[1] [2] [3] Anno Reg. 17. 1083The king hauing at length obteined some rest from wars, practised by sundrie meanes to inrich his cofers, and therefore raised a tribute through out the whole kingdome, for the better leuieng whereof, he appointed all the subiects of his realme to be num|bred, all the cities, townes, villages, and hamlets to be registred, all the abbies, monasteries and prio|ries to be recorded. Moreouer, he caused a certificat to be taken of euerie mans substance, and what he might dispend by the yeare; he also caused their names to be written which held knights fees, & were bound therby to serue him in the wars. Likewise he tooke a note of euerie yoke of oxen,Plow land. & what number of plow lands, and how manie bondmen were with|in the realme. This certificat being made & brought vnto him, gaue him full vnderstanding what wealth remained among the English people. Herevpon he raised his tribute, taking six shillings for euerie hide of land through out this realme, which amounted to a great masse of monie when it was all brought togi|ther into his Excheker. ¶ Here note by the waie, Geruasius Tilberiensis. The true de|finition of a hide of land. that an hide of land conteineth an hundred acres, and an acre conteineth fortie perches in length, and foure in bredth, the length of a perch is sixtéene foot and an halfe: so that the common acre should make 240. perches; & eight hides or 800. acres is a knights fée, after the best approued writers and plaine demon|stration. Those therefore are deceiued, that take an hide of land to conteine twentie acres (as William Lambert hath well noted in his De priscis Anglorum legibus) where he expoundeth the meaning of the old Saxon termes perteining to the lawes.