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NIefe, is a woman that is bounde, or a villeine woman, but if she mar∣rie a free man, shee is thereby made frée, be∣cause that she and her hus∣bande are but one person in lawe, and shee ought to bee of the same nature and condition in lawe to all in∣tents that her husbande is.
But her husbande is frée to all intents without anie condition in law or other∣wise: and so by consequens the wife ought to be, and is free according to the na∣ture of her free husbande, & then if she were once frée & cleerely discharged of bon∣dage to al intents, shee can not be niefe after without especiall acte done by her, as diuorce, or confession in court of record, and that is in fauour of liberty, and therfore a frée woman shall not bee bound by taking of a villeine to her husbande: But their issue shalbe vil∣leins as their father was, which is contrary to the Ciuil lawe, for there it is said, the birth followeth the bellie.
Bondage or Villenage had beginning among the Hebrues, and his originall proceeding of Chanaan the Sonne of Cham, who because that he had mocked his Father Noe to scorne, lying dissolutelie when hee was drunk, was punished in his Son Chanaan with penaltie of bondage.