Ihaveonlytosayinadditiontothissummingupofthesubject，thatthequasi-legalstandingofthevillainsinregardtothelordappearswithspecialclearnesswhentheystandarrayedagainsthimasagroupandnotassingleindividuals。Wecouldguessasmuchongeneralgrounds，buttheself-dependentpositionassumedbythe’communitasvillanorum’ofBrightwalthamisthemoreinteresting，thatitfindsexpressioninaformalandrecordedagreement。
Wecatchaglimpseofthesamephenomenonfromyetanotherpointofview。Itisquitecommontofindentireestateslettofarmtotheruralcommunitysettleduponthem。16*Insuchcasesthemediationofthebailiffmightbedispensedwith；thevillageenteredintoadirectagreementwiththelordorhischiefstewardandundertookacertainsetofservicesandpayments，orpromisedtogivearoundsum。Suchanarrangementwasprofitabletobothparties。Thevillainswerewillingtopaydearlyinordertofreethemselvesfromthebailiff’sinterferencewiththeiraffairs；thelandownergotridofanumerousandinconvenientstaffofstewardsandservants；therurallifewasorganisedonthebasisofself-governmentwithaveryslightcontrolonthepartofthelord。Suchagreementsconcernthegeneralmanagementofmanorsaswellasthelettingofdomainlandorofparticularplotsandrights。17*Ofcoursetherewasthisgreatdisadvantageforthelord，thatthetiebetweenhimandhissubjectswasverymuchloosenedbysucharrangements，andsometimeshehadtocomplainthattheconditionsunderwhichthelandwasheldweremateriallydisturbedunderthefarmershipofthevillage。Itiscertain，thatinageneralwaythismodeofadministrationledtoagradualimprovementinthesocialstatusofthepeasantry。
Onegreatdrawbackofinvestigationsintothehistoryofmedievalinstitutionsconsistsintheveryincompletemannerinwhichthesubjectisusuallyreflectedinthedocuments。Wehavetopickupbitsofevidenceastoveryimportantquestionsinthemidstofavastmassofuninterestingmaterial，andsometimeswholesidesofthesubjectareleftintheshade，notbythefaultoftheinquirer，butinconsequenceofdisappointinggapsinthecontemporaryrecords。Evenconveyancingentries，surrenders，admittances，areofrareoccurrenceonsomeofthemoreancientrolls，andtheprobablereasonis，thattheywerenotthoughtworthyofenrolment。18*Asforparticularsofhusbandrytheyarealmostentirelyabsentfromthemedievaldocuments，anditisonlyontherecordsofthesixteenthandyetlatercenturiesthatwehavetorelywhenwelookforsomedirectevidenceofthefactthatthemanorialcommunitieshadtodealwithsuchquestions。19*
Andsoourknowledgeoftheseinstitutionsmustbebasedlargelyoninference。Butevengrantingalltheseimperfectionsofthematerial，itmustbeallowedthattheonesideofmanoriallifewhichiswellreflectedinthedocuments——thejuridicalorganisationofthemanor——affordsveryinterestingcluestowardsanunderstandingofthesystemandofitsorigins。
Letusrepeatagain，thatthemanagementofthemanorisbynomeansdependentoncapriciousandone-sidedexpressionsofthelord’swill。Onthecontrary，everyknownactofitslifeisconnectedwithcollegiatedecisions。Notwithstandingtheabsolutecharacterofthelordwithregardtohisvillainstakenseparately，heisintruthbutthecentreofacommunityrepresentedbymeetingsorcourts。Notonlythefree，butalsotheserviletenantryareruledinaccordancewiththeviewsandcustomsofacongregationofthetenantsintheirdiversclasses。
Therecanbenodoubtthatthediscretionofthelordwasoftenstretchedinexceptionalcases，thatrelationsbasedonmoralsenseandatruecomprehensionofinterestsoftensufferedfromviolenceandencroachment。Butasageneralrule，andwithunimportantexceptions，thefeudalsystemisquiteasmuchcharacterisedbythecollegiateorganisationofitspartsasbytheirmonarchicalexterior。Themanorialcourtswerereallymeetingsofthevillagecommunityunderthepresidencyofthelordorofhissteward。
