Maricide was long classed as petty treason – a crime worse than murder – along with other assaults against authority.  Eirenarcha is an English manual for justices of the peace, shown here in two editions.  We see here the differences in social expectations about violent relationships within marriage: the 1582 edition explains that beating one's wife – so long as it is not "outrageous" – is not even a breach of the peace. The 1610 edition lists various crimes that fall under the description of "petite treason."