or tales,
whereby discord or occasion of discord or slander may grow
between the King and his people, or the great men of the
realm." Anyone doing so shall be imprisoned until he brings
into the court the first author of the tale.

A system of registration and enforcement of commercial
agreements was established by statute. Merchants could
obtain a writing of a debt sealed by the debtor and
authenticated by royal seal or a seal of a mayor of certain
towns, and kept by the creditor. Failure to pay a such a
debt was punishable by imprisonment and, after three months,
the selling of borough tenements and chattels and of county
lands. During the three months, the merchant held this
property in a new tenure of "statute merchant". (Prior to
this, it was difficult for a foreign merchant to collect a
debt because he could not appear in court which did not
recognize him as one of its proper "suitors" or
constituents, so he had to trust a local attorney. Also, the
remedy was inadequate because the history of the law of debt
was based on debt as a substitute for the blood feud, so
that failure to pay meant slavery or death. Also a debtor's
land was protected by feudal custom, which was contrary to
the idea of imposing a new tenant on a lord.)

"In no city, borough, town, market, or fair shall a person
of the realm be distrained for a debt for which he is not
the debtor or pledge."

Anyone making those passing with goods through their
jurisdiction answer to them in excess of their jurisdiction
shall be grievously amerced to the King.

No market town shall take an outrageous toll contrary to the
common custom of the nation.

Since good sterling money has been counterfeited with base
and false metal outside the nation and then brought in,
foreigners found in the nation's ports with this false money
shall forfeit their lives. Anyone bringing money into the
nation must have it examined at his port of entry. Payments
of money shall be made only by coin of the appropriate
weight delivered by the Warden of the Exchange and marked
with the King's mark. (A currency exchange was established
at Dover for the exchange of foreign currency for English
sterling.)

The silver in craftwork must be sterling and marked with the
Leopard's Head. The gold in craftwork must meet the standard
of the Touch of Paris.

The assize of bread and ale had been and was enforced
locally by local inspectors. Now, the Crown appointed royal
officers fo