Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Dedication
- Preface
- List of Abbreviations
- INTRODUCTION
- Part One THE STREAMS OF PARADISE
- Part Two ASSIZES AND GAOL DELIVERY
- Part Three THE PLANETS OF THE KINGDOM
- APPENDICES
- 1 Judges in commission 1559–1714
- 2 Sheriff's account for the Norfolk and Suffolk assizes Lent 1564
- 3 Sheriff's duties and ceremonial at Carlisle assizes 1661–2
- 4 Articles drawn up by prospective sheriffs of Buckinghamshire 1 August 1680
- 5 Preamble to Serjeant Davis's assize charge, York assizes Lent 1620
- 6 The course of assizes on the Western circuit 1586
- 7 Clerks of assize and associate clerks 1558–1714
- 8 Two documents relating to John Heath's disputed tenure of the Oxford Circuit clerkship 1643–60
- 9 Duties of the Oxford Circuit clerical staff c. 1650
- 10 Fees taken by the Oxford Circuit clerk of assize c. 1646–53
- 11 Order about the selection of juries made at the Somerset Lent Assizes 1648
- Bibliography
- Index
5 - Preamble to Serjeant Davis's assize charge, York assizes Lent 1620
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 07 October 2011
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Dedication
- Preface
- List of Abbreviations
- INTRODUCTION
- Part One THE STREAMS OF PARADISE
- Part Two ASSIZES AND GAOL DELIVERY
- Part Three THE PLANETS OF THE KINGDOM
- APPENDICES
- 1 Judges in commission 1559–1714
- 2 Sheriff's account for the Norfolk and Suffolk assizes Lent 1564
- 3 Sheriff's duties and ceremonial at Carlisle assizes 1661–2
- 4 Articles drawn up by prospective sheriffs of Buckinghamshire 1 August 1680
- 5 Preamble to Serjeant Davis's assize charge, York assizes Lent 1620
- 6 The course of assizes on the Western circuit 1586
- 7 Clerks of assize and associate clerks 1558–1714
- 8 Two documents relating to John Heath's disputed tenure of the Oxford Circuit clerkship 1643–60
- 9 Duties of the Oxford Circuit clerical staff c. 1650
- 10 Fees taken by the Oxford Circuit clerk of assize c. 1646–53
- 11 Order about the selection of juries made at the Somerset Lent Assizes 1648
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
The effect of the charge given to the graund jurye at Yorke the last assizes by Sir John Davis, knight, His Majesty's first serjeant at lawe, being one of the justices of assize for the Northerne Circuitt.
Yow, my masters that are sworne, I am to dyvert my speech princypallye unto yow. And when I speake to yow I conceave that I speake to the whole countye of Yorke, for yow represent the whole bodye of this whole countye, which as it is the largest and most populous shyre of England soe it is planted and inhabyted with soe manye persons of worth and qualytye as noe other countye of this kingdome can shew the lyke number, whereof I am now made an eye witnes in behoulding the fayre and full assemblye which I am now glad to see. Therefore, my masters, yow being selected out of all the freeholders of this shyre to beare a princypall part in the publick service, the greater the country is the greater is your charge, and the more attentyve you ought to be in harkening to your charge and the more carefull and dyligent to performe yt. The service that wee are about to performe at this tyme is to mayntayne and to contynue the publicke peace by the executyon of the publick justice, a worke so noble and soe worthy as I doubt whether anye temporall busynes that can be done in the lyfe of man be comparable unto it.
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- A History of English Assizes 1558–1714 , pp. 308 - 311Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1972