Old natura brevium

The title of an English hook, so called to distinguish it from Fitzlierbert’s work entitled Natura Brevium, after the publication of the latter. The Old Natura Brevium contains the writs most in use in the reign of Edward III., together with a short comment on the application and properties of each of them. New Style, at present in use, and which had prevailed in the Roman Catholic countries of the continent since 1582, was introduced. According to the O. S., the year commenced on the 25th of March and every fourth year was a leap-year, instead of, 8 s now, but 97 leap years in 400 years; Moz. & W.

v. Natura Brevium. Old statutes: v. Vetera statuta. Old tenures: a brief treatise on tenures, written in the reign of Edward IIL

A law tract, published in the reign of Edward III., containing those writs which were then most in use, and annexing to each a short comment concerning their nature and the application of them, with their various properties, effects, and consequences. This work became a model to Fitzherbert, in writing his "Natura Brevium." (B^em Hist. Eng. Law.) Mozley Sc W. the colonies, until the year 1752. This method differed from the New Style, at present in use, In the following particulars: The year commenced on the 25th of March, instead of, as now, on the 1st of January. The reckoning of days was based on the assumption that every fourth year was a leap-year, — no exception being admitted, — instead of, as now, but ninety-seven leap-years in four hundred years. The rules for determining the feast of Easter were far less elaborate than at present. So far as regards the second point above mentioned, the Old Style is still observed in Russia. The New Style was Introduced into the British dominions by Stat. 24 Geo. II. ch. 23, passed in 1751, and came into operation in the following year. It had prevailed in the Roman Catholic countries of the continent since the year 1582. Mozley Sf W. Old; new. In a statute giving power to lay out new roads and discontinue old ones, "old" does not necessarily mean long-existing, ancient. The phrase " a new road," in such a statute, means a road newly laid out where one was not; and the words " old road " are the opposite thereto, and mean one laid out and used, whether long ago or of more recent date. Some user is necessary to warrant discontinuing a road as " old." People v. Griswold, 67 N. Y. 59.