IjS - strictures on mannen. I^^y 3'* 



lilent the expedient of swearing on extraordinary 

 crofses and reliquet^ Were lefs honourable ia all en- 

 gagements than their posterity, who from exoeri- 

 ence have omitted those ineffectual securities. 

 This general pronenefs to perjury, was much in- 

 creased by the usual want of discernment in judges, 

 tvho could not discufs an intri'-ate evidence, and 

 were obliged to number, not weigh, the testimony 

 of witnefses. Hence the practice of single combat 

 was employed by most nations on the continent, as 

 a remedy against false evidence ; and though it was 

 frequently dropped, from the opposition of the cler- 

 gy, it was continually revived from the experience 

 of the falsehood attending the testimony of witnef- 

 ses. 



The price of all kinds of wounds and injuries was 

 fixed by the Saxon laws : — a wound of an inch long, 

 tinder the hair, was paid with one fhilling : one of a 

 like size on the face, two iliillings : thirty fliillings 

 for the lofs of an ear, \3c. X^c. "ijc. There seems 

 Hot to have been any difference made according to 

 the dignity of the person. Any one who commit- 

 ted adultery with his neighbour's wife, was obliged 

 to pay him a fine, and buy him another wifS. 

 Murder itself was only liable to a fine or compensa- 

 tion to the kindred of the deceased ; and to satisfy 

 the churcli by their penance. When a person was 

 unable to pay the fine, he was put out of the pro- 

 tection of the law ; and the kinddred of the deceased 

 had liberty to punifh him as they thought proper. 



As to the value of money in those times, compa- 

 red to the nec^fsaries of life, v;e find that a Iheep was 



