everywhereintheworldtheadvanceofcultivationhasbeenmadethestarting-pointofprivilegedoccupationandlighttaxation。
TheRomanEmpireintroducedtheemphyteusisasacontractinfavourofthepioneersofcultivation，theFrenchfeudallawendowedthehoteshospitesonnewlyreclaimedlandwithallkindsofadvantages。Englishpracticeisnotsoexplicitonthispoint，butitisnotdifficulttogatherfromtheSurveysthatitwasnotblindtothenecessityofpatronisingagriculturalprogressandencouragingitbyfavourableterms。
Ofmol-landIhavealreadyspokeninanotherchapter。Iwillonlypointoutnowthatthisclassoftenementsappearstohavebeenaverycommonone。Thirteenthcenturysurveysoftendescribecertainholdingsintwodifferentways-onthesuppositionoftheirpayingrent，andalsoonthatoftheirrenderinglabour-services；whentheypayrenttheypaysomuch，whentheysupplylabourtheysupplysomuch。Bythesideofsuchholdings，whicharewavering，asitwere，betweenthetwosystems，wefindtheterraassisaoradcensum。Thisclass，towhichmollandevidentlybelongs，isdistinguishedfromfreetenurebythefactthatitsrentisregardedasamanorialarrangement；thereisnoformalagreementandnocharter，andthereforenoactionbeforetheking’scourtstoguardagainstdisseisinorincreaseofservices。Inpracticethedifferenceisnotfeltverykeenly，andthesetenementsgraduallycametoberegardedas’free’ineverysense。Acharacteristicfeatureofthemovementmaybenoticedintheterms’Socagiumadplacitum’and’Socagiumvillani’。56*
Theseexpressionsoccurinthedocuments，althoughtheyarenotverycommon。Itwouldbehardtoexplainthemotherwisethanfromthepointofviewindicatedjustnow。Thetenementispayingafixedandcertainrentandthereforesocage，butitisnotdefendedbyfeoffmentandcharter。Itisnotrecognisedbylaw，andthereforeitremainsatthewillofthelordandunfree。57*
Thegrantofacharterwouldraiseittothelegalstandingoffreeland。
Everystudentofmanorialdocumentswillcertainlybestruckbyonewell-markeddifferencebetweenvillaintenementsandfreetenementsasdescribedintheextentsandsurveys。Thetenantsinvillainagegenerallyappeararrangedintolargegroups，inwhicheverymanholds，works，andpaysexactlyashisfellows；sothatwhenthetenementandservicesofsomeonetenanthavebeendescribedwethenreadthattheothertenantsholdsimilartenementsandowesimilarservices。Ontheotherhand，thefreeholdsseemscatteredatrandomwithoutanydefiniteplanofarrangement，parcelledupintounequalportions，andsubjectedtoentirelydifferentduties。Onemanholdstenacresandpaysthreeshillingsforthem；anotherhaseightandahalfacresandgivesapoundofpeppertohislord；athirdispossessedoftwenty-threeacres，pays4s。6d。，andsendshisdependantstothreeboonworks；afourthbringsonepennyandsomepoultryinreturnforhisoneacre。Theregularityofthevillainsystemseemsentirelyopposedtothecapriciousanddisorderlyphenomenaoffreetenure。
Andthisfactseemsnaturallyconnectedwithsomeremarkablefeaturesofsocialorganisation。Nowonderthatfreelandiscutupintoirregularplots：weknowthatitmaybedividedandaccumulatedbyinheritanceandalienation，whereasvillainlandisheldtogetherinrigidunitybythefactthatitis，properlyspeaking，thelord’sandnotthevillain’sland。Besides，allthevariationsoffreetenurewhichwehavediscussedhithertohaveonethingincommon，theyareproducedbyexpressagreementbetweenlordandtenantastothenatureandamountofservicesrequiredfromthetenant。Whetherwetakethecaseofavillainreceivingafewacresinadditiontohisholding，orthatofaservantrecompensedbythegrantofaprivilegedplot，orthatofapeasantconfirmedinthepossessionofsoilnewlyreclaimedfromthewaste，orthatofabondmanwhohassucceededinliberatinghisholdingfromtheburdensomelabourserviceofvillainage，inalltheseinstanceswecomeacrossthesamefundamentalnotionofadefiniteagreementbetweenlordandtenant。Andagain，thecapriciousaspectoffreetenementsseemswellinkeepingwiththefactthattheyareproducedbyseparateandprivateagreements，byconsecutivegrantsandfeoffments，whilethevillainsystemofeverymanorismappedoutatonestroke，andmanagedasawholebythelordandhissteward。Thiscontrastbetweenthetwoarrangementsmayevenseemtowidenitselfintoadifferencebetweenacommunalorganizationwhichisservile，andasystemoffreeholdingwhichisnotcommunal。Alltheseinferencesarenaturalenough，andallhavebeenactuallydrawn。
