vill2-第31章

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shire。　In　other　hundreds　of　this　last　county　it　is　not　mentioned。　However　much　we　lay　to　the　account　of　casual　omissions　of　the　compilers；　they　are　not　sufficient　to　explain　the　general　contrast。　It　would　be　preposterous　to　infer　that　in　the　localities　first　mentioned　the　peasants　were　one　and　all　descended　from　slaves；　and　that　in　those　other　localities　they　were　one　and　all　personally　free。　And　so　we　are　driven　to　the　inference；　that　different　customs　prevailed　in　this　respect　in　places　immediately　adjoining　each　other；　and　that　not　all　the　feudal　serfs　descended　from　Saxon　slaves　paid　merchet。　　　　　If；　on　the　one　hand；　not　all　the　serfs　paid　merchet；　on　the　other　there　is　sufficient　evidence　to　show　that　it　was　paid　in　some　cases　by　free　people。　A　payment　of　this　kind　was　exacted　sometimes　from　free　men　in　villainage；　and　even　from　socage　tenants；　I　shall　have　to　speak　of　this　when　treating　of　the　free　peasantry；　I　advert　to　the　fact　now　in　order　to　show　that　the　most　characteristic　test　of　personal　servitude　does　not　cover　the　whole　ground　occupied　by　the　class；　and　at　the　same　time　spreads　outside　of　its　boundary。　　　　　This　observation　leads　us　to　several　others　which　are　not　devoid　of　importance。　As　soon　as　the　notion　arose　that　personal　servitude　was　implied　by　the　payment　of　merchet；　　as　soon　as　such　a　notion　got　sanctioned　by　legal　theory；　the　fine　was　extended　in　practice　to　cases　where　it　did　not　apply　originally。　We　have　direct　testimony　to　the　effect　that　feudal　lords　introduced　it　on　their　lands　in　places　where　it　had　never　been　paid　（52*）；　and　one　cannot　help　thinking　that　such　administrative　acts　as　the　survey　of　1279…1280；　the　survey　represented　by　the　Hundred　Rolls；　materially　helped　such　encroachments。　The　juries　made　their　presentments　in　respect　of　large　masses　of　peasantry；　under　the　preponderating　influence　of　the　gentry　and　without　much　chance　for　the　verification　of　particular　instances。　The　description　was　not　false　as　a　whole；　but　it　was　apt　to　throw　different　things　into　the　same　mould；　and　to　do　it　in　the　interest　of　landed　proprietors。　Again；　the　variety　of　conditions　in　which　we　come　across　the　merchet；　leads　us　to　suppose　that　this　term　was　extended　through　the　medium　of　legal　theory　to　payments　which　differed　from　each　other　in　their　very　essence：　the　commutation　of　the　'jus　primae　noctis；'　the　compensation　paid　to　the　lord　for　the　loss　of　his　bondwoman　leaving　the　manor；　and　the　fine　for　marriage　to　be　levied　by　the　township　or　the　hundred；　were　all　thrown　together。　Last；　but　not　least；　the　vague　application　of　this　most　definite　of　social　tests　corroborates　what　has　been　already　inferred　from　terminology；　namely；　that　the　chief　stress　was　laid　in　all　these　relations；　not　on　legal；　but　on　economic　distinctions。　The　stratification　of　the　class　and　the　determination　of　the　lord's　rights　both　show　traits　of　legal　status；　but　these　traits　lose　in　importance　in　comparison　with　other　features　that　have　no　legal　meaning；　or　else　they　spread　over　groups　and　relations　which　come　from　different　quarters　and　get　bound　up　together　only　through　economic　conditions。　　　　　The　same　observations　hold　good　in　regard　to　other　customs　which　come　to　be　considered　as　implying　personal　servitude。（53*）　Merchet　was　the　most　striking　consequence　of　unfreedom；　but　manorial　documents　are　wont　to　connect　it　with　several　others。　It　is　a　common　thing　to　say　that　a　villain　by　birth　cannot　marry　his　daughter　without　paying　a　fine；　or　permit　his　son　to　take　holy　orders；　or　sell　his　calf　or　horse；　that　he　is　bound　to　serve　as　a　reeve；　and　that　his　youngest　son　succeeds　to　the　holding　after　his　death。（54*）　This　would　be　a　more　or　less　complete　enumeration；　and　I　need　not　say　that　in　particular　cases　sometimes　one　and　sometimes　another　item　gets　omitted。　The　various　pieces　do　not　fit　well　together：　the　prohibition　against　selling　animals　is　connected　with　disabilities　as　to　property；　and　not　derived　directly　from　the　personal　tie；（55*）　as　for　the　rule　of　succession；　it　testifies　merely　to　the　fact　that　the　so…called　custom　of　Borough　English　was　most　widely　spread　among　the　unfree　class。　