Not only did he confirm
the charter of his grandfather Henry I, but he revived and
augmented the laws and institutions of his grandfather and
developed them to a new perfection. Almost all legal and fiscal
institutions appear in their first effective form during his
reign. For instance, he institutionalized the assize for a
specific function in judicial proceedings, whereas before it had
been an ad hoc body used for various purposes. The term "assize"
here means the sitting of a court or council. It came to denote
the decisions, enactments, or instructions made at such.
Henry's government practiced a strict economy and he never
exploited the growing wealth of the nation. He abhorred bloodshed
and the sacrifice of men's lives. So he strove diligently to keep
the peace, when possible by gifts of money, but otherwise with
armed force. Robbers were hanged and any man who raped a woman was
castrated. Foreign merchants with precious goods could journey
safely through the land from fair to fair. These fairs were
usually held in the early fall, after sheep-shearing and
harvesting. Foreign merchants bought wool cloth and hides.
Frankpledge was revived, now applying to the unfree and villeins.
No stranger could stay overnight (except for one night in a
borough), unless sureties were given for his good behavior. A list
of such strangers was to be given to itinerant justices.
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