BARRATOR, or BARRETOR, in law, a person
guilty of barrettry. See BARRETRY.
Lambert derives the word barretor from the Latin
balatro, "a vile knave;" but the proper derivation
is from the French barreteur, i. e. a "deceiver;" and
this agrees with the description of a common barretor
in my Lord Coke's report, viz. that he is a com-
mon mover and maintainer of suits in disturbance of
the peace, and in taking and detaining the possession
of houses and lands or goods by false inventions, &c.
And therefore it was adjudged that the indictment a-
gainst him ought to be in these words, viz. That he is
communis malefactor, calumniator et seminator litium
et discordiarum inter vicinos suos, et pacis regis pertur-
bator, &c. And there it is said that a common barre-
tor is the most dangerous oppressor in the law, for he
oppresseth the innocent by colour of law, which was
made to protect them from oppression.