The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-05-10
QUEER OLD WELSH LAWS.
BEAUTIES OF a KIN0 VINO RULED 4
OUsNND YEARS AGO.
Every Mar. r-ou Pace 90 KinE, Mad = SET
Vsiuc -Perquisite- or ot the Court
-Appraise,ueut OF Rodny orSans-rhs
Tongue Egunl 60 All Other Members,


. Irom the Green Bag.
h The sociologist. the student of legal lore,
: and the searcher after the picturesque In mel.
i. ieval literature. all may find In the quaint
v laws OF Howell Dda an abundant store Of
! treasure.
, Howell Dda. or Howell the Good. ascendcd
l the throne Of South Wales in D09. and
> reigned for f~orty.onc years. during which rc-
Rod he carefully revised the standing DEGREES
OF his predecessors, and added such new ones
as no deemed necessary for the proper gov
erninR Of his people.
The Howellian code is contained in three
books. the first dealing almost wholly with the
laws regulating the royal court; the second
chiefly with those relating TO women. and the
third. or proof book. with those pertaining 10
the crimes Of murder. theft, arson, &c. Let
us take n brief glance through tho three books
in turn.
The royal court consisted OF twenty.four
officers, sixteen Of whom waited upon his Maj
csty, while the other eight attended upon the
Queen. These dignitaries were entitled hy
law to receive a suit of woollen garments
from the King and a suit of linen from the
Queen three times q year. at Easter, at Whit
suntide. and at Christmas.
Having thus provided for tho decencics Of
the conrt, the first book goes on 10 deal with
the worth Of each member thereof. Natu-
rally the King IL the most precious parsonage.
We are told that his value Is his 'saraad''
threefOld, q saraad being the satisfaction nl-
lowed by the law for injury. There is men,
toned the King Of Aberfraw, whose saraad
was "a hundred cows for every cantref Il. T..
100 townshipe) in his kingdom. and n white
bull with red ears to every 100 cows. and a
rod of gold OF the same length as himself and
as thick as his little finger. and a plate of gold
as broad as his face and as thick rs the nail
of n plouRhman who has been a ploughmen
for seven years" Such was the penalty for
~injuring the King, and such threefold was
his personal value.
The Queen also had her saraad, and Il nigh.
be claimed by her from any one violating her
protection. striking her a blow or snatching any
thing out Of her hand. 1t was only n third Of
the Kings. however, and was to lie paid with.
out gold or silver. as though a feminine fond
ness for those precious metals might tempt her
TO provoke insult.
First among the officials Of the court was
the chief Of the household. The priest, who
the representative Of the Church. for the law
reads, He is the Kings confessor. to whom the
to hold bis sleeves while he wash Himself ""'
The fifth on the list was the court Judge.
and six score OF silver. a value no greater than
o dna ,h af IN, fse Page 1ss :, the cook si; and The very lowest
minister justice without fee to everybody nc
j J%agsp, s!a' e.. AND twe1 s9 tshSre With the hs,c other
received for, each lawsuit about land.
The latter was i to make a en th er PSynl i bed, the ee r nage;
the Kings messages. ard to take care OF his
allowed him his land free. a horse, and his
Maiesty's cast of bedclothes.
candle opposite, the dish While lis Majesty
was eating, and to walk before him when he
all the wax candles in the palace on state occa-
sions; ms and nd, as b a pe dst u ,s.;. he was to have the
Next follows the laws governing the Queens
ely eight bts ai tsc, ant tS end then aSs we are made aware
termed Officers by custom" Captain of the
s5sten Tas y Wfos s,0 impo %l .ns r Gaqv second f %ds the he
hold tho Kings feet in his lap from the time
- - He also had to rub tLs King XII As and see to
it that his royal mater did not dose over some
The Charch's right Of sanctuary is dealt
with at some length. The offender under its
the churchyard and the burial ero1nI.*:
4 he went outside these boundaries, he rem
Tered himself open to the grasp of an out
We now come to book the second. which. as
sws &c. So 1hss Gnrisr yomeH. The frs clause
y her %'egweddi' her dowor) unto { 70 end Of
1sn ifnsn Of the is's seventh sna Il ea .nsss e T.s s4fs and Gi sbs,
s yenyasias LET seI then S share ar ,t into two portion.
he 'aaii Vision 1 Of 7 tfei9 pr % 1tSm under rs such f eise
umstapces should lead 70 Troublesome dis
it gives the swine to the husband AZ do and Shs Il:
to III. wife; 4 there be only one kind
be sheep to the husband and the goats to II:
,ife.' Continuing, i spportions their house
however. that the wife seems to get the
The clothes that are over them belong to thu
ifei the clothes that are under them belong
,. the d;e,T wife; and 4 another wife sleeps upSn
St''"s 81 the he t asc sny ut iass sA the wife rsS w shs
rin naxs a VESSEL. s@ye oH Ts. ssil' ls Sns dish san and ,hs
nut whether or not thai ef =. o shs
1t them to certain obvious uses, and 20 drown
Book third Of the Howellian code was termed
10 9,t pr9'f fr0 BOOK; This title seems to have been
proved" by / his beI S9' ssoro anGT,ed hc.
i"inted with Us contents. Here We find
! For INSTANCE: IL the laws pertaining to arson,
!, shont s az swine enter q house and scatter
y ,ss escape 1T The owner Of sSs swine. pay a
ustion bctw;een them the sw an 6e BE burned twS hit IT Is an
inSs; and, therefore, where there is an e9us-
1 oR ns Is Sc, 'a ssain IS n shs a.b. to be rodFessed.
a aee Of fhi IT, Of 4 q Phm w saassl hSd a pretty hard
;or theft to the Value Hsa of foarpsen eeT The se aSisi
, sI iife," a ana psn lST a w greater amount f%orfeits
penny steal Was " aeftain ipF a ou tt2sSDeany-
a th,et ln sas%, Under IN hsy The law; Of Io%el pdaa.
sas5 or w msra sTDi All + r. aps. The ga
!, d uS Ti,h The fsr s2 EIrlD rank q The victim: Thu.
silver and nine Kline while that for ri RiiI iSSrs
9Sma n, b %Ss 81; The murder fine is de:
10 ~ ha'Hns nine accessories whereof
ne hrst Is, 10 uoint out the person In ia
iraersd to the person who j. to murder him;
following the laws relating to the crime NJ
'on. theft. and murder are 100 cIanses
the worth of wild and tame amt
is, birds. and even insects. " ""e WI
nat there ihay he no legal dispute over
es involving damages TO these ,rentur.s
rice is put upon them as II whole, upon their
ms eyes, ears, feet, horns, names, and taIla-
" rfad that the worth Of a horses foot
MS full WORTH, either OF lis eyes one,thiri
,reot, while his name is valued at four
zoe, which Is the legal value OF eiubt hnrss.
ts with their nails. II a cows horn was
or ler tai cut on, the amount OF dam