AcloseinspectionoftheSurveyswill，however，considerablymodifyourfirstimpressions，andsuggestconclusionswidelydifferentfromthosewhichIhavejustnowstated。Theimportanceofthesubjectrequiresadetaileddiscussion，evenattheriskoftediousness。IshalltakemyinstancesfromtheHundredRolls，asfromasurveywhichreflectsthestateofthingsincentralcountiesandgivesaninsightintotheorganisationofsecularaswellasecclesiasticalestates。
Weneednotdwellmuchontheobservationthattheserviletenementssometimesdisplaynoperfectregularity。Sometimestheburdensincumbentonthemarenotquiteequal。Sometimesagaintheholdingsthemselvesarenotquiteequal。InFulborne，Cambridgeshire，e。g。，thevillainsofAlandelaZucheareassessedveryirregularly，58*althoughtheirtenementsaredescribedasvirgatesandhalfvirgates。Ofcourse，thegeneralcharacterofthevirgatesystemremainsunalteredbytheseexceptionaldeviations，whichmaybeeasilyexplainedbytheconsiderationthatthesocialorderwasundergoingaprocessofchange。Thedisruptionofsomeofthevillainholdingsandthemodificationofcertaindutiesareperhapslessstrangethanthefactthatsuchalterationsshouldbesodecidedlyexceptional。
Still，theoccurrenceofirregularitiesevenwithintherangeofvillainagewarnsusnottobetoohastyinourinferencesaboutfreetenements；itshows，atanyrate，thatirregularitiesmaywellariseevenwheretherehasoncebeenadefiniteplan，andthatitisworthwhiletoenquirewhethersometracesofsuchanoriginalplanmaynotstillbediscoveredamidsttheapparentdisorderoffreetenements。
Andalittleattentionwillshowusmanycasesinwhichfreetenementsarearrangedonthevirgatesystem。Thereishardlyanyneedforquotationsonthispoint：theHundredRollsofallthesixcountiesofwhichwepossesssurveys，supplyanunlimitednumberofinstances。True，fundamentaldivisionsoflandandservicemayoftenbeobscuredandconfusedbytheexistenceofplotswhichdonotfitintothesystem；butasinthecaseofserviletenementsweoccasionallyfindirregularities，sointhecaseoffreetenementsweoftenseethatbelowthesuperficialirregularitiestherelietracesofanancientplan。ThemanorofAyllingtonElton，Huntingdonshire，belongingtotheAbbeyofRamsey，presentsagoodexampleinpoint。59*Itisreckonedtocontainthirteenhidesandahalf，eachhidecomprisingsixvirgates，andeachvirgatetwenty-fouracres。Theactualdistributionoftheholdingssquarestoafractionwiththiscomputation，ifwetakeintothereckoningthedemesne，thefreeandthevillaintenements。Threehidesareinthelord’shand，oneisheldbyalargetenant，JohnofAyllington，elevenvirgatesandahalfbyotherfreeholders，forty-twovirgatesandahalfbythevillains；thegrandtotalbeingexactlythirteenhides。Thenumerouscottersarenottakenintoaccount，andevidentlyleft’outsidethehides’extrahidam；thisisaverycommonthingintheSurveys。Ifweneglectthem，andturntotheholdingsinthe’hidated’portionofthemanor，weshallnoticethatthegreaterpartofthefreetenementsarearrangedonthesamesystemastheserviletenements。Wefindsixfreetenantswithavirgateapiece，onewithhalfavirgate，threewithavirgateandahalf，andthreejointlypossessedoftwovirgates。
Incontrastwiththisprincipalbodyoftenantsstandseveralsmallfreeholdersendowedwithirregularplotsreckonedinacresandsomuchvaryinginsizethatitisquiteimpossibletoarrangethemaccordingtoanyplan，nottospeakofthevirgatesystem。Butthesesmalltenantsareallsub-tenantsenfeoffedbytheprincipalfreeholderswhoseowntenementsaredistributedintoregularagrarianunity。Itiseasytoseethatevenwhenthestockoffreetenanciesstoodarrangedaccordingtoadefiniteplan，deviationsfromthisplanwouldeasilyariseowingtonewfeoffmentsmadebythelordoutofthedemesnelandoroutofthewaste。60*WhatIamconcernedtosayis，notthattheHundredRollsshowadistributionoffreeholdingsquiteasregularasthatoftheserviletenements，butthatamidstalltheirregularitiesofthefreeholdplotswefrequentlycomeacrossunmistakabletracesofasystemsimilartothatwhichprevailedonvillainsoil。Thesetracesarenotalwaysofthesamekind，andpresentvariousgradations。Inacomparativelysmallnumberofinstancesthedutiesimposedontheshareholdersareequal，ornearlyso；muchmoreoftentherentandlabourrenderedbythemtothelordvaryagreatdeal，althoughtheirtenementsareequal。