II. THE RECTITUDINES SINGULARUM PERSONARUM.
In order to make these points clear, attention must be turned to a remarkable document, the Saxon version of which dates probably from the tenth, and the Latin translation from the twelfth century.[158]
The 'Rectitudines,' tenth century.
It is entitled the 'Rectitudines Singularum Personarum,' which may be translated 'the services due from various persons.'
It commences with two general sections, the first relating to the services of the 'thane,' and the second to those of the 'geneat.'
Thane's services.
Geneat's or villein's services.
ÐEGENES LAGU.
Degenes lagu is
he sy his boc-rihtes wyrðe.
he ðreo ðinc of his lande do. fyrd-færeld.
burhbote
bryc-geweorc. Eac of manegum landum mare land-riht arist to cyniges gebanne. swilce is deorhege to cyniges hame.
scorp to frið-scipe.
sæ-weard.
heafod-weard.
fyrd-weard. ælmes-feoh.
cyric-sceat.
mænige oðeremistliceðingc
TAINI LEX.
Taini lex est, ut sit dignus rectitudine testamenti sui, et ut ita faciat pro terra sua, scilicet, expeditionem, burh-botam et brig-botam. Et de multis terris majus landirectum exurgit ad bannum regis, sicut est deorhege ad mansionem regiam et sceorpum inhosticum, et custodiam maris et capitis, et pacis, et elmesfeoh, id est pecunia elemosine et ciricsceatum, et alie res multimode.
THANE'S LAW.
The thane's law is that he be worthy of his boc-rights, and that he do three things for his land, fyrd-færeld, burh-bot, and brig-bot. Also from many lands more land-services are due at the king's bann, as deer-hedging at the king's ham, and apparel for the guard, and sea-ward and head-ward and fyrd-ward and almsfee and kirkshot, and many other various things. [p130]
GENEATES RIHT.
Geneat-riht is mistlic be ðam ðe on lande stænt. On sumon he sceal land-gafol syllan
gærsswyn on geare.
ridan
auerian
lade lædan. wyrcan
hlaford feormian.
ripan
mawan. deorhege heawan.
sæte haldan. bytlian.
burh hegegian nige faran to tune feccan. cyric-sceat syllan
ælmes-feoh. heafod-wearde. healdan
hors-wearde. ærendian. fyr swa nyr. swa hwyder swa him mon to-tæcð
VILLANI RECTUM.
Villani rectum est varium et multiplex, secundum quod in terra statutum est. In quibusdam terris debet dare landgablum et gærsswin, id est, porcum herbagii, et equitare vel averiare, et summagium ducere, operari, et dominum suum firmare, metere et falcare, deorhege cedere, et stabilitatem observare, edificare et circumsepire, novam faram adducere, ciricsceatum dare et almesfeoh, id est, pecuniam elemosine, heafod-wardam custodire et horswardam, in nuncium ire, longe vel prope, quocunque dicetur ei.
GENEAT'S SERVICES.
The geneat's services are various as on the land is fixed. On some he shall pay land-gafol and grass-swine yearly, and ride, and carry, and lead loads; work and support his lord, and reap and mow, cut deer-hedge and keep it up, build, and hedge the burh, make new roads for the tun: pay kirkshot and almsfee: keep head-ward and horse-ward: go errands far or near wherever he is directed.
Then follow what really are sub-sections of the latter clause, and they describe the services of the various classes of geneats; first of the cottiers.
Cottier's services.
KOT-SETLAN RIHT.
Kote-setlan riht. be ðam ðe on lande stent. On sumon he sceal ælce Mon-dæge ofer geares fyrst his laforde wyrcan. oðð .III. dagas ælcre wucan on hærfest.
ne ðearf he land-gafol syllan. Wim ge-byriað [.V.] æceras to habbanne. mare gyf hit on lande ðeaw sy.
to lytel hit bið beo hit a læsse. forðan his weorc sceal beon oft-ræde. sylle his heorð-pænig on halgan Ðunres dæg. eal swa ælcan frigean men gebyreð.
werige hid hlafordes inland. gif him man beode. æt sæ-wearde
æt cyniges deor-hege.
