20 THE GREAT PLAGUE AND ITS RESULTS II 



bondsman by blood and the freeman, and also between the 

 villeinage by tenure and the freehold. 1 The freeman, 

 whether he holds some land on villein tenure or not, is free 

 to come and go ; he cannot be forced to act as reeve ; he 

 can sell all the lands he holds in freehold, and above all, 

 if his tenure is free, he can sue for a writ of right in 

 the King's Courts against his lord who dispossesses him. 

 The villein by blood or status is bound to the land : he cannot 

 leave it without the lord's licence ; he is liable to pay merchet 

 for leave to marry his daughter and leyrwite for her 

 incontinency, and fines for leave to send his boy to school, 

 or to have him ordained \ he can be tallaged at the lord's 

 will. The lord can seize his lands and his chattels, except 

 perhaps his waynage or implements of industry, 2 although 

 land or goods which he has himself acquired do not lapse 

 unless the lord has actually taken them in hand. 3 The 

 lord can move him from one holding to another and increase 

 his labour services. He can sell his labour, or even his 

 person and his family, away from the manor altogether. 

 The bondsman by blood is indeed protected in life and limb 

 against his lord, and as against all others he is free and can 

 enforce any engagements made with them, but he must 

 first get his lord's leave and pay a fine (gersumma). 



So again the difference between villeinage and free tenure 

 is considerable. If it is free, the services other than the 

 military service, which was forty days whenever called 

 upon and the dues are fixed and immutable, whereas the 

 characteristic feature of villein tenure lies in the uncertainty 

 of the services. ' He knoweth not to-night what he may 



1 But N.B. : There is no difference between villeins in gross and 

 regardant. The terms apply to the same person from different points 

 of view. In gross = villein without further qualification. Regard- 

 ant = in reference to the manor. Vinogradoff, Villeinage, p. 55. 



2 Ibid., p. 75. 3 Ibid., p. 67. 



