APPENDIX I.

289

and he was deprived of all right of succession,as the punishment of his cowardice

The price of the king’s head , or hisweregild,as it was then called , was by law 30,000 thrimsas,near 1 zoo pounds of present money. The priceof the prince’s head was 15,000 thrimsas; that ofa bishop’s or alderman’s 8000; a sheriff's 4000; athane’s or clergyman’s 2000; a ceorle’s 266.'I hese prices were fixed by the laws of theAngles. By the Mercian law, the price of aceorle’s head was 200 shillings; that of a thane’sfix times as much; that of a kings six timesmore’ 0 . By the laws of Kent, the price ofthe archbishop’s head was higher than that of theking’sSuch respect was then paid to theecclesiastics! It must be understood, that, wherea person was unable or unwilling to pay thefine, he was put out of the protection of law,and the kindred of the deceased had liberty topunish him as they thought proper.

SomE antiquaries” have - thought, that thesecompensations were only given for man-staughter,not for wilful murder: But no such distinctionappears in the laws; and it is contradicted bythe practice of all the other barbarous nations”,by that of the ancient Germans”, and by than

" Tit. 63. 5 ° Vv'ilkins , p. 71,72.

” LL. Elthredi, apud \v ilkir.s, p. 110.

” Tyrrei, Introduct. vol. i.p. 126. Carte, vol. 1. p. z66.

” Lin.denbroyLS , passim.

" Tac. de mor. Germ.

Vol. I. V

Appendix

I.