vill3-第49章

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mon　law　manors。　Stoneleigh　may　be　taken　as　a　good　specimen　of　the　first　class。　　　　　The　manor　was　divided　into　six　hamlets；　and　every　one　of　these　consisted　of　eight　virgates　of　land　which　were　originally　held　by　single　socmen；　although　the　regularity　of　the　arrangement　seems　to　have　been　broken　up　very　soon　in　consequence　of　increase　of　population；　extension　of　the　cultivated　area；　and　the　sale　of　small　parcels　of　the　holdings。　The　socmen　met　anciently　to　hold　courts　in　a　place　called　Motstowehill；　and　afterwards　in　a　house　which　was　built　for　the　purpose　by　the　Abbot。　The　way　in　which　the　Register　speaks　of　the　ad　mission　of　a　socman　to　his　holding　is　very　characteristic：　'Every　heir　succeeding　to　his　father　ought　to　be　admitted　to　the　succession　in　his　fifteenth　year；　and　let　him　pay　relief　to　the　lord；　that　is；　pay　twice　his　rent。　And　he　will　give　judgments　with　his　peers　the　socmen；　and　become　reeve　for　the　collection　of　the　lord's　revenue；　and　answer　to　writs　and　do　everything　else　as　if　he　was　of　full　age　at　common　law。'　The　duty　and　right　to　give　judgment　in　the　Court　of　Stoneleigh　is　emphatically　stated　on　several　occasions；　and　altogether　the　jurisdictional　independence　of　the　court　and　of　its　suitors　is　set　before　us　in　the　smallest　but　always　significant　details。　If　somebody　is　bringing　a　royal　close　writ　of　right　directed　to　the　bailiffs　of　the　manor　it　cannot　be　opened　unless　in　full　court。　When　the　bailiff　has　to　summon　anybody　by　order　of　the　court　he　takes　two　socmen　to　witness　the　summons。　Whenever　a　trial　is　terminated　either　by　some　one's　default　in　making　his　law　or　by　non…defence　the　costs　are　to　be　taxed　by　the　court。　The　alienation　of　land　and　admittance　of　strangers　are　allowed　only　upon　the　express　consent　of　the　court。（62*）　In　one　word；　every　page　of　the　Stoneleigh　Register　shows　a　closely　and　powerfully　organised　community；　of　which　the　lord　is　merely　a　president。　　　　　The　rolls　of　King's　Ripton　are　not　less　explicit　in　this　respect。　People　are　fined　for　selling　land　without　the　licence　of　the　court；　for　selling　it　'outside　the　court。'（63*）　The　judgment　depends　entirely　on　the　verdict　given　by　the　community　of　suitors　or　its　representatives　the　jurors。　When　the　parties　rely　on　some　former　decision；　arrangement；　or　statement　of　law；　they　appeal　to　the　rolls　of　the　court；　which；　as　has　been　said　already；　present　nothing　else　but　the　recorded　jurisprudence　of　the　body　of　suitors。（64*）　The　extent　of　the　legal　self…government　of　this　little　community　may　be　well　seen　in　the　record　of　a　trial　in　which　the　Abbot　of　Ramsey；　the　lord　of　the　manor；　is　impleaded　upon　a　little　writ　of　right　by　one　of　his　tenants。（65*）　But　it　is　hardly　necessary　to　dwell　on　so　normal　an　event。　I　should　like　to　take　up　for　once　the　opposite　standpoint；　and　to　show　that　in　these　very　communities　on　the　ancient　demesne　elements　are　apparent　which　have　thrived　and　developed　in　ordinary　manors　to　such　an　extent　as　to　obscure　their　self…government。　In　the　Rolls　of　King's　Ripton　we　might　easily　notice　a　number　of　instances　in　which　the　influence　of　the　lord　makes　itself　felt　directly　or　indirectly　through　the　means　of　his　steward。　We　come；　for　instance；　on　the　following　forms　of　pleading：　An　action　of　dower　is　brought；　and　the　defendants　ask　that　the　laws　and　customs　hitherto　used　in　the　court　should　be　observed　in　regard　to　them　　they　have　a　right　to　three　summonses；　three　distraints；　and　three　essoins；　and　if　they　make　default　after　that；　the　land　ought　to　be　taken　into　the　lord's　hand；　when；　but　only　if　it　is　not　replevied　in　the　course　of　fifteen　days；　it　will　be　lost　for　good　and　all。　