Sect. II. THE COUNTY OF FIFE. 57 



to the superior an annual elusory duty, such as 

 a penny Scots, merely as an acknowledgment 

 of the superiority. Feu-holding, again, is that 

 by which the vassal is obliged to pay to the su- 

 perior an yearly rent in money or grain, in the 

 name of feu-duty. Several of the proprietors, 

 who hold their lands by this tenure, pay a very 

 considerable sum annually to the Crown. An- 

 ciently, a large proportion of the property of 

 this county held of the clergy, but which now, 

 since the abolition of Episcopal government, 

 holds of the Crown, as coming in place of the 

 bishops. The feu-duties for such lands were 

 paid, partly in money, and partly in grain. 

 They still retain the name of Bishop's rents : 

 but the proportion, formerly paid in grain, is 

 now paid in -money by the fiars qf the county. 

 The chief revenue of this kind in Fife arises from 

 the archbishopric of St Andrew's. A few tene- 

 ments hold of the Prince, and some of the lands 

 pay a revenue to the Castle of Edinburgh. 



The number of freeholders in Fife, qualified 

 to vote for the member of Parliament, presently 

 standing upon the roll, as made up at the last 

 Michaelmas head-court, amounts to 173. 



Besides those who hold immediately of the 

 Crown, there is a great number of heritors, and 

 many of these of considerable property, who 

 hold their lands of a subject-superior, and of 

 course have no voice in the election of the mem- 

 ber of Parliament. There is also another class 

 of proprietors, who pass under the general de- 

 signation of feuars, holding of individual pro- 

 prietors, and subject generally to a small duty, 

 or quit rent. Exempted from the payment of 

 H 



