[Lat. servitus prædiorum.] A right which is granted for the advantage of all the lands in the kingdom. Co. Litt. one piece of land over another, and which 1 b. See Dominicum directum. may be exercised by every possessor of PRÆDO. Lat. In the Roman law. the land entitled against every possessor of A robber. See Dig. 50. 17. 126. the servient land. It always presupposes PRÆFATUS. L. Lat. In old pleadtwo pieces of land (prædia,) belonging to ing. Aforesaid. A word of very common different proprietors; one burdened with use in old entries; sometimes abbreviated the servitude, called prædium serviens, and one for the advantage of which the servitude is conferred, called prædium dominans. 1 Mackeld. Civ. Law, 335, § 306. Inst. 2. 3. Dig. 8. 1-6. Bract. fol. 220 b, 221. Schultes on Aquatic Rights, 26. PRÆDICT'. An abbreviation of prædictus, (q. v.) 10 Mod. 305. præfat', and p'fat. 6 Mod.176. See Pradictus. PRÆFECTURE. Lat. In Roman law. Conquered towns, governed by an officer called a prefect, who was chosen in some instances by the people, in others, by the prætors. Butler's Hor. Jur. 29. PRÆFECTUS. Lat. In the Roman PRÆ PRÆ (321) law. A chief officer; a governor or commander. The title of various officers and magistrates. Dig. 1. 11. Id. 1. 12. Id. 1. 15. Cod. 1. 28. Calv. Lex. In old English law. The chief officer of a hundred, and other divisions. Spelman, voc. Præpositus. PRÆJUDICIALIS. Lat. [from præ, before, and judicare, to judge.] In the civil law. That which is to be pre-determined, or decided before something else. See Actio præjudicialis. PRÆJUDICIUM. L. Lat. In old English law. Prejudice; detriment; disparagement. Bract. fol. 19. Sine præjudicio melioris sententiæ; without prejudice to the better opinion. Id. fol. 48. A common phrase used by Bracton, when expressing his own opinion on any point. PRÆJURAMENTUM. L. Lat. In old English law. A preparatory oath. See Antejuramentum. PRÆMISSA. L. Lat. [from præmittere, to send before.] In old conveyancing. Things sent before; things mentioned, stated or recited before, præmisses or premisses. In modern phraseology, premises. Fleta, lib. 3, c. 10, § 1. See 1 Leon. 117. See Premises. PRÆMIUM. Lat. Reward; compensation. Præmium assecurationis; compensation for insurance; premium of insurance. Loccen. de Jur. Mar. lib. 2, c. 5, sect. 6. Now used in the law of insurance, as a common English word. PRÆMIUM PUDICITIÆ. Lat. The price of chastity; or compensation for loss of chastity. A term applied to bonds and other engagements given for the benefit of a seduced female. Sometimes called premium pudoris. 2 Wils. 339, 340. PræmuPRÆMUNIRE. L. Lat. In English law. To forewarn, or summon. niantur omnes de comitatu; all persons of the county shall be forewarned. Fleta, lib. 1, c. 19, § 1. Used indifferently with præmonere. Partibus præmonitis; the parties being summoned. Id. ibid. The name of an offence against the king and his government, though not subject to capital punishment. So called from the words of the writ which issued preparatory to the prosecution: Præmunire facias A. B. quod sit coram nobis, &c.; cause A. B. to be forewarned, that he appear before us to answer the contempt with which he stands charged. 4 Bl. Com. 103. Co. Litt. 129 b. VOL. II. The statutes establishing this offence, the first of which was made in the thirty-first year of the reign of Edward I., were framed to encounter the papal usurpations in England; the original meaning of the offence called præmunire being the introduction of a foreign power into the kingdom, and creating imperium in imperio, by paying that obedience to papal process which constitutionally belonged to the king alone. Id. 110, 115. The penalties of præmunire were afterwards applied to other heinous offences. Id. 116, 117. 4 Steph. Com. 215-217. PRÆNOMEN. Lat. Fore-name, or first name. The first of the three names by which the Romans were commonly distinguished. It marked the individual, and was commonly written with one letter; as A. for Aulus; C. for Caius, &c. Adam's Rom. Ant. 35. See Fleta, lib. 4, c. 10, § 9. Butler's Hor. Jur. 28. PRÆNOTARIUS. L. Lat. In old English law. Prothonotary. A clerk of the Court of Common Bench. Fleta, lib. 2, с. 36. Id. lib. 4, c. 9, § 2. Præpropera consilia raro sunt prospera. Hasty counsels are rarely prosperous. 4 Inst. 57. PRÆPOSITUS. Lat. [from præponere, to put first, or set over.] In old English law. One who was set over others; a chief or presiding officer. The sheriff was the præpositus of the county. LL. Edw. Sen. c. 11. 3 Bl. Com. 36. Præpositus ecclesiæ; a church-reeve, or warden. Spelman. In Scotch law, the head of a collegiate church. Bell's Dict. Præpositus hundredi; a hundredary. Spelman. Præpositus villa; a town-reeve, (Sax. tungerif.) Id. Sce Fleta, lib. 2, c. 39, § 2. Præpositus manerii; the overseer of a manor. An officer under the ballivus, (bailiff.) Fleta, lib. 2, c. 76. law French, provost, (q. v.) Conq. 1. 6, and note. Called, in