[Sidenote: An. Reg. 17. 1083.] The 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 numbred, all the cities, townes, villages, and hamlets to be
registred, all the abbies, monasteries, and priories 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, and were bound thereby to serue
him in the wars. [Sidenote: Plow land.] Likewise he tooke a note of
euerie yoke of oxen, & what number of plow lands, and how manie
bondmen were within 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 togither into his
Excheker. [Sidenote: _Geruasius Tilberiensis_. The true definition of
a hide of land.] ΒΆ Here note by the waie, 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 sixt?ene foot
and an halfe: so that the common acre should make 240.
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