Page:History of Manchester (1771), Volume 1, by John Whitaker.djvu/402

 Chap. X. OF *M AN CHE S TER. 367 from it. It fettled the chowyll tlecifively at eight pounds for a ting's daughter^ at one pound for a noble's, and at one* hundred r and ttoenty pence for a villain'^ *V And fo ludicroufly was the whote proce& of the chowyH adjjufted by the law, that if the T)ride di'd : not gain thefettiement* before ffie arofe fhe had no title at all to if afterwards 40 . And after (he had 1 gained it, if {he did not declare before (he rofe the particular life to which fhe intended to apply t the hufband enjoyed it afterwards in common with her *V The hufbarrd was entitled ekhercorporally to chaftife his* wife or to require a legal fatisfe&ion from 'her for threfe crimes, for infidelity to his bed* for embezzling his goods, and for ab&fihg his beard * Either of the parties aa* was. equally the cuftoift among the Jtws, tntght require a divorc* *irom thfc- 'other % K Th^ itch- or a* foul breath were legally reckoned as good reafons for a divorce as knpotenee *V And the divorce was* fofficiently ratified by a mutual agreement m .private. Tiros Cartifmandua- the qiieen^ of the Brigtmtes dtvorted hcrfetf from* her hufoand Venutius the monarch of the Jugantes *V AnA thus Deugala, the wife of a Briton in Ireland; demanded and ob* tained an immediate divotte from her hulband Cairbaf *V The « » "whole fubftance of thS family was ; r£gularly divided betwixt the parties, and, thbtfgh tjvp thirds of the children were' cOnfigned to- the hufband, orie- half only of the property wa$ retained by him,. and the other was carried aWay by the wife * r . And by a< very fen- fibte prescription of the lkw the parties were not* reft rained*, as even; in cafes of adultery they are Ordinarily retrained among ourfelves„ from an engagement in a fecond marriage *'. But, at leaft after the introdu&ion of Chriftianityy if the bride was accufed of any previous incontinence and coiild not clear hejfelf by the* rite of compurgation, her fhift was torn up before and behind and fhe was difmiffed by the hufband, he putting previoufly into her hands the- foaped tail of a young heifer ^ and if flie could retain it by her hold, allowing her to keep it for her portion *V And v, at lfeaff after the- introduftion of chriftianityv adultery was punifhed with very great feverity, the wife lofing all herEgweddi as well* as all her Ar- gyfrey for the aft, and' even forfeiting the former for the mera wantonnefs of an indulged lalure 30. When the wife was preg- nant^