49。Palgrave，RotuliCuriaeRegis，ii。192。
50。PlacitorumAbbrev。25，29；Note-book，pl。88。(ThefatheriscalledAilfricusinthePleaRollDiversterms2John，2d。，attheRecordOffice。)
51。Bract。Note-book，pl。88。
52。Case70：’ConsideratumestquodterraillaestuilenagiumipsiusHugonis(corr。Johannis)，etquodsiMartinusuolueritterramtenerefaciatconsuetudinesquaspatersuusfecit，sinautemcapiatterramsuaminmanumsuam。’
53。MarginalremarkintheNote-booktopl。70：’Notaquodliberhomopotestfacereuillanasconsuetudinesracionetenementiuillanisetpropterhocnonerituillanus，quiapotestrelinqueretenementum。’Comp。MrMaitland’snotetothecase。
54。Bracton，f199b：’Undevideturperhoc，quodlicetliberhomoteneatvillenagiumpervillanasconsuetudines，contravoluntatemsuamejicinondebet，dumtamenfacerevolueritconsuetudinesquaepertinentadvillenagium，etquaepraestanturrationevillenagii，etnonrationepersonae。’
55。Cf。Blackstone’scharacteristicofcopyholds：’Butitistheveryconditionofthetenureinquestionthatthelandsbeholdenonlysolongasthestipulatedserviceisperformed，quamdiuvelintetpossintfaceredebitumservitiumetsolveredebitaspensiones。’(LawTracts，ii。153。)
Bract。Note-book，pl。1103：’EtideoconsideratumestquodWillelmusconuictusestdeuilenagioetsifacereuolueritpredictasconsuetudinesteneatillambouatamterrepereasdemconsuetudines，sinautemfaciatBartholomeusdeterraetdeipsoWillelmouoluntatemsuamutdeuillanosuoeteiliberaturCf。MrMaitland’snote。
58。Ishouldliketodrawattentiontoonemorecasewhichcompletesthepicturefromanotherside。Bract。Notebook，pl。
784：’SymondeT。petitversusAdamdeH。etThomamP。quodfacianteiconsuetudinesetrectaseruiciaqueeifaceredebentdetenementoquoddeeotenentinuillenagioinT。Etipsiueniuntetcognoscuntquoduillanisunt。EtSymonconcediteisquodteneanttenementasuafaciendoindeseruiciaquaepertinentaduillenagium，itatamenquodnondentplusinauxiliumadfestumSt。Mich。necperannumquamduodecimdenariosscilicetquilibetipsorumethocnominetallagii。’——Thewritofcustomsandserviceswasoutofplacebetweenlordandvillain。Theusualcoursewasdistraint。Thecaseisclearlyoneofprivilegedvillainage，butitiswelltonotethatalthoughtheservicesareinonerespectcertain，thepersonsremainunfree。
Bract。Note-book，pl。63：’DicuntquodidemW。nullumhabuitliberumtenementumquiaipseuillanusfuitetfecitomnimodauilenagiaquianonpotuitfiliamsuammaritarenecbouemsuumuendere。1819。R。deM。posuitseinmagnamassisamDom。Reg。IncomitatudeconsuetudinibusetseruiciisqueTh。B。petituersuseum，undeidemTh。exigebatabeodemR。quodreddereteideuillenagioperannum19den。etaruramtriumdierumetmessuramtriumdierum。etgersumamprofiliasuamaritandaetunamgallinamadNataleettotouaadPaschaettallagiumetquodsitprepositussuus。Setquiaillasuntserviliaetaduillenagiumspectanciaetnonadliberumtenementum，consideratumestquodmagnaassisanoniacetintereos，setfiatinquisicioperxii，’
Bract。Note-book，281：’EtPriordicitquodinpartebenerecordantursetinparteparumdicuntquiaiuratoresdixeruntquoddebuitdarexii。denprofiliasuamaritanda，etdebuitpluresaliasconsuetudinesetpetieruntrespectumutassensumhaberepossentadominoRobertodeLexintonautrumhocessetliberumtenementumexquosciuntquiddebuitfacereetquidnonetnullumrespectumhaberepotuerunt。’
63。Example-Bract。Note-book，pl。1887。Fitzherbert，Abr。Villen。