TheAyllingtoninstance，quotedabove，belongstotheformerclass，buttheproportionatedistributionofdutiesissomewhatobscuredbythefactthatpartofthemisreckonedinlabour。Thenormalrentiscomputedatsixshillingspervirgate，61*thoughthereareafewnoticeableexceptions，butthedutyofploughingisimposedaccordingtotwodifferentstandards，anditisnoteasytoreducethesetounity。Thefreeholdersofonegrouphavetoplougheightacrespervirgateforthelord，whileforthemembersoftheothergrouptheploughingworkisreckonedinthesamewayasinthecaseofthevillains，eachplacinghisteamatthedisposalofthelordonedayofeveryweekfromMichaelmastothe1stofAugust，fourweeksbeingexceptedinhonourofChristmas，Easter，andTrinity。62*Ravenston，inBuckinghamshire，isamuchclearerexample。TwelvevillainsholdofthePriorofRavenstontwelveacreseach，andtheirserviceiswortheighteenshillingsperholding；fourvillainsholdsixacreseach，andtheirserviceisvaluedatnineshillings。Onefreetenanthastwelveacresandpayssixteenshillings；sixhavesixacreseach，andpaysevenshillings。Therearethreeothertenantswhosedutiescannotbebroughtwithinthesystem。63*TheportionofFulborne，inCambridgeshire，belongingtoBaldwindeManeriis，mayalsoserveasanillustrationofanalmostregulardistributionoflandandserviceamongthefreeholders。64*Instancesinwhichtheduties，althoughnotexactly，arestillverynearlyequal，areveryfrequent。InRadewelle，Bedfordshire，themeanrentofthesixistwoshillingsperhalf-virgate，althoughthevillainsperformservicetotheamountofeightshillingspervirgate。65*Bidenham，Bedfordshire，alsopresentsanassessmentoffourshillingsperfreevirgate。66*InthatpartofFulbornewhichisownedbyAlandelaZuchethevirgatesandhalf-virgatesofthefreeholdersarevariouslyrented；buttwelveshillingsperhalf-virgateisofcommonoccurrence67*whileinthefeeofMaudPasselewewefindonlyfourandfiveshillingsastherentforthehalf-virgate。68*PapworthAnneysexhibitsaferdelofsevenandahalfacres，forwhichtentotwelveshillingsarepaid。69*Astothecasesinwhichtheservicevariesagreatdeal，althoughthelandisheldinshares，IneednotgivequotationsbecausetheyaretobefoundoneveryoftheprintedhundredRolls。Wemaysay，inconclusion，thattheprocessofdisruptionactsmuchmorepotentlyinthesphereoffreeholdingthanitdoesinregardtovillainage；butthatithasbynomeanssucceededindestroyingallregularityeventhere。
Thus，evenamongthefreeholders，landholdingisoftenwhatI
shalltakeleavetocall’shareholding。’Now，whateverultimateexplanationwemaygiveofthisfact，ithasoneobviousmeaning。
Thatpartofthefreepopulationwhichholdsinregularsharesisnotgovernedentirelybytherulesofprivateownership，butissomehowimplicatedinthevillagecommunity。Bovatesandvirgatesexistonlyaspartsofcarucatesorhides，andtheseveralcarucatesorhidesthemselvesfittogether，inasmuchastheysupposeaconstantapportionmentofsomekind。Twosetsofimportantquestionsarisefromthisproposition，bothintimatelyconnectedwitheachother，althoughtheysuggestdifferentlinesofenquiry。Wemaystartfromanexaminationofthesingleholding，andaskwhetheritsregularshapecanbeexplainedbytherequirementsofitsconditionorbysurvivalsofaformercondition。Oragain，wemaystartfromthewholeandinquirewhethertheequalitytheelementsofwhichwedetectisequalityinownershiporequalityinservice。Letustakeupthefirstthreadoftheinquiry。
Howcanweaccountfortheoccurrenceofregular’shareholding’amongthefreeholders？Twopossibilitieshavetobeconsidered：thefreecharacterofthetenementsmaybenewlyacquiredandthe’shareholding’maybearelicofaservilepast；
or，ontheotherhand，thefreeholdcharacterofthetenementsmaybecoevalwiththe’shareholding，’andinthislattercaseweshallhavetoadmittheexistenceoffreeholdswhichfromofoldhaveformedanelementinthevillagecommunity。Inthefirstofthesecasesagainweshallhavetodistinguishbetweentwosuppositions：——Serviletenementshavebecomefree；thismaybedueeithertosomegeneralmeasureofenfranchisement，alordhavingpreferredtotakemoneyrentsinlieuoftheoldlabourservices，andthesemoneyrentsbeingthemodernequivalentforthoseoldservices，orelsetoparticularandoccasionalfeoffmentsmadeinfavourofthosewho，foronereasonoranother，haveearnedsomebenefitatthelord’shand。Toputitshortly，wemayexplainthephenomenoneitherbyaprocessofcommutationsuchasthatwhichturned’workland’into’molland，’