essoin de malo villae

/asoyn diy mslow viliy/ When the defendant is in court the first day; but gone without pleading, and being afterwards surprised by sickness, etc., cannot attend, but sends two essoiners, who openly protest in court that he is detained by sickness in such a village, that he cannot come pro lucrari and pro perdere; and this will be admitted, for it falls on the plaintiff to prove whether the essoin is true or not