retinue included vassals; and the ANGLO-SAXONS, among whom
vassalage was unknown, who were FREEMAN (LIBERI HOMINES) as
distinguished from serfs. The former comprised those in possesion
of Odhal (noble) land, whether held from the crown or its tenants.
It was quite unnecessary to convoke the Normans and their vassals,
while the assemblage of the Saxons--OMNES LIBERI HOMINES--was not
only to conformity with the laws of Edward the Confessor, but was
specially needful when a foreigner had possesed himself of the
throne.

I have perhaps dwelt to long upon this point, but the error to
which I have referred has been adopted as if it was an unquestioned
fact, and has passed into our school-books and become part of the
education given to the young, and therefore it required some
examination.

I believe that a very large portion of the land in England did not
change hands at that period, nor was the position of either SERFS
or VILLEINS changed. The great alteration lay in the increase in
the quantity of BOC-LAND. Much of the FOLC-LAND was forfeited and
seized upon, and as the king claimed the right to give it away, it
was called TERRA REGIS. The charter granted by King William to Alan
Fergent, Duke of Bretagne, of the lands and towns, and the rest of
the inheritance of Edwin, Earl of Yorkshire, runs thus:

"Ego Guilielmus cognomine Bastardus, Rex Anglise do et concede tibi
nepoti meo Alano Brittanias Comiti et hseredibus tuis imperpetuum
omnes villas et terras qua nuper fuerent Comitis Edwini in
Eborashina cum feodis militise et aliis libertatibus et
consuetudinibus ita libere et honorifice sicut idem Edwinus eadem