in Law, an ancient and special cessa-vit used in Kent, where the custom of gavelkind continues, by which the tenant, if he withdraws his rent and services due to the lord, forfeits his land and tenements.

The proofs of the gavelet is thus. The lord is first to seek by the steward of his court, from three weeks to three weeks, to find some distress upon the tene- ment, till the fourth court; and if at that time he find none, at this fourth court it is awarded, that he take the tenement in his hand in name of a distress, and keep it a year and a day without manuring; with which time, if the tenant pay his arrears, and make reasonable amends for the withholding, he shall have and enjoy his tenement as before: if he come not before the year and day be past, the lord is to go to the next county court with witnesses of what had passed at his own court, and pronounce there his process, to have further witnesses; and then by the award of his own court, he shall enter and manure the tenement as his own: so that if the tenant desired afterwards to have and hold it as before, he must agree with the lord; according to this old saying: "Has he not since any thing given, or any thing paid, then let him pay five pound for his were, e'er he become healdier again." Other copies have the first part with some variation; "Let him nine times pay, and nine times repay."

in London, is a writ used in the hustings, given to lords of rents in the city of London. Here the parties, tenant and demandant, appear by feire facias, to shew cause why the one should not have his tenement again on payment of his rent, or the other recover the lands on default thereof.