All freemen shall swear an oath of loyalty to William I and shall uphold his lands and honors and defend them against enemies and aliens. William will protect them and exact no more than legally owed service.
If a Frenchman summons an Englishman for perjury, murder, theft, homicide or open robbery, the Englishman shall defend himself by whichever method he prefers, either the ordeal of iron or trial by combat. The person defeated shall pay a fine to the king. If an Englishman summons a Frenchman and declines to prove the charge by ordeal or by combat, the Frenchman shall clear himself by a comprehensive oath.
For a charge of outlawry, an Englishman shall clear himself by the ordeal of iron. When an Englishman brings a charge of outlawry against a Frenchman, the Frechman will defend himself by combat or by a comprehensive oath, at the choice of the Englishman.
All the men whom I brought with me [Normans] or who come after me shall enjoy my protection. If any of them is slain, his lord shall arrest the slayer within five days, if he can. If not, he shall begin to pay me a "murdrum" fine of 46 marks of silver from the property of that lord as long as it lasts. If the property of the lord fails, the whole hundred in which the murder was committed shall pay in common what remains.
All freemen shall be in a frankpledge, so that the frankpledge may bring him to justice, if he has committed an offense or the members of the frankpledge shall pay the claim unless clearing themselves of the charge of any knowledge of fraud by the runaway. The hundred and county courts shall be attended as before. Those who are required to appear shall be summoned once. Ad if they refuse to appear on the second summons, as ox [worth 30d.] shall be confiscated. And so for the third summons, another ox. And if they refuse the fourth summons, the "ceapgeld" [120s.] shall be paid and also the fine for insubordination.
"Everyone who wishes to be admitted to the benefit of the law and to be qualified to obtain legal rights shall be in frankpledge."
In Mercia, a surety has a month and a day to find an escaped person accused of larceny or robbery, or else shall swear with eleven compurgators that he had not known him to be a thief, that he was not accessory to his flight, and that he cannot find him. Then he shall pay for the stolen goods and 20s. in lieu of the head of the accused man and 4d. to the jailor, a farthing for the spade, and 40s. to the king.
Every lord shall be personally responsible as surety for his servant so that, it an accusation is brought against him, he shall bring him for trial in the hundred court. And if he escapes while he is under the accusation, the lord shall pay his wergeld. And if the lord is accused of being an accessory to his flight, he shall clear himself with 5 compurgators, and if he cannot, he shall pay compensation to the king; and the man shall be an outlaw.
All freemen shall keep themselves supplied with arms and horses or pay the full fine of insubordination.
All earls, barons, knights, tenants by serjeanty and all free men shall be ready to perform their service defending me against enemies and aliens, by virtue of their fiefs, which are hereditary. Or pay the fine for insubordination.