vill3-第31章
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gh eight acres per virgate for the lord； while for the members of the other group the ploughing work is reckoned in the same way as in the case of the villains； each placing his team at the disposal of the lord one day of every week from Michaelmas to the 1st of August； four weeks being excepted in honour of Christmas； Easter； and Trinity。（62*） Ravenston； in Buckinghamshire； is a much clearer example。 Twelve villains hold of the Prior of Ravenston twelve acres each； and their service is worth eighteen shillings per holding； four villains hold six acres each； and their service is valued at nine shillings。 One free tenant has twelve acres and pays sixteen shillings； six have six acres each； and pay seven shillings。 There are three other tenants whose duties cannot be brought within the system。（63*） The portion of Fulborne； in Cambridgeshire； belonging to Baldwin de Maneriis； may also serve as an illustration of an almost regular distribution of land and service among the freeholders。（64*） Instances in which the duties； although not exactly； are still very nearly equal； are very frequent。 In Radewelle； Bedfordshire； the mean rent of the six is two shillings per half…virgate； although the villains perform service to the amount of eight shillings per virgate。（65*） Bidenham； Bedfordshire； also presents an assessment of four shillings per free virgate。（66*） In that part of Fulborne which is owned by Alan de la Zuche the virgates and half…virgates of the free holders are variously rented； but twelve shillings per half…virgate is of common occurrence（67*） while in the fee of Maud Passelewe we find only four and five shillings as the rent for the half…virgate。（68*） Papworth Anneys exhibits a ferdel of seven and a half acres； for which ten to twelve shillings are paid。（69*） As to the cases in which the service varies a great deal； although the land is held in shares； I need not give quotations because they are to be found on every page of the printed hundred Rolls。 We may say； in conclusion； that the process of disruption acts much more potently in the sphere of free holding than it does in regard to villainage； but that it has by no means succeeded in destroying all regularity even there。 Thus； even among the freeholders； landholding is often what I shall take leave to call 'shareholding。' Now； whatever ultimate explanation we may give of this fact； it has one obvious meaning。 That part of the free population which holds in regular shares is not governed entirely by the rules of private ownership； but is somehow implicated in the village community。 Bovates and virgates exist only as parts of carucates or hides； and the several carucates or hides themselves fit together； inasmuch as they suppose a constant apportionment of some kind。 Two sets of important questions arise from this proposition； both intimately connected with each other； although they suggest different lines of enquiry。 We may start from an examination of the single holding； and ask whether its regular shape can be explained by the requirements of its condition or by survivals of a former condition。 Or again； we may start from the whole and inquire whether the equality the elements of which we detect is equality in ownership or equality in service。 Let us take up the first thread of the inquiry。 How can we account for the occurrence of regular 'shareholding' among the freeholders？ Two possibilities have to be considered： the free character of the tenements may be newly acquired and the 'shareholding' may be a relic of a servile past； or； on the other hand； the freehold character of the tenements may be coeval with the 'shareholding；' and in this latter case we shall have to admit the existence of freeholds which from of old have formed an element in the village community。 In the first of these cases again we shall have to distinguish between two suppositions： Servile tenements have become free； this may be due either to some general measure of enfranchisement； a lord having preferred to take money rents in lieu of the old labour services； and these money rents being the modern equivalent for those old services； or else to particular and occasional feoffments made in favour of those who； for one reason or another； have earned some benefit at the lord's hand。 To put it shortly； we may explain the phenomenon either by a process of commutation such as that which turned 'workland' into 'molland；' or by special privileges which have exempted certain shares in the land from a general scheme of villainage； or； lastly； by the existence of freeholds as normal factors in the ancient village community。 Let us test these various suppositions by the facts recorded in our surveys。 At first sight it may seem possible to account for the freehold virgates by reference to the process which converted 'workland' into 'molland。' We have seen above that if a lord began to demand money instead of work； the result might； in some cases； be the evolution of new tenures which gradually lost their villain character and became recognised as genuine freeholds。 And no doubt one considerable class of cases can be explained by this process。 But a great many instances seem to call for some other explanation。 To begin with； the mere acceptance of rent in lieu of labour did not make the tenement a freehold； servile tenements were frequently put ad censum；（70*） and it seems difficult to believe that many lords allowed a commutation of labour for rent to have the effect of turning villainage into freehold。 Another difficulty is found on the opposite side。 What force kept the shares together when they had become free？ Why did they not accumulate and disperse according to the chances of free development？ It may be thought that custom； and express conditions of feoffment； must have acted against disruption。 I do not deny the possibility； but I say that it is not easy to explain the very widely diffused phenomenon of free shareholding by a commutation which tended to break up the shares and to make them useless for the purposes of assessment。 Still I grant that these considerations； though they should have some weight； are not decisive； and I insist chiefly on the following argument。 The peculiar trait which distinguishes 'molland' is the transition from labour service to money rent； and the rent is undoubtedly considered as an equivalent for the right to labour services which the lord abandons。 It must be admitted that in some cases the lord may have taken less than the real equivalent in order to get such a convenient commodity as money； or because for some reason or another he was in need of current coin。 Still I am not afraid to say that； in a general way； commutation supposes an exchange against an equivalent。 Indeed the demand for money rents was considered rather as increasing than as decreasing the burden incumbent on the peasantry。（71*） Now； although it would be preposterous to try and make out in every single case whether the rent of the free virgate is an adequate equivalent for villain services or not； there is a very sufficient number of instances in which a rough reckoning may be made without fear of going much astray。（72*） And if we attempt such a reckoning we shall be struck by the number of cases in which the rent of the free virgate falls considerably short of what it yielded by the virgate of the villain。 We have seen that in Ravenston； Bedfordshire； the villain service is valued at eight shillings per virgate； and that the free assessment amounts only to four shillings。 In Thriplow； Cambridgeshire； the villains perform labour duties valued at 9s。 4d。 per bovate； the freeholders are assessed variously； but there is a certain number among them which forms； as it were； the stock of that class； and their average rent is 5s。 6d。 per bovate。（73*） In Tyringham； Buckinghamshire； the villain holding is computed at six acres and one rood； and its service at five shillings； the free virgates have a like number of acres and pay various rents； but almost without exception less than the villains。（74*） In Croxton； Cambridgeshire； there are customers with twenty acres； and others with ten acres； the first have to pay ten shillings and to assist at four boonworks。 The free holders are possessed of plots
