A.D. 1194. PLEAS OF THE CBOWÎT. 337 him to whom our lord the king shall have so given it, the rent which shall be due from him for the same until the end of the year. The right to the escheat, however, which he shall have so given is to 'remain with our lord the king, unless our lord the king shall have given it by name. The farmer, when he shall give up his farm, is to have all his stock which he shall have placed upon the farm, and all his property over and above the property of the king there, freely and without diminution. They shall also have letters patent of our lord the archbishop, containing the tenor of the charter of our lord the king made relative thereto. Most diligent enquiry shall also be made what is the rental assessed upon each manor in demesne, and the value of all other assessments in the said manors, and how many carucates there are, and how much they are each worth, not estimating them at a fixed value of twenty shillings only,2 2 but, according as the land is good or bad, whether the value is likely to increase or decrease. Those persons who shall take these farms shall stock their farms as already mentioned, according to the sum named as to the revenues of the escheats and wardships. Enquiry is also to be made with how many oxen and plough horses each carucate ought to be stocked ; and how much stock, and to what amount each manor is able to support ; and the result thereof is then to be speedily and distinctly reduced to writing. The price set upon a bull shall be four shillings, and upon a cow the same, upon a ploughhorse the same, upon a sheep with fine wool ten pence, upon a sheep with coarse wool six pence, upon a sow twelve pence, and upon a boar twelve pence ; and when the farmers give up their farms they shall be answerable in the aforesaid sums, or in animals payable for the same, at the option of the farmers ; and when all the aforesaid stock shall be placed thereon and duly valued, they shall all be enrolled openly and distinctly, and the register thereof shall be deposited in the exchequer. From this assize are to be excepted bishoprics and abbeys, and lands of barons who are nearly of age. Also, let enquiry previously be made, by the oath of the parties aforesaid, as to all wardships and escheats which are not in the hands of 2 2 Probably the rental of each carucate, or plough land of one hundred acres, was assessed at twenty shillings, for the purpose of collecting the carucage or land tax levied thereon. VOL. II. ζ