dominicales. The whole fee was called a lordship, or barony, and the court appendant to the "manor house" was called the court-baron.1 No new "manors" were

created in England after the enactment of the statute Quia Emptores, prohibiting subinfeudation.

Sec. 65.-Venue and offense charged.—

"King (Reads). The time when? About the sixth hour; when beasts most graze, birds best peck, and men sit down to that nourishment, which is called supper. So much for the time when. Now for the ground which; which, I mean, 1 walked upon; it is yeleped thy park. Then for the place where; where, I mean, I did encounter that obscene and most preposterous event, that draweth from my snow-white pen the ebon-coloured ink, which here thou viewest beholdest, surveyest or seest; but to the place where; It standeth north-north-east and by east from the west corner of thy curious knotted garden; there did I see that low spirited swain, that base minnow of thy mirth, sorted and consorted, contrary to thy established proclaimed edict and continental cannon, etc."3

This letter follows, in a satirical and ridiculous way, the charging part of a common law indictment, in setting forth the venue and the place where the offense was committed and winds up, by charging the offense contrary to the form of the "established proclaimed edict," like an indictment ended, in charging the commission of the of fense "contrary to the form of the statute," etc.* At common law, in setting forth an offense, some certain place

Bouvier's Law Dictionary.

This statute was passed in 1290. Tiedeman, R. P. (3 Ed.). Sec. 23; 1 Washburn, R. P. 30.

'Love's Labour's Lost, Act I, Scene I.

These legal terms were used as terms of art, at common law. for which none others were found to so fully fill the same office, in charging offenses known to the law. 4 Bl. Comm. 301; 1 Chitty, Cr. Law, 230; Hawkins, Pl. Cr. b. 2. c, 25, Sec. 57.

had to be alleged as the place of occurrence of each traversable fact. The place was set forth with great detail, as in this form used by the Poet, or by use of similar legal phrases, to designate the place, after which the of fense was charged, as here, it is stated that he "sorted and consorted," which is also charged to have been "contrary to thy established proclaimed edict and continental cannon," meaning that it was "contrary to the form of the statute," as the offense would be charged at common law.2

Sec. 66.-Inheritance, Dowry.

"Boyet. Now, madam, summon up your dearest spirits; Consider who the king, your father, sends;

To whom he sends; and what's his embassey;
Yourself, held precious in the world's esteem,
To parley with the sole inheritor

Of all perfections that a man may owe,
Matchless Navarre; the plea of no less weight
Than Aquittain; a dowry for a queen.

Boyet here impresses the Princess with the importance of her embassy, by complimenting her own prowess and prerogatives and by emphasizing the no less royal importance of the King of Navarre, to whom the public message from her father's court, is borne. Then by way of further suggestion of the importance of the mission, it is reminded that the title of Aquittain is involved, which is, in itself, a "dowry for a queen." An inheritance, is a perpetuity in land to a man and his heirs, or the right to succeed to the estate of a person who dies intestate." Navarre is spoken of as the "inheritor" of "the perfections that a man may owe," meaning that he inherited these perfections, which were transmitted to him, by his father. "Dowry" was the wedding portion which a bride brought

'Comyns Dig. Pleader, c. 20.

Coke, Litt. 125.

Love's Labour's Lost, Act II, Scene I.
Littleton. Sec. 9.

her husband.1 And the value of Aquittain is here enhanced as being fit for a queen.

'Coke, Litt. 31.

King John is made to say, to Phillip, of France: "If that the Dauphin there, thy princely son, Can in this book of beauty read, I love, Her dowry shall weigh equal with a queen." (Act II, Scene I.)

As an apt illustration of the frequency with which legal terms are correctly used by the Poet, when the necessity therefor occurs, note the following references to dowry, in Taming Of The Shrew: "Gre. I had as lief take her dowry, with this condition-to be whipped at the high-cross every morning." (Act I, Scene I.)

"Hor. Here is a gentleman, whom by chance I met, upon agreement from us to his liking, will undertake to woo curst Katharine; yea, and to marry her, if her dowry please." (Act I, Scene II.) "Pet. Then tell me if I get your daughter's love, What dowry shall I have, with her to wife?"

"Bap. After my death, the one-half of my lands; and, in possession, twenty thousand crowns."

"Pet. And, for that dowry, I'll assure her of her widow-hood." (Act II, Scene I.)

"Pet. Your father hath consented that you shall be my wife; your dowry 'greed on; and will you, nill you, I will marry you." (Act II, Scene I.)

"Bap. And he, of both, that can assure my daughter greatest dower, shall have Bianca's love." (Act II, Scene I.)

