Penny Dreadfuls, 1602 · page 388 of 400
Penny Dreadful Cover — page 388: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a page of running prose from what appears to be a scholarly historical work, not a Victorian penny dreadful. The text discusses the administrative divisions of Anglo-Saxon England—specifically the organization of Shires into Hundreds and Tythings, and the three distinct legal systems (West-Saxon, Mercian, and Danish law) that existed in early medieval Britain. The author references historical authorities like Lambard and Camden, and explains the appointment of itinerant judges and shire officials in ancient times.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
ie Gu x 3 ce ate Cae t een! 2 fy a4 ae eo a ee ee ree ee Ne he. ce ee o “ : iP r s “ 4 4 f . iM) Tae we GG & ~ ‘ es a PAG tea coe ‘. Ma iA ks hah A: Rt kha A at ki ze 1 ie MH, othe tes x >" ee j es ‘ a fF BPEL G Oe Gs s F, ie BAU LE oT or et ~~ e. > a n of them,as alfo of Wales, the number of Shires increafed to4g. The Shires alfo lured deuided into Hundreds and Tythings or Bocres, in fome part of the land termed Wap- pentakes and Lathes: touching which, as firft whence thefe termes were founded ,why thefe Deuifions and Subdeuifions were inftituted, and what, for the publike Pollicie , wasthe {cuerall Pradtife withineuerie of them, my Referment of the vnread in our Lawes is, amongtt others, to Matter Lambards Treatife of the Dueties of Conftables, and Mafter Camdens aforefaid Britannia : either of which fignificantly enough touch vpon thefe matters,onely | adde this note, that thelike preuentions of Mifchietes and effeCting of publike peace and profit,as when thefe Erections were practiue in theircre- ated Natures, may, in ourtimes be rather wilhed than any wife hoped for. Neuertheleffe hence may groundly be faid deriued our beft and {till experienced Method wherein we now execute lawes & difpatch,with lefler intricacie, the Col- lections and bufinefles for the Wealepublike. Nthofe daies inthis Land, (thenconfifting , as we have {aid but of 3 2.Shires)wasa triple difference and practife of. Lawes,called We /?-Saxenlage, Merchen-lage, and Dane-lage: — peculiar in times then by-pafled tothe betore diftinguifhed Meere Saxons, Angles or Englith-Saxons, & to the Danes: who of the 32. Shires had formally inuaded fitteene. Asfor the Juti{h-Saxons they held onely Kevt and the Ifle of Wight, and had, as may be collected lawes in fome things different from the other Saxons : Concerning which three Lawes _ more thall be faid hereafter, Alfo about thofe times were ordained Iudges, becaufe of their Circuites called /inerantes,fuch in efte@ as now are our Judges of Affifes. Likewife in euery Shire of the Noblier and of chiefe note was a yeerely choife of a sda: « Gomicbookss