An example of a writ
praecipe is: "The king to the sheriff greeting. Command [praecipe]
N. to render to R. justly and without delay one hide of land in a
certain vill, which the said R. complains that the aforesaid N. is
withholding from him. If he does not do so, summon him by good
summoners to be before me or my justices on the day after the
octaves of Easter, to show why he has not done so. And have the
summoners and this writ. Witness." When the parties appeared in
court, the claimant states his suit such as: "I claim against this
N. the fee of half a knight and two carucates of land in a certain
vill as my right and my inheritance, of which my father (or
grandfather) was seized in his demesne as of fee in the time of
King Henry the First, and from which he took the profits to the
value of five shillings at least, in grain and hay and other
profits; and this I am ready to prove by this freeman of mine, H.,
and if any evil befalls him them by this other man or by this
third man, who saw and heard it". Then the defendant chose to deny
the claim word for word with proof by combat or to put himself
upon the grand assize of the king. If he chose trial by combat,
the parties or their champions fought. The party losing, usually
by crying craven, had to pay a fine of 60s. If the grand assize
was chosen, the action was removed to the Royal Court. A writ of
grand assize was issued as follows: "The king to the sheriff,
greeting.
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