"Tra. My father is here looked for every day, To pass assurance of a dower in marriage." (Act IV, Scene II.)

"Bap. And, therefore, if you say no more than this, That like a father you will deal with him, And pass my daughter a sufficient dower, The match is fully made, and all is done." (Act IV, Scene I.)

"Pet. Wonder not, nor be not grieved; she is of good esteem, Her dowry wealthy and of worthy birth." (Act IV, Scene I.)

"Bap. I will add unto their losses, twenty thousand crowns; Another dowry to another daughter, for she is changed as she had never been." (Act V, Scene II.)

In King John, the Earl of Pembroke said to Lord Salisbury: "Stay let, Lord Salisbury. I'll go with thee, And find the inheri

tance of this poor child, His little kingdom of a forced grave." (Act IV, Scene II.)

The Archbishop of Canterbury, in Henry V, said to the King: "Cant... in the book of Numbers is it writ-When the son dies, let the inheritance descend unto the daughter." (Act I, Scene II.)

Gloster, speaking of the offer of his daughter to the king, by the Earl of Armagnac, in 1' Henry VI, said: "Glo. Proffers his only daughter to your grace, in marriage, with a large and sumptuous dowry." Her beauty and the value of her dower, He doth intend she shall be England's queen." (Act V, Scene I.)

Contesting for the several hands of their favorites for the King, Exeter and Suffolk, in 1' Henry VI, said: "Exc. Besides, his wealth does warrant liberal dower; While Reignier sooner will receive, than give. Suff. A dower, my lords; disgrace not so your king, That he should be so abject, base and poor, To choose for wealth and not for perfect love." (Act V, Scene V.)

In 2' Henry VI, the peasant, Iden, said: "Iden. This small inheritance, my father left me, Contenteth me and is worth a monarchy." (Act IV, Scene V.)

In 3 Henry VI, York asserts title to the crown, in the following language: "York. 'Twas my inheritance as the earldom was." (Act I, Scene I.)

The Senators urge Alcibiades to show mercy and deny that crimes are hereditary, in Timon of Athens:

For those that were, it is not square to take,

On those that are, revenge: crimes, like lands,

Are not inherited."

(Act V, Scene V.)

Lear asks the duke of Burgundy: "What, in the least, Will you require in present dower with her, Or cease your quest of love," in discarding his daughter, Cordelia. (Act I, Scene I.)

King Lear before division of his property among his daughters said: "Lear. We have this hour a constant will to publish. Our daughters several dowers, that future strife may be prevented now." (Act I, Scene I.)

And to Cordelia, he decrees: "Thy truth, then, be thy dower." idem.

Cleon tells the Lord, in Pericles, Prince of Tyre, that

"One sorrow never comes, but brings an heir,

That may succeed as an inheritor."

(Act I, Scene IV.)

Sec. 67. Duties of solicitor.—

"Prin. In that behalf, bold of your worthiness, we single

you,

As our best moving, fair solicitor:

Tell him, the daughter of the king of France,
On serious business, craving quick dispatch,
Importunes personal conference with his grace;
Haste, signify so much; while we attend

Like humble visaged suitors, his high will."1

The audience was thus sought by means of a solicitor. A solicitor is a person whose business it is to be employed in the care and management of law suits and especially those pending in the English court of chancery. The solicitor, like the attorney, is required to act with perfect good faith, toward his client, or the suitor that he represents. Here, the Princess not only adopted the solicitor to state the necessity for her audience, but adopted the attitude of her solicitor's client, in that she and her associates, "like humble visaged suitors," would await his will. A suitor, of course, is one who is a party to a lawsuit;3 the character of waiting, with an humble visage, denotes the keen perception of the lawyer, used to seeing clients waiting upon the pleasure of the court, for no doubt, at Westminster, many such could be seen, in the Poet's day.' Sec. 68. Surety.—

"King.

Madam, your father here doth intimate, The payment of a hundred thousand crowns;

'Love's Labour's Lost, Act II, Scene I.

2 Bouvier's Law Dictionary.

Bouvier's Law Dictionary.

'II Reeve's Hist. Eng. Law, 401, et sub.

To follow out the reference of the Princess' attitude to a suitor. in a court, when the king arrives, she said: "Vouchsafe to read the purpose of my coming, and suddenly resolve me in my suit." (Love's Labour's Lost, Act II. Scene II.)

Desdemona tells Cassio, in Othello, the Moor of Venice: "Therefore, be merry. Cassio; For thy solicitor shall rather die. Than give thy cause away." (Act III, Scene III.)