The fines on the town or hundred.

Parentes murdrati sex marcas haberent, rex quadraginta. [This different
from the ancient usage, where the king had half.] Si parentes deessent,
dominus ejus reciperet. Si dominum non haberet, felagus ejus, id est,
fide cum eo ligatus.--Leges Ed. 15.

[71] Purveyance. Vide Leges Cnuti, 67.

Si quis intestatus ex hac vita decedat, sive sit per negligentiam ejus,
sive per mortem subitaneam, tunc non assumat sibi dominus plus
possessionis (æhta) ipsius quam justum armamentum; sed post mortem
possessio (æhtgescyft) ejus quam justissime distribuatur uxori et
liberis, et propinquis cognatis, cuilibet pro dignitate quæ ad cum
pertinet.--Leges Cnuti, 68.




BOOK III.




CHAPTER I.

VIEW OF THE STATE OF EUROPE AT THE TIME OF THE NORMAN INVASION.


Before the period of which we are going to treat, England was little