Stillwetakeitthatforonemostimportantpurposethevillein\'slandisthelord\'sland：——thelordmustanswerforthegeldthatisduefromit。Notthattheburdenfallsultimatelyonthelord。Onthecontrary，itisnotunlikelythathemakeshisvilleinspaythegeldthatisduefromhisdemesneland；itisoneoftheirservicesthattheymust\'defendtheirlord\'sinland\'againstthegeld。Butoveragainstthestatethelordrepresentsaswellthelandofhisvilleinsashisowndemesneland。Fromthegreatlevyof1084thedemesnelandsofthebaronshadbeenexempted，76*butnodoubttheyhadbeenresponsibleforthetaxassessedonthelandsheldbytheirvillani。Wemuchdoubtwhetherthecollectorsofthegeldwentroundtothecottagesofthevilleinsanddemandedheresixpenceandtherefourpence；theypresentedthemselvesatthelord\'shallandaskedforalargesum。Nay，webelievethatveryoftenaperfectlyfreetenantpaidhisgeldtohislord，orthroughhislord。77*Hencearrangementsbywhichsomehidesweremadetoacquitotherhides；such，forexample，wasthearrangementatTewkesbury；therewerefiftyhideswhichhadtoacquitthewholeninety-fivehidesfromallgeldandroyalservice。78*Andthenitmightbethatthelord，enjoyingaspecialprivilege，wasentitledtotakethegeldfromhistenantsandyetpaidnogeldtotheking；thusdidthecanonsofStPetrocinCornwall79*
andthemonksofStEdmundinSuffolk。80*Butasregardslandsoccupiedbyvilleins，theking，soitseemstous，looksforhisgeldtothelordandhedoesnotlookbehindthelord。Thisisnodetailofafiscalsystem。Apotentforcehasthusbeensetinmotion。Hewhopaysforland——itisbutfairthatheshouldbeconsideredtheownerofthatland。WehaveahintofthisprincipleinalawofCnut：——\'Hewhohas“defended“landwiththewitnessoftheshireistoenjoyitwithoutquestionduringhislifeandonhisdeathmaygiveorsellittowhomhepleases。\'81*WehaveanotherhintofthisprincipleinastorytoldbyHeming，themonkofWorcester：——inCnut\'stimebutfourdaysofgraceweregiventothelandownerforthepaymentofthegeld；whenthesehadelapsed，anyonewhopaidthegeldmighthavetheland。82*Itisaprinciplewhich，ifitisappliedtothecaseoflordandvillein，willattributetheownershipofthelandtothelordandnottothevillein。
Andthenwewouldask：Whatservicesdothevilleinsrender？
Adeepsilenceanswersus，andaswillhereafterbeshown，therearemanyreasonswhyweshouldnotimporttheinformationgivenusbythemonasticcartularies，evensuchearlycartulariesastheBlackBookofPeterborough，intothedaysoftheConfessor。
Nodoubtthevilleinsusuallydosomelabouruponthelord\'sdemesnelands。Inparticulartheyhelptoploughit。Amanor，wecansee，isgenerallysoarrangedthattheratiobornebythedemesneoxentothedemesnelandwillbesmallerthanthatbornebythevilleins\'oxentothevilleins\'land。Thus，togiveoneexampleoutofahundred，inaSomersetshiremanorthelordhasfourhidesandthreeteams，thevilleinshavetwohidesandthreeteams。83*Butthenthelordgetssomehelpinhisagriculturefromthosewhoareundoubtedlyfreetenants。Theteamsofthefreetenantsareoftencoveredbythesamephrasethatcoverstheteamsofthevilleins。84*Radknightswhoareliberihominesploughandharrowatthelord\'scourt。85*Theveryfewentrieswhichtellusofthelabourofthevilleinsarequiteinsufficienttocondemnthewholeclasstounlimited，oreventoveryheavywork。OnamanorinHerefordshiretherearetwelvebordierswhoworkonedayintheweek。86*OntheenormousmanorofLeominsterthereare238villaniand85bordarii。Thevillaniploughandsowwiththeirownseed140acresoftheirlord\'slandandtheypay11poundsand52pence。87*OnthemanorofMarcle，whichalsoisinHerefordshire，thereare36villaniand10bordariiwith40teams。Thesevillaniploughandsowwiththeirownseed80acresofwheatand71ofoats。88*AtKingston，yetanothermanorinthesamecounty，\'thevillaniwhodweltthereinKingEdward\'sdaycarriedvenisontoHerefordanddidnootherservice，sosaystheshire。89*OnoneWorcestershiremanorofWestminsterAbbey10villeinsand10