INTRODUCTION IX 



tions and practices that have long since passed away. 

 Though they so far supplement one another as to give a 

 fairly complete picture of the life in a thirteenth century 

 manor, it may be convenient to introduce a brief sketch of 

 the organisation of a mediaeval estate, and to trace the causes 

 which brought about the destruction of the system that 

 was then in vogue. 



This introduction will deal in turn with the following 

 topics : — 



I. Thirteenth century estate management. 

 II. The relations of these treatises. 



III. Walter of Henley's Husbandry. 



IV. The anonymous Husbandry. 

 V. Seneschaucie. 



VI. Grosseteste's Rules. 



I. 



THIETEENTH CENTURY ESTATE MANAGEMENT. 



There are many contrasts between the landed system 

 which obtains in this country at present and the mode of 

 estate management which was in vogue when Walter of 

 Henley wrote. Perhaps the two most important differ- 

 ences are these : (1) That there are now three classes con- 

 cerned in agriculture where formerly there were only two ; 

 and (2) that the economic obligations of these classes 

 toward each other are now discharged in cash, whereas in 

 former days they were often paid either wholly or in part 

 in kind. 



1. We habitually classify the agricultural population 

 into the landlord who owns the land and buildings and 

 receives rent, the farmer who supplies the capital and 

 superintends and looks for profit, and the labourer who does 

 the work and is paid a weekly wage. In all probability the 

 landlord has very little, if any, land in his own hands, and 

 though he may sink capital .in permanent improvements, 

 he does not feel called upon to provide the stock on the 