All　these　demands　are　granted　by　the　steward；　with　whom　the　decision；　at　least　formally；　rests。（66*）　Again；　when　we　hear　that　the　whole　court　craves　leave　to　defer　its　judgment　till　the　next　meeting；　it　is　clear　that　it　rests　with　the　steward　to　grant　this　request。（67*）　We　may　find　now　and　then　a　consideration　for　the　interests　of　the　lord　which　transcends　the　limits　of　mere　formal　right；　as　in　a　case　where　a　certain　Margery　asks　the　court；　without　any　writ　of　right　or　formal　action；　that　an　inquest　may　be　held　as　to　a　part　of　her　messuage　which　is　detained　in　the　hands　of　the　Abbot；　although　she　performs　the　service　due　for　it。　The　inquest　is　held；　and　apparently　ends　in　her　favour；　but　she　is　directed　at　the　same　time　to　go　and　speak　with　the　lord　about　the　matter。　Ultimately　she　gets　what　she　wants　after　this　private　interview。（68*）　The　proceedings　are　irregular　and　interesting：　the　usual　forms　of　action　are　disregarded；　a　verdict　is　given；　but　the　material　decision　is　left　with　the　lord；　and　is　to　be　sought　for　by　private　intercession。　Quite　close　to　this　entry　we　find　an　instance　which　is　in　flagrant　contradiction　with　such　a　considerate　treatment　of　all　parties。　The　jurors　of　the　court　are　called　upon　to　decide　a　question　of　testament　and　succession。　They　say　that　none　of　them　was　present　when　the　testament　was　made；　and　that　they　know　nothing　about　it；　and　will　say　nothing　about　it。　'And　so　leaving　their　business　undone；　and　in　great　contempt　of　the　lord　and　of　his　bailiffs；　they　leave　the　court。　And　therefore　it　is　ordered　that　the　bailiffs　do　cause　to　be　levied　a　sum　of　40s　to　the　use　of　the　lord　from　the　property　of　the　said　jurors　by　distress　continued　from　day　to。　day。'（69*）　This　case　may　stand　as　a　good　example　both　of　the　sturdy　self…will　which　the　peasantry　occasionally　asserted　in　their　dealings　with　the　lord；　and　of　the　opportunities　that　the　lord　had　of　asserting　his　superiority　in　a　very　high…handed　manner。　　　　　But　we　need　not　even　turn　to　any　egregious　instances　in　which　the　lord's　power　is　thus　displayed。　The　usual　forms　of　surrender　are　there　to　show　that；　as　regards　origins；　we　have　the　same　thing　here　as　in　ordinary　manors；　although　the　peculiarities　of　the　ancient　demesne　have　brought　forward　the　features　of　communal　organisation　in　a　very　marked　way；　and　have　held　the　element　of　lordship　in　check。　　　　　We　have　seen　that　there　was　only　one　halimot　in　the　thirteenth　and　the　preceding　centuries；　and　that　the　division　into　customary　court　and　court　baron　developed　at　a　later　time。　We　have　seen；　secondly；　that　this　halimot　was　a　meeting　of　the　community　under　the　presidency　of　the　steward；　and　that　the　relative　functions　of　community　and　steward　became　very　distinct　only　in　later　days。　It　remains　to　be　seen　how　far　the　fundamental　class　division　between　free　tenants　and　villains　affected　the　management　of　the　court。　As　there　was　but　one　halimot　and　not　two；　both　classes　had　to　meet　and　to　act　concurrently　in　it。　The　free　people　now　and　then　assert　separate　claims：　a　chaplain　wages　his　law　on　the　manor　of　Brightwaltham　that　he　did　not　defame　the　lord's　butler；　but　when　he　gets　convicted　by　a　good　inquest　of　jurors　of　having　broken　the　lord's　hedges　and　carried　away　the　lord's　fowls；　he　will　not　justify　himself　of　these　trespasses　and　departs　in　contempt；　doubtless　because　he　will　not　submit　to　the　judgment　of　people　who　are　not　on　a　par　with　him。（70*）　Freeholders　object　to　being　placed　on　ordinary　juries　of　the　manor；（71*）　although　they　will　serve　as　jurors　on　special　occasions；　and　as　a　sort　of　controlling　body　over　the　common　presenter