　now　either　not　extant；　or　if　extant；　were　made　before　Time　of　　Memory；　and　the　Evidence　of　the　Truth　hereof　will　easily　appear；　　for　that　in　many　of　those　old　Acts　of　Parliament　that　were　made　　before　Time　of　Memory；　and　are　yet　extant；　we　many　find　many　of　　those　Laws　enacted　which　now　obtain　merely　as　Common　Law；　or　the　　General　Custom　of　the　Realm：　And　were　the　rest　of　those　Laws　　extant；　probably　the　Footsteps　of　the　Original　Institution　of　　many　more　Laws　that　now　obtain　meerly　as　Common　Law；　or　Customary　　Laws；　by　immemorial　Usage；　would　appear　to　have　been　at　first　　Statute　Laws；　or　Acts　of　Parliament。　　　　　　Those　ancient　Acts　of　Parliament　which　are　ranged　under　the　　Head　of　Leges　non　Scriptae；　or　Customary　Laws；　as　being　made　　before　Time　of　Memory；　are　to　be　considered　under　Two　Periods：　　Viz。　First；　Such　as　were　made　before　the　coming　in　of　King　　William　I　commonly　called；　The　Conqueror；　or；　Secondly；　Such　as　　intervened　between　his　coming　in；　and　the　Beginning　of　the　Reign　　of　Richard　I　which　is　the　legal　Limitation　of　Time　of　Memory。　　　　　　The　former　Sort　of　these　Laws　are　mentioned　by　our　ancient　　Historians；　especially　by　Brompton；　and　are　now　collected　into　　one　Volume　by　William　Lambard；　Esq；　in　his　Tractatus　de　priscis　　Anglorum　Legibus；　being　a　Collection　of　the　Laws　of　the　Kings；　　Ina；　Alfred；　Edward；　Athelstane；　Edmond；　Edgar；　Ethelred；　　Canutus；　and　of　Edward　te　Confessor；　which　last　Body　of　Laws；　　compiled　by　Edward　the　Confessor；　as　they　were　more　full　and　　perfect　than　the　rest；　and　better　accommodated　to　the　then　State　　of　Things；　so　they　were　such　whereof　the　English　were　always　very　　zealous；　as　being　the　great　Rule　and　Standard　of　their　Rights　and　　Liberties：　Whereof　more　hereafter。　　　　　　The　second　Sort　are　those　Edicts；　Acts　of　Parliament；　or　　Laws；　that　were　made　after　the　coming　in　of　King　William；　　commonly　named；　The　Conqueror；　and　before　the　beginning　of　the　　Reign　of　King　Richard　I　and　more　especially　are　those　which　　follow；　whereof　I　shall　make　but　a　brief　Remembrance　here；　　because　it　will　be　necessary　in　the　Sequel　of　this　Discourse　（it　　may　be　more　than　once）　to　resume　the　Mention　of　them；　and　　besides；　Mr　Selden；　in　his　Book　called；　Janus　Anglorum；　has　given　　a　full　Account　of　those　Laws；　so　that　at　present　it　will　be　　sufficient　for　me；　briefly　to　collect　the　Heads　or　Divisions　of　　them；　under　the　Reigns　of　those　several　Kings　wherein　they　were　　made；　viz。　　　　　　First；　The　Laws　of　King　William　I。　These　consisted　in　a　great　　Measure　of　the　Repetition　of　the　Laws　of　King　Edward　the　　Confessor；　and　of　the　enforcing　them　by　his　own　Authority；　and　　the　Assent　of　Parliament；　at　the　Request　of　the　English；　and　some　　new　Laws　were　added　by　himself　with　the　like　Assent　of　　Parliament；　relating　to　Military　Tenures；　and　the　Preservation　of　　the　publick　Peace　of　the　Kingdom；　all　which　are　mention'd　by　Mr　　Lambert；　in　the　Tractate　before…mentioned；　but　more　fully　by　Mr　　Selden；　in　his　Collections　and　Observations　upon　Eadmerus。　　　　　　Secondly；　We　find　little　of　new　Laws　after　this；　till　the　　Time　of　King　Henry　I；　who　besides　the　Confirmation　of　the　Laws　of　　the　Confessor；　and　of　King　William　I　brought　in　a　new　Volume　of　　Laws；　which　to　this　Day　are　extant；　and　called　the　Laws　of　King　　Henry　I。　The　entire　Collection　of　these　is　entered　in　the　Red　　Book　of　the　Exchequer；　and　from　thence　are　transcribed　and　　published　by　the　Care　of　Sir　Roger　Twisden；　in　the　latter　End　of　　Mr　Lambart's　Book　before…mention'd；　what　the　Success　of　those　　Laws　were　in　the　Time　of　King　Steven；　and　King　Henry　2　we　shall　　see　hereafter：　But　they　did　not　much　obtain　in　England；　and　are　　now　for　the　most　Part　become　wholly　obsolete；　and　in　Effect　quite　　antiquated。　　　　　　