Isle of France, Tourayne, Berry, Anjou and the rest, and most of all Brittain and Normandy,’ which are ‘governed by customs which amount unto a municipal law, and use the civil law but only for grounds and to decide new and rare cases.’ English readers should at least know the doctrine, strongly advocated in modern Germany, that the private law which was developed in England by a French-speaking court was just one more French _coutume_. Sohm, _Fränkisches Recht und römisches Recht_, p. 69: ‘Die Vorgeschichte des englischen Rechts von heute hat nicht in England, sondern in Nordfrankreich ihre Heimath … Stolz kann die Lex Salica auf die zahlreichen und mächtigen Rechte blicken, welche sie erzeugt hat.’ [38] Blackstone, _Commentaries_, vol. III., p. 149; J. H[oddesdon], _Tho. Mori Vita_, Lond. 1652, p. 26. [39] Smith, _Commonwealth_, ed. 1601, p. 141: ‘_withernam_ … is in plaine Dutch and in our olde Saxon language _wyther nempt_.’ [Sidenote: _Barbarous language of the law._] [40] Pollock, _First Book of Jurisprudence_, p. 283, from Dyer’s _Reports_, 188 _b_, in the notes added in ed. 1688: ‘Richardson, ch. Just. de C. Banc. al Assises at Salisbury in Summer 1631. fuit assault per prisoner la condemne pur felony que puis son condemnation ject un Brickbat a le dit Justice que narrowly mist, & pur ceo immediately fuit indictment drawn per Noy envers le prisoner, & son dexter manus ampute & fix al Gibbet sur que luy mesme immediatment hange in presence de Court.’ In France the Ordonnance of Villers-Cotterets (1539) decreed that the judgments of the French courts should be recorded no longer in Latin but in French. ‘L’utilité de cette innovation … se comprend assez d’elle-même. On dit qu’un motif d’une autre nature, l’intérêt des belles-lettres, ne contribua pas moins à y décider le roi [François I], choqué du latin barbare qu’employaient les tribunaux. Un arrêt rendu en ces termes: _Dicta curia debotavit et debotat dictum Colinum de sua demanda_, fut, dit on, ce qui entraîna la suppression du latin judiciaire.’ Henri Martin, _Histoire de France_, vol. VIII., pp. 272-3; see also Christie, _Étienne Dolet_, ed. 2, p. 424. [Sidenote: _The fate of Duns Scotus._] [41] Ellis, _Original Letters_, Ser. II., vol. II., p. 61, Dr Layton to Cromwell: ‘We have sett Dunce in Bocardo and have utterly banished him Oxforde for ever, with all his blynd glosses, and is now made a common servant to evere man, fast nailede up upon posts in all common howses of easement.’ [Sidenote: _The English Lex Regia._] [42] _Stat._ 31 Hen. VIII., cap. 8. Already in 1535 Cromwell reports with joy an opinion obtained from the judges to the effect that in a certain event the king might issue a proclamation which would be ‘as effective as any statute’ (_Letters and Papers, Henry VIII._, vol. VIII., p. 411). [Sidenote: _Civilians in councils and in courts. Project for a new court._]