Theprocedureintrialstouchingthequestionofstatuswasdecidedlyfavourabletoliberty。Tobeginwith，onlyoneproofwasacceptedasconclusiveagainstit——absoluteproofthatthekinsfolkofthepersonclaimedwerevillainsbydescent。*Theverdictofajurywasnotsufficienttosettlethequestion，*andamanwhohadbeenrefusedanassizeinconsequenceofthedefendantpleadingvillainageinbarhadtherightnotwithstandingsuchdecisiontosueforhisliberty。Whentheproofbykinshipcameon，twolimitationswereimposedonthepartymaintainingservitude：womenwerenotadmittedtostandaslinksintheproofbecauseoftheirfrailtyandofthegreaterdignityofaman，andonemanwasnotdeemedsufficienttoestablishtheservileconditionofthepersonclaimed。*Ifthedefendantinapleaofniefty，oraplaintiffinanactionofliberty，couldconvincinglyshowthathisfatheroranynottooremoteancestorhadcometosettleonthelord’slandasastranger，hislibertyasadescendantwassufficientlyproved。*
Inthiswaytoprovepersonalvillainageonehadtoprovevillainagebybirth。Recognitionofservilestatusinacourtofrecordandreferencetoadeedarequiteexceptional。
Thecoincidenceinallthesepointsagainstthepartymaintainingservitudeisbynomeanscasual；thecourtsproclaimedtheirleaning’infavourofliberty’quiteopenly，andfolloweditinmanyinstancesbesidesthosejustquoted。Itwasheld，forinstance，thatindefendinglibertyeverymeansoughttobeadmitted。Thecounselpleadingforitsometimessetuptwoorthreepleasagainsthisadversaryanddeclinedtonarrowhiscontention，thustransgressingtherulesagainstduplicityofplea’infavourofliberty。’*Inthecaseofastrangersettlingontheland，hislibertywasalwaysassumed，andthecourtdeclinedtoconstrueanyuncertaintyofconditionagainsthim。4
Whenvillainagewaspleadedinbaragainstapersonoutofthepowerofthelord，thespecialquestionwasveryoftenexaminedbyajuryfromtheplacewherethepersonexceptedtohadbeenlatelyresident，andnotbyajuryfromthecountrywherehehadbeenborn。*Thistoldagainstthelord，ofcourse，becausethejurorsmightoftenhaveveryvaguenotionsastothepreviousconditionoftheirnewfellow-countryman。*
Itwouldbeimpossibletosayinwhatparticularcasesthispartialityofthelawistobetakenasaconsequenceofenlightenedandhumanitarianviewsmakingtowardstheliberationoftheservileclass，andinwhatcasesitmaybetracedtothefactthatanoriginalelementoffreedomhadbeenattractedintotheconstitutionofvillainageandwasinfluencingitslegaldevelopmentdespiteanygeneraltheoryofaservilecharacter。