or defender, in suits at law and other diffculties; and was bound, in return, to pay him all respect and honor, and to serve him with his life and fortune in any extremity.

as distinguished from those that are open or patent. —Close copies. Copies of legal documents which might be written closely or loosely at pleasure; as distinguished from office copies, which were to contain only a prescribed number of words on each sheet.—Close corpora= tion. One in which the directors and officers have the power to fill vacancies in their own number, without allowing to the general body of stockholders any choice or vote in their election. McKim vy. Odom, 3 Bland (Md.) 416, note.—Olose rolls. Rolls containing the record of the close writs A hci clause) and grants of the king, kept with the public records. 2 Bl.