THE INTERPRETER: OR BOOKE CONTAINING the Signification of Words: Wherein is set foorth the true meaning of all, or the most part of such Words and Termes, as are mentioned in the Lawe VVriters, or Statutes of this victorious and re­nowned Kingdome, requiring any Exposition or Interpretation.

A Worke not onely profitable, but necessary for such as desire throughly to be instructed in the knowledge of our Lawes, Statutes, or other Antiquities.

Collected by IOHN COWELL Doctor, and the Kings Maiesties Professour of the Ciuill Law in the Vniuersitie of Cambridge.

In Legum obscuritate captio.
HINC LVCEM ET POCVLA SACRA
ALMA MATER CANTABRIGA

AT CAMBRIDGE Printed by IOHN LEGATE. Anno 1607.

Collegium Iesu Cantabrigiense 1700

To the most reuerend Father in God, his especiall good Lord, the Lord Archbishop of Canterburie, Primate and Metropolitan of all En­gland, and one of his Malesties most Ho­nourable Priuy Councell.

AFTER long deliberation, I hardly indu­ced my selfe to craue your gracious prote­ction toward this simple worke: valewing it at so lowe a price, as I thinke it hardly woorth the respect of any graue man, much lesse the fauourable aspect of so honorable a personage. Yet the remembrance of those your fatherly prouocations, whereby; at my comming to your Grace from the Vniuersitie, you first put me vpon these studies, at the last by a kind of necessitie inforced me to this attempt: because I could not see how well to auoide it, but by aduenturing the hatefull note of vnthankfulnesse. For I cannot without dissimulation, but confesse my selfe perswaded, that this poore Pamphlet may proue profitable to the young Students of both Lawes, to whose aduancement that way, I haue of late addi­cted mine indeuours: else were I more then madde to offer it to the world: and to offer it without mention of him, that by occasioning of this good, more or lesse, deserueth the prime thankes, were to proue my selfe vnworthie of so graue advice.

And therefore howsoeuer I accompt this too much boldnesse in respect of the subiect yet could I be exceedingly glad, it might please your Grace to ascribe mine intention to the integrity of my duty. For he that meaneth truly wel, & cannot perform much: must [Page] needes reioyce at the good acceptance of that litle which he [...]er­formeth.

All I craue for [...] at your Graces hands, is patience and par­don for this enterprise, with the continuance of those your many fauours, that hitherto to inygreat comfort I haue enioyed. And so my long obseruation of your iudicious disposition, hauing caught me, what small delight you take in affected complements and verball commendation, without more words, in all true hum­blenes, I beseech the Almighty long to continue your Grace in health and prospetitie, to his glorie, and the good of his Church.

Your Graces at all Commaundment, IO. COWELL.

To the Readers.

GENTLE Readers, I heere offer my selfe to your censures, vvith no other desire, then by you to be admonished of my faults. For though I doe professe the amplifying of their vvorkes, that haue gone before me in this kinde, and haue both gathered at home, and brought from abroade some ornaments for the better embellishing of our English lavves: yet am I neither so vaine, as to denie mine imperfections, nor so passionate, as to be offended at your charitable reformation. Nay, my true ende is the advauncement of knovvledge; and therefore haue I published this poore vvorke, not onely to impart the good thereof to those young ones that vvant it: but also to dravve from the learned the supply of my defects: and so by degrees, if not my selfe to finish this modell, yet at the least, by the heate of emulation to incense some skilfuller architect thereunto. Yea, I shall thinke my paines sufficiently recompensed, if they may be found but vvorthy to stirre vp one learned man to amend mine er­rours.

The Ciuilians of other nations, haue by their mutuall industries raised this [...] of worke in their profession, to an inexpected excel­lencie. I haue seene many of them that haue bestowed very profita­ble and commendable paines therin and lastly one Caluinus a Do­ctor of Heidelberge, like a laborious Bee, hath gathered from all the former, the best iuyce of their flowers, and made vp a hiue full of delectable honie. And by this example would I gladly incite the le ar­ned in our common lawes and antiquities of England, yet to lend their aduice to the gayning of some comfortable lights & prospects toward the beautifying of this auncient palace, that hitherto hath bene accoumpted (howsoeuer substantiall) yet but darke and melan­choly.

