Page:Mediaevalleicest00billrich.djvu/143

 each other, one of them drove the other as far as a certain little ditch, and as the other stood over the little ditch and was about to fall into it, his kinsman said to him, 'Mind you don't fall into the ditch behind you,' and immediately there arose such a clamour and such a tumult among the spectators standing and sitting round, that the lord Earl heard their noise even in the Castle, and then asked some people what the noise was, and he was told that two kinsmen were fighting about a piece of land and one of them drove the other as far as a certain little ditch, and as he stood over the ditch and was about to fall into it, the other warned him. The burgesses then, moti pietate, agreed with the lord Earl that they would give him 3d. a year from each house which had a gable looking on to the High Street, on condition that he would grant that all pleas touching them should henceforth be treated and determined by 24 jurats who were appointed in Leicester of old time; and this was granted to them by the Lord Earl and thus first were raised the pence that are called gavel-pence (govelpeniis). After the death of this Earl Robert, Robert, his son and heir, succeeded, who for the health of his father's soul entirely remitted the aforesaid pence which are called Gavelpence, and by his charter gave a quit-claim for ever. The aforesaid charter, with many other writings and charters, was put in the keeping of a certain burgess and clerk who was called Lambert, against whom evil-doers arose in the night, because he was thought to be rich, and they burned his houses and even the feet of the man himself, (etiam pedes ipsius), together with the aforesaid charter and many other writings. Some time after, there was a certain clerk in this town of Leicester, by name Simon Maudit, who, for some time after the death of the aforesaid Robert, Earl of Leicester, who made the charter of quitclaim, had the reeveship of Leicester in farm, and collected and exacted the said pence called gavelpence by force and at his own will, distraining all who refused to pay, bidding them show him a warranty of quitclaim, for he knew very well that the quitclaim was burnt, so they are paid to this very day."

With regard to bridge-silver, the Jurats reported as follows: "In the time of the same Earl Robert, the forest of Leicester was 105