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 The whole number of tenants in capite, (besides bishops, abbots, priors, and church-men, and the king's thains, eleemosynaries, ministers, and servants), who held all the lands in England of the Conqueror, was about 420 ; and all others that had any estates, held of the great tenants by mesne tenure; and each of these had a few sockmen, and an infinite number of men, of slavish condition, called servi, villani, bordarii, and cottarii, under them.

The cities and boroughs, whose customs are taken notice of, are principally the following ; and this is a very valuable part of Domesday, though hitherto entirely unnoticed; and fully confirms to us, that William the Conqueror made but little alteration in the antient laws and customs Rh