None of these amercements shall be imposed
except by the oath of honest men of the neighborhood.
Earls and barons shall be amerced only by their peers, and only in
accordance with the seriousness of the offense.
{No amercement shall be imposed upon a cleric's lay tenement,
except in the manner of the other persons aforesaid, and without
regard to the value of his ecclesiastical benefice.}
NO MAN OF THE CHURCH SHALL BE AMERCED EXCEPT IN ACCORDANCE WITH
THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE OFFENCE AND AFTER HIS LAY TENEMENT, BUT NOT
AFTER THE QUANTITY OF HIS SPIRITUAL BENEFICE.
[XV. MAKING OF BRIDGES AND BANKS]
No town or freeman shall be compelled to build bridges over rivers
OR BANKS except those bound by old custom and law to do so.
[XVI. DEFENDING OF BANKS]
NO BANKS [LAND NEAR A RIVER] SHALL BE DEFENDED [USED BY THE KING
ALONE, E.G. FOR HUNTING], FROM HENCEFORTH, BUT SUCH AS WERE IN
DEFENCE IN THE TIME OF KING HENRY [II] OUR GRANDFATHER, BY THE
SAME PLACES AND IN THE SAME BOUNDS AS IN HIS TIME.
[XVII. HOLDING PLEAS OF THE CROWN]
No sheriff, constable, coroners, or other of our bailiffs shall
hold pleas of our Crown [but only justiciars, to prevent disparity
of punishments and corruption].
{All counties, hundreds, wapentakes, and tithings (except our
demesne manors) shall remain at the old rents, without any
increase.}
[XVIII. THE KING'S DEBTOR DYING, THE KING SHALL BE FIRST PAID]
If anyone holding a lay fee of us dies, and our sheriff or our
bailiff show our letters patent [public letter from a sovereign or
one in authority] of summons for a debt due to us from the
deceased, it shall be lawful for such sheriff or bailiff to attach
and list the goods and chattels of the deceased found in the lay
fee to the value of that debt, by the sight and testimony of
lawful men [to prevent taking too much], so that nothing thereof
shall be removed therefrom until our whole debt is paid; then the
residue shall be given up to the executors to carry out the will
of the deceased.
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