WERE. The name of a fine among the Saxons imposed upon a murderer.

2. The life of every man, not excepting that of the king himself, was esti-mated at a certain price, which was called the were, or vestimatio capitis. The amount varied¹ according to the dignity of the person murdered. The price of wounds was also varied according to the nature of the wound, or the member injured.

WERGILD, or WEREGILD, old Eng. law. The price which in a barbarous age, a person guilty of homicide or other enormous offence was required to pay, instead of receiving other punishment. 4 Bl. Com. 188. See, for the etymology² of this word, and a tariff³ which was paid for the murder of the different classes of men, Guizot, Essais sur l'Histoire de France, Essai 4eme, c. 2, §2.

WETHER. A castrated ram⁴, at least one year old in ark indictment⁵ it may be called a sheep. 4 Car. & Payne, 216; 19 Eng. Com. Law Rep. 351.

WHALER, mar⁶. law. A vessel⁷ employed in the whale fishery.

2. It is usual for the owner of the vessel, the captain and crew, to divide the profits in just proportions, under an agreement similar to the contract Di Colonna. (q. v.)

WHARF⁸. A space of ground artificially prepared for the reception of merchan-dise from a ship or vessel, so as to promote the convenient loading and discharge of such vessel.

WHARFAGE. The money paid for landing goods upon, or loading them from a wharf. Dane's Ab. Index, h. t.