The duties pertaining to this office may be described as of a twofold nature--the maintenance of law and order, and the protection of the districts against the encroachments and inroads of the enemy. "In the first capacity," as has been remarked, "besides their power of control and ministerial administration, both as head stewards of all the crown tenements and manors within their jurisdiction, and as intromitting with all fines and penalties, their judicial authority was very extensive. They held courts for punishment of high treason and felony, which the English Border laws classed under the following heads:-- I. The aiding and abetting of any Scottishman, by communing, appointment, or otherwise, to rob, burn, or steal, within the realm of England. II. The accompanying personally, of any Scottishman, while perpetrating any such offences. III. The harbouring, concealing, or affording guidance and protection to him after the fact. IV. The supplying Scottishmen with arms and artillery, as jacks, splents, brigantines, coats of plate, bills, halberds, battle-axes, bows and arrows, spears, darts, guns, as serpentines, half-haggs, harquibusses, currys, cullivers, hand-guns, or daggers, without special licence of the Lord-warden. V. The selling of bread and corn of any kind, or of dressed leather, iron, or other appurtenances belonging to armour, without special licence. VI. The selling of horses, mares, nags, or geldings to Scottish men, without licence as aforesaid. VII. The breach of truce, by killing or assaulting subjects and liege-men of Scotland. VIII. The assaulting of any Scottishman having a regular pass or safe-conduct. IX. In time of war the giving tidings to the Scottish of any exploit intended against them by the warden or his officers. X. The conveying coined money, silver or gold, also plate or bullion, into Scotland, above the value of forty shillings at one time. XI. The betraying (in time of war) the counsel of any other Englishman tending to the annoyance of Scotland, in malice to the party, and for his own private advantage. XII. The forging the coin of the realm. XIII. The making appointment and holding communication with Scotchmen, or intermarrying with a Scottish woman, without licence of the wardens, and the raising of no fray against them as in duty bound. XIV. The receiving of Scottish pilgrims with their property without licence of the wardens. XV. The failing to keep the watches appointed for the defence of the country. XVI. The neglecting to raise in arms to the fray, or alarm raised by the wardens or watches upon the approach of public danger. XVII. The receiving or harbouring Scottish fugitives exiled from their own country for misdemeanours. XVIII. The having falsely and unjustly _fould_ (_i.e._, found true and relevant) the bill of any Scotchman against an Englishman, or having borne false witness on such matters.