第60章

Nowthisisbynomeansatriflefromthepointofviewoflegalanalysis。Thegrandandpettyjuriesofthecommonlawaremeansofinformation，andnothingmore。Theyformnopartofthetribunal，strictlyspeaking；thecourtisconstitutedbythejudges，thelawyerscommissionedbytheking，whoadoptthismethodininvestigatingthefactsbeforethem，becauseaknowledgeofthefactsatissue，andanunderstandingoflocalconditionssurroundingthem，issupposedtoresidenaturallyinthecountrywherethefactshavetakenplace。(54*)Historicallytheinstitutionisevolvedfromexaminationsofwitnessesandexperts，andhasbranchedoffinFranceintothecloseformalismofinquisitorialprocess。Themanorialjury，ontheotherhand，representsthecourt，andinterchangeswithit。(55*)Forthisreason，wemayspeakdirectlyofthecourtinsteadoftreatingofitsdelegates。Andiftheverdictofthecourtistaken，itisnotonaccountofthechanceknowledge，thepresumableacquaintanceofthesuitorswithfactsandconditions，butasalivingremembranceofwhattookplacebeforethissamecourt，orasare-assertionofitspowerofregulatingthelegalstandingofthecommunity。Theverdictofthesuitorsisonlyanotherformoftheentryontherolls，andbotharemeansofsecuringthecontinuityofaninstitutionandnotmerelyofprovidinginformationtooutsiders。Ofcourse，claimsmaynotbealwaysreducedtosuchelementaryformsthattheycanbedecidedbyamerereferencetomemory，thememoryoftheconstitutedbodyofthecourt。Acertainamountofreasoningandinferencemaybeinvolvedintheirsettlement，asetofjuridicaldoctrinesisnecessarytoprovidethegeneralprinciplesofsuchreasoning。

Andinbothrespectsthemanorialcourtiscalledupontoact。Itisconsideredastherepositaryoflegallore，andtheexponentofitsapplications。Thismeansthatthecourtis，whatitsnameimplies，atribunalandnotasetofprivatepersonscalledupontoassistajudgebytheirknowledgeoflegaldetailsormaterialfacts。(56*)

Thewholeexpositionbringsusbacktoapointofprimaryimportance。Thetitlebywhichlandisheldaccordingtomanorialcustomisderivedfromcommunalauthorityquiteasmuchasfromthelord’sgrant。Withoutsteppingoutofthefeudalevidenceintohistoricalinquiry，wefindthatcivilarrangementsofthepeasantryarebasedonactsperformedthroughtheagencyofthesteward，andbeforethemanorialcourt，whichhasavoiceinthematterandvouchesforitsvalidityandremembrance。The’fullcourt’isnoticedintherecordsasquiteasnecessaryanelementintheconveyancingbusinessasthelordandhissteward，althoughthelegal。theoryofmoderntimeshasaffectedtotakeintoaccountonlytheselatter。(57*)Indeed，itisthepartassumedbythecourtwhichappearsasthedistinctive，ifnotthemoreimportantfactor。Afeoffmentoflandmadeonthebasisoffreetenureproceedsfromthegrantorinthesamewayasagrantontheconditionsofbasetenure；freeholdcomesfromthelord，aswellascopyhold。Butcopyholdisnecessarilytransferredincourt，whilefreeholdisnot。Andifwespeakofthepresentmentofoffencesthroughtherepresentativesoftownships，asofthepracticeofcommunalaccusation，evensowehavetocallthetitlebywhichcopyholdtenureiscreatedaclaimbasedoncommunaltestimony。

Allthepointsnoticedintherollsofmanorsheldatcommonlawaretobefoundonthesoilofancientdemesne，buttheyarestatedmoredefinitelythere，andtherightsofthepeasantpopulationareassertedwithgreaterenergy。Ourpreviousanalysisoftheconditionofancientdemesnehasledustotheconclusion，thatitpresentsacrystallisationofthemanorialcommunityinanearlierstageofdevelopmentthanintheordinarymanor，butthattheconstitutiveelementsinbothcasesareexactlythesame。Forthisreason，everyquestionarisinginregardtotheusualarrangementsoughttobeexaminedinthelightoftheevidencethatcomesfromtheancientdemesne。

Wehaveseenthatitwouldbeimpossibletomaintainthatoriginallythestewardwastheonlyjudgeofthemanorialtribunal；thewholecourtwithitsfreeandunfreesuitorsparticipatesmateriallyintheadministrationofjustice，anditsofficeisextendedtoquestionsoflawaswellastoissuesoffact。Ontheotherhand，itwasclearthatthestewardandthelordwerealreadypreparingthepositionwhichtheyultimatelyassumedinlegaltheory，thatintheexerciseoftheirfunctionstheywerebeginningtomonopolisethepowerofultimatedecisionandtorestrictthecourttothedutyofpreliminarypresentment。

Thesamepartiesareinpresenceinthecourtofancientdemesne，buttherightofthesuitorshasbeensummedupbylegaltheoryinquitetheoppositedirectio