(ss. 22-23). If the wife survive her husband let her have permanently her dower and her ‘maritagium’ given to her by written instruments or production of witnesses, and her ‘morgengift’ and a third part of all joint acquisition, besides clothes and her bed, and let her receive nothing in respect of what has been consumed in charity or common necessity. Si mulier absque liberis moriatur, parentes ejus cum marito suo partem suam dividant. If a woman die without children her _parentes_ divide her share with the husband. These statements are valuable evidence that, in regard to the position of a wife, Anglo-Saxon custom was very nearly the same as Cymric custom and that of the Bretts and Scots. And they are the more important as stating in black and white what is only to be inferred from isolated statements in earlier laws. We now pass to c. LXXVI., _De precio cujuslibet_, containing information as to the mode of procedure in the payment of wergeld. After stating that if a man be slain he is to be paid for according to his birth, the clause proceeds thus:-- [Sidenote: Sureties for wergeld 8 of paternal and 4 of maternal kindred.] Et rectum est ut homicida, postquam weregildum vadiaverit inveniat wereplegios, sicut ad eam pertinebit, i. de thaino debent dari xii wereplegii, viii de parte patris, et iiii de cognacione matris; et cum hoc factum erit, elevetur inter eos pax regis in omni weregildo, et debet halsfang primo reddi, sicut were modus erit. And it is right that the homicide after having given pledge for the wergeld should find the wer-pledges pertaining to it. From the thane: 12 were-pledges 8 _exparte patris_ and 4 _de cognatione matris_, and this done shall be raised among them the peace of the king in every wergeld. And first the _halsfang_ should be paid according to the nature of the wergeld. Following the case of the twelve-hyndeman a little further we learn that:-- [Sidenote: Twelve-hyndeman’s halsfang.] Twelf-hindus est homo plene nobilis, i. thainus cujus wera est duodecies c sol. qui faciunt libras xxv, cujus halsfang sunt cxx sol. qui faciunt hodie sol. l. Et non pertinet alii cognacioni pecunia ista, nisi illis qui sunt intra genu. The twelve-hyndeman is the man _plene nobilis_, _i.e._ the thane whose wergeld is 1200 scillings which make 25_l._ His halsfang is 120_s._ which today equals 50_s._[211] [Norman], and it belongs to no other relations than those who are _intra genu_. This halsfang had to be paid on the 21st day from the giving of the pledge, and it seems to have been a token in recognition of guilt or earnest money to show that the wergeld would be paid. [Sidenote: Manbot and fightwite and then wergeld.]