The ungentle laws and customs touched upon in this tale are
historical, and the episodes which are used to illustrate
them are also historical. It is not pretended that these
laws and customs existed in England in the sixth century;
no, it is only pretended that inasmuch as they existed in
the English and other civilizations of far later times, it
is safe to consider that it is no libel upon the sixth
century to suppose them to have been in practice in that day
also. One is quite justified in inferring that whatever one
of these laws or customs was lacking in that remote time,
its place was competently filled by a worse one.
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