38(13Ed。I)：’QuiapredictusJ。nullamprobacionemproducitnequesectametcognoscitquodilleestinseisina。depatrepredictiW。quempotuitproduxisseadprobacionem，consideratumestquodpredictiW。etR。liberimaneant。’
64。Bracton，f。199。Thejurycameinonlybyconsentoftheparties。
65。Britton，i。207；Fitzherbert，Abr。Villen。37。
66。CourtRollsofHaveringatteBower，Essex，Augment。Off。
Rolls，xiv。38。(Curia-dieJovisproximaantefestumSt。
BartholomaeiApostoliannor。r。RicardiII，21mo。)
’Inquisicio。dicit。quodnonestaliquishomonatiuusdesanguineingressusfeodumdomini，setdicuntquodestquidamJohannesShillyllgquiSepiusdictusfueratnatiuus。EtdicuntultraquodqnidamJohannesShillyngpaterpredictiJohannisfuitalienigenaetquodpredictusJohannesShillyngquodadeorumcognitionemestliberetliberecondicionisetnonnatiuus。’
Fitzherbert，l。c。：’Eceissufuittriepargentsdepaiisoulemanerestenemiouilnasquistpartoutslesjustices。’
isverygoodonallthesepoints。Howell，StateTrials，xx。38，39。
Bracton，f6，andonmanyotheroccasions。
Co。Lit。137，b。Cf。KingHenryI’swritinfavouroftheMonasteryofAbingdon。Bigelow，PlacitaAnglo-Normannica，96：
’faciashabereF。abbatiomneshominessuosquideterrasuaexieruntpropterherberiamcuriemee。’HenryIIputsittheotherway，p220……’Nisisuntindominiomeo。’
74。AmostcuriouspleadingbasedontheconceptionsofGlanvilleoccursinaCor。Regecaseof10HenryIII，whichwaspointedouttomebyF。Maitland。SeeApp。IV。MrYorkPowellsuggeststhatthelimitationmayhaveoriginatedinthefact，thatinearlytimesamancouldnomoregiveawayaslavefromhisfamilyestatewithouttheconsentofthefamilythanhecouldgiveawaytheestateitselforpartofit。Therewasnoreasonforsuchlimitationinthecaseofaslavethathadbeenboughtwithone’sprivatemoney。Hencethenecessityofsellingaslaveinordertoemancipatehim。Theconjectureseemsaveryprobableone，butthequestionremains，howsuchancientpracticecouldhaveleftatraceinthefeudalperiod。Theexplanationinthetextmaypossiblyaccountforthetenacityofthenotion。
75。Note-book，pl。31，343。
76。Bracton，f。194，195。Bracton’stexthasbeenrenderedalmostunintelligibleherebythecarelesspunctuationofhiseditors，andSirTraversTwiss’translationisaswrongandmisleadingasusual。IwilljustgivethepassageinaccordancewiththereadingofDigby，222(BodleianLibr。)，whichisthebestofalltheMSS。Ihaveseen：’Quiaestoquodseruusuelitmanumittietcumnichilhabeatpropriumeligatfidemalicuiusquieumematquasiprodenariissuis，pertalememptionemnonconsequituremptusaliquamlibertatemnisitantumquodmutatdominum。Inreemptainprimissoluidebetpretium，posteasequiturtraditiorei：soluiturhicpretiumpronatiuo，setnullasubsequiturtraditio，sedsempermanetinuillenagioquoprius。Sitenementumadquirattenendumlibereetheresmanumissorisuelaliussuccessoreumeiciat，sipetatperassisametheresopponatuillenagium，etvillanusreplicetdemanumissioneetemptione，herestriplicarepoterit，quodimperfectafuitemptiosiuemanumissioeoquodnunquaminuitauenditorissubsecutafuittraditio，etitatalissemperremanebitsubpotestateheredis。’
77。Notebook，pl。1749：’Iudicatumestquodlibersitquantumadheredemmanumittentisetnonquantumadalios，quodiudiciumnonestuerum。’
AncientDemesneTheoldlawbooksmentiononekindofvillainagewhichstandsoutinmarkedcontrastwiththeotherspeciesofserviletenure。
ThepeasantsbelongingtomanorswhichwerevestedinthecrownatthetimeoftheConquestfollowalawoftheirown。Barringcertainexceptions，ofwhichmorewillbesaidpresently，theyenjoyacertaintyofconditionprotectedbylaw。Theyarepersonallyfree，andalthoughholdinginvillainage，nobodyhastherighttodeprivethemoftheirlands，ortoaltertheconditionofthetenure，byincreasingorchangingtheservices。
