vill3-第2章

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field'　（campus）　is　used　here　not　in　the　ordinary　sense　suggested　by　such　records　as　spring…field；　winter…field；　and　the　like；　but　in　reference　to　the　topography　of　the　district。　The　whole　territory　under　cultivation　was　divided　into　a　number　of　squares　or　furlongs　which　lay　round　the　village　in　four　large　groups。　The　alternation　of　crops　distributed　the　same　area　into　three　according　to　a　mode　not　described　by　the　Survey；　and　it　looks　proVable　at　first　glance　that　each　of　the　'fields'　（campi）　contained　elements　of　all　three　courses。　The　supposition　becomes　a　certainty；　if　we　reflect　that　it　gives　the　only　possible　explanation　of　the　way　in　which　the　twofold　alternation　of　the　'inhoc'　is　made　to　fit　with　the　threefold　rotation　of　crops：　every　year　some　of　the　land　in　each　campus　had　to　remain　in　fallow；　and　could　be　inclosed　or　taken　under　'inhoc。'　Had　the　campus　as　a　whole　been　reserved　for　one　of　the　three　courses；　there　would　have　been　room　for　the　'inhoc'　only　every　three　years。　　　　　I　have　gone　into　some　details　in　connexion　with　this　instance　because　it　presents　a　deviation　from　ordinary　rules；　and　even　a　deviation　from　the　usual　phraseology；　and　it　is　probable　that　the　exceptional　use　of　words　depended　on　the　exceptional　process　of　farming。　A　new　species　of　arable　　the　manured　plot　under　'inhoc'　　came　into　use；　and　naturally　disturbed　the　plain　arrangement　of　the　old…fashioned　three　courses；　the　lands　had　to　be　grouped　anew　into　four　sections　which　went　under　the　accustomed　designation　of　'fields；'　although　they　did　not　fit　in　with　the　'three　fields'　of　the　old　system。　In　most　cases；　however；　our　records　use　the　word　'field'　（campus）　in　that　very　sense　of　land　under　one　of　the　'courses；'　which　is　out　of　the　question　in　the　case　taken　from　the　Gloucester　Cartulary。　The　common　use　is　especially　clear　when　the　documents　want　to　describe　the　holding　of　a　person；　and　mention　the　number　of　acres　in　each　'field。'　The　Abbot　of　Malmesbury；　e。g。；　enfeoffs　one　Robert　with　a　virgate　formerly　held　'in　the　fields'　by　A。；　twenty…one　acres　in　one　field　and　twenty…one　in　another。（11*）　The　charter　does　not　contain　any　description　of　campi　in　the　territorial　sense；　and　it　is　evident　that　the　expression　'in　the　fields'　is　meant　to　indicate　a　customary　and　well…known　husbandry　arrangement。　The　same　meaning　must　be　put　on　sentences　like　the　following：　　R。A。　holds　a　virgate　consisting　of　forty…two　acres　in　both　fields。（12*）　The　question　may　be　raised　whether　we　have　to　look　for　'both　fields'　in　the　winter　and　springfield　of　the　three　courses　rotation；　or　in　the　arable　and　fallow　of　the　two　courses。　In　the　first　of　these　eventualities；　the　third　reserved　for　pasture　and　rest　would　be　left　out　of　the　reckoning；　it　would　be　treated　as　an　appurtenance　of　the　land　that　was　in　cultivation。　Cases　in　which　the　portions　in　the　several　fields　are　unequal　seem　to　point　to　the　second　sense。（13*）　It　was　impossible　to　divide　the　whole　territory　under　cultivation　like　a　piece　of　paper：　conformation　of　the　soil　had；　of　course；　much　to　do　with　the　shape　of　the　furlongs　and　their　distribution；　and　the　courses　of　the　husbandry　could　not　impress　themselves　on　it　without　some　inequalities　and　stray　remnants。　It　may　happen　for　this　reason　that　a　man　holds　sixteen　acres　in　one　field　and　fourteen　in　the　other。　There　is　almost　always；　however；　a　certain　correspondence　between　the　number　of　acres　in　each　field；　instances　of　very　great　disparity　are　rare；　and　suppose　some　local　and　special　reasons　which　we　cannot　trace。　