Thus William developed and extended the feudal system of land tenure,[1] already in existence in outline among the Saxons (S86), until it covered every part of the realm.  He, however, kept this system strictly subordinate to himself, and we shall see that before the close of his reign he held a great meeting by which he got absolute control over it (S121).

[1] See, too, the Constitutional Summary in the Appendix, p. v, S6.

115.  The Three Counties Palatine.

The only exceptions which William made in these carefully restricted grants were the three Counties Palatine,[1] which he created.  They bordered on Wales in the west, Scotland in the north, and the English Channel in the southeast.  To the earls of these counties of Chester, Durham, and Kent, which were especially liable to attack from Wales, Scotland, or France, William thought it expedient to give almost royal power, which descended in their families, thus making the title hereditary. (See map facing p. 436.)

[1] Palatine (from palatium, palace):  having rights equal with the King in his palace.  The county of Chester is now Cheshire.  Durham bordered on Northumberland, then opposed to William.  Shropshire was practically a fourth County Palatine until Henry I. Later, Lancaster was added to the list.

116.  How William stopped Assassination; the Law of Englishry; Gregory VII.

The hard rule of the Norman nobles caused many secret assassinations.  To put a stop to these crimes, William enacted the Law of Englishry.  It compelled the people of the district where a murder was perpetrated to pay a heavy fine for every Norman so slain; for it was assumed that every man found murdered was a Norman, unless proof could be brought to the contrary.

While these events were taking place in England, Hildebrand, the archdeacon who had urged the Pope to favor William’s expedition against England (S68), ascended the papal throne, under the title of Gregory VII.  He was the ablest, the most ambitious, and, in some respects, he most farsighted man who had been elected supreme head of the Catholic Church.

117.  State of Europe; Gregory’s Scheme of Reform.

Europe was at that time in a condition little better than anarchy.  A perpetual quarrel was going on between the feudal barons.  The Church, too, as we have seen (SS53, 60), had temporarily lost much of its power for good.  Pope Gregory conceived a scheme of reform which he intended should be both wide and deep.

Like Dunstan (S60), he determined to correct the abuses which had crept into the monasteries.  He resolved to have a priesthood who should devote themselves body and soul to the interests of the Church; he resolved to bring all society into submission to that priesthood; finally, he resolved to make the priesthood itself acknowledge him as its sole master.  His purpose in this gigantic scheme was a noble one; it was to establish the unity and peace of Europe.