vill3-第2章

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　not　manage　their　plots　at　their　own　choice。（15*）　The　entire　soil　of　the　township　formed　one　whole　in　this　respect；　and　was　subjected　to　the　management　of　the　entire　village。　The　superior　right　of　the　community　found　expression　in　the　fact　that　the　fields　were　open　to　common　use　as　pasture　after　the　harvest；　as　well　as　in　the　regulation　of　the　modes　of　farming　and　order　of　tillage　by　the　township。　Even　the　lord　himself　had　to　conform　to　the　customs　and　rules　set　up　by　the　community；　and　attempts　to　break　through　them；　although　they　become　frequent　enough　at　the　close　of　the　thirteenth　century；　and　especially　in　the　fourteenth；　are　met　by　a　resistance　which　sometimes　actually　leads　to　litigation。（16*）　The　freeholders　alone　have　access　to　the　courts；　but　in　practice　the　entire　body　of　the　tenantry　is　equally　concerned。　The　passage　towards　more　efficient　modes　of　cultivation　was　very　much　obstructed　by　these　customary　rules　as　to　rotation　of　crops；　which　flow　not　from　the　will　and　interest　of　single　owners；　but　from　the　decision　of　communities。　　　　　The　several　plots　and　holdings　do　not　lie　in　compact　I　patches；　but　are　formed　of　strips　intermixed　with　each　other。　The　so…called　open…field　system　has　been　treated　so　exhaustively　and　with　such　admirable　clearness　by　Seebohm；　that　I　need　not　detain　my　readers　in　order　to　discuss　it　at　length。　I　shall　merely　take　from　the　Eynsham　Cartulary　the　general　description　of　the　arable　of　Shifford；　Oxon。　It　consists　of　several　furlongs　or　areas；　more　or　less　rectangular　in　shape；　each　furlong　divided　into　a　certain　number　of　strips　（seliones）；　mostly　half　an　acre　or　a　rood　（quarter　acre）　in　width；　some　of　these　strips　get　shortened；　however　（seliones　curtae）；　or　sharpened　（gorae）；　according　to　the　shape　of　the　country。　At　right　angles　with　the　strips　in　the　fields　lie　the　'headlands'　（capitales）；　which　admit　to　other　strips　when　there　is　no　special　road　for　the　purpose。（17*）　When　the　area　under　tillage　abuts　against　some　obstacles；　as　against　a　highway；　a　river；　a　neighbouring　furlong；　the　strips　are　stunted　（buttae）。　Every　strip　is　separated　from　the　next　by　balks　on　even　ground；　and　linches　on　the　steep　slopes　of　a　hill。　The　holding　of　a　peasant；　free　or　villain；　has　been　appropriately　likened　to　a　bundle　of　these　strips　of　different　shapes；　the　component　parts　of　which　lie　intermixed　with　the　elements　of　other　holdings　in　the　different　fields　of　the　township。　There　is　e。g。　in　the　Alvingham　Cartulary　a　deed　by　which　John　Aysterby　grants　to　the　Priory　of　Alvingham　in　Lincolnshire　his　villain　Robert　and　half　a　bovate　of　land。（18*）　The　half…bovate　is　found　to　consist　of　twelve　strips　west　of　Alvingham　and　sixteen　strips　east　of　the　village；　the　several　plots　lie　among　similar　plots　owned　by　the　priory　and　by　other　peasants。　The　demesne　land　of　the　priory　is　also　situated　not　in　compact　areas；　but　in　strips　intermixed　with　those　of　the　tenantry；　in　the　'communal　fields'　according　to　the　phraseology　of　our　documents。　　　　　Such　a　distribution　of　the　arable　seems　odd　enough。　It　led　undoubtedly　to　very　great　inconvenience　in　many　ways：　it　was　difficult　for　the　owner　to　look　after　his　property　in　the　several　fields；　and　to　move　constantly　from　one　place　to　another　for　the　purposes　of　cultivation。　A　thrifty　husbandman　was　more　or　less　dependent　for　the　results　of　his　work　on　his　neighbours；　who　very　likely　were　not　thrifty。　The　strips　were　not　always　measured　with　exactness；（19*）　and　our　surveys　mention　curious　misunderstandings　in　this　respect：　it　happens　that　as　much　as　three　acres　belonging　to　a　particular　person　get　mislaid　somehow　and　cannot　be　identified。