APPENDIX I

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cross should he prostituted in common d-sputcs Arr'r.mxand controversies ”. x ‘

The ordeal was another established method oftrial among the Anglo-Saxons. It was practisedeither by boiling water or red-hot non. I heformer was appropriated to the common people ;the latter to the nobility. The water or ironwas consecrated by many prayers, masses, fasting.-,and exorcisms 74 ; after which , the person accusedeither took up a stone sunk in the water 7S to acertain depth , or carried the iron to a certaindistance; and his hand being wrapped up, andthe covering sealed for three days, if there ap-peared, on examining it, no marks of burning,ii\; was pronounced innocent; if otherwise, guilty 7 ".

The trial by cold water was different : I he personwas thrown into consecrated water ; if he swam,he was guilty ; if he funk , innocent 77 . It isdifficult for us to conceive , how any innocentperson could ever escape by the one trial, or anycriminal be convicted by the other. But therewas another usage admirably calculated for allowingevery criminal to escape , who had confidenceenough to try it. A consecrated cake , called acorlned , was produced ; which if the person

7 ‘ I.L. Frison. tit. 14. apud Lindenbrogium, p. 496.

Du Cange in verb. Crux.

' Spellin. in verb. Ordeal. Parker, p. 155. Lindenbrog,.p. 1299. 7 ' LL. In*, § 77.

16 Sometimes the person accused walked barefoot overred-hot iron. 77 Spellman in verb. Orealiuiu

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