Note 876 — Chapter VIII · THE BISHOP.

We have but one instrument:—granted. But what proportion have we of instruments respecting matters which are entirely beyond doubt? Supposing a royal mandate of consecration had issued on the election of every bishop, between 802, when Ecgberht came to the throne, and 1066, there would have been once in existence 36 archiepiscopal and 224 episcopal writs, or a total of 260. But during the same period, in the 32 counties south of the Humber there would have been held 25,344 shiremoots or county-courts. I will deduct one half of this number to meet all conceivable accidents. Of the 12,672, of which beyond a doubt records once existed, we still possess three or at the utmost four instruments: but do we on that account doubt that shiremoots were held? When we look at these ratios of 1 : 260 and 4 : 12,672, we find the authority for the writ of consecration more than ten times as great as that for the existence of shiremoots.