fourteenth century, would be no trifle. This, in Prissez, near Maçon, an episcopal town of Burgundy, in the province of Saone and Loire, in 1362, was made by King John; "Sexaginta solidos et unum denarium." While at Castelnaudari, in the province of Aude, in 1367, Charles V. made it " cinque sols seule

Privileges of Montolien, by Philip V. and Charles V. confirmed by Charles VI. 1392 :

"The commutation for the flogging. Sexaginta solidos domino regi pro emenda." Art. 31.

Privileges of Figeul, by Philip V. confirmed by Charles VI.

1394:

"Fustigentur per villam, et si pœnam prædictam redimere voluerunt, in commune, ut dictum est deprehensi, liceat eisdem super hoc cum nostris gentilibus componere," &c. Art. 41.

Privileges of Montfaucon, confirmed by Charles V. 1395: "Vir et mulier si reperti, spoliati penitus et nudati currant per villam aut currere teneantur, aut solvant sexaginta solidos tholosanos dominis dicti loci," &c. Art. 17.

Privileges of Fleurence. Confirmed by Charles VI.

1396:

"Currat per locum, aut solvat nobis vel mandato nostro decem libra turonenses," &c. Art. 24.

Beauvoir in Dauphiné. Charles VI. 1397:

"Pro Adulterio sexaginta solidi et unus denarius," &c. Art. 10.

ment!" At Vienne, an ancient town of Dauphiné, a law of Charles V. confirmed by Charles VI. 1391, made the fine twenty-five florins to the rich, and ten to the poor.

The public exposure, however, was of a serious kind. The terms in which these laws are couched sufficiently evince this; those, particularly, of Aigues-Mortes, in the Department of Gard, made by Philip I. A. D. 1079, and confirmed by John, in 1350; and of St. André, by Philip Le Bel in 1292; also confirmed by John, in 1362.†

The flogging also must have been severe; sometimes the parties received it while running, in opposite directions, through the village, or the town, in a state of nature," et ab unâ portâ fustigabantur usque ad aliam.” Sometimes a part of her clothing was permitted to be retained by the female, that the exposure might be less disgraceful.‡

*"Si aliqui deprehensi in Adulterio, sit in electione viri, divites tantum viginti quinque florenos, et pauperes, solvere decem florenos tantum. Vel fustigari per villam nudus cum muliere," &c. Art. 7.

+Publicé currant nudi (coopertis pudibundis mulierum," &c. Art. 12 and 13.

$ " Fustigetur nudus per villam cum muliere inductâ camisia usque ad mamillas, ne appareant naturalia."

Privil. of Vienne. Art. 7.

A distinction, however, prevailed in these ancient laws similar to one noticed in an earlier part of the Essay, between the commission of this crime by persons who were both married, and by a married person with one unmarried. The crime was not imputed to the single, but only to the married person; and the fine was exacted, or the flogging inflicted accordingly.*

Another circumstance is observable in all

* The passage before quoted from the Statutes of Bragerac continues thus:

"Si supra dictum Adulterium inveniatur seu capiatur : aut curret nudus, villam unâ cum muliere adulterante; si tamen dicta mulier habeat virum. Et si quidem solutus inveniatur cum eâ stuprum committendo, mulier de Adulterio condemnabitur et vir erit sine culpâ. Si autem vir sit uxoratus, (married,) et se immisceat cum muliere solutâ, dictus vir de adulterio condemnabitur et mulier recedat soluta.

"Si autem contingat prædictos virum et mulierem fore ligatos, (married,) eorum sit electio, aut de currendo villam nudi vel de solvendo dicto domino centum solidos, quilibet ipsorum tam adulter quam adultera." Art. 86.

Privileges of Villeneuve de Coynan in Dauphiné, by Charles VI. 1396:

"Repertus in Adulterio conjugatus cum conjugatâ solvat quilibet triginta solidos, &c. non conjugati vero nihil

solvent," &c.

these laws. The punishments were only inflicted when the parties were caught in the act. And one of the regulations of the code of Aigues-Mortes, is, that the offenders shall not be sought for, but only if taken in the perpetration of the crime are they to suffer.*

It was allowable, however, to construe this with some latitude, and the detection of the parties alone, in a place, and at an hour, that

*

"De adulteriis nulla fiat inquisitio. Sed qui in ipsa turpitudine fuerunt deprehensi, vel concordent cum curiâ nostra predictâ, vel sine fustigatione publicè currant nudi; (coopertis pudibundis mulierum.") Art. 12.

Ordonnance of Charles, Regent of France, 1357, in favour of the inhabitants of Ville Franche, in Perigord, now the Department of Dordogne :

"Adulter et adultera si deprehensi fuerint in Adulterio, si inde factus fecerit clamor, vel per homines fide dignos super hoc convicti fuerint, vel confessi in jure, quilibet in centum solidis pro justitiâ puniatur vel nudi currant villam. Et sit optio eorundem." Art. 21.

Privileges of the City of St. André, by Philip Le Bel, 1292. Confirmed by John, 1362:

66

Quod si aliquis habitator dicti loci Adulterium ibidem commiserit, curia ex officio non inquirit, nisi ipso per officialem curiæ in Adulterio deprehenso: et tunc si cum curiâ de emenda non conveniret, fustigabuntur simul nudi per villam, pudibundis tamen mulieris coopertis." Art. 13.

M

might reasonably be termed suspicious, if they had been previously admonished, would render them liable to the penalty. The penalty, in case of a repetition of this offence, sometimes was a temporary banishment, as well as whipping; and sometimes it was discretionary with the judge.*

* "Item dicimus de illis qui post prohibitionem a marito factam, vel à curiâ nostrâ prædictâ, ad requisitionem mariti, inventi fuerint soli in loco et hora juxta rationem suspectis. Si vero plusquam semel in aliquo prædictorum deprehensi fuerint, fustigentur vel per relegationem temporalem vel modo alio punientur," &c. Art. 12.

Privileges of the Burgesses of Cyrien, by the Lord of Chaudien. Confirmed by Charles VI. 1383:

"Qui in Adulterio deprehensus fuerit per castellanum aut familiares nostro in loco suspecto secreto et diffamatus fuerit de dicto Adulterio, et Adulterium et diffamatio et locus secretus rationabiliter probetur in curiâ nostrâ, conjugatus cum conjugatâ vel solutâ, vel è converso, solvet quilibet vir et mulier pro banno, sexaginta solidos Viennenses, et quod vir et mulier sint pro tanto quieti: etsi vir sexaginta solidos solvere voluerit ex dicto adulterio, pro tanto sit quietus et liberatus: et quod vir aut mulier non possint nec debeant compelli aut deteneri per nos, aut familiares nostros, ad solvendum prædictos sexaginta solidos, unus pro alio, &c. et si solvere non possent, aut nollent per villam currere, teneantur cursum, si maluerint, ab unâ portâ per villam usque ad aliam portam; et unus sine alio rotari non debet," &c. Art. 61.