Page:The child's pictorial history of England; (IA childspictorialh00corn).pdf/48

 about the best way of governing the country, he was obliged to get together as many soldiers as he could, and go out with them to fight the Danes.

11. There was no regular army then, as there is now; but, when the king wanted soldiers, he sent to all the noblemen and landholders in the kingdom, who were obliged to come themselves and bring so many men with them, according to the size of their estates, some on horseback, some on foot, and all well armed.

12. You must remember that people could not buy land then for money, nor have it for paying rent; but large estates were given to the thanes and nobles by the king, on condition that they should perform certain services for him; and you have already seen how the vassals of the nobles held their little farms on similar terms.

13. This was called the feudal system, which means, holding land for services instead of rent; and the person holding the land was called the vassal of him to whom it belonged, whether rich or poor; so the nobles were the vassals of the king, and the ceorls were the vassals of the nobles.

14. I think you now understand what the feudal system was, therefore I shall proceed with the history of Alfred the Great.

15. The war had gone on for several years,