（20*）　It　is　needless　to　say　that　disputes　among　the　neighbours　were　rendered　especially　frequent　by　the　rough　way　of　dividing　the　strips；　and　by　the　cutting　up　of　the　holdings　into　narrow　strips　involving　a　very　long　line　of　boundary。　And　still　the　open…field　system；　with　the　intermixed　strips；　is　quite　a　prevalent　feature　of　mediaeval　husbandry　all　over　Europe。　It　covers　the　whole　area　occupied　by　the　village　community；　it　is　found　in　Russia　as　well　as　in　England。　　　　　Before　we　try　to　find　an　explanation　for　it；　I　shall　call　the　attention　of　the　reader　to　the　following　tale　preserved　by　an　ancient　survey　of　Dunstable　Priory。　I　think　that　the　record　may　suggest　the　explanation　with　the　more　authority　as　it　will　proceed　from　well…established　facts　and　not　from　suppositions。（21*）　The　story　goes　back　to　the　original　division　of　the　land　belonging　to　the　Wahull　manor　by　the　lords　de　Wahull　and　de　la　Lege。　The　former　had　to　receive　two…thirds　of　the　manor　and　the　latter　one…third：　a　note　explains　this　to　mean；　that　one　had　to　take　twenty　knight…fees　and　the　other　ten。　The　lord　de　Wahull　took　all　the　park　in　Segheho　and　the　entire　demesne　farm　in　'Bechebury'。　As　a　compensation　for　the　surrender　of　rights　on　the　part　of　his　fellow　parcener；　he　ordered　the　wood　and　pasture　called　Northwood　to　be　measured；　as　also　the　neighbouring　wood　called　Churlwood。　He　removed　all　the　peasants　who　lived　in　these　places；　and　had　also　the　arable　of　Segheho　measured；　and　it　was　found　that　there　were　eight　hides　of　villain　land。　Of　these　eight　hides　one…fourth　was　taken；　and　it　was　reckoned　that　this　fourth　was　an　equivalent　to　the　one…third　of　the　park　and　of　the　demesne　farm；　which　ought　by　right　to　have　gone　to　the　lord　de　la　Lege。　On　the　basis　of　this　estimation　an　exchange　was　effected。　In　the　time　of　the　war　（perhaps　the　rebellion　of　1173）　the　eight　hides　and　other　hides　in　Segheho　were　encroached　upon　and　appropriated　unrighteously　by　many；　and　for　this　reason　a　general　revision　of　the　holdings　was　undertaken　before　Walter　de　Wahull　and　Hugh　de　la　Lege　in　full　court　by　six　old　men；　it　was　made　out　to　which　of　the　hides　the　several　acres　belonged。　At　that　time；　when　all　the　tenants　in　Segheho　（knights；　freeholders；　and　others）　did　not　know　exactly　about　the　land　of　the　village　and　the　tenements；　and　when　each　man　was　contending　that　his　neighbours　held　unrighteously　and　more　than　they　ought；　all　the　people　decided　by　common　agreement　and　in　the　presence　of　the　lords　de　Wahull　and　de　la　Lege；　that　everybody　should　surrender　his　land　to　be　measured　anew　with　the　rood　by　the　old　men　as　if　the　ground　had　been　occupied　afresh：　every　one　had　to　receive　his　due　part　on　consideration　of　his　rights。　At　that　time　R。F。　admitted　that　he　and　his　predecessors　had　held　the　area　near　the　castle　unrighteously。　The　men　in　charge　of　the　distribution　divided　that　area　into　sixteen　strips　（buttos）；　and　these　were　divided　as　follows：　there　are　eight　hides　of　villain　land　in　Segheho　and　to　each　two　strips　were　apportioned。　　　　　The　narrative　is　curious　in　many　respects。　it　illustrates　beautifully　the　extent　to　which　the　intermixture　of　plots　was　carried；　and　the　inconveniences　consequent　upon　it。　Although　the　land　had　been　measured　and　divided　at　the　time　when　the　lord　de　Wahull　took　the　land；　everything　got　into　confusion　at　the　time　of　the　civil　war；　and　the　disputes　originated　not　in　violence　from　abroad　but　in　encroachments　of　the　village　people　among　themselves：　the　owners　of　conterminous　strips　were　constantly　quarrelling。　A　new　division　became　necessary；　and　it　took　place　under　circumstances　of　great　solemnity；　as　a　result　of　an　agreement　effected　at　a　great　meeting　of　the　tenantry　before　both　lords。　The　new　distribution　may　stand　for　all　purposes　in　lieu　of　the　original　parcelling　of　the　land　on　fresh　occupation。　