39. If any one go from his lord without leave, or steal himself away into another shire, and he be discovered, let him go where he was before, and pay his lord 60 shillings.
40. A ceorl’s homestead ought to be fenced in, winter and summer. If he be unfenced, and his neighbour’s beast rush in by the opening which he has left, he shall receive nothing on account of that beast [i.e., for the damage it did], but must drive it out and bear the loss.
42. If ceorls have a common meadow or other divided land to fence, and some have fenced their portion, others not, and [stray cattle] eat their common acres or pasture, then those who are responsible for the opening shall pay the others who have fenced their portion for the injury that is done, and take such compensation as is due from [the owners of] the cattle.
43. When any one burns a tree in a wood, and it be found out who did it, let him pay the full fine; let him give 60 shillings, since fire is a thief. If any one fell in a wood a good many trees, and it be afterwards discovered, let him pay for 3 trees, for each with 30 shillings. He need not pay for more of them, were there as many of them as might be; for the axe is a tell-tale, not a thief.
44. But if any one cut down a tree under which 30 swine may stand, and it be discovered, let him pay 60 shillings.
45. Amends shall be made for the king’s ‘burg-bryce’ [house-breaking], and a bishop’s, where his jurisdiction is, with 120 shillings; for an ealdorman’s, with 80 shillings; for a king’s thegn’s, with 60 shillings; for a land-holding gesith’s, with 35 shillings; and according to this make the legal denial.
51. If a retainer, owning land, neglect the national army, let him pay 120 shillings and forfeit his land; one not owning land 60 shillings; a ceorlish man 30 shillings as army-fine.
64. He [the gesith] who has 20 hides shall show 12 hides of cultivated land, when he wishes to go away.
67. If a man agree for a yard of land or more, at a fixed rent, and plough it; if the lord desire to raise the land to him to labour and to rent, he need not take it upon him, if the lord do not give him a dwelling; and let him not forfeit his fields.
70. With the payment for a two-hundred-shilling man shall be given, as a fine for slaying him, 30 shillings; with the payment for a six-hundred-shilling man, 80 shillings; with the payment for a twelve-hundred-shilling man, 120 shillings. From 10 hides, as sustenance, [the lord is entitled to] 10 vessels of honey, 300 loaves, 12 ambers of Welsh ale, 30 of clear, 2 full-grown oxen or 10 wethers, 10 geese, 20 hens, 10 cheeses, an amber full of butter, 5 salmon, 20 pounds weight of fodder and 100 eels.