. The outline of history : being a plain history of life and mankind. d. Great diversity prevailed every-where, and we should not be surprised tofind some different fact or custom in everylordship. Anglo-Norman feudalism attainedin the eleventh and twelfth centuries alogical completeness and a uniformity ofpractice which, in the feudal age proper, canhardly be found elsewhere through so largea territory. . The foundation of the feudal relation-ship proper was the fief, which was usuallyland, but might be any desirable thing, as an office, a revenue in money or kind, theright to collect a toll,
. The outline of history : being a plain history of life and mankind. d. Great diversity prevailed every-where, and we should not be surprised tofind some different fact or custom in everylordship. Anglo-Norman feudalism attainedin the eleventh and twelfth centuries alogical completeness and a uniformity ofpractice which, in the feudal age proper, canhardly be found elsewhere through so largea territory. . The foundation of the feudal relation-ship proper was the fief, which was usuallyland, but might be any desirable thing, as an office, a revenue in money or kind, theright to collect a toll, or operate a mill. Inreturn for the fief, the man became thevassal of his lord ; he knelt before him, and,with his hands between his lords hands,promised him fealty and service. , . Thefaithful performance of all the duties hehad assumed in homage constituted thevassals right and title to his fief. So long asthey were fulfilled, he, and his heir after him,held the fief as his property, practically and •A -A -fi, ^1^2cp ofEll^JDPE ahoixtr 500AJ>. A -A -a. :K in relation to all under-tenants as if he werethe owner. In the ceremony of homage andinvestiture, which is the creative contract offeudalism, the obligations assumed by thetwo parties were, as a rule, not specified inexact terms. They were determined by localcustom. ... In many points of detail thevassals services differed widely in differentparts of the feudal world. We may say,however, that they fall into two classes,general and specific. The general includedall that might come under the idea ofloyalty, seeking the lords interests, keepinghis secrets, betraying the plans of his ene-mies, protecting his family, etc. The specificservices are capable of more definite state-ment, and they usually received exactdefinition in custom and sometimes inwritten documents. The most characteristicof these was the military service, whichincluded appearance in the field on summons 340 THE OUTLINE OF HISTORY J^Tca, move cv less
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