Page:William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England (3rd ed, 1768, vol II).djvu/75

 Ch. 5. vice was the whole that our ancetors meant to ubject themelves to; the other fruits and conequences of this tenure being fraudulently uperinduced, as the regular (though unforeeen) appendages of the feodal ytem.

tenure of knight-ervice had all the marks of a trict and regular feud: it was granted by words of pure donation, dedi et concei ; was transferred by invetiture or delivering corporal poeion of the land, uually called livery of eiin; and was perfected by homage and fealty. It alo drew after it thee even fruits and conequences, as ineparably incident to the tenure in chivalry; viz. aids, relief, primer eiin, wardhip, marriage, fines for alienation, and echeat: all which I hall endeavour to explain, and hew to be of feodal original.

1. were originally mere benevolences granted by the tenant to his lord, in times of difficulty and ditres ; but in proces of time they grew to be conidered as a matter of right, and not of dicretion. Thee aids were principally three: firt, to ranom the lord's peron, if taken prioner; a neceary conequence of the feodal attachment and fidelity; inomuch that the neglect of doing it, whenever it was in the vaal's power, was, by the trict rigour of the feodal law, an abolute forfeiture of his etate. Secondly, to make the lord's eldet on a knight; a matter that was formerly attended with great ceremony, pomp, and expene. This aid could not be demanded till the heir was fifteen years old, or capable of bearing arms : the intention of it being to breed up the eldet on, and heir apparent of the eignory, to deeds of arms and chivalry, for the better defence of the nation. Thirdly, to marry the lord's eldet daughter, by giving her a uitable portion: for daughters' portions were in thoe days extremely lender; few lords being able to ave much out of their Rh