r cause of commitment Mainprize commitment is not properly bailable below), commanding him to take sureties for the prisoner's appearance, usually called mainporns, and to set him at large. Mainporns differ from bail, in that a man's bail may imprison or surrender him up before the stipulated day of appearance; mainporns can do neither, but are barely sureties for his appearance at the day: bail are only sureties that the parties be answerable for the special matter for which they stipulate, mainporns are bound to produce him to answer all charges whatever. See HABEAS Corpus.in Law, bears a near relation to Barretry; being an officious intermeddling in a suit that no way belongs to one, by maintaining or affixing either party with money or otherwise, to prosecute or defend it: a practice that was greatly encouraged by the first introduction of uses. This is an offence against public justice, as it keeps alive strife and contention, and perverts the remedial process of the law into an engine of oppression. And therefore, by the Roman law, it was a species of the crimen falsi, to enter into any confederacy, or do any act to support another's law suit, by money, witnesses, or patronage. A man may, however, maintain the suit of his near kinsman, servant, or poor neighbour, out of charity and compassion, with impunity. Otherwise the punishment by common law is fine and imprisonment; and by the statute 32 Henry VIII. c. 9, a forfeiture of 10l.