The History of the Common Law of England [5]
not to admit the same to be put in Issue by a Plea of Niul tiel Record. For, as shall be shewn hereafter, there are very many old Statutes which are admitted and obtain as such, tho' there be no Record at this Day extant thereof, nor yet any other written Evidence of the same, but what is in a manner only Traditional, as namely, Ancient and Modern Books of Pleadings, and the common receiv'd Opinion and Reputation, and the Approbation of the Judges Learned in the Laws: For the Judges and Courts of Justice are, ex Officio, (bound) to take Notice of publick Acts of Parliament, and whether they are truly pleaded or not, and therefore they are the Triers of them. But it is otherwise of private Acts of Parliament, for they may be put in Issue, and tried by the Record upon Nul tiel Record pleaded, unless they are produced exemplified, as was done in the Prince's Cafe in my Lord Coke's 8th Rep. and therefore the Averment of Nul tiel Record was refused in that Case. The old Statutes or Acts of Parliament that are of Record, as is before said, are entred either upon the proper Statute Roll, or some other Roll in Chancery. The first Statute Roll which we have, is in the Tower, and begins with Magna Charta, and ends with Edw. 3. and is called Magnus Rotulus Statutor'. There are five other Statute Rolls in that Office, of the Times of Richard 2. Henry 4. Hen. 5. Hen. 6. and Edw. 4. I shall now give a Scheme of those ancient Statutes of the Times of Henry 3. Edw. I. and Edw. 2. that are recorded in the first of those Rolls or elsewhere, to the best of my Remembrance, and according to those Memorials I have long had by me, viz. Magna Charta. Magno Rot. Stat. membr. 40. & Rot. Cartar. 28 E. I and membr. 16. Charta de Foresta. Mag. Rot. Stat. membr. 19 & Rot. Cartar. 28 E. I membr. 26. Stat. de Gloucestre. Mag. Rot. Stat. memb. 47. Westm. 2. Rot. Mag. Stat. membr. 47. Westm. 3. Rot. Clauso, 18 E. I. membr. 6. Dorso. Winton. Rot. Mag. Stat. memb. 41. Rot. Clauso, 8 E. 3. memb. 6. Dorso. Pars. 2. Rot. Clauso, 5 R. 2. membr. 13. Rot. Paten. 25 E. I. membr. 13. De Mercatoribus. Mag. Rot. Stat. Membr. 47. In Dorso. De Religiosis. Mag. Rot. Stat. membr. 47. Articuli Cleri. Mag. Rot. Stat. membr. 34. Dorso 2 Pars. Pat. E. I. 2. membr. 34. 2 Pars. Pat. 2 E. 3. membr. 15. De hiis qui ponendi sunt in Assisis. Mag. Rot. Stat. membr. 41. De Finibus levatis. Mag. Rot. Stat. membr. 37. De defensione Juris liberi Parliam. Lib. Parl. E. I. fo. 32. Stat. Eborum. Mag. Rot. Stat. membr. 32. De conjunctis infeofatis. Mag. Rot. Stat. membr. 34. De Escaetoribus. Mag. Rot. Stat. membr. 35. Dorso, & Rot. Claus. 29 E. I. membr. 14. Dorso. Stat. de Lincolne. Mag. Rot. Stat. membr. 32. Stat. de Priscis. Rot. Mag. Stat. membr. 33. In Schedula de libertatibus perquirendis, vel Rot. Claus. 27 E. I. membr. 24. Stat. de Acton Burnel. Rot. Mag. Stat. membr. 46. Dorso, & Rot. Claus. II. E. I. membr. 2. Juramentum Vicecomit. Rot. Mag. Stat. membr. 34. Dorso, & Rot. Claus. 5 E. 2. membr. 23. Articuli Stat. Gloucestriae. Rot. Claus. 2 E. 2. Pars. 2. membr. 8. De Pistoribus & Braciatoribus. 2 Pars, Claus. vel Pat. 2 R 2. membr. 29. De asportatis Religiosor. Mag. Rot. Stat. membr. 33. Westm. 4. De Vicecomitibus & Viridi caera. Rot. Mag. Stat. membr. 33. In Dorso. Confirmationes Chartarum. Mag. Rot. Stat. membr. 28. De Terris Templariorum. Mag. Rot. Stat. membr. 31. in Dorso, & Claus. 17 E. 2. membr. 4. Litera patens super prisis bonorum Cleri. Rot. Mag. Stat. membr. 33. In Dorso. De Forma mittendi extractas ad Scaccar. Rot. Mag. Stat. membr. 36. & membr. 30. In Dorso. Statutum de Scaccar. Mag. Rot. Stat. Statutum de Rutland. Rot Claus. 12 E. 1. Ordinatio Forestae. Mag. Rot. Stat. membr. 30. & Rot. Claus. 17 E. 2. Pars 2. membr. 3. According to a strict Inquiry made about 30 years since, these were all the old Statutes of the Times of Hen. 3. Edw. I. and Edw.