Germ. The author says, that the
price of the composition was fixed; which must have been by
the laws, and the interposition of the magistrates.]
[** Besides paying money to the relations of the
deceased, and to the king, the murderer was also obliged to
pay the master of a slave of vassal a sum, as a compensation
for his loss. This was called the "manbote" See Spel. Gloss,
in verb. Fredum, Manbot.]
This short abstract contains the history of the criminal jurisprudence
of the northern nations for several centuries. The state of England in
this particular, during the period of the Anglo-Saxons, may be judged of
by the collection of ancient laws, published by Lambard and Wilkins.
The chief purport of these laws is not to prevent or entirely suppress
private quarrels, which the legislators knew to be impossible, but only
to regulate and moderate them. The laws of Alfred enjoin, that if
any one know that his enemy or aggressor, after doing him an injury,
resolves to keep within his own house _and his own lands_[*] he
shall not fight him, till he require compensation for the injury. If
he be strong enough to besiege him in his house, he may do it for seven
days without attacking him; and if the aggressor be a willing, during
that time, to surrender himself and his arms, his, adversary may detain
him thirty days, but is afterwards obliged to restore him safe to his
kindred, "and be content with the compensation.
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