Some persons seem to have supposed that this was a prohibition merely upon officers bearing the specific names of "sheriffs, constables, coroners and bailiffs," to hold criminal trials. But such is not the meaning. If it were, the name could be changed, and the thing retained; and thus the prohibition be evaded. The prohibition applies (as will presently be seen) to all officers of the king whatsoever; and it sets up a distinction between officers of the king, ("our bailiffs,") and officers chosen by the people. The prohibition upon the king's justices sitting in criminal trials, is included in the words "vel alii balivi nostri," (or other our bailiffs.) The word bailif was anciently a sort of general name for judicial officers and persons employed in and about the administration of justice. In modern times its use, as applied to the higher grades of judicial officers, has been superseded by other words; and it therefore now, more generally, if not universally, signifies an executive or police officer, a servant of courts, rather than one whose functions are purely judicial. The word is a French word, brought into England by the Normans. Coke says, "Baylife is a French word, and signifies an officer concerned in the administration of justice of a certain province; and because a sheriff hath an office concerning the administration of justice within his county, or bailiwick, therefore be called his county baliva sua, (his bailiwick.) "I have heard great question made what the true exposition of this word balivus is. In the statute of Magna Carta, cap. 28, the letter of that statute is, nullus balivus de eaetero ponat aliqnem ad legem manifestam nec ad juramentum simplici loquela sua sine testibus fidelibus ad hoc inductis." (No bailiff from henceforth shall put any one to his open law, nor to an oath {of self-exculpation) upon his own simple accusation, or complaint, without faithful witnesses brought in for the same.) "And some have said that balivus in this statute signifieth any judge; for the law must be waged and made before the judge. And this statute (say they) extends to the courts of common pleas, king's bench, &c;., for they must bring with them fideles testes, (faithful witnesses,) &c;., and so hath been the usage to this day." 1 Coke's Inst., 168 b. Coke makes various references, in his margin to Bracton, Fleta, and other authorities, which I have not examined, but which, I presume, support the opinion expressed in this quotation. Coke also, in another place, under the head of the chapter just cited from Magna Carta, that "no bailiff shall put any man to his open law," &c;., gives the following commentary upon it, from the Mirror of Justices, from which it appears that in the time of Edward I., (1272 to 1307,) this word balivus was understood to include all judicial, as well as all other, officers of the king.