55. It is usual to have ten sureties—how this is to be settled. Not more than ten to be allowed.
56. If a runaway servant steals from his master.
57. If a man stays away from his wife for ten months she may marry again. When he returns he is to be punished.
58. If a poor man secretly marries and has a child, and exposes it on the street, or if another man buys it and exposes it, either shall be speared or beheaded. The head man of the street is to be fined and deported from Yedo, and the Gonin gumi or police guard of the street are to be punished.
The head man of a village or block of streets is Nanushi; under him is Iyaynushi. The Go nin gumi are five police in every street, who are appointed and paid by the streets. Nanushi often have much power and become wealthy. Iyeyas in his laws tried to prevent this, as it is in too many cases the result of oppression and bribery. In Yedo and Osaka the government appoints the Nanushi; in Miako the people appoint them. The Nanushi of a village is generally a hereditary office.
59. If a man shall have adopted a daughter and then sells her to the government stews (Yosiwara), he is to be punished. The punishment is to vary according to the wealth and the ability of the offender to support the child.
60. If any one secretly sells girls for prostitution to any one but the Yosiwara, he is liable to punishment.
61. If a man sells his wife to the Yosiwara without reason, he is to be beheaded. But if the wife agrees to be so sold, and they are very poor, they may make such an arrangement. It was formerly the custom to kill a wife if she was unfaithful, but of late the custom has been to dispose of her to the Yosiwara.
62. The crime of adultery is to be punished with death (? in the case of the wife only).
63. Men and women who commit suicide together are not to receive burial like men, but like dogs. If they attempt and do not succeed, they are to be exposed on the Nihon bas (bridge) for three days, and then made beggars.