more prominent statistics of this
ancient survey, which are truly as much matter of history as the events
of this beginning of the Norman period. There is one more feature of
this _Domesday Book_ which we cannot pass over. The number of parish
churches in England in the eleventh century will, in some degree,
furnish an indication of the amount of religious instruction. By some
most extraordinary exaggeration, the number of these churches has been
stated to be above forty-five thousand. In _Domesday_ the number
enumerated is a little above seventeen hundred. No doubt this
enumeration is extremely imperfect. Very nearly half of all the churches
put down are found in Lincolnshire, Norfolk, and Suffolk. The
_Register_, in some cases, gives the amount of land with which the
church was endowed. Bosham, in Sussex, the estate of Harold, had, in the
time of King Edward, a hundred and twelve hides of land. At the date of
the survey it had sixty-five hides. This was an enormous endowment. Some
churches had five acres only; some fifty; some a hundred. Some are
without land altogether. But, whether the endowment be large or small,
here is the evidence of a church planted upon the same foundation as the
monarchy, that of territorial possessions.

The politic ruler of England had, in the completion of _Domesday Book_,
possessed himself of the most perfect instrument for the profitable
administration of his government. He was no longer working in the dark,
whether he called out soldiers or levied taxes. He had carried through a
great measure, rapidly, and with a minuteness which puts to shame some
of our clumsy modern statistics. But the Conqueror did not want his
books for the gratification of official curiosity. He went to work when
he knew how many tenants-in-chief he could command, and how many men
they could bring into the field. He instituted the great feudal
principle of knight-service. His ordinance is in these words: "We
command that all earls, barons, knights, sergeants, and freemen be
always provided with horses and arms as they ought, and that they be
always ready to perform to us their whole service, in manner as they owe
it to us of right for their fees and tenements, and as we have appointed
to them by the common council of our whole kingdom, and as we have
granted to them in fee with right of inheritance."

These words, "in fee, with right of inheritance," leave no doubt that
the great vassals of the crown were absolu