Itiswellknownthatlaterlawrecognisesthreekindsofseignorialcourts：theLeet，theCourtBaron，andtheCustomaryCourt。ThefirsthastokeepthepeaceoftheKing，theothersareconcernedwithpurelymanorialaffairs。TheLeetappearsinpossessionofapoliceandcriminaljurisdictioninsofarasthathasnotbeenappropriatedbytheKing’sowntribunals-itsparallelbeingthesheriff’stourninthehundred。TheCourtBaronisacourtoffreetenantsentrustedwithsomeoftheconveyancingandthepettylitigationbetweenthem，andalsowiththeexerciseofminorfranchises。TheCustomaryCourthasinitschargetheunfreepopulationofthemanor。InkeepingwiththisdivisiontheCourtBaronconsistsaccordingtolatertheoryofabodyoffreesuitorswhichismerelyplacedunderthepresidencyofthesteward，whileintheCustomaryCourtthestewardisthetrueandonlyjudge，andthecopyholders，customarytenantsorvillains，aroundhimaremerelycalledupaspresenters。
ThemasterlyinvestigationsofMrMaitland，fromwhichanyreviewofthesubjectmuststart，haveshownconclusively，thatthislatterdoctrine，asembodiedinCoke，forinstance，drawsdistinctionsandestablishesdefinitionswhichwereunknowntoearlierpractice。TheLeetbecameaseparateinstitutionearlyenough，althoughitsnameisrestrictedtooneprovince——
Norfolk——evenatthetimeoftheHundredRolls。20*Thefoundationofthecourtwaslaidbythefrank-pledgesystemandthenecessityofkeepingitinworkingorder。WefindtheLeetCourtsometimesunderthenames’CuriaVisusfranciplegii，’or’Visusdeborchtruning’，21*anditappearsthenasamoresolemnformofthegeneralmeeting。Itisheldusuallytwiceayeartoregisterallthemalepopulationfromtwelveyearsupwards，topresentthosewhohavenotjoinedthetithings，andsometimestoelecttheheadsorrepresentativesofthesedivisions——the’Capitalesplegii，’22*Sometimesthetithingcoincideswiththetownship，isformedonaterritorialbasis，asitwere，sothatwemayfindavillagecalledatithing。23*
Thisleadstotheinference，thatthegroupingintotenswasbutanapproximateone，andthisviewisfurthersupportedbythefactthatwehearofbodiesoftwelvealongwiththoseoften。24*
Astoattendingthemeeting，ageneralrulewasenforcedtothateffect，thatthepeasantrymustattendinpersonandnotbyreasonoftheirtenure。25*Butasitwasoutofthequestiontodriveallthemenofadistricttothemanorialcentresonsuchdays，exceptionsofdifferentkindsarefrequent。26*Besidesthewomenandchildren，thepersonalattendantsofthelordgetexempted，andalsoshepherds，ploughboys。andmenengagedindrivingwaggonsladenwithcorn。Servantsandalienswereconsideredasunderthepledgeofthepersonwithwhomtheywerestaying。
Theaimofitswholearrangementwastoensurethemaintenanceofpeace，andthereforeeverybodywasboundonenteringthetithingtoswear，notonlythathewouldkeepthepeace，butthathewouldconcealnothingwhichmightconcernthepeace。27*Itisnaturalthatsuchameetingasthatheldfortheviewoffrank-pledgeshouldbegintoassumepolicedutiesandacertaincriminaljurisdiction。MrMaitlandhasshownhow，byitsintimateconnexionwiththesheriff’stourn，theinstitutionoffrank-pledgewasmadetoservethepurposeofcommunalaccusationinthetimeofHenryII。TheAssizeofClarendongavetheimpulseinregardtotheSheriff’sCourt，andprivatelordsfollowedspeedilyonthesameline，althoughtheycouldnotcopythepatterninallitsdetails，andthesystemofdoublepresentmentdescribedbyBrittonandFletaprovedtoocumbersomefortheirsmallcourtswithonlyafewfreeholdersonthem。InanycasethejurisdictionoftheCourtLeetispracticallyformedinthetwelfthcentury，andtheQuoWarrantoinquiriesofthethirteenthonlybringoutitsdistinctionsmoreclearly。
ThequestionsastotheoppositionbetweenCourtBaronandCustomaryCourtaremoreintricateandmoreimportant。MrMaitlandhascollectedagooddealofevidencetoprovethatthedivisiondidnotexistoriginally，andthatwehavebeforeusinthethirteenthcenturyonlyonestrictlymanorialcourt，the’halimotum。’Imaysay，thatIcametothesameconclusionmyselfintheRussianeditionofthepresentworkquiteindependentlyofhisargument。IndeedasomewhatintimateacquaintancewiththeearlyCourtRollsmustnecessarilyleadtothisdoctrine。Ifsomedistinctionsaremade，theytouchuponadifferencebetweenordinarymeetingsandthosewhichwereheldunderexceptionalcircumstancesandattendedbyagreaternumberofSuitorsthanusual。Theexpression’liberacuria’whichmeetsussometimesinthedocumentsisanexactparallelwiththatof’freegallows，’