Whosoeuer will charge these my trauiles with many [...] ­sights, [Page] he shall neede no solemne paines to prooue them. For I will ea­sily confesse them. And, vpon my view taken of this booke sithence the impression, I dare assure them that shall obserue most faults therein, that I by gleaning after him, will gather as many omitted by him, as he shall shew committed by me. But I learned long si­thence out of famous Tullie; that as no mans errours ought to be folowed, because he sayeth some things well: so that which a man saith well, is not to be reiected, because he hath some errours. No man, no booke is voide of imperfections. And therefore reprehend who will, in Gods name: that is, with svveetnes, and vvithout re­proche. So shall he reape hartie thankes at my hands: and by true imitation of the most iudicious that euer vvrote, more soundly helpe on this pointe of learning to perfection in a fevve monethes, then I by tossing and tumbling my bookes at home, could possibly haue done in many yeares. Experience hath taught me this in mine Institutes lately set forth: by publishing vvhereof I haue gained the iudicious obseruations of diuers learned gentlemen vpon them, vvhich by keeping them priuate I could neuer haue procured. By vvhich meanes I hope one day to commend them to you againe in a more exact puritie, and so leaue them to future times for such acceptance, as it shall please God to giue them.

I haue in some tovvardnes a tract (de regulis iuris) vvhere­in my intent is, by collating the cases of both lavves, to shevve, that they both be raised of one foundation, and differ more in lan­guage and termes then in substance, and therefore vvere they redu­ced to one methode (as they easily might) to be attained (in a maner) vvith all one paines. But my time imparted to these studies, being but stolne from mine emploiments of greater necessitie, I cannot make the hast I desire, or perhaps that the discourse may deserue. VVherefore vntill my leisure may serue to performe that, I intreate you louingly to accept this.

One thing I haue done in this booke, vvhereof, because it may seeme straunge to some, I thinke to yeld my reason: and that is the inserting not onely of vvords belonging to the art of the lavve, but [Page] of any other also, that I thought obscure, of vvhat sort soeuer; as Fish, Cloth, Spices, Drugs, Furres, and such like. For in this I fol­lovv the example of our Ciuilians, that haue thought it their part to expound any thing they could meete with in their vvalke. And in deede a Lavvyer professeth true Philosophy, and therefore should not be ignorant (if it vvere possible) of either beastes, foules, or creeping things, nor of the trees from the Cedar in Lebanon, to the Hyssop that springeth out of the vvall. And therefore, if I haue ei­ther omitted any hard vvord vvithin my circuit, or set it dovvne not expounded; I giue you good leaue to impute the one to my negli­gence, the other to mine ignorance: and so cōmend these my paines to your best profit, and you vnto God.

IO. COVVELL.

These faults I haue noted (according to the words alphabetically) which of necessitie require emendation.

IN the word Rawnge, for Pouralleeses, read Pourallees. In the word Reasona­ble ayde, reade Claimeth of his tenents, houlding &c. For the word Remittere, read Remitter. In the word Returno habendo, for Expleuied, reade Repleuied. In the word Scot and Lot, for Aulote & Auscote, reade Anlote & Anscote. For the word Statutum de laboriis, reade Laborariis. In the word Terme, for Certifie, reade Rectifie. For the word Thrid with hawan man, reade Thrid nith. For the word Tost, read Toft In the word Tolle, for [...], or [...], read [...], or [...]. For [...], read [...]. In the word Verdour, for Verdioir, read Verdeur. For the word Vi­countie, reade Vicountiel. In the word Watlingstreat, for Tosse, read Fosse: in the word Widow, for Vide, read Vuide. For the word Woolferthfod, read Wolferhefod.

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