第61章

Wehaveseenthattherewasonlyonehalimotinthethirteenthandtheprecedingcenturies，andthatthedivisionintocustomarycourtandcourtbarondevelopedatalatertime。

Wehaveseen，secondly，thatthishalimotwasameetingofthecommunityunderthepresidencyofthesteward，andthattherelativefunctionsofcommunityandstewardbecameverydistinctonlyinlaterdays。Itremainstobeseenhowfarthefundamentalclassdivisionbetweenfreetenantsandvillainsaffectedthemanagementofthecourt。Astherewasbutonehalimotandnottwo，bothclasseshadtomeetandtoactconcurrentlyinit。Thefreepeoplenowandthenassertseparateclaims：achaplainwageshislawonthemanorofBrightwalthamthathedidnotdefamethelord’sbutler，butwhenhegetsconvictedbyagoodinquestofjurorsofhavingbrokenthelord’shedgesandcarriedawaythelord’sfowls，hewillnotjustifyhimselfofthesetrespassesanddepartsincontempt，doubtlessbecausehewillnotsubmittothejudgmentofpeoplewhoarenotonaparwithhim。(70*)

Freeholdersobjecttobeingplacedonordinaryjuriesofthemanor，(71*)althoughtheywillserveasjurorsonspecialoccasions，andasasortofcontrollingbodyoverthecommonpresentersAmercementsaresometimestaxedbyfreesuitors。Butalthoughsomedivisionisapparentinthisway，andtheelementsforaseparationintotwodistinctcourtsaregathering，thenormalconditionisonewhichdoesnotadmitofanydistinctionbetweenthetwoclasses。Wecomehereacrossthesamepeculiaritythatwehaveseeninpoliceandcriminallaw，namely，thatthefundamentallineofcivilconditionseemsdisregarded。Evenwhenacourtismainlycomposedofvillains，andinfactcalledcuriavillanorum，someofitssuitorsmaybefreeholders。(74*)Eveninacourtcomposedoffreepeople，likethatofBroughton，theremaybevillainsamongthem。Theparson，undoubtedlyafreeman，mayappearasavillaininsomerolls。Altogether，thefacthastobenoticedasaveryimportantone，thatwhateverbusinessthefreeholdersmayhavehadinconnexionwiththemanorialsystem，thisbusinesswastransactedbycourtswhichconsistedchieflyofserviletenants。Infactthepresentinginquests，onwhichthefreetenantsrefusedtoserve，wouldnotbepreventedbytheircompositionfromattaintingthesefreetenants。

Thisseemsstrangeandindeedanomalous。Onepointremainstobeobservedwhichcompletesthepicture：althoughthegreatmajorityofthethirteenthcenturypeasantryaremerevillains，althoughonsomemanorswehardlydistinguishfreeholders，thereisalegalrequirementthatthereshouldbeatleastafewfreeholdersoneverymanor。Latertheorydoesnotrecogniseasamanoranestatecomposedonlyofdemesnelandandcopyhold。

Freeholdsaredeclaredtobeanecessaryelement，andshouldtheyallescheat，themanorwouldbeonlyareputedone。(78*)Wehavenorighttotreatthisnotionasamereinventionoflatertimes。

itcomesforwardagainandagainintheshapeofarule，thattherecanbenocourtunlesstherearesomefreetenantstoformit。Thenumberrequiredvaries。InHenryVIII’sreignroyaljudgeswerecontentedwithtwo。InJohn’stimeasmanyastwelveweredemanded，ifafreeoutsiderwastobejudged。Thenormalnumberseemstohavebeenfour，andwhentherecordoftheproceedingswassentuptotheKing’stribunalfoursuitorshadtocarryit。ThedifferencebetweenthestatementofCokeandtheearlierdoctrineliesinthesubstitutionofthemanorforthecourt。Cokeandhisauthorities，thejudgesofHenryVIII’sreign，speakofthemanorwheretheolderjurisprudencespokeofthecourt。Theirruleinvolvesthemoreancientoneandsomethinginaddition，namely，theinferencethatiftherebenocourtbaronthereisnomanor。Nowthispartofthedoctrine，thoughinterestingbyitself，muststandoverforthepresent。Letussimplytaketheassertionthatfreesuitorsarenecessarytoconstituteacourt，andapplyittoastateofthingswhentherewasbutonestrictlymanorialcourt，thehalimot。In1294itisnotedinthereportofatrialthat，’inorderthatonemayhaveacourthemusthaveatleastfourfreetenants，withoutborrowingthefourthtenant。’(79*)Nowanumberofeasyexplanationsseemathand：fourfreetenantsatleastwerenecessary，becausefoursucht