“But by the statute de mercatoribus… the whole of a man’s lands was liable to be pledged in a statute merchant, for a debt contracted in trade; though one-half of them was liable to be taken in execution for any other debt of the owner.” 1 William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England 161 (1765).
de mercatoribus
de mercatoribus (dee m[schwa]r-k[schwa]-tor-[schwa]-b[schwa]s), n. [Latin “of merchants”] Hist. The title of two statutes enacted in the 11th and 13th years of the reign of Edward I, providing that the land of a business debtor could be held by a creditor as security until the debt was paid.