Thirdly；　The　next　considerable　Body　of　Acts　of　Parliament；　　were　those　made　under　the　Reign　of　King　Henry　2　commonly　called；　　The　Constitiutions　of　Clarendon；　what　they　were；　appears　best　in　　Hoveden　and　Mat。　Paris；　under　the　years　of　that　King。　We　have　　little　Memory　else　of　any　considerable　Laws　enacted　in　this　　King's　Time；　except　his　Assizes；　and　such　Laws　as　related　to　the　　Forests；　which　were　afterwards　improv'd　under　the　Reign　of　King　　Richard　I。　But　of　this　hereafter；　more　at　large。　　　　　　And　this　shall　serve　for　a　short　Instance　of　those　Statutes；　　or　Acts　of　Parliament；　that　were　made　before　Time　of　Memnory；　　whereof；　as　we　have　no　Authentical　Records；　but　only　Transcripts；　　either　in　our　ancient　Historians；　or　other　Books　and　Manuscripts；　　so　they　being　Things　done　before　Time　of　Memory；　obtain　at　this　　Day　no　further　than　as　by　Usage　and　Custom　they　are；　as　it　were；　　engrafted　into　the　Body　of　the　Common　Law；　and　made　a　Part　　thereof。　　　　　　And　now　I　come　to　those　Leges　Scriptae；　or　Acts　of　　Parliament；　which　were　made　since　or　within　the　Time　of　Memory；　　viz。　Since　the　Beginning　of　the　Reign　of　Richard　I　and　those　I　　shall　divide　into　Two　General　Heads；　viz。　Those　we　usually　call　　the　Old　Statutes；　and　those　we　usually　call　the　New　or　later　　Statutes：　And　because　I　would　prefix　some　certain　Time　or　　Boundary　between　them；　I　shall　call　those　the　Old　Statutes　which　　end　with　the　Reign　of　King　Edward　2　and　those　I　shall　call　the　　New　or　later　Statutes　which　begin　with　the　Reign　of　King　Edward　3　　and　so　are　derived　through　a　Succession　of　Kings　and　Queens　down　　to　this　Day；　by　a　continued　and　orderly　Series。　　　　　　Touching　these　later　Sort　I　shall　say　nothing；　for　they　all　　keep　an　orderly　and　regular　Series　of　Time；　and　are　extant　upon　　Record；　either　in　the　Parliament　Rolls；　or　in　the　Statute　Rolls　　of　King　Edward　3　and　those　Kings　that　follow：　For　excepting　some　　few　years　in　the　Beginning　of　K。　Edward　3。　i。e。　2；　3；　7；　8　&　9　　Edw。　3。　all　the　Parliament　Rolls　that　ever　were　since　that　Time　　have　been　preserved；　and　are　extant；　and；　for　the　most　Part；　the　　Petitions　upon　which　the　Acts　were　drawn　up；　or　the　very　Acts　　themselves。　　　　　　Now　therefore　touching　the　elder　Acts　of　Parliament；　viz。　　Those　that　were　made　between　the　First　Year　of　the　Reign　of　K。　　Richard　I　and　the　last　year　of　K。　Edward　2　we　have　little　extant　　in　any　authentical　History；　and　nothing　in　any　authentical　Record　　touching　Acts　made　in　the　Time　of　K。　Rich。　I　unless　we　take　in　　those　Constitutions　and　Assizes　mentioned　by　Hoveden　as　　aforesaid。　　　　　　Neither　is　there　any　great　Evidence；　what　Acts　of　Parliament　　pass'd　in　the　Time　of　King　John；　tho'　doubtless　many　there　were　　both　in　his　Time；　and　in　the　Time　of　K。　Rich。　I。　But　there　is　no　　Record　extant　of　them；　and　the　English　Histories　of　those　Times　　give　us　but　little　Account　of　those　Laws；　only　Matthew　Paris　　gives　us　an　Historical　Account　of　the　Magna　Charta；　and　Charta　de　　Foresta；　granted　by　King　John　at　Running　Mead　the　15th　of　June；　　in　the　Seventeenth　Year　of　his　Reign。　　　　　　And　it　seems；　that　the　Concession　of　these　Charters　was　in　a　　Parliamentary　Way；　you　may　see　the　Transcripts　of　both　Charters　　verbatim　in　Mat。　Paris；　and　in　the　Red　Book　of　the　Exchequer。　　There　were　seven　Pair　of　these　Charters　sent　to　some　of　the　Great　　Monasteries　under　the　Seal　of　King　John；　one　Part　whereof　sent　to　　the　Abby　of　Tewkesbury　I　have　seen　under　the　Seal　of　that　King；　　the　Substance　thereof　differs　something　from　t