Our Legal Heritage Part 2

5. If a man slay another in the King's tun [enclosed dwelling premises], let him make bot with 50 s.h.i.+llings.

6. If any one slay a freeman, 50 s.h.i.+llings to the King, as drihtin beah [payment to a lord in compensation for killing his freeman].

7. If the King's ambiht smith [smith or carpenter] or laad rine [man who walks before the King or guide or escort], slay a man, let him pay a half leod geld.

8. [Offenses against anyone or anyplace under] the King's mund byrd [protection or patronage], 50 s.h.i.+llings

9. If a freeman steal from a freeman, let him make threefold bot; and let the King have the wite [fine] and all the chattels [necessary to pay the fine]. (Chattels was a variant of "cattle".)

10. If a man lie with the King's maiden [female servant], let him pay a bot of 50 s.h.i.+llings.

11. If she be a grinding slave, let him pay a bot of 25 s.h.i.+llings.The third [cla.s.s of servant] 12 s.h.i.+llings.

12. Let the King's fed esl [woman who serves him food or nurse] be paid for with 20 s.h.i.+llings.

13. If a man slay another in an eorl's tun [premises], let [him] make bot with 12 s.h.i.+llings.

14. If a man lie with an eorl's birele [female cupbearer], let him make bot with 12 s.h.i.+llings.

15. [Offenses against a person or place under] a ceorl's mund byrd [protection], 6 s.h.i.+llings.

16. If a man lie with a ceorl's birele [female cupbearer], let him make bot with 6 s.h.i.+llings; with a slave of the second [cla.s.s], 50 scaetts; with one of the third, 30 scaetts.

17. If any one be the first to invade a man's tun [premises], let him make bot with 6 s.h.i.+llings; let him who follows, with 3 s.h.i.+llings; after, each, a s.h.i.+lling.

18. If a man furnish weapons to another where there is a quarrel, though no injury results, let him make bot with 6 s.h.i.+llings.

19. If a weg reaf [highway robbery] be done [with weapons furnished by another], let him [the man who provided the weapons] make bot with 6 s.h.i.+llings.

20. If the man be slain, let him [the man who provided the weapons] make bot with 20 s.h.i.+llings.

21. If a [free] man slay another, let him make bot with a half leod geld [wergeld for manslaughter] of 100 s.h.i.+llings.

22. If a man slay another, at the open grave let him pay 20 s.h.i.+llings, and pay the whole leod within 40 days.

23. If the slayer departs from the land, let his kindred pay a half leod.

24. If any one bind a freeman, let him make bot with 20 s.h.i.+llings.

25. If any one slay a ceorl's hlaf aeta [loaf or bread eater; domestic or menial servant], let him make bot with 6 s.h.i.+llings.

26. If [anyone] slay a laet of the highest cla.s.s, let him pay 80 s.h.i.+llings; of the second cla.s.s, let him pay 60 s.h.i.+llings; of the third cla.s.s, let him pay 40 s.h.i.+llings.

27. If a freeman commit edor breach [breaking through the fenced enclosure and forcibly entering a ceorl's dwelling], let him make bot with 6 s.h.i.+llings.

28. If any one take property from a dwelling, let him pay a three- fold bot.

29. If a freeman goes with hostile intent through an edor [the fence enclosing a dwelling], let him make bot with 4 s.h.i.+llings.

30. If [in so doing] a man slay another, let him pay with his own money, and with any sound property whatever.

31. If a freeman lie with a freeman's wife, let him pay for it with his wer geld, and obtain another wife with his own money, and bring her to the other [man's dwelling].

32. If any one thrusts through the riht ham scyld [legal means of protecting one's home], let him adequately compensate.

33. If there be feax fang [seizing someone by the hair], let there be 50 sceatts for bot.

34. If there be an exposure of the bone, let bot be made with 3 s.h.i.+llings.

35. If there be an injury to the bone, let bot be made with 4 s.h.i.+llings.

36. If the outer hion [outer membrane covering the brain] be broken, let bot be made with 10 s.h.i.+llings.

37. If it be both [outer and inner membranes covering the brain], let bot be made with 20 s.h.i.+llings.

38. If a shoulder be lamed, let bot be made with 30 s.h.i.+llings.

39. If an ear be struck off, let bot be made with 12 s.h.i.+llings.

40. If the other ear hear not, let bot be made with 25 s.h.i.+llings.

41. If an ear be pierced, let bot be made with 3 s.h.i.+llings.

42. If an ear be mutilated, let bot be made with 6 s.h.i.+llings.

43. If an eye be [struck] out, let bot be made with 50 s.h.i.+llings.

44. If the mouth or an eye be injured, let bot be made with 12 s.h.i.+llings.

45. If the nose be pierced, let bot be made with 9 s.h.i.+llings.

46. If it be one ala, let bot be made with 3 s.h.i.+llings.

47. If both be pierced, let bot be made with 6 s.h.i.+llings.

48. If the nose be otherwise mutilated, for each [cut, let] bot be made with 6 s.h.i.+llings.

49. If it be pierced, let bot be made with 6 s.h.i.+llings.

50. Let him who breaks the jaw bone pay for it with 20 s.h.i.+llings.

51. For each of the four front teeth, 6 s.h.i.+llings; for the tooth which stands next to them 4 s.h.i.+llings; for that which stands next to that, 3 s.h.i.+llings; and then afterwards, for each a s.h.i.+lling.

52. If the speech be injured, 12 s.h.i.+llings. If the collar bone be broken, let bot be made with 6 s.h.i.+llings.

53. Let him who stabs [another] through an arm, make bot with 6 s.h.i.+llings. If an arm be broken, let him make bot with 6 s.h.i.+llings.

54. If a thumb be struck off, 20 s.h.i.+llings. If a thumb nail be off, let bot be made with 3 s.h.i.+llings. If the shooting [fore] finger be struck off, let bot be made with 8 s.h.i.+llings. If the middle finger be struck off, let bot be made with 4 s.h.i.+llings. If the gold [ring] finger be struck off, let bot be made with 6 s.h.i.+llings. If the little finger be struck off, let bot be made with 11 s.h.i.+llings.