Duke's Laws - CAPITALL LAWES

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  1. If any person within this Government shall by direct exprest, impious or presumptuous ways, deny thetrue God and his Attributes, he shall be put to death.
  2. If any person shall Commit any wilful and premeditated Murder, he shall be put to Death.
  3. If any person Slayeth another with Sword or Dagger who hath no weapon to defend himself; he shallbe put to Death.
  4. If any man shall slay, or Cause another to be Slain by lying in wait privily for him or by poisoning orany such wicked Conspiracy, he shall be put to Death.
  5. If any man or woman shall lye with any Beast or Bruite Creature by Carnal Copulation they shall beput to Death, and the Beast shall be Burned.
  6. If any man lyeth with mankind as he lyeth with a woman, they shall be put to Death, unless the oneparty were Forced or be under fourteen Years of age, in which Case he shall be punished at the Discretion of the Court of Assizes.
  7. If any person forcibly Stealeth or carrieth away any [The words "man or" here occur in Roslyn copy.] mankind; He shall be put to death.
  8. If any person shall bear false witness malliciously and on purpose to take away a mans life, He shallbe put to Death.
  9. If any man shall Tratorously deny his Majesties right and titles to his Crownes and Dominions, orshall raise Armes to resist his Authority. He shall be put to Death.
  10. If any man shall treacherously conspire or Publiquely, attempt to invade or Surprise any Town orTowns, Fort or Forts, within this Government, He shall be put to Death.
  11. If any Child or Children, above sixteen years of age, and of Sufficient understanding, shall smitetheir Naturall Father or Mother, unless thereunto provoked and forct for their selfe preservation from Death or Mayming, at the Complaint of the said Father and Mother, and not otherwise, they being Sufficient witnesses thereof, that Child or those Children so offending shall be put to Death.
[In the E. Hampton copy the title of "Capital Lawes" ends here. The remainder is in the Roslyn copy only.]
  1. Every marryed person or persons, who shall bee found or proved by Confession of partyes, onsufficient Testimony, to have committed Adultery with a marryed man, or woman, shall be put to death.
Every single person or persons who shall bee found, or proved by confession of partyes on sufficient Testimony, to have committed Carnall Copulation, with a marryed man or woman, they both shall bee grieviously fined, and punisht as the Governor & Council or the Court of Assizes shall thinke meete, not extending to Life or Member.