Our Legal Heritage : 600-1776 King Aethelbert - King George IIIReilly, S. A.
History
Our Legal Heritage : 600-1776 King Aethelbert - King George III
Reilly, S. A.
Law -- England -- History
"The Lord spake these words to Moses, and thus said: I am the Lord
thy God. I led thee out of the land of the Egyptians, and of their
bondage.
1. Love thou not other strange gods above me.
2. Utter thou not my name idly, for thou shalt not be guiltless
towards me if thou utter my name idly.
3. Remember that thou hallow the rest day. Work for yourselves six
days, and on the seventh rest. For in six days, Christ wrought the
heavens and the earth, the seas, and all creatures that are in
them, and rested on the seventh day: and therefore the Lord
hallowed it.
4. Honor thy father and thy mother whom the Lord hath given thee,
that thou mayst be the longer living on earth.
5. Slay thou not.
6. Commit thou not adultery.
7. Steal thou not.
8. Say thou not false witness.
9. Covet thou not thy neighbor's goods unjustly.
10. Make thou not to thyself golden or silver gods."
If any one fights in the king's hall, or draws his weapon, and
he be taken; be it in the king's doom, either death, or life, as
he may be willing to grant him. If he escape, and be taken
again, let him pay for himself according to his wergeld, and
make bot for the offence, as well wer as wite, according as he
may have wrought.
If a man fights before a king's ealdorman in the gemot, let him
make bot with wer and wite as it may be right; and before this
120s. to the ealdorman as wite. If he disturbs the folkmote by
drawing his weapon, 120s. to the ealdorman as wite. If any of
this happens before a king's ealdorman's junior, or a king's
priest, 30s. as wite.
If any one fights in a ceorlish man's dwelling, let him make bot
of 6s.to the ceorl. If he draws his weapon but doesn't fight,
let it be half of that. If, however, either of these happens to
a man with a wergeld of 600s., let it increase threefold of the
ceorlish bot; and if to a man with a wergeld of 1200s., let it
increase twofold of the bot of the man with a wergeld of 600s.
Breach of the king's dwelling [breaking and entering] shall be
120s.; an archbishop's, 90s.; any other bishop's, and an
ealdorman's, 60s.;. a 1200s. wergeld man's, 30s.; a 600s.
wergeld man's, 15s.; and a ceorl's 5s.
If any one plot against the king's life, of himself, or by
harbouring of exiles, or of his men; let him be liable with his
life and in all that he has; or let him prove himself according
to his lord's wer.
If any one with a band or gang of men slays an unoffending man,
let him who acknowledges the death-blow pay wer and wite. If the
slain man had a wergeld of 200s, let every one who was of the
gang pay 30s. as gang-bot. If he had a wergeld of 600s., let
every one pay 60s. as gang-bot. If he had a wergeld of 1200s.,
let every one pay 120s. If a gang does this, and afterwards
denies it on oath, let them all be accused, and let them then
all pay the wer in common; and all, one wite, such as shall
belong to the wer.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account