The　mode　of　treating　one　of　the　areas　shows　that　the　intermixture　of　the　strips　was　a　direct　consequence　of　the　attempt　to　equalise　the　portions。　instead　of　putting　the　whole　of　this　area　into　one　lot；　the　old　men　divide　it　into　strips　and　assign　to　every　great　holding；　to　every　hide；　two　strips　of　this　area。　Many　inconveniences　follow　for　some　of　the　owners；　e。g。　for　the　church　which；　it　is　complained；　cannot　put　its　plot　to　any　use　on　account　of　its　lying　far　away；　and　in　intermixture　with　other　people's　land。　But　the　guiding　principle　of　equal　apportionment　has　found　a　suitable　expression。　　　　　We　may　turn　now　from　the　analysis　of　this　case　to　general　considerations。　The　important　point　in　the　instance　quoted　was；　that　the　assignment　of　scattered　strips　to　every　holding　depended　on　the　wish　to　equalise　the　shares　of　the　tenants。　I　think　it　may　be　shown　that　the　treatment　adopted　in　Segheho　was　the　most　natural；　and　therefore　the　most　widely…spread　one。　To　begin　with；　what　other　form　of　allotment　appears　more　natural　in　a　crude　state　of　society？　To　employ　a　simile　which　I　have　used　already；　the　territory　of　the　township　is　not　like　a　homogeneous　sheet　of　paper　out　of　which　you　may　cut　lots　of　every　desirable　shape　and　size：　the　tilth　will　present　all　kinds　of　accidental　features；　according　to　the　elevation　of　the　ground；　the　direction　of　the　watercourses　and　ways；　the　quality　of　the　soil；　the　situation　of　dwellings；　the　disposition　of　wood　and　pasture…ground；　etc。　The　whole　must　needs　be　dismembered　into　component　parts；　into　smaller　areas　or　furlongs；　each　stretching　over　land　of　one　and　the　same　condition；　and　separated　from　land　of　different　quality　and　situation。　Over　the　irregular　squares　of　this　rough　chess…board　a　more　or　less　entangled　network　of　rights　and　interests　must　be　extended。　There　seem　to　be　only　two　ways　of　doing　it：　if　you　want　the　holding　to　lie　in　one　compact　patch　you　will　have　to　make　a　very　complicated　reckoning　of　all　the　many　circumstances　which　influence　husbandry；　will　have　to　find　some　numerical　expression　for　fertility；　accessibility；　and　the　like；　or　else　you　may　simply　give　every　householder　a　share　in　every　one　of　the　component　areas；　and　subject　him　in　this　way　to　all　the　advantages　and　drawbacks　which　bear　upon　his　neighbours。　If　the　ground　cannot　be　made　to　fit　the　system　of　allotment；　the　system　must　conform　itself　to　the　ground。　There　can　be　no　question　that　the　second　way　of　escaping　from　the　difficulty　is　much　the　easier　one；　and　very　suitable　to　the　practice　of　communities　in　an　early　stage　of　development。　This　second　way　leads　necessarily　to　a　scattering　and　an　intermixture　of　strips。　The　explanation　is　wide　enough　to　meet　the　requirements　of　cases　placed　in　entirely　different　local　surroundings　and　historical　connexions；　the　tendency　towards　an　equalising　of　the　shares　of　the　tenantry　is　equally　noticeable　in　England　and　in　Russia；　in　the　far　west　and　in　the　far　east　of　Europe。　In　Russia　we　need　not　even　go　into　history　to　find　it　operating　in　the　way　described；　the　practice　is　alive　even　now。　　　　　This　intermixture　of　strips　in　the　open　fields　is　also　characteristic　in　another　way：　it　manifests　the　working　of　a　principle　which　became　obliterated　in　the　course　of　history；　but　had　to　play　a　very　important　part　originally。　It　was　a　system　primarily　intended　for　the　purpose　of　equalising　shares；　and　it　considered　every　man's　rights　and　property　as　interwoven　with　other　people's　rights　and　property：　it　was　therefore　a　system　particularly　adapted　to　bring　home　the　superior　right　of　the　community　as　a　whole；　and　the　inferior；　derivative　character　of　individual　rights。　The　most　complete　inference　from　such　a　general　conception　would　be　to　treat　individual　occupation　of　the　land　as　a　shifting　ownership；　to　redistribute　the　land　among　the　members　of　the　comm