Such　disparities　seem　to　point；　however；　to　a　rotation　according　to　two　courses；　because　the　fallow　of　the　three　courses　could　have　been　left　out　of　the　reckoning　only　if　all　the　parts　in　the　fields　were　equal。（14*）　I　think　that　a　careful　inspection　of　the　surveys　from　this　point　of　view　may　lead　to　the　conclusion　that　the　two　courses　rotation　was　very　extensively　spread　in　England　in　the　thirteenth　century。　　　　　A　most　important　feature　of　the　mediaeval　system　of　tillage　was　its　compulsory　character。　The　several　tenants；　even　when　freeholders；　could　not　manage　their　plots　at　their　own　choice。（15*）　The　entire　soil　of　the　township　formed　one　whole　in　this　respect；　and　was　subjected　to　the　management　of　the　entire　village。　The　superior　right　of　the　community　found　expression　in　the　fact　that　the　fields　were　open　to　common　use　as　pasture　after　the　harvest；　as　well　as　in　the　regulation　of　the　modes　of　farming　and　order　of　tillage　by　the　township。　Even　the　lord　himself　had　to　conform　to　the　customs　and　rules　set　up　by　the　community；　and　attempts　to　break　through　them；　although　they　become　frequent　enough　at　the　close　of　the　thirteenth　century；　and　especially　in　the　fourteenth；　are　met　by　a　resistance　which　sometimes　actually　leads　to　litigation。（16*）　The　freeholders　alone　have　access　to　the　courts；　but　in　practice　the　entire　body　of　the　tenantry　is　equally　concerned。　The　passage　towards　more　efficient　modes　of　cultivation　was　very　much　obstructed　by　these　customary　rules　as　to　rotation　of　crops；　which　flow　not　from　the　will　and　interest　of　single　owners；　but　from　the　decision　of　communities。　　　　　The　several　plots　and　holdings　do　not　lie　in　compact　I　patches；　but　are　formed　of　strips　intermixed　with　each　other。　The　so…called　open…field　system　has　been　treated　so　exhaustively　and　with　such　admirable　clearness　by　Seebohm；　that　I　need　not　detain　my　readers　in　order　to　discuss　it　at　length。　I　shall　merely　take　from　the　Eynsham　Cartulary　the　general　description　of　the　arable　of　Shifford；　Oxon。　It　consists　of　several　furlongs　or　areas；　more　or　less　rectangular　in　shape；　each　furlong　divided　into　a　certain　number　of　strips　（seliones）；　mostly　half　an　acre　or　a　rood　（quarter　acre）　in　width；　some　of　these　strips　get　shortened；　however　（seliones　curtae）；　or　sharpened　（gorae）；　according　to　the　shape　of　the　country。　At　right　angles　with　the　strips　in　the　fields　lie　the　'headlands'　（capitales）；　which　admit　to　other　strips　when　there　is　no　special　road　for　the　purpose。（17*）　When　the　area　under　tillage　abuts　against　some　obstacles；　as　against　a　highway；　a　river；　a　neighbouring　furlong；　the　strips　are　stunted　（buttae）。　Every　strip　is　separated　from　the　next　by　balks　on　even　ground；　and　linches　on　the　steep　slopes　of　a　hill。　The　holding　of　a　peasant；　free　or　villain；　has　been　appropriately　likened　to　a　bundle　of　these　strips　of　different　shapes；　the　component　parts　of　which　lie　intermixed　with　the　elements　of　other　holdings　in　the　different　fields　of　the　township。　There　is　e。g。　in　the　Alvingham　Cartulary　a　deed　by　which　John　Aysterby　grants　to　the　Priory　of　Alvingham　in　Lincolnshire　his　villain　Robert　and　half　a　bovate　of　land。（18*）　The　half…bovate　is　found　to　consist　of　twelve　strips　west　of　Alvingham　and　sixteen　strips　east　of　the　village；　the　several　plots　lie　among　similar　plots　owned　by　the　priory　and　by　other　peasants。　The　demesne　land　of　the　priory　is　also　situated　not　in　compact　areas；　but　in　strips　intermixed　with　those　of　the　tenantry；　in　the　'communal　fields'　according　to　the　phraseology　of　our　documents。　　　　　Such　a　distribution　of　the　arable　seems　odd　enough。　It　led　undoubtedly　to　very　great　inconvenience　in　many　ways：　it　was　difficult　for　the　owner　to　look　after　his　prop