Page:English Historical Review Volume 37.djvu/632

 624 SHORT NOTICES October A mention of this chantry occurs in the register of Bishop Grandison of Exeter (ed. Kandolph, p. 1246), and Wykeham's register (ed. Kirby, i. 169) clearly states the nature of the exchange. The authors, however, are generally careful in their treatment of names of places and people, and serious mistakes are few. A. H. T. The Flintshire Historical Society has from the first maintained a good standard, and its reputation will certainly be enhanced by the eighth volume of its publications, Flint Pleas, 1283-5 (Chester, 1922). In this Mr. J. Goronwy Edwards prints the text of the earliest extant plea roll of a Welsh court, viz. that of Englefield (later, Flintshire), for courts held in the presence of the justice of Chester between November 1283, and January 1285. There are added a translation, a full introduction, a map, and a useful note on the boundaries of medieval Flintshire. In the intro- duction, Mr. Edwards attempts with considerable success to capture the interest of the ordinary reader by explaining in detail, and often with much humour, the meaning of the technical procedure which is recorded in the roll. But he does not suffer this popular exposition to take the place of serious discussion of the problems raised by the document before him. A very large number of the cases are concerned with the conduct of Flintshire Welshmen on the first day of the rising of 1282, the memorable Palm Sunday on which David attacked the castle of Hawarden and took Roger Clifford prisoner. It may be remarked, in passing, that a comparison of the Bury continuator of Florence of Worcester with his own no. 46 might have shown Mr. Edwards that the outbreak is more correctly assigned to the previous night. Discussion of the revolt, which led, apparently, to considerable looting, but not much carnage, in the region now under review, naturally raises the question whether David rose in concert with his brother, or whether the latter was dragged into the conflict by the course of events. Evidence can be cited in support of each of these con- clusions, but the very different terms offered by Peckham to David and to Llywelyn in the November of this year seem to show that the king, at any rate, took the more favourable view. Among other points of interest raised by Mr. Edwards is an instance of the very unusual ' decisory oath '. In answer to a charge of theft, ' Wolf's Eyes ' puts himself, not upon the ' country ', but upon the oath of the prosecutrix, and when the lady swears that he has indeed stolen her cloth, the case goes definitely against him. One may compare the ' spare oath ' (llw gweilydd) of Welsh law, but this was an oath tendered to a suspected thief by the owner of the missing property at his pleasure and wherever it suited him, and it was not part of the process of any court. ' Lex Wallensis ' actually makes its appear- ance in one case here put on record. One Daykyn or Deicyn fails to appear on the day formally assigned for the hearing of a plea of trespass in which he is defendant : ' therefore it is adjudged, according to Welsh law, that the aforesaid Daykyn be amerced xv shillings.' This is the well- known camlwrw, or fine of 18(W. ( = three kine), imposed by Welsh law for a variety of minor offences, and, among them, for neglect of the sum- mons of a royal court. The volume has been edited with great care and few points seem to have escaped notice. It may, perhaps, be suggested that