a term occurring in writers of the middle age, and expressing a custom of those times; but its signification is doubtful. It is mentioned in Leges Salicae, Tit. 61, which says, he who kills a man, and hath not wherewithal to satisfy the law or pay the fine, makes oath that he has delivered up everything he was possessed of; the truth of which must be confirmed by the oaths of 12 other persons. Then he invites his next relations by the father's side to pay off the remainder of the fine, having first made over to them all his effects by the following ceremony. He goes into his house, and taking in his hand a small quantity of dust from each of the four corners, he returns to the door, and with his face inwards throws the dust with his left hand over his shoulders upon his nearest of kin. Which done, he strips to his shirt; and coming out with a pole in his hand, jumps over the hedge. His relations, whether one or several, are upon this obliged to pay off the composition for the murder. And if these (or any one of them) are not able to pay, ierum super illum chrenecruda, qui pauperior est, jactat, et ille totum legem componat. Whence it appears, that chrenecruda jactare, is the same with throwing the dust, gathered from the four corners of the house. CHRIST

house. Goldastus and Spelman translate it *viridem herbam*, "green grass," from the German *gruen kraut*, or from the Dutch *groen*, "green," and *gruid*, "grass." Wendelinus is of a contrary opinion, who thinks that by this word *denotari purificatio approbationem*, from *chrein*, "pure, chaste, clean;" and *keuron*, "to prove;" so that it must refer to the oaths of the twelve jurors. Be this as it will, king Childebert reformed this law by a decree, chap. 15, both because it favoured of pagan ceremonies, and because several persons were thereby obliged to make over all their effects: *De ebrenecerula lex quam paganorum tempore obfervabant, deinceps nunguam valeat, quia per ipsam ecceit multorum potestas*.