But if upon the Assignment of Dower, no mention was made concerning purchases, even admitting that at the time of affiance he possessed but a small Estate, and that he afterwards much increased it, the Wife cannot claim as Dower more than a third part of such Land as her Husband held, at the time of being affianced, and when he endowed her. The same Rule prevails if a Man, not being possessed of any Land, should endow his Wife with his Chattels,[165] and other things, or even with Money. Should he afterwards make considerable purchases in Land and Tenements, the Wife cannot claim any part of such property so acquired by purchase; it being, with respect to the quantity or quality of the Dower assigned to any Woman, a general principle, that if she is satisfied to the extent of her endowment at the door of the Church, she can never afterwards claim as Dower anything beyond it.[166] [Footnote 165: It is curious to observe the fluctuations of Law. Though Glanville in the text expressly lays it down, that a Woman may be endowed of chattels, or money, which, indeed, could have been the only mode of endowing in the still more distant ages of Antiquity, yet this was denied to be law in the Reign of Henry the fourth, (7. H. 4. 13. b.) The Doctrine of the Courts of Equity in the present day, in admitting equitable bars, seems, in point of substance, to revive the law as laid down by Glanville. The doctrine of the text is confirmed by the Regiam Majestatem, and Fleta: but the latter informs us, that Dowers, of the kind now under discussion, were only so far to be recovered, as the chattels of the deceased extended. (L. 5. c. 23.) Hence probably they fell into disuse.] [Footnote 166: “_Si enim mulier, quando ducta fuerit in uxorem, concessit et consensit se dotari del mobili vel de terra specificata, illud ei debet post decessum mariti sui sufficere, quod in contractu matrimonii concessit se pro dote recipere et consensit._” (Le Grand Custum. de Normand. c. 102.) “Because she was first content therewith,” is the reason the Reg. Maj. gives why she should afterwards be confined strictly to the original designation. (L. 2. c. 16.)] CHAP. III.