MAINPRIZE. See Falsé IMPRISONNEMENT.
The writ of mainprize, manucaptio, is a writ directed
to the sheriff, (either generally, when any man is
imprisoned for a bailable offence, and bail hath been
refused; or specially, when the offence or cause of com-
mitment is not properly bailable below), commanding
him to take sureties for the prisoner's appearance,
usually called mainpernels, and to set him at large.
Mainpernels differ from bail, in that a man's bail may
imprison, or surrender him up before the stipulated day
of appearance; mainpernels can do neither, but are
barely sureties for his appearance at the day: bail are
only sureties that the parties be answerable for the spe-
cial matter for which they stipulate, mainpernels are
bound to produce him to answer all charges whatever.
See HABEAS Corpus.