2S’o HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

Appendix 1 the ancient democracy, which were not indeedI. sufficient to protect the lowed of the people ,without the patronage of some great lord, butmight give security, and even some degree ofdignity, to the gentry, or inferior nobility. Theadministration of justice, in particular, by thecourts of the Decennary, the Hundred, and theCounty, was well calculated to defend generalliberty , and to restrain the power of the nobles.In the county-courts or Ihiremotes, all the free-holders were assembled twice a-year, and receivedappeals from the inferior courts. They theredecided all causes, ecclesiastical as well as civil;and the bishop, together with the alderman orearl , presided over them 3 °. The affair wasdetermined in a summary manner, without muchpleading, formality , or delay, by a majority ofvoices; and the bishop and alderman had nofurther authority than to keep order among thefreeholders, and interpose with their opinionWhere justice was denied during three sessionsby the Hundred, and then by the County-court,there lay an appeal to the king’s court 31 ; butthis was not practised on flight occasions.The aldermen received a third of the fines

} * LL. Edg. § 5 . Wilkins, p. 75. LL. Canut. §. 17.Nv ilkins, p. 136.

31 Hickes, Dissert Epist. p. 2, z, 4, 5, 6 , 7, 8.

51 LL. Edg. § 2 Wilkins, p. 77. LL. Canut. § 18.Spud Wilkins, p. 136.