Page:History of the German people at the close of the Middle Ages vol1.djvu/322

310 HISTORY OF THE GERMAN PEOPLE properties, and was a great protection to the peasant population. Generally the eldest son inherited not only the land, but all the stock and farming and household utensils. The property descended from father to son, the brothers and sisters of the proprietor possessing a certain ' inalienable right ' to their support in the house. The house could not be sold or mort- gaged without the consent of the next heir, and the Saxon law (Sachsenspiegel) obliged the latter to pay only such debts as were within the value of his chattels. 1 This was to protect the peasants from usurious lending. Geiler of Kaisersberg wrote : ' When the Jews know they cannot get much out of a property they will not lend much.' Amongst both the freehold and leasehold peasant properties there were three different classes — those of from 90 to 330 acres, those of 60 acres, and those of less extent. Besides the ' farmers,' there were (under various names) ' house tenants,' who possessed merely a hut, or at most a cottage and garden or a little field. The heritages and property which belonged to the Church were of vital importance to the very poor, because they consisted not only of houses, but tracts of land, for the care of which the Church was held responsible ; this was the means of providing many with shelter and work. In the middle of the fifteenth century Church lands were sub-rented to peasants, from among whom w collectors of tithes ' were appointed. These collectors were responsible for the rents in money or produce. 1 The possessions of the peasant tenant were looked upon as inalienable. See C. v. Vogelsang, Die Nothwendigl-eit einer neuen Gtrundenlastung (Vienna, 1880), p. 11.