A Short History of Women's Rights Part 12

[307] Lex Saxonum, vi, 2: Si autem sine voluntate parentum, puella tamen consentiente, ducta fuerit (uxorem ducturus) bis ccc solidos parentibus eius componat. Lex Burgundionum: _Add_., 14. cf. Edictum Rotharis, 188: si puella libera aut vidua sine voluntate parentum ad maritum ambulaverit, liberum tamen, tunc maritus, qui eam acceperit uxorem, componat pro anagrip solidos XX et propter faidam alios XX.

[308] By a law of the Alemanni (_t.i.t_., 57), if two sisters were heiresses to a father's estate and one married a va.s.sal (_colonus_) of the King or Church and the other became the wife of a free man equal to her in rank, the latter only was allowed to hold her father's land, although the rest of the goods were divided equally.

[309] Lex Wisigothorum, iii, 2, 2.

[310] Ibid., iii, 2, 3.

[311] Lex Saxonum, vi, I: uxorem ducturus CCC solidos det parentibus eius. See also the lex Burgundionum, 66, I and 2 and 3. In the case of a widow who married again the gift of the husband was called _reiphe_ or _reippus_ and very solemn ceremonies belonged to the giving of it according to the Salic law, _t.i.t_., 47: si, ut fieri adsolet, h.o.m.o moriens viduam dimiserit et cam quis in coniugium voluerit accipere, antequam eam accipiat Tunginus aut Centenarius Mallum indicent, et in ipso Mallo scutum habere debet, et tres homines vel caussas mandare. Et tunc ille, qui viduam accipere vult, c.u.m tribus testibus qui adprobare debent, tres solidos aeque pensantes, et denarium habere debet, etc.

[312] Leges Liutprandi, ii, 1.

[313] Lex Wisigothorum, iii, 1, 2 and 3, and iii, 6, 3.

[314] E.g., 62 _solidi_ by the Salic law, _t.i.t_., 70. See also Lex Baiuvariorum, _t.i.t_., vii, 15 and 16 and 17. Lex Alemannorum, 52, i; 53; 54.

[315] Lex Burgundionum, _Add. primum_, xiii: quaec.u.mque mulier Burgundia vel Romana voluntate sua ad maritum ambulaverit, iubemus ut maritus ipse de facultate ipsius mulieris, sicut in eam habet potestatem, ita et de rebus suis habeat.

Lex Wisigothorum, iv, 2, 15: Vir qui uxorem suam secundum sacram scripturam habet in potestate, similiter et in servis suis potestatem habebit, et omnia quae c.u.m servis uxoris suae vel suis in expeditione acquisivit, in sua potestate permaneant.

[316] Lex Wisigothorum, iii, t.i.t. i, 6.

[317] Lex Ripuariorum, 37, 1.

[318] Leges Liutprandi, iv, 4.

[319] That is, for the common people. Kings have always had a little way of doing as they pleased. See the anecdote of King Cusupald in Paulus'

_Hist. Langobard_, i, 21: secunda autem (sc. filia Wacchonis) dicta est Walderada, quae sociata est Cusupald, alio regi Francorum, quam ipse odio habens uni ex suis, qui dicebatur Garipald, in coniugium tradidit.

[320] For all this see Lex Burgundionum, 34, 1-4.

[321] For all these, see Lex Wisigothorum, iii, 6, 1 and 2.

[322] Capitula Addita ad Legem Alemannorum, 30. Lex Baiuvariorum, vii, 14.

[323] Lex Ripuariorum, _t.i.t_., 35. Lex Baiuvariorum, vii. Lex Alemannorum, 51, 1.

[324] Lex Wisigothorum, iii, 6, 1 and 2, and iii, 4, 1.

[325] Leges Liutprandi, vi, 130.

[326] Einhard, _Vita Kar. Mag_., 17: Deinde c.u.m matris hortatu filiam Desiderii regis Langobardorum duxisset uxorem, incertum qua de causa, post annum eam repudiavit et Hildigardam de gente Suaborum praecipuae n.o.bilitatis feminam in matrimonium duxit ... Habuit et alias tres filias ... duas de Fastrada uxore ... tertiam de concubina quadam ... defuncta Fastrada ... tres habuit concubinas.

[327] Gregory of Tours, 4, 3.

[328] The concubines of Theodoric--Jordanes, _de orig. acti busque Get._, 58. Huga, king of the Franks, had a filium quem ex concubina genuit--Widukind, _Res Gest. Sax._, i, 9.

[329] Lex Ripuariorum, _Til_., 48. Lex Angliorum et Werinorum, vi--_de alodibus_, 1: hereditatem defuncti filius, non filia suscipiat. Salic Law, _t.i.t_., 62: _de alodis_, 6: de terra vero Salica in mulierem nulla portio hereditatis transit, sed hoc virilis s.e.xus adquirat, hoc est, filii in ipsa hereditate succedunt. Lex Saxonum, vii, 1: Pater aut mater defuncti filio, non filiae hereditatem relinquit.

[330] Cf. Lex Angliorum et Werinorum, vi: _de alodibus_.

[331] Ibid., vi, 8: post quintam autem (sc. generationem) filia ex toto, sive de patris sive de matris parte, in hereditatem succedat, et tunc demum hereditas ad fusum a lancea transeat.

[332] Lex Salica, _t.i.t._, 62. Lex Ripuariorum, _t.i.t._, 56.

[333] Cf. Lex Wisigothorum, iv, 2, 7 and 9.

[334] Tacitus, _Germania_, 21.

[335] Legis Liutprandi, ii, 7.

[336] Lex Wisigothorum, iv, 5, I.

[337] Lex Alemannorum, _t.i.t._, i.

[338] Lex Baiuvariorum, _t.i.t._, i.

[339] Lex Wisigothorum, iv, 2, 20.

[340] Edictum Rotharis, i, 121.

[341] Lex Wisigothorum, iv, 2, 13.

[342] Cf. Capitula addita ad legem Alemannorum, 29. Lex Saxonum, viii, 2.

[343] Cf. lex Wisigothorum, iv, 2, 11: maritus et uxor tunc sibi hereditario iure succedant, quando mulla affinitas usque ad septimum gradum de propinquis eorum vel parentibus inveniri poterit. See also Lex Burgundionum, 14, 1.

[344] Lex Saxonum, ix. Lex Ripuariorum, 37, 2.

[345] Lex Saxonum, viii. Lex Wisigothorum, iv, 3, 3. Lex Burgundionum 85, 1, and 62, 1.

[346] Lex Burgundionum, 42, 1; 62, 1; 74, 1.

[347] Lex Baiuvariorum, xiv, 9, 1.

[348] Ibid., xiv, 6.

[349] For all this, see Lex Burgundionum, 24 and 62 and 74. Lex Wisigothorum, iv, t.i.t. 3. Lex Baiuvariorum, 14. Lex Alemannorum, 55 and 56.

[350] Lex Wisigothorum, iii, 3, 1.

[351] Lex Saxonum, iv. In the early days when the Great West of the United States was just being opened up and when society there was in a very crude state, a horse thief was regularly hanged; but murder was hardly a fault.

[352] Lex Burgundionum, 47, 1 and 2. The guilty man was put to death.

[353] Lex Salica, _t.i.t._, 23.

[354] Id, _t.i.t._, 28.