æt swilcan ðingan swilc his mæð sy.
sylle his cyric-sceat to Martinus mæssan
COTSETLE RECTUM.
Cotsetle rectum est juxta quod in terra constitutum est. Apud quosdam debet omni die Lune per anni spatium operari domino suo, et tribus diebus unaquaque septimana in Augusto. Apud quosdam operatur per totum Augustum, omni die, et unam acram avene metit pro diurnale opere. Et habeat garbam suam quam præpositus vel minister domini dabit ei. Non dabit landgablum. Debet habere quinque acras ad perhabendum, plus si consuetudo sit ibi, et parum nimis est si minus sit quod deservit, quia sepius est operi illius. Det super heorðpenig in sancto die Jovis, sicut omnis liber facere debet, et adquietet inland domini sui, si submonitio fiat de sewarde, id est de custodia maris, vel de regis deorhege, et ceteris rebus que sue mensure sunt; et det suum cyricsceatum in festo Scĩ Martini.
COTTIER'S SERVICES.
The cottier's services are what on the land is fixed. On some he shall each Monday in the year work for his lord, and three days a week in harvest.
He ought not to pay land-gafol. He ought to have five acres in his holding, more if it be the custom on the land, and too little it is if it be less: because his work is often required. He pays hearth-penny on Holy Thursday, as pertains to every freeman, and defends his lord's inland, if he is required, from sea-ward and from king's deer-hedge, and from such things as befit his degree. And he pays his kirkshot at Martinmas.
Then the services of the gebur or holder of a yard-land are described as follows:—
Gebur's services.
Week-work.
Gafol.
Bene-work.
Gafol-yrth.
Outfit of two oxen to yard-land.
GEBURES GERIHTE.
Gebur-gerihta syn mislice. gehwar hy syn hefige. gehwar eac medeme. on sumen lande is
he sceal wyrcan to wic-weorce .II. dagas. swilc weorc swilc him man tæcð ofer geares fyrst. ælcre wucan.
on hærfest .III. dagas to wic-weorce.
of Candelmæsse oð Eastran .III. gif he aferað ne ðearf he wyrcan ða hwile ðe his hors ute bið. He sceal syllan on Michaeles mæsse-dæig .X. gafol-p.
on Martinus mæsse-dæg .XXIII. systra beres.
II. henfugelas. on Eastran an geong sceap. oððe .II. p.
he sceal licgan of Martinus mæssan oð Eastran æt hlafordes falde. swa oft swa him to-begæð.
of ðam timan ðe man ærest ereð oð Martinus mæssan he sceal ælcre wucan erian .I. æcer.
rædan sylf
sæd on hlafordes berne. to-eacan ðam .III. æceras to bene.
.II. to gærsyrðe. gyf he maran gærses beðyrfe ðonne earnige [erige?] ðæs swa him man ðafige. His gauol-yrðe .III. æceras erige
sawe of his aganum berne.
sylle his heorð-pænig. twegen
twegen fedan ænne heador-hund.
ælc gebur sylle .VI. hlafas ðam in-swane ðonne he his heorde to mæs-tene drife. On ðam sylfum lande ðe ðeos ræden on-stænt gebure gebyreð
him man to land-setene sylle .II. oxan
.I. cu.
.VI. sceap.
.VII. æceras gesawene on his gyrde landes. forðige ofer
gear ealle gerihtu ðe him to-gebyrigean.
sylle him man tol to his weorce
andlaman to his huse. Ðonne him forð-sið gebyrige gyme his hlaford ðæs he læfe
Ðeos land-lagu stænt on suman lande. gehwar hit is swa ic ær cwæð hefigre gehwar eac leohtre. forðam ealle land-sida ne syn gelice. On sumen lande gebur sceal syllan hunig-gafol. on suman mete-gafol. on suman ealu-gafol. Þedeseðe scirehealde
he wite á hwæt eald land-ræden sy.
hwæt ðeode ðeaw
GEBURI CONSUETUDINES.
