Feudal System. 33 



issuing strict forest ordinances to regulate the cutting 

 of wood; finally, the original right which belonged to 

 every commoner of supplying himself with wood 

 material, became dependent upon permission in each 

 case, and thus his title to ownership became doubtful. 

 Undoubtedly also through the influence of Roman 

 institutions with which the Franks under their 

 Merovingian kings came into close contact, there 

 arose that social and political institution which be- 

 came finally known as the feudal system. By the grants 

 of lands which the kings made out of their estates to 

 their kinsmen and followers with the understanding 

 that they would be faithful and render service to their 

 masters, a peculiar relationship grew up, based on 

 land tenure, the land so granted being called a fief or 

 feud, and the relationship being called vassality or 

 vassalage. This vassalage denoted the personal tie 

 between the grantor and grantee, the lord and the 

 vassal; the lord having the obligation to defend the 

 vassal, and the vassal to be a faithful follower of his 

 lord. Similar relationship arose from the surrender 

 by landowners of their estates to the church or to 

 other powerful barons, to be received back again as 

 fiefs and to be held by them as tenants in exchange 

 for rent or service. In this way a complete organiza- 

 tion of society developed in which, from the king 

 down to the lowest landowner, all were bound together 

 by obligation of service and defence, both the defence 

 and service being regulated by the nature and extent 

 of the fief. Finally, all kinds of property of what- 

 ever nature, as well as official positions which would 

 give an income, were subject to be treated as fiefs. 



