Thelordtakesalsotenementsintohishandinthewayofescheat，intheabsenceofheirs。Court-rollsconstantlymentionplotswhichhavebeenresumedinthiswaybythelord。91*Thehomagehastoreporttothestewardastoallchangesofoccupation，andastothemeasureswhicharethoughtnecessarytopromotetheinterestsofthelandownerandofthetenantry。92*
Astothetreatmentoftenureinmanorialdocuments，itistobenoticedthatadistinctionwhichhasnojuridicalmeaningatallbecomesallimportantinpractice。Atcommonlaw，ashasbeensaidrepeatedly，thecontrastbetweenfreelandandservilelandresolvesitselfintoacontrastbetweenprecariousoccupationandproprietaryright。Thiscontrastisnoticedoccasionallyandasamatteroflegalprinciplebymanorialdocuments93*quiteapartfromtheconsequenceswhichflowfromit，andofwhichIhavebeenspeakingjustnow。Butinactuallifethisfundamentalfeatureisnotveryprominent；allstressislaidonthedistinctionbetweenlandheldbyrentandlandheldbylabour。Inthecommonphraseologyofsurveysandmanorialrolls，thetenementsonwhichtherentprevailsoverlabourarecalled’freetenements，’andthoseonthecontrarywhichhavetorenderlabourservices，bearthenamesof’servileholdings。’Thisfactiscertainlynottobetreatedlightlyasamereresultofdeficientclassificationorterminology。Itisaveryimportantoneanddeservestobeinvestigatedcarefully。
IntheancientsurveyofGlastonburyAbbey，compiledin1189，thequestionstobeansweredbythejuryareenumeratedinthefollowingway：’Whoholdsfreely’andhowmuch，andbywhatservices，andbywhosewarrant，andfromwhattime？HaslandwhichoughttoperformworkbeenturnedintofreelandinthetimeofBishopHenry，orafterwards？Bywhosewarrantwasthischangemade，andtowhatextentisthelandfree？Isthedemesnelandincultivation，orisitgivenawayinfreetenureorvillaintenure；issuchmanagementprofitable，orwoulditbebetterifthislandwastakenbackbythelord？’94*Thecontrastisbetweenlandwhichprovideslabourandlandwhichdoesnot；theformerisunfree，andvillaintenureisthetenureoflandheldbysuchservices；portionsofthedemesnegivenawayfreelymayeventuallybereclaimed。Theschemeofthesurveymadeinanswertothesequestionsisentirelyinkeepingwiththismodeofclassification。Allholdingsareconsideredexclusivelyfromtheeconomicpointofview；thetestofsecurityandprecariousoccupationisneverapplied。Itisconstantlynoticed，ontheotherhand，whetheraplotpaysrentorprovideslabour，whetheritcanbetransferredfromonecategoryintotheother，onwhatconditionsdemesnelandhasbeengiventopeasants，andwhetheritisexpedienttoalterthem。Letustakethefollowingcaseasaninstance：JohnClerkhadinthetimeofBishopHenryonevirgateinDomerhamandholdsitnow，andanothervirgateinStapelhamfortenshillings。WhenhefarmedtheDomerhammanorheleftonhisownauthoritythevirgateinStapelhamandtookhalfavirgateinDomerham，asitwasnearer。Thishalfvirgateoughttoworkandisnowfree。AndthevirgateinStapelbam，thoughitwasfreeformerly，hastoworknow，aftertheexchange。95*Theoppositionisquiteclear，andentirelysuitedtothelistofquestionsaddressedtothejury。Themeaningofthetermsfreeandfreedomisalsobroughtoutbythefollowingexample。AnderdBuddeholdshalfavirgateofdemesneland，fromthetimeofBishopHenry，bythesameservicesasallwhoholdsomuch。Thevillagehastorenderasgifttwenty-nineshillingsandsixpence。Sixpencearewantingtocompletethethirtyshillings？
becauseAnderdholdsmorefreelythanhisancestorsusedto。96*
Suchphraseologyisbynomeansrestrictedtoonedocumentoronelocality。InaRamseyCartularywefindthefollowingentryinregardtoaHuntingdonshiremanor：’Ofsevenhidesoneisfree；oftheremainingsixtwovirgatespayrent。Theholderpayswiththevillains；hepaysmerchetandjoinsintheboon-workasthevillains。Theremainingfivehidesandthreevirgatesareinpurevillainage。’97*ThegradationissomewhatmorecomplexherethanintheSomersetshireinstance：besidesfreelandandworkinglandwehaveaseparatedivisionformixedcases。Butthefoundationisthesameinbothdocuments。EarliersurveysofRamseyAbbeyshowthesameclassificationofholdingintofreeandworkingvirgatesliberae，adopus98*。
