United Kingdom Legislation

These be the Things which our Lord the King, the Prelates, Lords, and the Commons have ordained in this present Parliament, holden at Westminster, the Sunday next before the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, to be holden and published openly through the Realm ( F1 )

I.

Who shall be Justices of the Peace.Their Jurisdiction over Offenders; Rioters; Barrators; They may take Surety for good Behaviour.

First, That in every County of England shall be assigned for the keeping of the Peace, one Lord, and with him three or four of the most worthy in the County, with some learned in the Law, and they shall have Power to restrain the Offenders, Rioters, and all other Barators, and to pursue, arrest, take, and chastise them according their Trespass or Offence; and to cause them to be imprisoned and duly punished according to the Law and Customs of the Realm, and according to that which to them shall seem best to do by their Discretions and good Advisement; . . . F2 ; and to take and arrest all those that they may find by Indictment, or by Suspicion, and to put them in Prison; and to take of all them that be [F3 not] of good Fame, where they shall be found, sufficient Surety and Mainprise of their good Behaviour towards the King and his People, and the other duly to punish; to the Intent that the People be not by such Rioters or Rebels troubled nor endamaged, nor the Peace blemished, nor Merchants nor other passing by the Highways of the Realm disturbed, nor [F4 put in the Peril which may happen] of such Offenders: . . . F5