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This schal be the lawe of a mansleere fleynge, whos lijf schal be kept. If a man smytith vnwityngli his neiybore, and which is preuyd to haue not had ony hatered ayens hym yistirdai and the thridde dai agoon,

but to haue go sympli with hym in to the wode to hewe doun trees, and in the fellyng doun of trees the axe fleeth fro the hond, and the yrun slidith fro the helue, and smytith, and sleeth his freend; this man schal flee to oon of the forseid citees, and schal lyue;

Forsothe if ony man hatith his neiybore, and settith aspies, `ether tresouns, to his lijf, and risith, and smytith him, and he is deed, and he fleeth to oon of the forseid citees,

And whanne thei sekynge moost diligentli han founde that the fals witnesse seide a leesyng ayens his brothir,

thei schulen yelde to hym, as he thouyte to do to his brother; and thou schalt do awey yuel fro the myddis of thee, that othere men here,

`Also the duykis schulen crie bi alle cumpanyes, `while the oost schal here, Who is a man that bildide a newe hows, and halewide not it? go he and turne ayen into his hows, lest perauenture he die in batel, and another man halewe it.

Who is a man that plauntide a vyner, and not yit made it to be comyn, and of which it is leeueful to alle men to ete? go he, and turne ayen in to his hows, lest perauenture he die in batel, and anothir man be set in his office.

Who is a man that spowside a wijf, and `took not hir `bi fleischli knowyng? go he, and turne ayen in to his hows, lest perauenture he die in batel, and anothir man take hir.

Whanne these thingis ben seid, thei schulen adde othere thingis, and schulen speke to the peple, Who is a ferdful man, and of gastful herte? go he, and turne ayen in to his hows, lest he make `the hertis of his britheren for to drede, as he is agast bi drede.

And whanne the duykis of the oost ben stille, and han maad ende of speking, ech `of the princis and cheuenteyns of the oost schal make redie his cumpeneyes to batel.

And the preestis, the sones of Leuy, schulen neiye, whiche thi Lord God chees, that thei mynystre to hym, and blesse in his name, and al the cause hange at `the word of hem; and what euer thing is cleene ethir vncleene, be demed.

but he schal knowe the sone of the hateful wijf the firste gendrid, and he schal yyue to that sone alle thingis double of tho thingis that he hath; for this sone is the begynnyng of his fre children, and the firste gendrid thingis ben due to hym.

his careyn schal not dwelle in the tre, but it schal be biried in the same dai; for he that hangith in the cros is cursid of God, and thou schalt not defoule thi lond which thi Lord God yaf thee in to possessioun.

and ferthermore thei schulen condempne hym in an hundrid siclis of siluer, whiche he schal yyue to the `fadir of the damysel, for he diffamide the werste name on a virgyn of Israel; and he schal haue hir wijf, and he schal not mowe forsake hir, in al `the tyme of his lijf.

thou schalt lede euer eithir to the yate of that citee, and thei schulen be oppressid with stoonus; the damysel schal be stonyd, for sche criede not, whanne sche was in the citee; the man schal `be stonyd, for he `made low the wijf of his neiybore; and thou schalt do awei yuel fro the myddis of thee.

the damysel schal suffre no thing of yuel, nethir is gilti of deeth; for as a theef risith ayens his brothir, and sleeth `his lijf, so and the damysel suffride; sche was aloone in the feeld,

he that slepte with hir schal yyue to `the fadir of the damysel fifti siclis of siluer, and he schal haue hir wijf, for he `made hir low; he schal not mow forsake hir, in alle the daies of his lijf.

A man schal not take `the wijf of his fadir, nethir he schal schewe `the hilyng of hir.

A geldyng whanne hise stoonys ben brokun, ethir kit awey, and his yerde is kit awei, schal not entre in to the chirche of the Lord.

Thou schalt not bitake a seruaunt to his lord, which seruaunt fleeth to thee;