Northern Europe - The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques And Discoveries Of The English Nation - Volume 1 - Collected By Richard Hakluyt
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And To The Ende That I May Proceed In Some Maner Of Array, I Will First
Shewe, Which Townes Were At The Beginning Taken For The Fiue Ports, And
What Others Be Now Reputed In The Same Number:
Secondly, what seruice they
ought, and did in times passed:
And lastly, what priuiledges they haue
therefore, and by what persons they haue bene gouerned.
If I should iudge by the common, and rude verse,
Douer, Sandwicus, Ry, Rum, Frigmare ventus,
[Sidenote: Which be the Fiue Ports.]
I must say that Douer, Sandwich, Rie, Rumney, and Winchelsey, (for that is,
Frigmare ventus) be the Fiue Ports: Againe, if I should be ruled by the
Rolle which reciteth the Ports that send Barons to the Parliament, I must
then adde to these, Hastings and Hyde, for they also haue their Barons as
well as the other and so should I not onely, not shew which were the first
Fiue, but also (by addition of two others) increase both the number, and
doubtfulnesse. Leauing the verse therefore, for ignorance of the authour
and suspition of his authoritie, and forsaking the Rolle (as not assured of
the antiquitie) I will flee to Henry Bracton, [Sidenote: 1250.] a man both
ancient, learned, and credible, which liued vnder K. Henry the thirde and
wrote (aboue three hundreth yeeres since) learnedly of the lawes of this
Realme.
[Sidenote: Citizens were called Barons in old time.] He (I say) in the
third booke of his worke, [Footnote: De Legibus et Consuetudinibus
Anglia.] and treatise of the Crowne taking in hand to shewe the
articles inquirable before the Iustice in Eire, (or Itinerent as we called
them because they vsed to ride from place to place throughout the Realme,
for administration of iustice) setteth forth a special fourme of writs, to
be directed seuerally to the Bailifes of Hastings, Hithe, Rumney, Douer,
and Sandwich, commanding them that they should cause twentie & foure of
their Barons (for so their Burgesses, or townesmen, and the citizens of
London likewise, were wont to be termed) to appeare before the Kings
Iustices at Shipwey in Kent (as they accustomed to do) there to enquire of
such points, as should be giuen in charge.
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