Submit to love; but yet not more than all.
Give one estate, as one life. None is bound
To work for two, who brought himself to thrall.
God made me one man; love makes me no more
Till labour come, and make my weakness score."
The lines of which I want the meaning are the last three.
S. Singleton.
Greenwich.
Ancient Tenure of Lands.—I should feel obliged to any of your readers who would inform me as to the ancient tenure by which estates were held in this country. For instance, a manor, including within its limits several hamlets, is held by A, who grants by subinfeudation one of the said hamlets to B; B dies, leaving a son and successor, who continues in possession of the hamlet, and grants leases, &c., and thus for several generations. My question is, did A, in granting to B, relinquish all interest in the hamlet, or how much did he still retain, since in after years the hamlet is found to have reverted to him, and no allusion is afterwards made to the subinfeudatory lords who possessed it for some generations? It is presumed that in early times lords of a manor were owners of the lands of the manor of which they were lords; at present an empty title is all that remains. When did the practice of alienating lands by a piecemeal partition and sale commence? and did a subinfeudatory lord possess the power of alienation? In fact, what is the origin of the numerous small freeholds into which our ancient manors are broken up?
J. B.