Page:Select historical documents of the Middle Ages.djvu/65

Rh ones, prepared with care for this purpose: but the breadth is a little more than that of one and a half. The rolls, therefore, being ruled from the top almost to the bottom, and on both sides, the lines being suitably distant from each other, the counties and bailwicks of which an account is below rendered are marked at the top: but a moderate interval being left, the space as it were of three or four fingers, in the middle of the line is written the name of the county which is treated of in the first place. Then at the head of the following line is written the name of the sheriff, followed by this form of words: "that or that sheriff renders account of the farm of that or that county."

Then a little further on in the same line is written "in the treasury," and nothing else is added until the account is completed, for an important reason which is explained in the chapter on the sheriff. Then at the head of the following line is put down what part of the farm of the county is expended in alms and in the fixed tithes, what, also, in liveries. After these, at the head of the lower line are noted, among the lands given away, those which the generosity of the kings has conferred on churches or on those who did military service for them; among the estates called crown lands, which are blank, which by tale.

D. It surprises me, what thou sayest, that some estates are given blank, some by tale.

M. Let us proceed at present concerning the office of the scribe; and, when we are treating of the sheriff, ask me concerning this if thou wilt. After the lands given away, a space being left of one line so that the things by their very nature may seem separate, those things are noted which were ordered to be expended from the farm by a writ of the king; for these are not fixed, but casual. Some also which are without writs are accounted for as by custom of the exchequer, concerning which we will speak later: and thus the account for the body of the county is terminated. After this, a space being left of about six or seven lines, an account is made of the purprestures and escheats under this form of words: the same sheriff renders account of the farm of purprestures and escheats"; but also of all the farms of manors and of the rent of woods which are annually due and paid. After