[Footnote 518: “Burners are those,” says the Mirror, “who burn a City, Town, House, Men, Beasts, or other Chattels, feloniously in time of peace for hatred or revenge.” (Mirror c. 1. s. 8. See also Britton chap. 19.)] CHAP. V. The Crime of Robbery[519] may also be passed over, as the suit has nothing to distinguish it from the others. [Footnote 519: _Roberia_, so called, says Lord Coke, because the goods are taken as it were _de la robe_, from the Robe, that is from the person. (Co. Litt. 288. a. and 3. Inst. 67.) Cowell deduces the term from the French _robbe_, _vestis_, and Spelman from _raubas_, meaning the same thing. The Saxons used their term _reaferar_ in a similar sense, _reaf_ signifying, _vestis_. For Travellers had in former times rarely any thing but their dress of which they could be robbed. (See Cowell and Spelm. Gloss.) Under the Laws of Ina the punishment of Robbery was to restore the thing purloined, and to pay a fine of 60 shillings. (LL. Inæ. c. 10.)] CHAP. VI.[520] [Footnote 520: For obvious reasons I have translated the present Chapter in a general manner.] The Crime of Rape[521] is that with which a Woman charges a Man when she alleges, that he committed a violence on her person, whilst in the King’s peace.[522] A Woman, having suffered any such violence, is bound immediately, whilst the crime is recent, to go to the nearest village, and there state the injury to respectable Men, and shew the external marks of violence.[523] She should, in the next place, do the same thing to the Chief Officer of the Hundred; and, lastly, she should publicly complain of her injury in the next County Court. An accusation of this kind being made, the Judgment is as before laid down. A Woman, accusing any one of such a Crime, is heard in the same manner, as is usual concerning any other personal injury which has been offered her. But it should be understood, that it is at the Election of the Accused in such a Case, either to submit to the burthen of making Purgation, or to sustain the woman’s proof against him. It should likewise be remarked, that if any one be convicted in a suit of this kind, the Judgment will be similar to that in the foregoing suits. Nor will it suffice, after Judgment, if the Malefactor wish to take the Woman he has injured to Wife. For thus it would frequently happen, that Men of servile condition would, by reason of one pollution, bring perpetual disgrace upon Women of noble birth, or that Men of high rank would be disgraced by inferior Women, and thus dishonor their fair lineage. But, previously to Judgment, it is customary for the Woman and the accused to be reconciled, by means of a marriage between them; but this step is authorised by the License of the Prince, or that of his Justices, and the consent of the Parents. [Footnote 521: Vide Mirror c. 1. s. 12. and Bracton 147. a.] [Footnote 522: Vide LL. Gul. Conq. c. 19. and 2. Inst. 180. 181.]