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
The importance of telling the truth and keeping one's word are
expressed by this law: "1. At the first we teach that it is most
needful that every man warily keep his oath and his wed. If any
one be constrained to either of these wrongfully, either to
treason against his lord, or to any unlawful aid; then it is
juster to belie than to fulfill. But if he pledge himself to that
which is lawful to fulfill, and in that belie himself, let him
submissively deliver up his weapon and his goods to the keeping of
his friends, and be in prison forty days in a King's tun: let him
there suffer whatever the bishop may prescribe to him..." Let his
kinsmen feed him, if he has no food. If he escapes, let him be
held a fugitive and be excommunicate of the church.
The word of a bishop and of the king were incontrovertible without
an oath.
The Ten Commandments were written down as this law:
"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 offense, 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.
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