Fiscus

Lat. In the Komim law. The treasury of the prince or emperor, as distinguished from cerarium, which was the treasury of the state.

Spelman. Plin. Pan, 36.

Tacit. AnnaL vi.

2.

Calv, Lex, Jurid. The treasury or property of the state, as distinguished from the private property of the sovereign.

Dig. 49. 14. De jurejlici, 1 Mackeld. Civ. Law, 149, § 144.

In English law

The king's treasury, as the repository of forfeited property. Bona eorum fisco non vindicentur,—bona ipsorum confiscentur; their goods shall not be claimed for the fiso or treasury, — ^their goods shall be confiscated. Bract, fol.

150.

The treasury of a noble, or of any private person.

Spelman.

The use of this word, in the sense of a treasury, is derived from its primary meaning, a wicker basket, or hamper, {sporta, clitella,) in which money was kept by the Romans, and carried about. That the early English kings sometimes carried their treasure with them in hampers of this kind is shown by Spelman in a quotation from the Book of the monastery of Ramsey, where a bishop is mentioned as having on one occasion borrowed of King Canute all the gold he had in his hampers, {in c Htellis regiis.) Spelman supposes this use of the word to be preserved in the hanaper or hamper office of the English court of chancery.

But see 3 Bl. Com. 48, 49.

Lord Coke speaks oi&fine in the hamper.

5 Co. 44.