Page:General History of Europe 1921.djvu/294

 212 General History oj Europe his hands between those of the lord and declaring himself the lord's " man " for such and such a fief. Thereupon the lord gave his vassal the kiss of peace and raised him from his kneeling pos- ture. Then the vassal swore an oath of fidelity upon the Bible, or some holy relic, solemnly binding himself to fulfill all his duties toward his lord. This act of rendering homage by placing the hands in those of the lord and taking the oath of fidelity was the first and most essential duty of the vassal. 339. Feudal Obligations. The obligations of the vassal varied greatly. He was expected to join his lord when there was a military expedition, although it was generally the case that the vassal need not serve at his own expense for more than forty days. He was expected to attend the lord's court when summoned, where he sat with other vassals to hear and pronounce upon those cases in which his fellow vassals were involved. Under certain circumstances vassals had to make money pay- ments to their lord ; as, for instance, when the lord was put to extra expense by the necessity of knighting his eldest son or providing a dowry for his daughter, or when he was captured by an enemy and was held for ransom. Lastly, the vassal might have to entertain his lord, should he be passing his castle. 340. Various Kinds of Fiefs. There were fiefs of all grades of importance, from that of a duke or count, who held directly of the king and exercised the powers of a practically independent prince, down to the holding of the simple knight, whose bit of land was barely sufficient to enable him to support himself and provide the horse upon which he rode. It is essential to observe that the fief became hereditary in the family of the vassal and passed down to the eldest son from one generation to another. So long as the vassal remained faithful to his lord and performed the stipulated services, and his succes- sors did homage and continued to meet the conditions upon which the fief had originally been granted, neither the lord nor his heirs could rightfully regain possession of the land. The result was that little was left to the original owner of the fief except the services and dues to which the practical owner,