第39章

Itistobenotedespecially，thatalthoughinafewcasesadifferenceismadebetweenthedivisionforroyalassessmentandforthemanorialimpositions，inthegreatmajorityofcasesnosuchdifferenceexists，andthedutiesinregardtothekingandtothelordarereckonedaccordingtothesamesystemofholdings。OnthemanorsofEly，forinstance，the12acreware(47*)formthebasisofallthereckoningofrentsandwork。Andsoiftheroyalassessmentappearwiththefeaturesofanartificialfiscalarrangement，thesameobservationhastobeextendedtothemanorialassessment；andthuswereachbyanotherwaythesameconclusionwhichwedrewfromananalysisofthesingleholdingandofitscomponentparts。Nodoubtthewholestandsincloserelationtotherealityofcultivationandland-holding，buttherigidity，regularity，andcorrectnessofthesystempresentanecessarycontrasttothefactsofactuallife。Asthesoilcouldnotbemadetofitintogeometricalsquares，evensothepopulationcouldnotremainwithoutchangefromoneagetotheotherwithinthesameboundaries。Thusincourseoftimetheplough-landof160and180acres，whichistheplough-landofpracticalfarming，appearsbythesideofthestatutoryhideof120acres；andsoagaininsideeverysingleholdingtherecomesupthecontrastbetweenitsrealconformationanddistribution，andtheoutwardformitassumedinregardtotheking，thelord，andthesteward。

Theinquiryastotherelationbetweentheholdingandthepopulationonitis，ofcourse，oftheutmostimportanceforageneralestimateofthearrangement。Fromaformalpointofviewthequestionissoonsolved：ontheonehand，theholdingofthevillainremainsundividedandentire；itdoesnotadmitofpartitionbysaleordescent；ontheother，thewillofthelordmayalter，ifnecessary，thenaturalcourseofinheritanceandpossession；thesocagetenureisoftenfreefromthefirstoftheselimitations，andalwaysfreefromthesecond。Theindivisibilityofvillaintenementsischieflyconspicuousinthelawofinheritance：allthelandwenttooneofthesonsiftherewereseveral；veryoftentheyoungestinherited；andthiscustom，towhichmerechancehasgiventhenameofBoroughEnglish，wasconsideredasoneoftheproofsofvillainage。(48*)Itiscertainlyacustomofgreatimportance，andprobablyitdependedonthefactthattheelderbrothersleftthelandattheearliestopportunity，andduringtheirfather’slife。Wheredidtheygo？

Itiseasytoguessthattheysoughtworkoutofthemanor，ascraftsmenorlabourers；thattheyservedthelordasservants，ploughmen，andthelike；thattheywereprovidedwithholdings，whichforsomereasondidnotdescendtomaleheirs；thattheywereendowedwithsomedemesneland，orfittedouttoreclaimlandfromthewaste。Wemayfindforallthesesuppositionssomesupportingquotationintherecords。Andstillitwouldbehardtobelievethattheentireincreaseofpopulationfoundanexitbytheseby-paths。Ifnoexitwasfound，thebrothershadtoremainontheirfather’splot，andthefactthattheydidsocanbeproved，ifitneedsproof，fromdocuments。(49*)Theunityoftheholdingwasnotdisturbedinthecase；therewasnodivision，andonlytherightheir，theestiopamonastheysaidinSparta，hadtoanswerfortheservices；thelordlookedtohimandnofurther；butinpointoffacttheholdingcontainedmorethanonefamily，andperhapsmorethanonehousehold。Howeverthismaybe，inregardtothelordtheholdingremainedoneandundivided。

ThiscircumstancedrawsasharplinebetweenthefeudalarrangementofmostcountiesandthatwhichprevailedinKent。

Thegavelkindortributarytenuretherewassubjectedtoequalpartitionamongtheheirs。

LetustakeaKentishsurvey，theBlackBookofSt。

Augustine’s，Canterbury，forinstance：itdescribesthepeasantholdingsinawaywhichdiffersentirelyfromothersurveys。Itbeginsbystatingwhatdutieslieoneachsulung，thatis，ontheKentishploughlandcorrespondingtothehideoffeudalEngland。

Noregularsub-divisionscorrespondingtothevirgatesandbovatesarementioned，andthereckoningstartsnotfromseparatetenements，butfromtheircombinationintosulungs。(50*)Thenfollowdescriptionsofthesinglesulungs，anditturnsoutthateveryoneofthemconsistsofaverygreatnumberofcomponentparts，becausetheprogenyoftheoriginalholdershasclusteredonthem，andparcelledthemupinverycomplicatedcombinations。(51*)Theportionsaresometimessosmall，thatanindependentcultivationofthemwouldhavebeenquiteimpossible。

Inordertounderstandthedescriptionitmustbeborneinmindthatthefactof