Page:The history of medieval Europe.djvu/284

 240 THE HISTORY OF MEDIEVAL EUROPE manor is dependent land tenure in its extreme form. But, although an extreme illustration, it shows that by dependent land tenure is meant the holding of land from some one else and under some one else, and not by a clear, full, and inde-r pendent title. The Roman law had recognized a practice called pre- carium, by which persons lived on the lands of another with- Precarium out an y written lease or agreement, but as ten- and ants at will. They were not ordinary tenants paying a rent for a fixed number of years, but held by a precarious tenure; he might oust them or they might leave at any moment, but in reality the understand- ing usually was that they might and would stay on indefi- nitely. The early Middle Ages developed a cognate practice known as beneficium. A man who wished to endow an abbey for the good of his soul might resign the title to his lands to the monastery, but continue to live on them and to enjoy the usufruct of them during the remainder of his life. In other words, he endowed the monastery with land and in return received from it an annuity, also in land. Or the transaction might be carried out from the other side; some great landowner might grant the usufruct of a piece of his land for life to one of his friends or warriors, but keep the title to the land himself. Kings often rewarded their followers with grants of land. Sometimes these were outright gifts, leaving the giver Royal neither control over the land nor legal claim on the recipient. Still there was always the moral bond of gratitude, and such followers, having been once well repaid for their loyalty, were likely to continue to serve the king in the lively hope of favors yet to come. When the Anglo-Saxon ruler "booked" land to one of his thegns, he gave him a written deed or charter which could be adduced in proof of ownership. It also showed, however, that the land had come from the king, and Anglo-Saxon law per- mitted the king to confiscate such lands if the owners turned traitors or neglected their military duties. The Lombard kings often gave no charter to their followers, but merely