538 THE LAWS OF THE EARLIER ENGLISH TRIBES. 



the forty-eight chose two of his Thingmen and a third man as 

 advisers ; thus the law-court men consisted of 144 members 

 (besides the lawman, who made the number 145). 



The Logtliing (law-thing) did not appear before the time 

 of Hakon the Good, when the country was divided into four 

 districts. 



The law-court had a certain place on the Thing-plain, and 

 was part of the Thing. There were three benches, one behind 

 the other ; on the middle bench sat the forty-eight self-elected 

 law-court men and the lawman ; on the front and the last 

 bench were seated the elected members. The judicial power 

 rested with those on the middle bench, for the law-court men 

 on the two other benches could only give advice. 



When a decision had a majority for it from the middle 

 bench, all the law-court men assented, and it was made public 

 from the law-hill by the lawman. 



The court was to come together on both Sundays and 

 on the closing day, and the lawman could call the members 

 together when he wanted, but only if the majority of the 

 Thingmen wished. 



Less important matters could be decided though the full 

 number were not present, provided there were not less than 

 forty-eight ; and the lawman could take men from the two 

 other benches to fill the empty seats on the middle bench. 

 No man but a member was allowed a seat on the law-court 

 benches. The Thingmen sat round, and only the one who 

 had something to say to the law-court was allowed to rise. 1 



" We shall also have a law-court every summer at the 

 Althing, and it shall always sit on the place where it has long 

 been. There shall be three benches round the law-court, so 

 long that forty-eight men may sit on each of them easily, 

 namely twelve men from each quarter who have the right to 

 sit in the law-court, and the lawman besides ; these rule laws 

 and licenses, and they, and also our bishops, shall sit on the 

 middle bench. From the northern quarter those twelve men 

 shall sit in the law-court who have the twelve godiships which 

 were there when they had four districts with three godis in 

 each. From all the other quarters those nine shall sit in the 

 law-court who have the full and old godiships, which were 



1 Gragas, 211-217. 



