296 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

Appendix could swallow and digest , he was pronouncedI- innocent 7S .

Th*, feudal law , if it had place at all amongforce ' the Anglo-Saxons , which is doubtful, was not

certainly extended over all the landed property ,and was not attended with those consequences ofhomage, reliefs ”, wardship , marriage, and otherburthens , which were inseparable from it in thekingdoms of the continent. As the Saxons ex-pelled or almost entirely destroyed the ancientBritons, they planted themselves in this island onthe same footing with their ancestors in Germany,and found no occasion for the feudal institutions 80 ,which were calculated to maintain a kind ofstanding army , always in readiness to suppressany insurrection among the conquered people.r 'he trouble and expence of defending the state inEngland lay equally upon all the land ; and itwas usual for every five hides to equip a man forthe service. The trinoda necejjuas , as it was called,or the burthen of military expeditions , of repairinghighways , and of building and supporting bridges,

” Spellm. in verb. Corsaed. Parker, p. 156. Text.Ruffens. p. 33.,

” On the death of an alderman, a greater or lesserthane, there was a payment made to the king of his heftarms; and this was called his fierier: But this was not ofthe nature of a relief. See Spellm. of tenures, p. 2 Thevalue of this heriot was fixed by Canute’s laws, § 69.

Bracton de Acqu. rer. doi/iin. lib. 2. cap. 16. Seemore fully Spellnian of feuds and tenures, and Craiginsde jur% feud. lib. 1. diag. 7.