ancient Saxon divisions of Counties into Tythings, and Hundreds or Wapentakes.

For the better conservation of peace and administration of justice, the Saxons ordained that every native and lawful man, should be ranked in some Hundred or Tything, when he was 14 years of age, or twelve as it was afterwords enacted in Canute's Laws. Every Decuria or Tything consisted of ten families which were under the care of the Tythingman, who was answerable for the masters, as they were for their families. Here, says Selden, we have the origin of the Court Leet. The Normans continued the custom, but called it Frank-Pledge. This view of Frank Pledge is continued in the Court Leet, to be held annually on the feast of St. Michael, by Magna Charta, the power of which was determined by the Statute of the 8th of Edward II. and the 1st of Edward III, so that now there is no other Decuria than the Court Leet, nor other security given for the King's Peace, or the party's good behaviour to his fellow subjects, than the person's own oath, when he performs fealty to the Lord of the Manor.

Ten of these Decuriæ, or Tythings, made the Centuria or Hundred; these in some places, particularly in the Northern Counties, are called Wapentakes, the reason of which denomination is distinctly mentioned in the Laws of King Edward the Confessor, viz. when a person received the government of a Wapentake, at the appointed time and usual place, the elder people met him, and when he had dismounted from his horse, rose up to him; then he held up his spear, and took security of all present according to custom; whoever came touched his spear with theirs, and by this touching of armour, were confirmed in one common interest; and from this circumstance we have the word Wapentake.

The next partition in those early days that was superior to the Hundreds or Wapentakes were the Trithings or

Ridings, as they are now called, of which there is express mention in the Laws of Edward the Confessor, Chapter 34. To these, appeals were made in such causes as could not be determined in the Hundred Courts, and what could not be concluded in the Riding, was carried to the County Court.

BONDMAN DAM.

"Of the Dams upon the river Are in this part of the Manor of Leeds, Bondman Dam ought especially to be mentioned, to excite our gratitude for the abolition of the old bond Law, that related to the Terra Nativa, whereby not only the lands and services, but the bodies of the natives, and their children after them were absolutely at the disposal of the lord, and were sold or given away by them at their arbitrary pleasure, till it was afterwards enacted, 'That no buying and selling be used hereafter in England of Men, as of Cattle.' (Fox's Mart. vol. i, p. 120.) But to be a little more particular herein; the copyholds chargeable with the repairs of this, which to this day, is called the BONDMAN'S DAM, I take to be as ancient as the Conquest, if not before, and that they are the same with those that in Domesday Book were in the possession of the 27 Villans therein named. And it is very observable, that after more than 600 years, 22 of them are expressed by name in a bill exhibited by George Neville, Esq. as liable by their tenure to repair the said Dam.

"Now the Bondmen were of two sorts in those ages; first Villans in Gross, who without any determined tenure of Land, were at the arbitrary pleasure of their lords; and receiving their wages and maintenance at the discretion of the lord, were no better than absolute slaves, both themselves and their children, with whatever they had, being alienable at their pleasure.

"The other sort were of a superior degree, having some a cottage and land assigned to them; for which they were obliged to some stated offices, as this, to the repair of Bondman Dam, in compensation whereof, they, and their successors, in that tenure, are Hopper-free, that is, they have the privilege of having their corn ground immediately upon the emptying of the Hopper, though there should be never so many attending, whose corn was brought to the mill before theirs. Yet even these Villans regardant were conveyed as an appurtenance of the manor to' every new lord, and had not power so much as to fell a tree in their gardens without the lord's leave."

The author having finished the history and description of the town of Leeds, proceeds to give an account of the villages and places in its vicinity, viz. Ossinthorp, Halton, Caldcotes, Gipton, Potter Newton, Chapel Allerton, Allerton Gledhow, Allerton Grange, Moore Allerton, Street Lane, Haw-Caster Rig, The Mosses, Hedingley, Burley, New Grange, Weetwood, Cookridge, Moor Grange, Kepstorn, Bar-grange, Kirkstal, Horsford, Newlathes, Rawden, Hawksworth, Bramley, the Wyther, Hunslet, Holbeck, Armley, Wortley, Farnley, Tonge, Beeston, Cross Flatts, Cat Beeston, New Hall, Snitall, Beeston Park, Pit Hill, Roids, Cottingley, Milnshaw, Churlwell, Hunslet Woodhouse, Middleton, The Hague, Bell Hill, Thwaites, The Lock, Thorp Hall, Temple Newsom, Skelton Grange, Elmet, Berwick in Elmet, Ledsham, Ledston, Sherburn in Elmet.

In Treating of the History of the Villages and places in the vicinity of Leeds, the author commences with

OSSINTHORP.

which he denominates the Villa Regia, because Bede places it in regione qua vocatur Loidis.

A family of the name of Osmund, who resided here, shewed a strong inclination to have this village called Osmundthorp, and accordingly in most of the writings, wherein they or their descendants were interested, it is so written.

GIPTON.

Mr. Thoresby discovered here the remains of an ancient fortification, the outer trench of which, is 18 feet wide, the first camp about one hundred feet long, and 66 feet broad, the second is about 165 feet square. They are both surrounded with a deep trench and rampart. At this place there is a well of cold spring water which had been made convenient for the use of invalids before the author wrote.

CHAPEL-ALLERTON.

Nothing was more familiar in former ages, than for towns and territories to receive names from that sort of wood with which they abounded, as Elmet, &c. and all this tract of ground seems to have received its denomination from its abounding with Alder Trees.

STREET LANE.

Upon the moors here are the remains of Roman and Saxon Antiquities, which shew that these parts were known to and frequented by both those nations successively. Of the many words retained in the provincial language, none are more familiar than Caster and Street, from the Roman Castrum and Strutum, the latter of which is the word that Bede uses to signify the Roman Roads, and on these moors there are both a Street Lane, and HawCaster-Rig, where are yet visible remains of a Roman

Via Vicinalis, which came from the military way upon Bramham Moor. From that great consular road came a branch by Thorner and Shadwell, through this Street Lane, by Haw-Caster-Rig, to Adel or Agel ocum, where the vestiges of a Roman town, funeral monuments, &c. were of late years discovered, and thence by Cookridge, over the moors to Ilkley, a well known Roman Station.

THE MOSSES.

At a good depth in the Peat Pits are found Pitch Trees (commonly called Firs) oaks, and other trees, but not so considerable for bulk or number, as to merit a dissertation whether they were buried there at the Universal Deluge or by some other accident. The author says that he is very much of the opinion of Mr. Abraham de la Pryme (Philosoph. Trans. No. 275) late Minister of Thorn, that these trees were natives of the place, and cut down by the Romans, because the Britons, when defeated in battle, retired into such morasses and woods, and were secure, continually making sallies out and retreats in again, intercepting their provisions, taking and destroying their carriages, &c. with which the Romans were so tormented, that public orders were issued for destroying all their woods. The Emperor Severus is said to have lost 50,000 men in this work, which was performed partly by fire, and partly by axes, &c. cutting down such as remained.

COOKRIDGE.

Cookridge is deservedly famous for the noble and pleasant walks that Mr. Kirke contrived in his wood there; an avenue of four rows of trees leads from his house to that most surprising Labyrinth, which at once delights and amuses the spectator with its windings and variously inter