VIL] DISTRIBUTION OF LAND IN ENGLAND. 27 



It would be unnecessary in most instances to take 

 the pasture into account, because its value might be 

 assumed to be much less than that of the plough 

 land, besides being generally proportionate to it in 

 extent. If the estate did not contain an exact 

 number of hides, the fractions were estimated in 

 virgates and in acres ; the virgate, no doubt, like the 

 hide, comprising, not merely the arable, but the 

 appurtenant right of pasture also. There were, as I 

 have mentioned, four virgates of arable to the plough 

 land, each virgate contributing two oxen to the 

 plough. So there were to the hide four complete 

 virgates, comprising arable land and rights of 

 pasture. It is mentioned in the Rectltudines that 

 the gebur was provided with six sheep and a cow 

 as well as two oxen. 



It was usual for the owner of land to hold a 

 portion generally about one-half in hand, or in 

 dominio, the remainder being occupied by the vil- 

 leins, and cottagers with gardens and orchards. As 

 a villein generally occupied a yard of land, we may 

 conclude that there would be regularly two villeins 

 to each hide of land. In such a case, each villein 

 would contribute his two oxen to the plough, while 

 the owner would provide the remaining four. 



Some confusion has arisen from the hide being 

 occasionally spoken of as equivalent to the plough- 

 land a mode of expression which was, I have no 

 doubt, adopted, in consequence of the plough-land 



