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William
the Conqueror
Here
is set down what William, king of the English, established
in consultation with his magnates after the conquest of
England:
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First
that above all things he wishes one God to be revered
throughout his whole realm, one faith in Christ to be
kept ever inviolate, and peace and security to be
preserved between English and Normans.
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We
decree also that every freeman shall affirm by oath and
compact that he will be loyal to king William both
within and without England, that he will preserve with
him his lands and honor with all fidelity and defend him
against his enemies.
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I
will, moreover, that all the men I have brought with me,
or who have come after me, shall be protected by my
peace and shall dwell in quiet. And if any one of them
shall be slain, let the lord of his murderer seize him
within five days, if he can; but if he cannot, let him
pay me 46 marks of silver so long as his substance
avails. And when his substance is exhausted, let the
whole hundred in which the murder took place pay what
remains in common.
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And
let every Frenchman who, in the time of king Edward, my
kinsman, was a sharer in the customs of the English, pay
what they call "scot and lot", according to
the laws of the English. This decree was ordained in the
city of Gloucester.
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We
forbid also that any live cattle shall be bought or sold
for money except within cities, and this shall be done
before three faithful witnesses; nor even anything old
without surety and warrant. But if anyone shall do
otherwise, let him pay once, and afterwards a second
time for a fine.
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It
was decreed there that if a Frenchman shall charge an
Englishman with perjury or murder or theft or homicide
or "ran", as the English call open rapine
which cannot be denied, the Englishman may defend
himself, as he shall prefer, either by the ordeal of hot
iron or by wager of battle. But if the Englishman be
infirm, let him find another who will take his place. If
one of them shall be vanquished, he shall pay a fine of
40 shillings to the king. If an Englishman shall charge
a Frenchman and be unwilling to prove his accusation
either by ordeal or by wager of battle, I will,
nevertheless, that the Frenchman shall acquit himself by
a valid oath.
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This
also I command and will, that all shall have and hold
the law of the king Edward in respect of their lands and
all their possessions, with the addition of those
decrees I have ordained for the welfare of the English
people.
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Every
man who wishes to be considered a freeman shall be in
pledge so that his surety shall hold him and hand him
over to justice if he shall offend in any way. And if
any such shall escape, let his sureties see to it that
they pay forthwith what is charge against him, and let
them clear themselves of any complicity in his escape.
Let recourse be had to the hundred and shire courts as
our predecessors decreed. And those who ought of right
to come and are unwilling to appear, shall be summoned
once; and if for the second time they refuse to come,
one ox shall be taken from them, and they shall be
summoned a third time. And if they do not come the third
time, a second ox shall be taken from them. But if they
do not come the fourth summons, the man who is unwilling
to come shall forfeit from his goods the amount of the
charge against him -- "ceapgeld" as it is
called -- and in addition to this a fine to the king.
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I
prohibit the sale of any man by another outside the
country on pain of a fine to be paid in full to me.
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I
also forbid that anyone shall be slain or hanged for any
fault, but let his eyes be put out and let him be
castrated. And this command shall not be violated under
pain of a fine in full to me.
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