These are the laws which belong to the burghs¹

1 Wherever there is a burgh built anywhere, so must its Foddik be struck on the first Foddik at Texland.
Though that might not happen otherwise than through the Mother.

2 Each Mother shall choose her own maids; likewise of those who are as mother upon other burghs.⁵

3 The Mother of Texland may choose her own successors.
Though whenever she falls (dies) ere she has done that, so must the matter be decided by general assembly, by judgement of all states together.

4 The Mother of Texland may have one and twenty maids and seven assistant maids, until seven there might always attend the Foddik daily and at night. As many serve the maid who is as mother to other burghs.

5 Whenever a maid will wed anyone, so must she let the Mother know, and, that hour, go to the people (laity) ere she befouls the light with her passionate breath.¹⁰

6 The Mother and all residents of the burgh shall one supplement with one and twenty burghers, seven old wise men, seven old warriors, and seven old sea fighters.

7 Thence, shall, each year, three of each seven go home, though they may not be succeeded by their relations nearer than the fourth kinship.

8 Every burgh may have three hundred young burgh-guards.

9 For this service, shall they learn Frya’s Tex and the law, from the wise men, their wisdom, from the old generals, the art of war and from the sea kings, the art which is needed for navigation.

10 From this defense force, shall one hundred men come back yearly.¹⁵
Though if some become lamed, so they remain in the burgh their whole life long.

11 In the choice of the defenders, may no one from the burgh have a voice, neither the graves nor the other headmen but the plain folk alone.

12 To the Mother of Texland, shall one give thrice seven capable messengers with thrice twelve quick horses.
In other burghs, each burghmaid, three messengers and seven horses.

13 And shall every burgh have fifty farmers, chosen by the folk.²⁰
But thereto may one only give such, who are not able and stout (enough) for war or seafaring.

14 Every burgh must maintain and feed herself from her own roundeal and from that amount which she receives from trade.

15 If there is anyone chosen to serve in the burgh and he will not, then may he afterwards not be a burgher and thus have no vote, if he is already a burgher, then shall he loose the honour.

16 Whenever anyone wishes the advice of the Mother, or from a burghmaid, so must he announce himself to the clerk.
This one brings him to the burgomaster.²⁵
Forth must he to the last one, that is the healer.
He must also see if he is sick from bad habits.
If he is in good health, then he undoes himself from his weapons and seven guards bring him to the Mother.

17 If a case concerns a state, then there may no less than three witnesses come;
If it is over all Fryasland, then there must yet three sevens bear witness.³⁰
Therefore that no evil conjecture may arise nor any corruption be done.

18 In all cases, must the Mother insure and rejoice that her children, that is Frya’s folk, remain as equitable (equally rich) as it may be.
That is her greatest duty and the duty of us all to help her therein.

19 If she had been called in a legal case, to arbitrate between a grave and the community, and she finds the case two-sided, so must she pronounce in favor of the community, so that a settlement comes and because it is better that one man be done wrong than many.

20 If any come for advice and the Mother knows advice, so ought she to give it them that hour;³⁵
knows she that hour no advice, so may they go hence and they may not complain, because no advice is better than bad advice.

21 If a Mother has given bad advice out of ill will, so must one kill her or drive her out of the land, stark naked and bare.

22 If her burghers are: negligent, then do likewise with them.

23 If her guilt is doubtful or simply suspected, so must one negotiate her (case), if needed, one and twenty weeks long.
If half (of the court) vote her guilty, so one holds her for unguilty, if two thirds, wait a full year.⁴⁰
If all vote then likewise, so may one hold her guilty, but not kill her.

24 So where there are, among that third, some that think her so guiltless that they will follow her, so may they do that with all their draught animals and movables and take care (not) over much to scorn them for the majority can err as easily as the minority.