Geburi consuetudines inveniuntur multimode, et ubi sunt onerose et ubi sunt leviores aut medie. In quibusdam terris operatur opus septimane, II. dies, sic opus sicut ei dicetur per anni spatium, omni septimana; et in Augusto III. dies pro septimanali operatione, et a festo Candelarum ad usque Pascha III. Si averiat, non cogitur operari quamdiu equus ejus foris moratur. Dare debet in festo Scĩ Michaelis X. đ. de gablo, et Scĩ Martini die XXIII., et sestarium ordei, et II. gallinas. Ad Pascha I. ovem juvenem vel II. đ. Et jacebit a festo Scĩ Martini usque ad Pascha ad faldam domini sui, quotiens ei pertinebit. Et a termino quo primitus arabitur usque ad festum Scĩ Martini arabit unaquaque septimana I. acram, et ipse parabit semen domini sui in horreo. Ad hæc III. acras precum, et duas de herbagio. Si plus indigeat herbagio, arabit proinde sicut ei permittatur. De aratura gabli sui arabit III. acras, et seminabit de horreo suo et dabit suum heorðpenig; et duo et duo pascant unum molossum. Et omnis geburus det VI. panes porcario curie quando gregem suum minabit in pastinagium. In ipsa terra ubi hec consuetudo stat, moris est ut ad terram assidendam dentur ei II. boves et I. vacca, et VI. oves, et VII. acre seminate, in sua virgata terra. Post illum illum annum faciat omnes rectitudines que ad eum attinent; et committantur ei tela ad opus suum et suppellex ad domum suam. Si mortem obeat, rehabeat dominus suus omnia.
Hæc consuetudo stat in quibusdam locis, et alicubi est, sicut prediximus, gravior, et alicubi levior; quia omnium terrarum instituta non sunt equalia. In quibusdam locis gebur dabit hunigablum, in quibusdam metegablum, in quibusdam ealagablum. Videat qui scyram tenet, ut semper sciat que sit antiqua terrarum institutio, vel populi consuetudo.
GEBUR'S SERVICES.
The Gebur's services are various, in some places heavy, in others moderate. On some land he must work at week-work two days at such work as he is required through the year every week, and at harvest three days for week-work, and from Candlemas to Easter three. If he do carrying he has not to work while his horse is out. He shall pay on Michaelmas Day x. gafol-pence, and on Martinmas Day xxiii. sesters of barley and two hens; at Easter a young sheep or two pence; and he shall lie from Martinmas to Easter at his lord's fold as often as he is told. And from the time that they first, plough to Martinmas he shall each week plough one acre, and prepare himself the seed in his lord's barn. Also iii. acres bene-work, and ii. to grass-yrth. If he needs more grass then he ploughs for it as he is allowed. For his gafol-yrth he ploughs iii. acres, and sows it from his own barn. And he pays his hearth-penny. Two and two feed one hound, and each gebur gives vi. loaves to the swineherd when he drives his herd to mast. On that land where this custom holds it pertains to the gebur that he shall have given to him for his outfit ii. oxen and i. cow and vi. sheep, and vii. acres sown on his yard-land. Wherefore after that year he must perform all services which pertain to him. And he must have given to him tools for his work, and utensils for his house. Then when he dies his lord takes back what he leaves.
This land-law holds on some lands, but here and there, as I have said, it is heavier or lighter, for all land services are not alike. On some land the gebur shall pay honey-gafol, on some meat-gafol, on some ale-gafol. Let him who is over the district take care that he knows what the old land-customs are, and what are the customs of the people.
Then follow the special services of the beekeeper, oxherd, cowherd, shepherd, goatherd, &c., upon which we need not dwell here; and the document concludes with another declaration that the services vary according to the custom of each district. [p134]
Correspondence with the Domesday Survey.
This important document is therefore a general description of the services due from the thane to the king, and from the classes in villenage to their manorial lord. And it might be the very model from which the form of the Domesday Survey was taken. Both, in fact, first speak of the lord of the manor, and then of the villein tenants; the latter being in both cases divided into the two main classes of villani and cottiers; for, as already stated, the Saxon thane answered to the Norman lord, the Saxon gebur answered to the villanus of the Survey, and the cotsetle to the cottier or bordarius of the Survey. But these various classes require separate consideration.