A treatise on the laws and customs of the kingdom of England.

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1900 edition. Excerpt: ... violence on her person, whilst in the King's peace.1 A Woman, having suffered any such violence, is bound immediately, whilst the crime is recent, to go to the nearest village, and there state the injury to respectable Men, and shew the external marks of violence.2 She should, in the next place, do the same thing to the Chief Officer of the Hundred; and, lastly, she should publicly complain of her injury in the next County Court. An accusation of this kind being made, the Judgment is as before laid down. A Woman, accusing any one of such a Crime, is heard in-the same manner, as is usual concerning any other personal injury which has been offered her. But it should be understood, tha it is at the Election of the Accused in such a Case, either to submit to the burthen of making Purgation, or to sustain the woman's proof against him. It should likewise be remarked, that if any one be convicted in a suit of this kind, the Judgment will be similar to that in the foregoing suits. Nor will it suffice, after Judgment, if the Malefactor wish to take the Woman he has injured to Wife. For thus it would frequently happen, that Men of servile condition would, by reason of one pollution, bring perpetual disgrace upon Women of noble birth, or that Men of high rank would be disgraced by inferior Women, and thus dishonor their fair lineage. But, i Vide LL. Gal. Conq. c. 19. and 2. Inst. 180. 181. 2 Virio autem virginis defloratce per septem mulieres viduas vel maritatasft.de dignas debet fieri, per quas, si necesse fuerit, de defloratkme Veritas recordetur. (Grand Custum. de Norm. c. 67. See also Britton c. 1. s. 30. &c.) previously to Judgment, it is customary for the Woman and the accused to be reconciled, by means of a marriage between them; but this...