(Money then reached a higher level of perfection, which
was maintained for the next century.)
The forest law stated that: "he that doth hunt a wild beast and
doth make him pant, shall pay 10 shillings: If he be a freeman,
then he shall pay double. If he be a bound man, he shall lose his
skin." A "verderer" was responsible for enforcing this law, which
also stated that: "If anyone does offer force to a Verderer, if he
be a freeman, he shall lose his freedom, and all that he hath. And
if he be a villein, he shall lose his right hand." Further, "If
such an offender does offend so again, he shall lose his life."
A wife's dower is one-third of all her husband's freehold land,
unless his endowment of her at their marriage was less than one-
third.
Counterfeiting law required that "If any one be caught carrying
false coin, the reeve shall give the bad money to the King however
much there is, and it shall be charged in the render of his farm
[payment] as good, and the body of the offender shall be handed
over to the King for judgment, and the serjeants who took him
shall have his clothes."
Debts to townsmen were recoverable by this law: "If a burgess has
a gage [a valuable object held as security for carrying out an
agreement] for money lent and holds this for a whole year and a
day, and the debtor will not deny the debt or deliver the gage,
and this is proved, the burgess may sell the gage before good
witnesses for as much as he can, and deduct his money from the
sum.
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