Inoppositiontofreeservice，thatisrent，wefindboththevillenagium99*andtheterraconsuetudinariaorcustoniaria，100*burdenedwiththeusualruralwork。Sometimesthedocumentpointsoutthatlandhasbeenfreedorexemptedfromthecommondutiesofthevillage；101*inregardtomanorialworkthevillageformedacompactbody。ThenotionwhichIhavebeenexplainingliesatthebottomofacuriousdesignationsometimesappliedtobasetenureintheearlierdocumentsofourperiod——terraadfurcametflagellum，102*fleyland。TheLatinexpressionhasbeenconstruedtomeanlandheldbyapersonunderthelord’sjurisdiction，underhisgallowsandhiswhip，butthisexplanationisentirelyfalse。Themeaningis，thatabaseholdingisoccupiedbypeoplewhohavetoworkwithpitchforkandflail，andmaybeotherinstrumentsofagriculture，103*insteadofsimplypayingrent。Inviewofsuchaphraseologythesametenementcouldalternatelybeconsideredasafreeoraservileone，accordingtoitschangingobligations。104*Somesurveysinserttwoparalleldescriptionsofdutieswhicharemeanttofitbotheventualities；whenthelandisadopus，itowessuchandsuchservices；whenitisadcensum，itpayssomuchrent。Itmustbeadded，thatinavastmajorityofcasesrent-payinglandretainssomeremnantsofservices，and，viceversa，landsubjectedtovillage-workpayssmallrents；105*thegeneralqualityoftheholdingismadetodependontheprevailingcharacteroftheduties。
Thedoublesenseinwhichtheterms’freetenure’and’serviletenure’areusedshouldbespeciallynoticed，becauseitlaysbaretheintimateconnexionbetweentheformaldivisionsoffeudallawandtheconditionsofeconomicreality。Ihavelaidstressonthecontrastbetweenthetwophraseologies，but，ofcourse，theycouldnotbeinuseatthesametimewithoutdependingmoreorlessoneachother。Anditisnotdifficulttosee，thatthelegalisamodificationoftheeconomicuseofterms，thatitreducestoone-sidedsimplicitythosegeneralfactswhichtheevidenceofeverydaylifeputsbeforeusinalooseandcomplexmanner；thatlandisreallyfreewhichisnotplacedinaconstantworkingsubmissiontothemanor，inconstantco-operationwithotherplots，similarlyarrangedtohelpandtoserveinthemanor。Howeverheavytherent，thelandthatpaysithasbecomeindependentinpointofhusbandry，itsdependenceappearsasamatterofagreement，andnotaneconomictie。Whenatenementisforeconomicpurposessubordinatedtothegeneralmanagementofthemanor，thereisalmostofnecessityadegreeofuncertaintyinitstenure；itisasatellitewhosemotionsarecontrolledbythebodyroundwhichitrevolves。Ontheotherhand，merepaymentsinmoneylookliketheoutcomeofsomesortofagreement，andarenaturallythoughtofastheresultofcontract。
Everythingissubjecttothewillandpleasureofthelord；
butthiswillandpleasuredoesnotfindexpressioninanycapriciousinterferencewhichwouldhavewantonlydestroyedorderandruleinvillagelife。Undercoverofthiswill，customsareformingthemselveswhichregulatetheconstantlyrecurringeventsofmarriage，succession，alienation，andthelike。Curiouscombinationsarise，whichreflectfaithfullythecomplexelementsofvillagelife。Aninstructionforstewardsprovides，forinstance，thatonepersonoughtnottoholdseveraltenements；
wheresuchagglomerationsexistalreadytheyoughttobedestroyed，ifitcanbedoneconvenientlyandhonestly。106*InoneofthemanorsofSt。PaulofLondontheplotsheldbytheploughmenaresaidtoberesumablebythelordwithoutanyinjurytohereditarysuccession。107*’Theruleofhereditarysuccession’isaffirmedinregardtonormalholdingsbythisveryexception。Wefindalreadythephraseofwhichtheroyalcourtsavailedthemselves，wheninlaterdaystheyextendedtheirprotectiontothisbasetenure：thetenantshold’bythecustomofthemanor。’108*Onthestrengthofsuchcustomthelifeoftheunfreepeasantrytakesashapecloselyresemblingthatofthefreepopulation；transactionsandrightsspringintobeingwhichfindtheirexactparallelinthecommonlawofthe’freeandlawful’portionofthecommunity。Walter，avillainofSt。
Alban’s，surrendersintothehandofthemonasterytwocurtilages，whicharethereupongrantedtohisdaughterandherhusbandforlife，uponconditionthataftertheirdeaththelandistoreverttoWalterortohisheirs。109*AnEssexvillainclaimssuccessionbyhereditaryright，forhimselfandhisheirs。110*Ihavealreadyspokenofthe’freebench’tobefoundequallyonfreeandunfreeland。Inthesamewaythereexistsaparalleltotheso-called’CurtesyofEngland’inthepracticeofmanorialcourts；ifthesoninheritslandfromhismotherduringhisfather’slife，thelatterenjoyspossessionduringhislife，or，itmaybe。onlyuntilhissoncomesofage。
