As the Saxons expelled, or almost
entirely destroyed, the ancient Britons, they planted themselves in this
island on the same footing with their ancestors in Germany, and found no
occasion for the feudal institutions,[********] which were calculated
to maintain a kind of standing army, always in readiness to suppress any
insurrection among the conquered people.
[* Du Cange, in verbo Crux.]
[** Spel in verbo Ordealium. Parker, p. 155.
Lindenbrog. p, 1299]
[*** LL. Inae, sect. 77.]
[**** Sometimes the person accused walked barefoot
over a red hot iron]
[***** Spel in verbo Ordealium.]
[****** Spel in verbo Corsned. Parker, p. 156.
Text. Roffens. p. 33.]
[******* On the death of an alderman, a greater or
lesser thane, there was a payment made to the king of his
best arms; and this was called his heriot; but this was not
of the nature of a relief. See Spel. of Tenures, p. 2. The
value of this heriot was fixed by Canute's laws, sect. 69.]
[******** Bracton de Acqu. Rer. Domin. ii. cap.
16. See more fully Spel of Feus and Tenures, and Q aigius de
Jure Feud, lib.
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