[001] county of Essex proceeded from ignorance, nor may he be said to be contumacious [002] who has lawfully made his defence in one county court though appealed and outlawed [003] in another for the same deed, through ignorance and error, we, therefore, [004] with the counsel of our magnates, pronounce that outlawry void and we have [005] pardoned B. for it if ever it existed. Therefore we will and order that the same B. [006] have our steadfast peace therein forever. In witness whereof etc.’ There is also [007] another writ on the same matter, where one falsely indicted before the justices by [008] one covetous of his land has been outlawed and has subsequently surrendered [009] himself to the king's prison.
Where one has been falsely indicted before the justices and has afterwards surrendered himself to the king's prison; the king remits the outlawry.
[011] ‘The king to the sheriff, greeting. It has been shown us on A's behalf that when he [012] was abroad, at the time our justices were last on eyre in your parts, some of his [013] neighbours, coveting his land, maliciously caused him to be indicted for theft, [014] though he was not guilty, and stated that they held him suspect thereof, so that [015] our aforesaid justices gave instructions that unless he appeared to stand trial on [016] the said indictment he should be exacted from county court to county court and [017] outlawed according to the custom of our realm. The same A., having returned and [018] heard of this, trusting in his own innocence and faithfulness, surrendered himself [019] to our prison at such a place before he had been outlawed in your county court, [020] but your county court, not knowing this, as you have said, continued the process [021] of exaction begun against the said A. and outlawed him while he was in prison. [022] We, having regard to A's honesty and the county court's ignorance, have pardoned [023] him the outlawry so promulgated against him, on condition that he find adequate [024] security for standing his trial if anyone wishes to sue against him. Therefore we [025] order you, having received from him safe and secure pledges in the manner aforesaid, [026] to cause him to be released from prison, and to cause it to be proclaimed [027] throughout your whole county that he has our steadfast peace. And that no one is [028] to harass or aggrieve him by reason of that outlawry. Witness etc.’
Where he who was said to be slain returns alive and well.
[030] If a homicide is charged to some timid man and he has fled and been outlawed [031] at someone's suit, or has been indicted and has fled, and he who was alleged to be [032] slain afterwards makes his appearance alive and well, the king of his grace remits [033] the outlawry by this writ:
A writ where one said to be slain returns alive and well.
[035] ‘The king to the sheriff, greeting. Know that our justices who were last on eyre in [036] your county record that when A. in our court before
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