Of purchases. " By the same law it was also forbidden, that any person . should buy a live animal or worn garment without sureties and ι çood witnesses. If it was a work of gold or silver, concerning ι which the buyer might be in doubt, he was not to buy it \ without the aid of goldsmiths or moneyers. If these, on seeing it, said that it came out of a church or treasury, he was not to buy it without finding sureties ; and if the seller could not find sureties, then he was to be detained with the property until his lord should come, or some one else who could give good security for him ; and if any man bought on any other I; terms, because he had purchased foolishly, he was at once to j lose what he had bought and pay a fine. After this, inquisi\ tion was to be made by legal men,8 and the chief men of the borough, or vili, or hundred where the buyer lived, as to what J was his mode of life, and if they had ever heard of his being loharged with acting unlawfully : and if witness was borne by Ithem, that he was of good life and lawful character, he was to prove before the court of the county that he did not know that ! the seller was acting unlawfully in the sale thereof, or was guilty : lof any unlawful offence, and if he should know who the seller (was or where he was, he was to say so ; on which the .justiciary was to make search for him, in order to bring him to justice, and if he could not be found he was to be outlawed. Of buyers and provision dealers. " But when it was stated that no man was to buy a live animal without sureties, the provision-sellers in the cities and boroughs, whom the English call ' fleshmongers,' made an out pry, that every day they Avere obliged to buy, kill, and sell live animals, as their livelihood was got by lulling sueh animals. In addition to which, the citizens, burgesses, and populace cried out for their customs, because they had about the feast of Saint Martin been in the habit of buying animals • at market without any surety, for the purpose of killing them against the Nativity of our Lord. There was also a great murmuring among the multitude about this enaetment. Wherefore I am of opinion, that if enquiry had been made whether that decree pleased or not, as is the case in some assemblages, an answer would with universal assent have been given by multitudes, 'it does not so please us.' There, also, you might have 8 Lagamannos. 00 VOL. I.