Wemustplaceinthesamecategoryallmeasuresintendedtopreventdirectlyorindirectlythepassageofthepeasantryfromoneplacetotheother。TheinstructionsissuedforthemanagementoftheAbbotofGloucester’sestatesabsolutelyforbidthepracticeofleavingthelord’slandwithoutleave。56*
Still，emigrationfromthemanor。fromtimetotimethecouldnotbeentirelystopped，inhabitantswanderedawayinordertolookoutforfieldworkelsewhere，ortotakeupsomecraftortrade。
Inthiscasetheyhadtopayakindofpoll-taxchevagium，whichwas，strictlyspeaking，notrent：veryoftenitwasveryinsignificantinamount，andwasreplacedbyatriflingpaymentinkind，forinstance，bytheobligationtobringacapononceayear。57*Theobjectwasnotsomuchtogetmoneyastoretainsomeholdoverthevillainafterhehadsucceededinescapingfromthelord’simmediatesway。Therearenotracesofasystematicattempttotaxandransomtheworkofdependentswhohaveleftthelord’sterritorynothingtomatchthethoroughsubjectioninwhichtheywereheldwhileinthemanor。Andthusthelordwasforcedinhisowninteresttoacceptnominalpayments，toconcentratehiswholeattentiononthesubjectsunderhisdirectcontrol，andtopreventthemasfaraspossiblefrommovingandleavingtheland。Inregulationsforthemanagementofestatesweoftenfindseveralparagraphswhichhavethisobjectinview。Sometimestheyoungermengetleavetoworkoutsidethelord’spossessions，butonlywhiletheirfatherremainsathomeandoccupiesaholding。Sometimes，again，thelicenceisgrantedundertheconditionthatthevillainwillremaininoneofhislord’stithings58*，anobligationwhichcouldbefulfilledonlyifthepeasantremainedwithineasyreachofhisbirth-place，Specialcareistakennottoallowthevillainstobuyfreelandinordertoclaimtheirfreedomonthestrengthofsuchfreepossession。59*Everykindofpersonalcommendationtoinfluentialpeopleisalsoforbidden。60*
Notwithstandingalltheserulesandprecepts，everyofthedocumentstestifiestofrequentmigrationsfromthemanorsinoppositiontotheexpresswillofthelandowners。Thesurveystellofserfswhosettleonstrangelandeveninthevicinityoftheirformerhome。61*Itisbynomeansexceptionaltofindmentionofenterprisinglandlordsdrawingawaythepopulationfromtheirneighbours’manors。62*Thefugitivevillainandthesettlerwhocomesfromafarareawell-markedfeatureofthisfeudalsociety。63*
Thelimitationsofrightsofpropertyhaveleftasdistincttracesinthecartulariesasthedirectconsequencesofpersonalunfreedom。Thesetwomattersareconnectedbytheprinciplethateverythingacquiredbytheslaveisacquiredbyhismaster；andthisprinciplefindsbothexpressionandapplicationinourdocuments。OnthestrengthofittheAbbotofEynshamtakesfromhispeasantlandwhichhadbeenboughtbythelatter’sfather。64*Thecasedatesfromthesecondhalfofthefourteenthcentury，fromatimewhenthesocialconflicthadbecomeparticularlyacuteinconsequenceoftheBlackDeath，andoftheconsequentattemptsonthepartoflandlordstostretchtheirrightstotheutmost。Butwehaveacasefromthethirteenthcentury：thePriorofBarnwellquotestheabovementionedruleinsupportofaconfiscationofhisvillain’sland。65*——Inbothinstancestheprincipleislaiddownexpressly，butinothercasespeasantsweredeprivedoftheirpropertywithoutanyformalexplanation。