Leg. Ini, § 8. Æðelst. v. c. 8. § 2, 3, 4. Æðelwine scírman. Cod. Dipl. No. 761, but Æðelwine scírgeréfa. Ibid. No. 732. Wulfsige preóst scírigman; and Wulfsige se scírigman. Ibid. No. 1288. Ufegeát scíreman. Ibid. No. 972. Leófríc scíresman. Ibid. No. 929. Footnote 368: Leg. Ini, § 36. Footnote 369: Cod. Dipl. No. 755. Footnote 370: Ibid. No. 1288. Footnote 371: Ibid. No. 729. Footnote 372: The law of Æðelstán, i. § 12 (Thorpe, i. 206) assumes the presence of the reeves in the folcmót as a matter of course; but this does not particularise the shire-reeves, though these are probably included in the general term. See also Æðelst. iv. § 1. Thorpe, i. 220. Footnote 373: Leg. Eádg. ii. 5. Cnut, ii. 18. Thorpe, i. 268, 386. ----- But the judicial functions of the scírgeréfa were by no means all that he had to attend to. It is clear that the execution of the law was also committed to his hands. The provisions of the council of Greatanleah conclude with these words:—“But if any of my reeves will not do this, and care less about it than we have commanded, let him pay the fine for disobeying me, and I will find another reeve who will do it[374];” where reference is generally made to all the enactments of the council. And the same king requires his bishops, ealdormen and reeves (the principal shire-officer) to maintain the peace upon the basis laid down in the Judicia civitatis Londoniae, that is to put in force the enactments therein contained, on pain of fines and forfeiture[375]. In pursuance also of this part of their duty, they were commanded to protect the abbots on all secular occasions[376], and to see the church dues regularly paid; viz. the tithes, churchshots, soulshots and plough alms[377]. And Eádgár, Æðelred and Cnut arm them with the power to levy for tithe and inflict a heavy forfeiture upon those who withhold it[378]. It is also very clear from several passages in the Laws that the sheriff might be called upon to witness bargains and sales, so as to warrant them afterwards if necessary. Æðelstán enacts[379]:—“Let no man exchange any property, without the witness of the reeve, or the mass-priest, or the landlord, or the treasurer, or some other credible man:” and though the scírgeréfa is not particularly mentioned here, it is obvious that he is meant, for a subsequent law of Eádmund, following this enactment of Æðelstán, directs that no one shall bargain or receive strange cattle without the witness of the highest reeve (“summi praepositi”), the priest, the treasurer or the port-reeve[380]. He was further to exercise a supreme police in his county: it is declared by Æðelred[381],—“If there be any man who is untrue to all the people, let the king’s reeve go and bring him under surety, that he may be held to justice, to them that accused him. But if he have no surety, let him be slain, and laid in the foul,”—that is, I presume, not buried in consecrated ground. ----- Footnote 374: