Our Legal Heritage, King AEthelbert, 596 to King George III, 1775Reilly, S. A.
History
Our Legal Heritage, King AEthelbert, 596 to King George III, 1775
Reilly, S. A.
Law -- England -- History
No widow shall be compelled [by penalty of fine] to marry so long
as she has a mind to live without a husband, provided, however,
that she gives security that she will not marry without our
assent, if she holds of us, or that of the lord of whom she holds,
if she holds of another.
[VIII. HOW SURETIES SHALL BE CHARGED TO THE KING]
Neither we nor our bailiffs shall seize any land or rent for any
debt as long as the debtor's goods and chattels suffice to pay the
debt AND THE DEBTOR HIMSELF IS READY TO SATISFY THEREFORE. Nor
shall the debtor's sureties be distrained as long as the debtor is
able to pay the debt. If the debtor fails to pay, not having the
means to pay, OR WILL NOT PAY ALTHOUGH ABLE TO PAY, then the
sureties shall answer the debt. And, if they desire, they shall
hold the debtor's lands and rents until they have received
satisfaction of that which they had paid for him, unless the
debtor can show that he has discharged his obligation to them.
{If anyone who has borrowed from the Jews any sum of money, great
or small, dies before the debt has been paid, the heir shall pay
no interest on the debt as long as he remains under age, of
whomsoever he may hold. If the debt falls into our hands, we will
take only the principal sum named in the bond.}
{And if any man dies indebted to the Jews, his wife shall have her
dower and pay nothing of that debt; if the deceased leaves
children under age, they shall have necessaries provided for them
in keeping with the estate of the deceased, and the debt shall be
paid out of the residue, saving the service due to the deceased's
feudal lords. So shall it be done with regard to debts owed
persons other than Jews.}
[IX. THE LIBERTIES OF LONDON AND OTHER CITIES AND TOWNS CONFIRMED]
The City of London shall have all her old liberties and free
customs, both by land and water. Moreover, we will and grant that
all other cities, boroughs, towns, and ports shall have all their
liberties and free customs.
{No scutage or aid shall be imposed in our realm unless by common
counsel thereof, except to ransom our person, make our eldest son
a knight, and once to marry our eldest daughter, and for these
only a reasonable aid shall be levied. So shall it be with regard
to aids from the City of London.}
{To obtain the common counsel of the realm concerning the
assessment of aids (other than in the three aforesaid cases) or of
scutage, we will have the archbishops, bishops, abbots, earls, and
great barons individually summoned by our letters; we will also
have our sheriffs and bailiffs summon generally all those who hold
lands directly of us, to meet on a fixed day, but with at least
forty days' notice, and at a fixed place. In all such letters of
summons, we will explain the reason therefor. After summons has
thus been made, the business shall proceed on the day appointed,
according to the advice of those who are present, even though not
all the persons summoned have come.}
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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