Bractoncallstheirconditiononeofprivilegedvillainage，becausetheirservicesarebasebutcertain，andbecausetheyareprotectednotbytheusualremediessuppliedatcommonlawtofreetenants，butbypeculiarwritswhichenforcethecustomofthemanor。(1*)Itseemswellworththewhiletocarefullyinvestigatethiscuriouscasewithaviewtogetatthereasonsofanotabledeviationfromthegeneralcourse，forsuchinvestigationmaythrowsomereflectedlightonthetreatmentofvillainageinthecommonlaw。
Legalpracticeisveryexplicitastothelimitationofancientdemesneintimeandspace。ItiscomposedofthemanorswhichbelongedtothecrownatthetimeoftheConquest。(2*)Thisincludesmanorswhichhadbeengivenawaysubsequently，andexcludessuchashadlapsedtothekingaftertheConquestbyescheatorforfeiture。(3*)PossessionsgrantedawaybySaxonkingsbeforetheConquestareequallyexcluded。(4*)InordertoascertainwhatthesemanorswerethecourtsrevertedtotheDomesdaydescriptionofTerraRegis。Asaruletheselandswereenteredascrownlands，T。R。E。andT。R。W。，thatis，wereconsideredtohavebeeninthehandofKingEdwardin1066，andinthehandofKingWilliamin1086。ButstrictlyandlegallytheywerecrownlandsatthemomentwhenKingWilliam’sclaiminured，ortousethecontemporaryphrase，’onthedaywhenKingEdwardwasaliveanddead。’TheimportantpointevidentlywasthattheNormanking’srightinthiscasebridgedovertheConquest，andforthisreasonsuchpossessionsareoftensimplysaidtohavebeenroyaldemesneinthetimeofEdwardtheConfessor。ThislegalviewiswellillustratedbyadecisionoftheKing’sCouncil，quotedbyBelknap，ChiefJusticeoftheCommonPleas，in1375。ItwasheldthatthemanorofTottenham，althoughgrantedbyWilliamtheConquerortotheEarlofChesterbeforethecompilationofDomesday，wasancientdemesne，ashavingbeeninthehandsbothofSt。EdwardandoftheConqueror。(5*)Andso1066andnot1086isthedecisiveyearforthelegalformationofthisclassofmanors。(6*)
Inmanyrespectsthepositionofthepeasantryinancientdemesneisnearlyalliedtothatofmenholdinginvillainageatcommonlaw。Theyperformallkindsofagriculturalservicesandaresubjecttodutiesquiteanalogoustothosewhichprevailinotherplaces；wemayfindontheseancientmanorsalmostalltheincidentsofservilecustom。Sometimesveryharshformsofdistressareusedagainstthetenants；(7*)forfeiturefornon-performanceofservicesandnon-paymentsofrentswasalwaysimpending，inmarkedcontrastwiththeconsideratetreatmentoffreetenantryinsuchcases。(8*)Weoftencomeacrosssuchbasecustomsasthepaymentofmerchetinconnexionwiththe’villainsocmen’ofancientdemesne。(9*)Andsuchinstanceswouldaffordampleproofofthefactthattheirstatushasbranchedofffromthesamestemasvillainage，ifsuchproofwereotherwiseneeded。
Thesideofprivilegeisnotlessconspicuous。Theindicationsgivenbythelawbooksmustbelargelysupplementedfromplearollsandcharters。Thespecialfavourshowntothepopulationonsoilofancientdemesneextendsmuchfurtherthanaregulationofmanorialdutieswouldimply，itresolvesitselftoalargeextentintoanexemptionfrompublicburdens。Theking’smanoristreatedasafranchiseisolatedfromthesurroundinghundredandshire，itstenantsarenotboundtoattendthecountycourtorthehundredmoot，(10*)theyarenotassessedwiththerestfordanegeldorcommonamercementsorthemurderfine，(11*)
