Chapter 1 - Page 2

desperate and infuriated defence of their liberties. This
introduced on both sides a degree of fury and animosity unknown to the
earlier period of their history; and as religious scruples soon gave
way to national hatred spurred by a love of plunder, the patrimony of
the Church was no longer sacred from incursions on either side. Still,
however, the tenants and vassals of the great Abbeys had many
advantages over those of the lay barons, who were harassed by constant
military duty, until they became desperate, and lost all relish for
the arts of peace. The vassals of the church, on the other hand, were
only liable to be called to arms on general occasions, and at other
times were permitted in comparative quiet to possess their farms and
feus. [Footnote: Small possessions conferred upon vassals and their
heirs, held for a small quit-rent, or a moderate proportion of the
produce. This was a favourite manner, by which the churchmen peopled
the patrimony of their convents; and many descendants of such
_feuars_, as they are culled, are still to be found in possession
of their family inheritances in the neighbourhood of the great
Monasteries of Scotland.] They of course exhibited superior skill in
every thing that related to the cultivation of the soil, and were
therefore both wealthier and better informed than the military
retainers of the restless chiefs and nobles in their neighbourhood.

The residence of these church vassals was usually in a small village
or hamlet, where, for the sake of mutual aid and protection, some
thirty or forty families dwelt together. This was called the Town, and
the land belonging to the various families by whom the Town was
inhabited, was called the Township. They usually possessed the land in
common, though in various proportions, according to their several
grants. The part of the Township properly arable, and kept as such
continually under the plough, was called _in-field_. Here the use
of quantities of manure supplied in some degree the exhaustion of the
soil, and the feuars raised tolerable oats and bear, [Footnote: Or
bigg, a kind of coarse barley.] usually sowed on alternate ridges, on
which the labour of the whole community was bestowed without
distinction, the produce being divided after harvest, agreeably to
their respective interests.

There was, besides, _out-field_ land, from which it was thought
possible to extract a crop now and then, after which it was abandoned
to the "skiey influences," until the exhausted powers of vegetation
were restored. These out-field spots were selected by any feuar at his
own choice, amongst the sheep-walks and hills which were always
annexed to the Township, to serve as pasturage to the community. The
trouble of