The exception made by the Church for _princes_, restored the woman so
far, that the marriage was legally and morally recognised by the Lombard
law and the Church, with exceptions as regards _issue_, and that the
left hand was given for the _right_.

With regard to this latter, it would be desirable {262} to trace whether
giving of the land had any _symbolic_ meaning. I think the
astrologists consider the right as the nobler part of the body; if so,
giving of _the left_ in this case is not without symbolic significance.
It must be remembered how much symbolism prevailed among the tribes
which swept Europe on the fall of the Roman empire, and their Eastern
origin.

The Morgengabe, according to Cancianus (_Leges Barbarorum_, tom. iv. p.
24.), was at first a _free gift_ made by the husband after the first
marriage night. This was carried to such excess, that Liutprand ordained

"Tamen ipsum Morgengabe volumus, ut non sit amplius nisi quarta
pars ejus substantia, qui ipsum Morgengabe dedit."

This became subsequently converted into a _right_ termed _justitia_.

Upon this extract from a charter,--

"Manifesta causa est mihi, quoniam die ilio quando te sposavi,
promiseram tibi dare _justitiam_ tuam secundum _legem meam_ [qr.
_my Lombard_ law in opposition to the Roman, which he had a
right to choose,] in Morgencap, id est, quartam portionem omnium
rerum mobilium et immobilium," &c.