[001] we hear further complaint for default of right. Witness etc.’ Or thus: ‘with respect to [002] the third part of the fee of one knight in such a place (or ‘vill’) which he claims to hold [003] of you and of which such a one deforces him.’ If the service is military, then thus: ‘by [004] the service of one knight's fee,’ or ‘a half’ or ‘a fourth part of the fee of one knight,’ or [005] ‘by the service of so many pence when forty shillings are taken in scutage,’ or ‘by the [006] service of so many pence when two marks or twenty shillings are taken in scutage.’ Or [007] thus: ‘by the service appropriate when so many carucates make up the fee of one [008] knight,’ or ‘when so many bovates (or ‘virgates’) make up the fee of one knight for all [009] service.’ And note that in military service ‘by the free service’ is not said, because it is [010] settled that such a fee is free, nor where1 the quantity of the fee is expressed is any [011] service set down, because the amount of service is shown in the amount of the fee. The [012] services in writs2 of right are infinite, and of many different kinds, according as they [013] are constituted by chief lord feoffors, [and] thus they cannot all be set down in writing. [014] A feoffment is sometimes made in this way and the writ is this: ‘which he claims to [015] hold of you by the free service of finding for you one serving knight to go with you in [016] the host into Wales, at your summons and his cost (or ‘at your cost’) for all service.’ [017] Or thus: ‘by the free service of following your court (or ‘bearing your letters’) within [018] the kingdom of England, at your summons and your cost (or ‘his cost’) for all service.’ [019] Or thus: ‘by the service of one sore falcon (or ‘one sore sparrowhawk,’ or ‘by the [020] service of one pair of gilt spurs’ or ‘white gloves’) for all service,’ and so of others, [021] according to the form of charters and feoffments. Sometimes an annual service and [022] military service are done together for the same land, and then the annual service must [023] be stated in the writ thus: ‘by the free service of ten shillings a year,’ and let it then be [024] said ‘and by the service of the fee of one knight for all service,’ because if the description [025] of the yearly service should be put after this last clause, it would refer to the [026] whole of the preceding [matter], and thus an inconvenience would follow, since military [027] service is not annual. If the land is partible among certain persons, let the writ [028] then be drawn thus:
The writ of right where land is partible; of socage.
[030] ‘The king to such a lord, greeting. We order you without delay to do full
Volume 4, Page 48
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