Inviewofallthismanorialdocumentshavetodrawadistinctionbetweentenementsinvillainageandlandheldatthewillofthelord，notinthegeneral，butinthespecialandliteralsenseoftheterm。111*Fromaformalpointofview，villaintenurebycustomobtaineditsspecificcharacteranditsnamefromasymbolicalactperformedinopenCourtbythesteward；arodwashandedovertothenewholderbythelord’srepresentative，andacorrespondingentrymadeintherolloftheCourt。HencetheexpressiontenerepervirgamautperrotulumCurie。112*
Ioughtperhapstotreathereofthedifferentandinterestingformsassumedbyservicesandrentsasconsequencesofmanorialorganisation。ButIthinkthatthissubject。willbeunderstoodbetterinanotherconnexion，namelyaspartoftheagrariansystem。Onesideonlyofithastobediscussedhere。
Everywherecustomsarisewhichdefendthevillainsfromcapriciousextortionsonthepartofthelordandsteward。Thesecustomsmostlyget’inbreviated’113*describedinsurveysandcartularies，andalthoughtheyhavenolegallybindingpower，theycertainlyrepresentagreatmoralauthorityandarefollowedinmostcases。
Averycharacteristicexpressionoftheirinfluencemaybefoundinthefactthatthemanorialrollsveryoftendescribeindetail，notonlywhatthepeasantsareboundtodoforthelord，butwhatthelordmustdoforthepeasants；especiallywhenandhowheistofeedthem。Ofcourse，theoriginofsuchusagecannotbetracedtoanythinglikearightonthepartofthevillain；itcomesfromthelandlord’sconcessionsandgood-will，butgracelosesitsexceptionalaspectinthiscaseandleadstoamorallybindingobligation。114*Whenthevillainbringshisyearlyrenttohislord，thelatterofteninviteshimtohistable。115*Verycommonisthepracticeofprovidingamealforthelabourersontheboon-days，thedaysonwhichthewholepopulationofthevillagehadtoworkforthelordinthemostbusytimeofthesummerandautumn。Suchboon-workwasconsideredasakindofsurplusdemand；itexceededthenormaldistributionofwork。Itisoftenmentionedaccordinglythatsuchserviceisperformedoutofaffectionforthelord，andsometimesitgetstheeloquentnameof’love-bene。’Inproportionasthemanorialadministrationgetsmoreworkdoneinthisexceptionalmanner，itbecomesmoreandmoregraciousinregardtothepeople。’Dryrequests’siccaeprecariaearefollowedby’requestswithbeer’
precariaecerevisiae。Butitwasnotbeeralonethatcouldbegotonsuchdays。HereisadescriptionofthecustomsofBorle，amanorbelongingtoChristChurch，Canterbury，inEssex。’Andletitbeknownthatwhenhe，thevillain，withothercustomersshallhavedonecuttingthehayonthemeadowinRaneholm，theywillreceivebycustomthreequartersofwheatforbakingbread，andoneramofthepriceofeighteenpence，andonepatofbutter，andonepieceofcheeseofthesecondsortfromthelord’sdairy，andsalt，andoatmealforcookingastew’andallthemorningmilkfromallthecowsinthedairy，andforeverydayaloadofhay。Hemayalsotakeasmuchgrassasheisabletoliftonthepointofhisscythe。Andwhenthemowngrassiscarriedaway，hehasarighttoonecart。Andheisboundtocarrysheaves，andforeachserviceofthiskindhewillreceiveonesheaf，called“mene-schef。”Andwheneverheissenttocarryanythingwithhiscart，heshallhaveoats，asusual，somuch，namely，ashecanthricetakewithhishand。116*
Allsuchcustomsseemverystrangeandcapriciousatfirstsight。Butitistobenoticedthattheyoccurindifferentformseverywhere，andthattheywerebynomeansmereoddities；theybecamearealandsometimesaheavyburdenforthelandlord。Theauthorities，theso-called’Inquisitionespostmortem’
especially，oftenstrikeakindofbalancebetweentheexpenseincurredandthevalueoftheworkperformed。Bytheendofthethirteenthcenturyitisgenerallyfoundthatbothendsarejustmadetomeetincasesofextraworkattendedbyextrafeeding，andinsomeinstancesitisfoundthatthelordhastolayoutmorethanhegetsback。117*Theriseinthepricesofcommoditieshadrenderedtheserviceunprofitable。Nowonderthatsuch’boon-work’hastobegivenuportobecommutedformoney。