第25章

Wemustplaceinthesamecategoryallmeasuresintendedtopreventdirectlyorindirectlythepassageofthepeasantryfromoneplacetotheother。TheinstructionsissuedforthemanagementoftheAbbotofGloucester’sestatesabsolutelyforbidthepracticeofleavingthelord’slandwithoutleave。(56*)

Still，emigrationfromthemanor。fromtimetotimethecouldnotbeentirelystopped，inhabitantswanderedawayinordertolookoutforfieldworkelsewhere，ortotakeupsomecraftortrade。

Inthiscasetheyhadtopayakindofpoll-tax(chevagium)，whichwas，strictlyspeaking，notrent：veryoftenitwasveryinsignificantinamount，andwasreplacedbyatriflingpaymentinkind，forinstance，bytheobligationtobringacapononceayear。(57*)Theobjectwasnotsomuchtogetmoneyastoretainsomeholdoverthevillainafterhehadsucceededinescapingfromthelord’simmediatesway。Therearenotracesofasystematicattempttotaxandransomtheworkofdependentswhohaveleftthelord’sterritorynothingtomatchthethoroughsubjectioninwhichtheywereheldwhileinthemanor。Andthusthelordwasforcedinhisowninteresttoacceptnominalpayments，toconcentratehiswholeattentiononthesubjectsunderhisdirectcontrol，andtopreventthemasfaraspossiblefrommovingandleavingtheland。Inregulationsforthemanagementofestatesweoftenfindseveralparagraphswhichhavethisobjectinview。Sometimestheyoungermengetleavetoworkoutsidethelord’spossessions，butonlywhiletheirfatherremainsathomeandoccupiesaholding。Sometimes，again，thelicenceisgrantedundertheconditionthatthevillainwillremaininoneofhislord’stithings(58*)，anobligationwhichcouldbefulfilledonlyifthepeasantremainedwithineasyreachofhisbirth-place，Specialcareistakennottoallowthevillainstobuyfreelandinordertoclaimtheirfreedomonthestrengthofsuchfreepossession。(59*)Everykindofpersonalcommendationtoinfluentialpeopleisalsoforbidden。(60*)

Notwithstandingalltheserulesandprecepts，everyofthedocumentstestifiestofrequentmigrationsfromthemanorsinoppositiontotheexpresswillofthelandowners。Thesurveystellofserfswhosettleonstrangelandeveninthevicinityoftheirformerhome。(61*)Itisbynomeansexceptionaltofindmentionofenterprisinglandlordsdrawingawaythepopulationfromtheirneighbours’manors。(62*)Thefugitivevillainandthesettlerwhocomesfromafarareawell-markedfeatureofthisfeudalsociety。(63*)

Thelimitationsofrightsofpropertyhaveleftasdistincttracesinthecartulariesasthedirectconsequencesofpersonalunfreedom。Thesetwomattersareconnectedbytheprinciplethateverythingacquiredbytheslaveisacquiredbyhismaster；andthisprinciplefindsbothexpressionandapplicationinourdocuments。OnthestrengthofittheAbbotofEynshamtakesfromhispeasantlandwhichhadbeenboughtbythelatter’sfather。(64*)Thecasedatesfromthesecondhalfofthefourteenthcentury，fromatimewhenthesocialconflicthadbecomeparticularlyacuteinconsequenceoftheBlackDeath，andoftheconsequentattemptsonthepartoflandlordstostretchtheirrightstotheutmost。Butwehaveacasefromthethirteenthcentury：thePriorofBarnwellquotestheabovementionedruleinsupportofaconfiscationofhisvillain’sland。(65*)——Inbothinstancestheprincipleislaiddownexpressly，butinothercasespeasantsweredeprivedoftheirpropertywithoutanyformalexplanation。

Ofcourse，onemustlookuponsuchtreatmentasexceptional。

Butanimportantandconstantresultofthegeneralconceptionistobefoundinsomeoftheregularfeudalexactions。Thevillainhasnopropertyofhisown，andconsequentlyhecannottransmitproperty。Strictlyspeaking，thereisnoinheritanceinvillainage。Asamatteroffactthepeasant’spropertydidnotgetconfiscatedafterhisdeath，buttheheirshadtosurrenderapartofit，sometimesaveryconsiderableone。Adifferenceismadebetweenchattelsandland。Astothefirst，whicharesupposedtobesuppliedbythelord，thedutyoftheheirisespeciallyonerous，OnthelandoftheBishopricofLichfield，forinstance，hehastogiveupasheriotthebestheadofhornedcattle，allhorses，thecart，thecaldron，allwoollencloth，allthebacon，alltheswineexceptone，andalltheswarmsofbees。(66*)ThevillainsofSt。Alban’shavetogivethebestheadofcattle，andallhousefurniture。(67*)Butinmostcasesonlythebestbeastistaken，andiftherebenocattleonthetenement，thenmoneyhastobepaidinstead。(68*)TheCartularyofBattleisexceptionallyl