6. That the villages were self-supporting communities, which neither exported nor imported corn either to or from abroad, or to and from each other.
One would remark on this point that while London was deserted the villages around might very well support themselves; but with London a large and increasing city, the villages could not possibly support its people as well as their own. The city was provided from Essex, from Kent, from Surrey, and from the inland counties by means of the river.
7. That everywhere in England one finds the Teutonic system.
8. That in London the Teutonic customs encountered older customs which they could not destroy, and that these older customs were due for the most part to Roman influence.
Observe that this theory supposes the survival of Roman merchants and their descendants throughout the complete destruction of trade and the desertion of the City, according to my view; or the neglect of London and its trade for a century and more after the Saxon Conquest, according to the views of those who do not admit the desertion. Mr. Gomme quotes Joseph Story on the Conflict of Laws, where he argues that wherever the conquerors in the fall of Rome settled themselves, they allowed the people to preserve their municipal customs. Possibly; but every city must present an independent case for investigation. Now, according to my view there were no people left to preserve the memory of the Roman municipality. [22] 9. That the A.S. introduced the village system, viz. the village tenure, the communal lands around, the common pasture-land beyond these.
10. That the broad open spaces on the north of London could not be used for agricultural purposes, and “they became the means of starting in London the wide-reaching powers of economical laws which proclaim that private ownership, not collective ownership, is the means for national prosperity.”
11. That the proprietors who became the aldermen of wards “followed without a break the model of the Roman citizen.”
This statement assumes, it will be seen, the whole theory of continued occupation; that is to say, continued trade, for without their trade the Roman citizens could not live.
12. That the existence of public lands can be proved by many instances recorded in the Liber Custumarum and elsewhere.
13. That the management of the public lands was in the hands of the citizens.