Our Legal Heritage: King AEthelbert - King George III, 600 A.D. - 1776: June 2011 (Sixth) Edition — John Shaqi
Our Legal Heritage: King AEthelbert - King George III, 600 A.D. - 1776: June 2011 (Sixth) EditionReilly, S. A.
History
Our Legal Heritage: King AEthelbert - King George III, 600 A.D. - 1776: June 2011 (Sixth) Edition
Reilly, S. A.
Law -- England -- History
With his lord a man may fight free of liability for homicide, if any
one attack the lord: thus may the lord fight for his man. Likewise, a
man may fight with his born kinsman, if a man attack him wrongfully,
except against his lord. And a man may fight free of liability for
homicide, if he finds another with his lawful wife, within closed doors,
or under one covering, or with his lawfully born daughter, or with his
lawfully born sister, or with his mother, who was given to his father as
his lawful wife. If a man knows his foe is sitting at his home, he may
not fight with him before he demands justice of him. If he has such
power that he can beset his foe, and besiege him within, let him keep
him within for seven days, and not attack him if he will remains within.
And, then, after seven days, if he surrenders, and gives up his weapons,
let him be kept safe for thirty days, and let notice of him be given to
his kinsmen and his friends. But if he does not have sufficient power to
besiege him within, let him ride to the ealdorman, and beg aid of him.
If he will not aid him, let him ride to the king before he fights. In
like manner also, if a man come upon his foe, and he did not know
beforehand that he was staying at his home; if he is willing to give up
his weapons, let him be kept for thirty days, and let notice of him be
given to his friends; if he will not give up his weapons, then he may
attack him. If he is willing to surrender, and to give up his weapons,
and any one after that attack him, let him pay as well wer as wound, as
he may do, and wite, and let him have forfeited his compensation to his
kin. Every church shall have this peace: if a fugitive flee to one for
sanctuary, no one may drag him out for seven days. If he is willing to
give up his weapons to his foes, let him stay thirty days, and then let
notice of him be given to his kinsmen. If any man confess in church any
offenses which had not been before revealed, let him be half forgiven.
If a man from one holdgetael wishes to seek a lord in another
holdgetael, let him do it with the knowledge of the ealdorman whom he
before followed in his shire. If he does it without his knowledge, let
him who treats him as his man pay 120s. as wite, one-half to the king in
the shire where he before followed and one-half in that into which he
comes. If he has done anything wrong where he was before, let him make
bot for it who has there received him as his man; and to the king 120s.
as wite.
"If any one steals so that his wife and children don't know it, he
shall pay 60 shillings as wite. But if he steals with the knowledge of
all his household, they shall all go into slavery. A boy of ten years
may be privy to a theft."
"If one who takes a thief, or holds him for the person who took him,
lets the thief go, or conceals the theft, he shall pay for the thief
according to his wer. If he is an eorldormen, he shall forfeit his
shire, unless the king is willing to be merciful to him."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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