The oath described is the oath of allegiance, combined with the act
of homage, and obtained from all landowners whoever their feudal
lord might be. It is a measure of precaution taken against the
disintegrating power of feudalism, providing a direct tie between
the sovereign and all freeholders which no inferior relations
existing between them and the mesne lords would justify them in
breaking."

I have already quoted from another of Stubbs's works, "Select
Charters," the charter which he appears to have discovered bearing
upon this transaction, and now copy the note, giving the
authorities quoted by Stubbs, with reference to the above passage.
He appears to have overlooked the complete narration of the alleged
laws of William I., given by Eadmerus, to which I have referred.
The note is as follows:

"Ll. William I., 2, below note; see Hovenden, ii., pref. p. 5,
seq., where I have attempted to prove the spuriousness of the
document called the Charter of William I., printed in the ancient
'Laws' ed. Thorpe, p. 211. The way in which the regulation of the
Conqueror here referred to has been misunderstood and misused is
curious. Lambarde, in the 'Archaionomia,' p. 170, printed the false
charter in which this genuine article is incorporated as an
appendiz to the French version of the Conqueror's laws, numbering
the clauses 51 to 67; from Lambarde, the whole thing was
transferred by Wilkins into his collection of ANGLO-SAXON laws.
Blackstone's 'Commentary,' ii. 49, suggested that perhaps the very
law (which introduced feudal tenures) thus made at the Council of
Salisbury is that which is still extant and couched in these
remarkable words, i. e., the injunction in question referred to by