Sir Matthew Hale has remarked the sudden improvement of English law during this reign; and ventures to assert, that till his own time it had never received any considerable increase.[**] Edward settled the jurisdiction of the several courts; first established the office of justice of peace; abstained from the practice, too common before him, of interrupting justice by mandates from the privy-council;[***] repressed robberies and Edward enacted a law to this purpose; but it is doubtful whether he ever observed it.

We are sure that scarcely any of his successors did.
* Institute, p.

156.
** History of the English Law, p.

158, 163.
*** Articuli super Cart.cap.6., Letters of protection were the ground of a complaint by the commons in 3, Edward (See Ryley, p.

525.) This practice is declared illegal.
The multitude of these disorders[*] encouraged trade, by giving merchants an easy method of recovering their debts;[**] and, in short, introduced a new face of things by the vigor and wisdom of his administration.