The　obligation　of　serving　as　a　reeve　or　in　any　other　capacity　is　certainly　derived　from　the　power　of　a　lord　over　the　person　of　his　subject；　he　had　it　always　at　his　discretion　to　take　his　man　away　from　the　field；　and　to　employ　him　at　pleasure　in　his　service。　Lastly；　the　provision　that　the　villain　may　not　allow　his　son　to　receive　holy　orders　stands　on　the　same　level　as　the　provision　that　he　may　not　give　his　daughter　in　marriage　outside　the　manor：　either　of　these　prohibited　transactions　would　have　involved　the　loss　of　a　subject。　　　　　We　must　place　in　the　same　category　all　measures　intended　to　prevent　directly　or　indirectly　the　passage　of　the　peasantry　from　one　place　to　the　other。　The　instructions　issued　for　the　management　of　the　Abbot　of　Gloucester's　estates　absolutely　forbid　the　practice　of　leaving　the　lord's　land　without　leave。（56*）　Still；　emigration　from　the　manor。　from　time　to　time　the　could　not　be　entirely　stopped；　inhabitants　wandered　away　in　order　to　look　out　for　fieldwork　elsewhere；　or　to　take　up　some　craft　or　trade。　In　this　case　they　had　to　pay　a　kind　of　poll…tax　（chevagium）；　which　was；　strictly　speaking；　not　rent：　very　often　it　was　very　insignificant　in　amount；　and　was　replaced　by　a　trifling　payment　in　kind；　for　instance；　by　the　obligation　to　bring　a　capon　once　a　year。（57*）　The　object　was　not　so　much　to　get　money　as　to　retain　some　hold　over　the　villain　after　he　had　succeeded　in　escaping　from　the　lord's　immediate　sway。　There　are　no　traces　of　a　systematic　attempt　to　tax　and　ransom　the　work　of　dependents　who　have　left　the　lord's　territory　nothing　to　match　the　thorough　subjection　in　which　they　were　held　while　in　the　manor。　And　thus　the　lord　was　forced　in　his　own　interest　to　accept　nominal　payments；　to　concentrate　his　whole　attention　on　the　subjects　under　his　direct　control；　and　to　prevent　them　as　far　as　possible　from　moving　and　leaving　the　land。　In　regulations　for　the　management　of　estates　we　often　find　several　paragraphs　which　have　this　object　in　view。　Sometimes　the　younger　men　get　leave　to　work　outside　the　lord's　possessions；　but　only　while　their　father　remains　at　home　and　occupies　a　holding。　Sometimes；　again；　the　licence　is　granted　under　the　condition　that　the　villain　will　remain　in　one　of　his　lord's　tithings（58*）；　an　obligation　which　could　be　fulfilled　only　if　the　peasant　remained　within　easy　reach　of　his　birth…place；　Special　care　is　taken　not　to　allow　the　villains　to　buy　free　land　in　order　to　claim　their　freedom　on　the　strength　of　such　free　possession。（59*）　Every　kind　of　personal　commendation　to　influential　people　is　also　forbidden。（60*）　　　　　Notwithstanding　all　these　rules　and　precepts；　every　page　of　the　documents　testifies　to　frequent　migrations　from　the　manors　in　opposition　to　the　express　will　of　the　landowners。　The　surveys　tell　of　serfs　who　settle　on　strange　land　even　in　the　vicinity　of　their　former　home。（61*）　It　is　by　no　means　exceptional　to　find　mention　of　enterprising　landlords　drawing　away　the　population　from　their　neighbours'　manors。（62*）　The　fugitive　villain　and　the　settler　who　comes　from　afar　are　a　well…marked　feature　of　this　feudal　society。（63*）　　　　　The　limitations　of　rights　of　property　have　left　as　distinct　traces　in　the　cartularies　as　the　direct　consequences　of　personal　unfreedom。　These　two　matters　are　connected　by　the　principle　that　everything　acquired　by　the　slave　is　acquired　by　his　master；　and　this　principle　finds　both　expression　and　application　in　our　documents。　On　the　strength　of　it　the　Abbot　of　Eynsham　takes　from　his　peasant　land　which　had　been　bought　by　the　latter's　father。（64*）　The　case　dates　from　the　second　half　of　the　fourteenth　century；　from　a　time　when　the　social　conflict　had　become　particularly　acute　in　consequence　of　the　Black　Death；　and　of　the　consequent　attempts　on　the　part　of　landlords　to　stretch　their　rights　to　the　utmost。　But　we　have　a　case　from　the　thirteenth　century：　the　Prior　of　Barnwell　quotes　the　abovementioned　rule　in　support　of　a　confiscation　of　his　villain's　land。（65*）　　In　both　instances　the　principle　is　laid　down　expressly；　but　in　other　cases　peasants　were　deprived　of　their　property　without　any　formal　explanat