[Footnote 523: _Visio autem virginis defloratæ per septem mulieres viduas vel maritatas fide dignas debet fieri, per quas, si necesse fuerit, de defloratione veritas recordetur._ (Grand Custum. de Norm. c. 67. See also Britton c. 1. s. 30. &c.)] CHAP. VII. The crime of Falsifying,[524] in a general sense, comprises under it many particular species. As, for example, false Charters—false Measures—false Money—and others of a similar description, which contain such a falsifying, on which a person ought to be accused, and, if convicted, condemned. The manner and order of prosecuting these different species of the crime may be sufficiently collected, from what has gone before. One thing, however, should be observed, that if a person be convicted of falsifying a charter, it becomes necessary to distinguish, whether it be a royal[525] or a private charter; because in the former case, the party, when convicted of this offence, shall be condemned, as in the crime of læse majesty. But, if the charter be a private one, then, the person convicted is to be dealt with in a milder manner, as in other inferior crimes of Falsifying, which are punished by the loss of members only, according to the will and beneficence of the princely disposition, as we formerly observed. [Footnote 524: See Britton c. 4. Bracton 119. b. and Fleta L. 1. c. 22.] [Footnote 525: Of the king’s Charters, says Bracton, neither the Justices nor private Individuals can dispute, nor interpret them, if a doubt arise; but recourse must be had to the king himself; and if the Charters be defective, through rasure, or from a false seal being attached to them, it is better and safer to decide the matter in the king’s presence. (Bracton fo. 34. a.)] CHAP. VIII. As to Thefts and other Pleas which fall within the Jurisdiction of the Sheriff,[526] as they are conducted and decided according to the various customs of different Counties, they fall not within the scope of my present plan, which is solely confined to the subject of the Chief Court. [Footnote 526: Having already observed, that this part of the Sheriff’s Jurisdiction was taken away by Magna Carta, I shall conclude these Notes with extracting a passage from the Norman Code, from which we may collect most of the various branches of the Sheriff’s Jurisdiction and his duty, in the opinion of the Lawyers of Normandy. _Officium autem Vicecomitis est placita tenere: vias antiquas et semitas et limites aperire: aquas vero transmotas ad cursum debitum reducere, et de malefactoribus et seditiosis mulieribus et arsionibus et deflorationibus virginum violentis et ceteris actibus criminosis diligenter et secretè inquirere._ (Le Grand Custum. de Norm. c. 4.)] The Book of the Laws of England is finished. INDEX. Abbots cannot without King’s consent alien, 123 —— of Canons Regular may appear for their Order, 229 Absence of Lords, 65 —— of Parties, 30 —— of Summoners, 26 —— of Tenant, 27 —— of Demandant, 28 Accusations, 278