Historic%20Yorkshire

142
BEVERLEY SANCTUARY.
another towards NorthBurton; a third [towards Kinwalgraves;
and the last south ofBeverley,on the road which
led to the ferry across the Humber.
Ifa party seized a fugitive whohad contrived to reach
any one of the four crosses, he was obliged to paytwo
hundredth (a hundredth was equalto £8) ;if he took him
within the town, then he forfeited four hundredth; if
within the walls of the churchyard, six hundredth; if
within the church, then twelve hundredth; if within the
doors of the choir, then eighteen hundredth, besides
penance, as in case of sacrilege; but if he presumed to
take the runaway delinquent out of the holy chair of
" Fridstol" itself the offence was irredeemable by money,
and had become sine emendatione " boteless " (bootless),
and called forth not only the utmost severity of the
Church, but the heaviestpunishment of the secular power
also.
In the British Museum, amongst the Harleian MSS.,
is a thin folio volume containing a list of persons who
have obtained sanctuary for different crimes inpart of the
reigns of EdwardIV. and Richard III.,and part of the
reigns of Henry VII. and Henry VIIL, or from about
1478 to 1539. The registeralso contains the oath taken
by those who sought " its peace within its mile," and
affords, perhaps, the only copy of a sanctuary oath now
extant. The bailiffof the Archbishop,by whom the oath
was administered,is directedto inquire ofthe refugee —
"What man he killed, and wherewith, and both ther
names, and then gar him lay his hand uppon the book,
saying on this wyse: ' Sir, take hede on your oth. Ye
shal be trew and feythfull to My Lord Archbishop of
York, Lordoff this towne; to the Provost of the same, to
the Channons of this Chirch, and all other ministers
thereof.
"' Also ye shall bere gude hert to the Baillies and xjj
governarsof this towne,toall burges and comynersofthe
same. Also, ye shall bere no poynted wepen, dagger,
knyfe, and ne nane other wapenagenst the Kyng's pece.