in the Jewish republic. Our law likewise justifies a woman for killing a man who attempts to ravish her. So the husband or father may justify killing a man who attempts a rape upon his wife or daughter; but not if he takes them in adultery by consent: for the one is forcible and felonious, but not the other. And without doubt the forcibly attempting a crime of a still more detestable nature, may be equally rectified by the death of the unnatural aggressor. For the one uniform principle that runs through our own and all other laws seems to be this, that where a crime in itself capital is endeavoured to be committed by force, it is lawful to repel that force by the death of the party attempting.a town of France in Brittany, with an old castle. W. Long. 1. 20. N. Lat. 47. 40.