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Article SECRET SOCIETIES OF THE MIDDLE AGES.—V. ← Page 7 of 9 →
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Secret Societies Of The Middle Ages.—V.
leagues lie between thee and tliis red land , and thou speakesf in that where our power is not knoivn ; though thou shonklst be sheltered by thy native island , and defended by thy kindred ocean , yet , even there , I warn thee to retain thy thoughts within thy bosom , ivhen thou dost so much as think of the holy and invisible tribunal , for the avenger may be beside thee , and thou mayest die in thy folly . Go hence , be wise , and let the fear of the holy Vehm never pass from thee . "
Sir Francis Palgrave gives the following account of the place of judgment , the Free Field Court of Corbey , and of its consecration : *—" It ivas always established in the open air , and on the green sward ; and consisted of a plot of land sixteen feet square , in the centre of ivhich a grave was dug , into which each of the free cchevins threw a handful of ashes , a coaland a tilp .
, " When a criminal ivas to be judged , or a cause decided , the graft ' , or senior member , and the free cchevins , or schoppfen assembled around the kdnigstiihl , as this plot of ground ivas called , and the frohner or summoner , having proclaimed silence , opened the proceedings hy reciting the following lines : —
<; ' Sir grail ' , with permission . I beg you to-day , According to laiv , and without delay , If I , your knave , Who judgment crave , With your good grace , Upon the king ' s scat , this scat may place
" To this address the graff replied : — " ' While the sun shines ivith equal light Upon masters and knaves , 1 shall declare The law of might , according to right . Place the king ' s seat true and square ; ' Let even measurefor justice' sake
, , Be given in sight of God and man , That the plaintiff his complaint may make . And defendant answer , if he can . ' " In conformity with this permission , the frohner placed the seat of judgment in the middle of the plot , aud then continued" ' Sir graif , master brave ,
"I remind you of your honour , here And moreover , that I am your kmrvc ; Tell me , therefore , for law sincere , If these mete-wands arc even and sure , Fit for the rich , and for the poor , Both to measure land and condition ; Tell mc , as you Avoidd eschew perdition . '
" And so saying , he laid the metewand on the ground . The graff then tried the measure , aud ivas followed by the echevins , according to seniority . * Bise and Progress of the Commonwealth Vol . II . Part ii . Proofs and IIIustrations , page 144 .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Secret Societies Of The Middle Ages.—V.
leagues lie between thee and tliis red land , and thou speakesf in that where our power is not knoivn ; though thou shonklst be sheltered by thy native island , and defended by thy kindred ocean , yet , even there , I warn thee to retain thy thoughts within thy bosom , ivhen thou dost so much as think of the holy and invisible tribunal , for the avenger may be beside thee , and thou mayest die in thy folly . Go hence , be wise , and let the fear of the holy Vehm never pass from thee . "
Sir Francis Palgrave gives the following account of the place of judgment , the Free Field Court of Corbey , and of its consecration : *—" It ivas always established in the open air , and on the green sward ; and consisted of a plot of land sixteen feet square , in the centre of ivhich a grave was dug , into which each of the free cchevins threw a handful of ashes , a coaland a tilp .
, " When a criminal ivas to be judged , or a cause decided , the graft ' , or senior member , and the free cchevins , or schoppfen assembled around the kdnigstiihl , as this plot of ground ivas called , and the frohner or summoner , having proclaimed silence , opened the proceedings hy reciting the following lines : —
<; ' Sir grail ' , with permission . I beg you to-day , According to laiv , and without delay , If I , your knave , Who judgment crave , With your good grace , Upon the king ' s scat , this scat may place
" To this address the graff replied : — " ' While the sun shines ivith equal light Upon masters and knaves , 1 shall declare The law of might , according to right . Place the king ' s seat true and square ; ' Let even measurefor justice' sake
, , Be given in sight of God and man , That the plaintiff his complaint may make . And defendant answer , if he can . ' " In conformity with this permission , the frohner placed the seat of judgment in the middle of the plot , aud then continued" ' Sir graif , master brave ,
"I remind you of your honour , here And moreover , that I am your kmrvc ; Tell me , therefore , for law sincere , If these mete-wands arc even and sure , Fit for the rich , and for the poor , Both to measure land and condition ; Tell mc , as you Avoidd eschew perdition . '
" And so saying , he laid the metewand on the ground . The graff then tried the measure , aud ivas followed by the echevins , according to seniority . * Bise and Progress of the Commonwealth Vol . II . Part ii . Proofs and IIIustrations , page 144 .