The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 19, No. 540, March 31, 1832

Simple is he,
And need neither quake nor quiver,
Who hath his lands,
Free from demands,
To him and his heirs for ever."

Records, charters, and wills, and many other legal documents, have been written in verse. The following grant was made by Edward the Confessor to Randolf Peperking:

"Iche Edward konyng (king)
Have given of my forest the keping,
Of the Hundred of Cholmer and Daucing,
To Randolph Peperking and to his kindling, (heirs)
With heart and hynd, doe and bock, (buck)
Hare and fox, cat and brock, (badger)
Wild fowell and his flock,
Partridge, fesant hen, and fesant cock,
With green and wyld stob and stock,
To kepen and to yemen (hold) by all his might,
Both by day and eke by night:
And hounds for to holde,
Gode and swift and bolde,
Four greyhounds and six beaches, (hound bitches)
For hare and fox, and wild cats,
And thereof Iche made him my booke,
Witness the Bishop Wolston,
And book ycleped many on,
And Sweyne of Essex, our brother,
And token him many other,
And our steward Hamelyn,
That bysought me for him."

The Dunmow matrimonial flitch of bacon is a well known custom; the oath is in verse, and as follows:

"You shall swear by the custom of your confession,
That you never made any nuptial transgression,
Since you were married to your wife,
By household brawls, or contentious strife,
Or otherwise, in bed or at board,
Offended each other in deed or in word—
Or since the parish clerk said Amen,
Wish'd yourselves unmarried again;
Or in a twelvemonth and a day,
Repented not in thought, any way,
But continued true, and in desire,
As when you join'd hands in holy quire.
If to these conditions, without all fear,
Of your own accord you will freely swear,
A gammon of bacon you shall receive,
And beare it hence with love and good leave,
For this is our custom at Dunmow well known,
Though the sport be ours, the bacon's your own."

For the custom of riding the black ram, and the penal rhyme thereto attached, we refer the reader to the Spectator, No. 614.

The following rhyming wills have been proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury:

"The fifth of May,
Being airy and gay
And to hip not inclined,
But of vigorous mind,
And my body in health.
I'll dispose of my wealth,
And all I'm to leave
On this side the grave,
To some one or other,
And I think to my brother;
Because I foresaw
That my brethren in law,
If I did not take care,
Would come in for their share,
Which I nowise intended,
'Till their manners are mended,
And of that God knows there's no sign.
I do therefore enjoin,
And do strictly command,
Of which witness my hand,
That naught I have got
Be brought into hotchpot:
But I give and devise,
As much as in me lies,
To the son of my mother,
My own dear brother.
And to have and to hold
All my silver and gold,
As th' affectionate pledges
Of his brother, JOHN HEDGES."

In the next, the items are more curious and particular:

"What I am going to bequeath
When this frail part submits to death—
But still I hope the spark divine,
With its congenial stars shall shine,
My good executors fulfill,
And pay ye fairly my last will,
With first and second codicil.
And first I give to dear Lord Hinton,
At Twyford school now, not at Winton,
One hundred guineas and a ring,
Or some such memorandum thing,