andmeansacourtheldfreelybythelordandnotacourtoffreemen。MrMaitlandadds，thathehasfoundmentionofacourtofvillainsandoneofknights，butthathenevercameacrossacourtofbaronsinthesensegiveninlaterjurisprudencetotheterm’CourtBaron。’HereImustputinatriflingqualificationwhichdoesnotaffecthismainpositionintheleast。TheIntroductiontotheSeldenSociety’ssecondvolume，whichisourgreatestauthorityonthissubject，mentionsacasewhenthehalimotwasactuallydividedontheprinciplelaiddownbyCokeandlaterlawyersgenerally。ImeanthecaseofSteyning，wheretheAbbotholdsaseparatecourtforfreetenantsandanotherforhisvillains。TheinstancebelongstothetimeoftheEdwards，butitismarkedasaninnovationandabadone。29*Itshows，however，thattheseparationofthecourtswasbeginningtosetin。TheSteyningcaseisnotquiteanisolatedone。IhavefoundintheHundredRollstheexpressionSockemanemottodesignateacourtattendedbyfreesokemen，30*anditmaybesuggestedthattheformationoftheso-calledCourtBaronmayhavebeenfacilitatedbythepeculiarconstitutionandcustomsofthosecourtswheretheunfreeelementwasalmostentirelyabsent。TheDanishshiresandKentcouldnotbutexerciseacertaininfluenceontheadjoiningcounties。Howeverthismightbe，thegeneralruleis，undoubtedly，thatnodivisionisadmitted，andthatallthesuitorsandaffairsareconcentratedintheonemanorialcourt——thehalimot。
Itmetgenerallyonceeverythreeweeks，butithappenssometimesthatitiscalledtogetherwithoutadefinitelimitoftimeatthepleasureofthelord。31*CaseslikethatofthemanorsoftheAbbeyofRamsey，inwhichthecourtsaresummonedonlytwiceayear，arequiteexceptional，andintheinstancecitedthefacthastobeexplainedbytheexistenceofanuppercourtfortheseestates，thecourtofthehonourofBroughton。32*Thecommonsuitorsarethepeasantslivingwithinthemanor——theownersofholdingsinthefieldsofthemanor。
Inimportanttrials，whenfreemenareconcerned，orwhenathiefhastobehanged，suitorsarecalledinfromabroad——mostlysmallfreetenantswhohaveenteredintoanagreementaboutacertainnumberofsuitstothecourt。33*Theseforeignsuitorsappearonceeverysixweeks，twiceayear，forspecialtrialsuponaroyalwrit，forthehangingofthieves，34*etc。Thedutyofattendingthecourtisconstantlymentionedinthedocuments。
Itinvolvedundoubtedlygreathardships，expense，andlossoftime：nowonderthatpeopletriedtoexemptthemselvesfromitasmuchaspossible。35*Chartersrelatingtolandprovideforallmannerofcasesrelatingtosuitofcourt。Wefinditsaid，forinstance，thatatenantmustmakehisappearanceonthenextdayaftergettinghissummons，evenifitwasbroughttohimatmidnight。36*Whenaholdingwasdividedintoseveralparts，themostcommonthingwasthatonesuitremainedduefromthewhole。37*Allthesedetailsarebynomeanswithoutimportance，becausetheyshowthatfiscalreasonshadasmuchtodowiththearrangementofthesemeetingsasrealinterests：everycourtgaverisetoanumberoffinesfromsuitorswhohadmadedefault。
Theprocedureofthehalimotwasruledbyancientcustom。Allforeignelementsintheshapeofadvocatesorprofessionalpleaderswereexcluded。Suchpeople，wearetoldbythemanorialinstructions，breedlitigationanddead-letterformalism，whereastrialsoughttobeconductedandjudgedaccordingtotheirsubstance。38*Anotherceremonialpeculiarityofsomeinterestconcernstheplacewheremanorialcourtsareheld。Itiscertainthattheancientgem髏swereheldintheopenair，asMrGommeshowsinhisbookonearlyfolk-mots。AndweseeasurvivalofthecustominthemeetingwhichusedtobeheldbythesocmenofStoneleighonMotstowehill。39*Butinthefeudalperiodtherightplacetoholdthecourtwasthemanorialhall。Wefindindeedthatthefourwallsofthisroomareconsideredastheformallimitofthecourt，sothatamanwhohassteptwithinthemandhasthengoneoffwithoutsufficientreasonischargedwithcontemptofcourt。40*Indeed，theverynameof’halimot’
canhardlybeexplainedotherwisethanasthemootheldinthehall。41*Thepointisofsomeinterest，becausethehallisnotregardedasapurelymaterialcontrivanceforkeepingpeopleprotectedagainstthecoldandtherain，butappearsincloseconnexionwiththemanor，andasitscentreandsymbol。
Wehearverylittleofhusbandryarrangementsmadebythecourts，42*andevenoftherepartitionofdutiesandtaxes。43*Entriesrelatingtotheelectionofofficersaremorefrequent，44*butthelargestpartoftherollsistakenupbylegalbusinessofallsorts。
Theentirecourt，andsometimesabodyoftwelvejurors，presentthosewhoareguiltyofanyoffenceormisdemeanour。