* * * * * * *
In the thirteenth century it may be said that _in theory_ the
land of England belonged to the sovereign. The sovereign had indeed
assigned large tracts of territory to A or B or C; but under certain
circumstances, of no very unfrequent occurrence, these tracts of
territory came back into the hands of the sovereign, and were re-
granted by him at his will to whom he chose. In return for such
grants, A or B or C were bound to perform certain _services_ in
recognition of the fact that they were _tenants_ of the king;
and by virtue of such _services_-the equivalents of what we now
understand by _rent_-they were called _tenants in chief_, or
tenants _in capite_.
The tracts of territory held by A or B or C were in almost every case
made up of lands scattered about over all parts of the kingdom. The
tenant in chief had his castle or capital mansion, [Footnote: Experts
will object to the use of this term and other terms as strictly
inaccurate. I am not writing for experts.]which was supposed to be
his abode; but as far as the larger portion--immensely the larger
portion--of his possessions, he was necessarily a non-resident
landlord, getting what he could out of them either by farming them
through the agency of a bailiff, or letting out his estates to be
held under himself in precisely the same way as he held his
_fief_, or original grant, from the King.
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