DEFEND, in our ancient laws and statutes, signifies to prohibit or forbid; as Usuarios defendit quoque rex Edwardus ne remaneant in regno. L. L. Edw. Conf. c. 38, and 5 Rich. II. c. 7. In this sense Chaucer also uses the following passage:
Where can you say in any manner, age,
That ever God defended marriage.
In 7 Edward I. there is a statute entitled "Statutum de defensione portandi arma," &c. And "it is defended by law to distrain on the highway."