The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-06-27
FIT AND GALLONS.

This was the dearest privilege of the
feudal lord. He called 1t by a more
dignif1ed title-"Droit de Haute ct
Basse JUSTICE" the other Is our blunt
English rendering. The right was
jealousy upheld, in the first place. be-
cause it appertained to certain fiefs
and certain ranks of nobility, for
personal pride in those days, and pride
of family, dominated even the love of
plumber. The administration of Haute
Justice, which was power uncontrolled
over all the inhabitants of the domain
and all strangers who entered, saving
churchmen and royal officers alone, was
inherent in baron and a Chatelaine,
says Hallam; but Vavassor often
usurped it, to- their disgust. Smaller
dignitaries enjoyed the right of Moy
enne Justice, and any ruffian who could
get possession of tower claimed Basse
Justice. He could imprison his de-
pendents but not hang them unless
caught in the act of felony. But
personal interest also was concerned.
The lowest of these privileges enabled
a Seigneur to arrest any man within
his reach whom he suspected ofpossess-
ing money, and when the poor wretch
was clapped into his seignorial dun
! l.. ,&,,@J Iol
as says the chronicler of Roger de
Belesme the pains of hell got hold
upon him.
In the palmy days of feudalism there
was no possibility of help or redress,
except, perhaps, in the case of an in
ferior lord. If 1t could be shown that
he had gone an inch beyond his rights,
the suzerain was apt to fall upon him
ruthlessly-not because he pitied the
victim but because the insolent fellow
was encroaching on the dignity of his
betters. And upstairs constantly tried
it on!" so minute were the rules Of pro-
cedure that they found many OPP
portunities to break them with an air
of innocence. Thus, in the matter of
gallows, a Baron's machine stood on
four posts, Chatelaines on three; a
lower dignitary who enjoyed the boon
Of Haute Justice attached to his flef,
could plant only two. Impatient of
this restriction, he would sometimes
nail crosspiece to tree, and support
it with post on either side, thus ar
rogating the glory of a Chatelaine; If
challenged he would represent that the
tree was used as mere convenience
Such was the state of things all over
Europe in the dismal times which
priests call the Ages of Faith, and ro-
mantle persons the Age of Chivalry.
The Aragon, the lord. who had only
right of Basse Justice, and SO could
not hang nor kill his prisoner outright,
was expressly authorized by law in
1247 to starve vassal to death-Domi-
nus loci possit sum occidere fame
frigori ct site. There was an except
ion to the rule indeed, and that in a
country where one would have least
expected it. Seignorial jurisdictions of
the sort were not recognized In the
kingdom of Naples until 1443, when
Alfonso called the Wise and the
Magnanimons, introduced them, offer
ing those valuable privileges to the
Barons for cash down. Upon the other
hand, it was at Naples that they sur
vived when all the rest Of the world
had forgotten them. Among the in
Vulnerable blessings Of the French con-
quest at the end of the last century
was the abolition of these horrid rights.
London Standard.