Ploughmenwhohaveperformedtheirploughingonthelord’slandbadly，villainswhohavefledfromthefeeandliveonstrangesoil，amanwhohasnotfulfilledsomeinjunctionofthelord，awomanwhohaspickedalockappendedtothedoorofhercottagebyamanorialbailiff，aninveterateadultererwholosesthelord’schattelsbybeingfinedintheecclesiasticalcourts——
allthesedelinquentsofverydifferentkindsarepresentedtobepunished，andgetamercedorputintothestocks，accordingtothenatureoftheiroffences。Itoughttobenoticedthatanactioncommittedagainsttheinterestsofthelordisnotpunishedbyanyone-sidedactofhiswill，orbythecommandofhissteward，buttreatedasamatteroflegalpresentment。Thenegligentploughmanisnottakentotaskdirectlybythebailifforanyotheroverseer，butispresentedasanoffenderbyhisfellow-peasants，andaccordingtostrictlegalformality。Ontheotherhand，theentriesarewordedinsuchawaythatthepartplayedbythecourtisquiteclearonlyastothepresentingofmisdeeds，whiletheamercementorpunishmentisdecreedinsomemannerwhichisnotspecifiedexactly。Weread，forinstance，inarolloftheAbbeyofBechow’thecourthaspresentedthatSimonCombehassetupafenceonthelord’sland。Thereforeletitbeabated……Thecourtpresentedthatthefollowinghadencroachedonthelord’sland，towit，WilliamCobbler，MaudRobins，widowfined12d。，JohnShepherdfined12s。。
Thereforetheyareinmercy。’45*Whohasorderedthefencetobethrowndown，andwhohasimposedthefinesonthedelinquents？
Themostnaturalinferenceseemstobethatthepenaltieswereimposedbythelordorthepresidingofficerwhorepresentedhiminthecourt。Butitisbynomeansimpossiblethatthecourtitselfhadtodecideonthepenaltyortheamountoftheamercementafterfirstmakingthepresentmentastothefact。Itsactionwouldmerelydivideitselfintotwoindependentdecisions。
Suchaprocedurewouldbeanecessityinthecaseofafreetenantwhocouldnotbefinedatwill；andthereisnothingtoshowthatitwasentirelydifferentinregardtotheserviletenantry。Whenthelordinterferesatpleasurethisisnotedasanexceptionalfeature。46*Itisquitepossible，again，thattheamercementwasimposedontheadviceorbyadecisionofcertainsuitorssingledoutfromtherestaspersonsofspecialcredit，asinacasefromthesamemanorialrollsofBec。47*Itishardlynecessarytodrawverypreciseconclusions，asthefunctionsofthesuitorsdonotappeartohavebeensharplydefined。Butforthisveryreasonitwouldbewrongtospeakoftheone-sidedrightofthelordorofhisrepresentativetoimposethepenalty。