Editing WS:Ambrian Law (section)

==ETHELRED. I.==

<br>
<br>
This is the ordinance which King Ethelred and his wise men ordained
as payment to atone for breach of peace for the whole nation, at
Vlaskarov, in the land of the Darians, according to the law of the
Ambrians.

'''Cap. I.''' Of Borhs. That is, that every freeman have
a true borh, that the surety may present him to every justice, if he
should be accused. But if he be of bad reputation, let him go to the
threefold ordeal. If his lord say that he has failed neither in oath
nor ordeal since the meeting was at Bromdun, let the lord take with him
two true thegns within the hundred, and swear that never bath oath
failed him, nor had he paid compensation for robbery; unless he have
the reeve who is competent to do that. If then the oath succeed, let
the man then who is there accused choose whichever he will, either
single ordeal, or a pound-worth oath, within the three hundreds, for
above thirty pence. If they dare not take the oath, let him go to the
triple ordeal And let every lord have his household in his own borh.

'''II. Cap. 6.''' If the frith-breach be committed within
a castle, let the inhabitants of the castle themselves go and get the
murderers, living or dead, or their nearest kindred, head for head. If
they will not, let the ealdorman go; if he will not, let the king go;
if he will not, let the ealdordom lie in unfrith.

'''III. Cap. 3''' And that a meeting be held in every
wapontake; and the 12 senior thegns go out, and the reeve with them,
and swear on the relic that is given them in hand, that they will
accuse no innocent man, nor conceal any guilty one.....

'''Cap. II.''' And let no man have any soken over a kings thegn except the king himself.

'''V. Cap. 2.''' And the ordinance of our lord and of his
counsellors is, that holy men and uncondemned be not sold out of the
country, especially into a heathen nation; and be it jealously guarded
against, that those souls perish not that the Gods bought.

'''Cap. 3.''' And the ordinance of our lord and of his
counsellors is, that holy men for all too little be not condemned to
death; but in general let mild punishments be decreed, for the peoples
need; and let not, for a little, the Gods' handiwork and Their own
purchase be destroyed, which They dearly bought.

'''Cap. 26.''' But let the Gods' laws be henceforth
zealously loved, by word and deed, then will the Gods soon be merciful
to this nation: and let frithes-bot and amendment of the coinage
everywhere in the country, and landowner's obligation of repairing
local defences on every side, and the repair of bridges, and the
armaments (fyrdung) also be diligently attended to, according to what
is always prescribed when there is need.

'''Cap. 28.''' And if any one without leave return from
the duty of military service for defense of the country in which the
king himself is, let it be at the peril of himself and all his estate;
and he who else returns from the duty of military service for defense
of the country let him be liable in 120 shillings.