AT THE CONQUEST. 103 



With the Britons the land was so exten- 

 sively divided among tlie people, that it became 

 necessary that each owner should reside upon his 

 portion, which he cultivated for a subsistence ; 

 and as no rent, and few taxes were paid, there 

 was no opulent class to congregate together to 

 form towns. David Williams in his history of 

 Monmouthshire, page 17, when speaking of the 

 manner in which land was disposed of among 

 the ancient Britons, says 



* Supposing the laws of Howell, the good, to 

 have been principally collected from the ancient 

 customs of the country, the political constitution 

 may be thus summarily described. In every 

 district or principality the Prince was the depo- 

 sitary of the general property, or the trustee of 

 the territory, which was divided into portions of 

 twelve acres to every man in public employment, 

 eight to every father of a family, and four to a 

 stranger becoming a member of the community. 

 All the unoccupied lands remained with the 

 Prince, whose privileges were transferred in suc- 

 cession to the eldest of his kindred possessing the 

 best accomplishments of body and mind.* 



And further on he says, ' that on the country 

 becoming too fuU of people, they made war 

 on their neighbours to procure lands, and this 



