FORASMUCH as from Day to Day, Robberies, Murders, Burnings, and Theft, be more often used than they have been heretofore, and Felons cannot be attainted by the Oath of Jurors, which had rather suffer strangers to be robbed, and so pass without pain, than to indite the Offenders, of whom great part be People of the same Country, or at the least, if the Offenders be of another Country, the Receivers be of places near ;and they do the same, because an Oath is not given unto Jurors of the same Country where such Felonies were done, and to the Restitution of Damages hitherto no Pain hath been limited for their concealment and neglect ; Our Lord the King, for to abate the power of Felons, hath established a Pain in this case, so that from henceforth, for fear of the Pain more than for fear of any Oath, they shall not spare any, nor conceal any Felonies ; And doth command, That Cries  shall be solemnly made in all Counties, Hundreds, Markets, Fairs, and all other Places where great Resort of People is, so that none shall excuse himself by Ignorance, that from henceforth every Country be so well kept, that immediately upon such Robberies and Felonies committed, fresh Suit shall be made from Town to Town, and from Country to Country.

LIKEWISE, when need requires, Inquests shall be made in Towns, by him that is Lord of the Town, and after in the Hundred, and in the Franchise, and in the County, and sometimes in two, three, or four Counties, in case when Felonies shall be committed in the Marches of Shires, so that the Offenders may be attainted. And if the Country will not answer for the Bodies of every Country, that is to wit, the People dwelling in the Country, shall be answerable for the Robberies done, and also the Damages; so that the whole Hundred where the Robbery shall be done, with the Franchises being within the Precinct of the same Hundred, shall be answerable for the Robberies done. And if the Robbery be done in the Division of Two Hundreds, both the Hundreds and the Franchises within them shall be answerable; and after that the Felony or Robbery is done, the Country shall have no longer Space than Forty Days, within which  it shall behove them to agree for the Robbery or Offence, or else that they will answer for the Bodies of the Offenders.

AND Forasmuch as the King will not that his People should be suddenly impoverished by reason of this Penalty, that seemeth very hard to many; the King granteth, That they shall not incur immediately, but it shall be respited until Easter next following, within which Time the King may see how the Country will order themselves, and whether such Felonies and Robberies do cease. After which Term let them all be assured, that the foresaid Penalty shall run generally, that is to say, every Country, that is to wit, the People in the Country, shall be answerable for Felonies and Robberies done among them.

AND for the more Surety of the Country, the King hath commanded, that in great Towns, being walled, the Gates shall be closed from the Sun-setting until the Sun-rising ; and that no man do lodge in Suburbs, nor in any place out of the Town, from nine of the Clock until Day, without his Host will answer for him ;and the Bailiffs of Towns every Week, o at the least every Fifteenth Day, shall make Inquiry of all Persons being lodged in the Suburbs, or in ‘foreign Places' of the Towns ; and if they do find any that have lodge or received any Strangers or suspicious person, against the peace, the Bailiffs shall do right therein. And the King commandeth, that from henceforth all Towns be kept , as it hath been used in times passed, that is to wit, from the Day of the Ascension unto the Day of St. Michael, in every City Six Men shall keep at every gate, in every Borough Twelve Men, every Town Six or Four, according to the Number of the Inhabitants of the Town, and  shall watch the Town continually all Night, from the Sun-setting unto the Sun-rising. And if any Stranger do pass by them, he shall be arrested until Morning ; and if no Suspicion be Found, he shall go quit ; and if they find cause of Suspicion, they shall forthwith deliver him to the Sheriff, and the Sheriff may receive him without Damage, and shall keep him safely, until he be acquitted in due Manner. And if they will not obey the Arrest, they shall levy Hue and Cry upon them, and such as keep the Town shall follow with Hue and Cry with all the Town, and the Towns near, and so Hue and Cry shall be made from Town to Town," until that they be taken and delivered to the Sheriff, as before is said; and for the Arrestments of such Strangers none shall be punished.

AND Further, It is commanded, That Highways Leading from one Market Town to another shall be enlarged whereas Bushes, Woods  or Dykes be, so that there be neither Dyke, Tree  nor Bush, whereby a man may lurk to do hurt, within two hundred foot of the one side, and two hundred foot oh the other side of the way, so that this Statute shall ' not extend unto Oaks nor unto great Trees, for which it shall be clearly out of this.  And if by Default of the Lord that will not abate the Dyke, Underwood or Bushes, in the manner aforesaid, any Robberies be done therein, the Lord shall be answerable for the Felony; and if Murder be done the Lord shall make a Fine at the King's Pleasure. And if the Lord be not able to fell the Underwoods, the Country shall aid him therein. And the King willeth, that in his demean Lands and Woods within his Forest and without, the Ways shall be enlarged, as before is said. And if percase a Park be taken from the Highway, it is requisite that the Lord shall set  his Park the space of two hundred foot from the Highways, as before is said, or that he make such a Wall, Dyke, or Hedge, that Offenders may not pass, ne return to do evil.  

AND Further, It is commanded, That every Man have in his house Harness for to keep the Peace after the ancient Assise; that is to say, Every Man between fifteen years of age, and sixty years, shall be assessed and sworn to Armor according to the quantity of their Lands and Goods ; that is to wit, from Fifteen Pounds Lands, and Goods Forty Marks, an Hauberke, capel de fer, a Sword, a Knife, and an Horse from Ten Pounds of Lands, and Twenty Marks Goods, an Hauberke, a Capel, a Sword, and a Knife ; and from  Five Pound Lands, a Gambison, a Capel de Fer, a Sword, and a Knife ; and from Forty Shillings Land and more, unto One hundred Shillings of Land, a Sword, a Bow and Arrows, and a Knife ; and he that hath less than Forty Shillings yearly, shall be sworn to keep Gis-armes; Knives, and other less Weapons ; and he that hath less than Twenty Marks in Goods, shall have Swords, Knives, and other less Weapons  ; and all other that may, shall have Bows and Arrows out of the Forest, and in the Forest Bows and Boults. And that View of Armor be made every Year Two Times. And in every Hundred and Franchise Two Constables shall be chosen to make the View of Armor ; and the Constables aforesaid shall present before Justices assigned such Defaults as they do see in the Country about Armor, and of the Suits of Towns, and of Highways ; and also shall present all such as do lodge Strangers in uplandish Towns: for whom they will not answer. And the Justices assigned shall present at every Parliament unto the King such Defaults as they shall find  and the King shall provide Remedy therein. And from henceforth let Sheriffs take good Heed, and Bailiffs within their Franchises and without, be they higher or lower,  that have any Bailiwick or Forestry in Fee, or otherwise, that they shall follow the Cry with the Country ; and after, as they are bounden, to keep Horses and Armor, or so to do ;  and if there be any that do not, the Defaults shall be presented by the Constables to the Justices assigned, and after, by them to the King, and the King will provide Remedy as afore is said. And the King commandeth and forbiddeth, that from henceforth neither Fairs nor Markets be kept in Church-Yards for the Honour of the Church. Given at Winchester, the Eighth of October, in the Thirteenth Year of the Reign of the King.

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