“15. Unlawful and incestuous unions are forbidden to all, alike with the handmaids of God and other illicit persons and with those in affinity and kindred and with other men’s wives. “16. Lawful heirship is by decree refused to the children of harlots. “17. Of tithes to be given; of usury to be forbidden; of just measures and equal weights to be established. “18. Of vows to be fulfilled. “19. We have added that each faithful Christian must take example from Catholic men; and if anything has remained of the rites of pagans it must be plucked out, contemned, cast away. “For God made man fair in form and appearance; but the pagans with diabolical instinct have inflicted most horrible scars,[300] as Prudentius says: He tainted the innocent ground[301] with sordid spots, for he evidently does injury to God, who fouls and defiles His creature. Without doubt a man would receive a rich reward who underwent for God this injury of staining. But to one who does it from gentile superstition it profiteth nothing, as circumcision to the Jews without belief of heart. “Further, you wear your clothes after the manner of the gentiles whom by God’s help your fathers drove out of the land by arms. It is a wonderful and astonishing thing that you imitate the fashion of those whose life you always hate. “You have the evil habit of maiming your horses: you slit their nostrils, you fasten their ears together and make them deaf, you cut off their tails; and though you could have them entirely unblemished, you will not have that, but make them odious to every one. “We have heard also that when you go to law with one another you cast lots after the fashion of the gentiles. This is counted as completely sacrilegious in these days. “Further, many of you eat horses, which no Christian in eastern lands does. This you must give up. Strive earnestly that all your things be done decently and in order. “20. Of sins to be confessed and penance to be done. “These decrees, most blessed Pope Hadrian, we propounded in a public council in presence of King Aelfuuald, Archbishop Eanbald, and all the bishops and abbats of that region, also of the ealdormen, dukes, and people of the land. And they, as we said above, with all devotion of mind vowed that they would in all things keep them according to the utmost of their power, the divine clemency aiding them. And they confirmed them in our hand (in your stead) with the sign of the holy cross. And afterwards they wrote on the paper of this page with careful pen, affixing the mark of the holy cross. “I Aelfuualdus king of the Transhumbrane race, consenting, have subscribed with the sign of the holy cross. “I Dilberch[302] prelate[303] of the church of Hexham joyfully have subscribed with the sign of the holy cross. “I Eanbald by the grace of God archbishop of the holy church of York have subscribed to the pious and catholic force of this document with the sign of the holy cross.