[Sidenote: Saxon institutions introduced into England.] [Sidenote: Land.] The Saxons then brought with them, in their invasion of England, their threefold division of rank, their association or township, their Pagus or Hundred, the Mark system, the principle of election to public functions, and the Comitatus or personal following of their chiefs. The conquering Principes or Ealdormen became kings. The country in all probability was divided out with some degree of regularity between villages, similar in constitution with those of Continental Germany. There was no necessity for these apportionments being equal. But a certain number of villages, whatever their property was, were divided into Pagi or Hundreds. This explains the inequality of those divisions. The unoccupied land was left in the king’s hands to reward his chief followers. On these demesnes, and on the public lands, the _læts_ found their homes, with such of the conquered race as remained; and from time to time fresh estates were granted as fresh conquests increased the surplus land. From this land also the monasteries were endowed. The portion allotted to each free household was called the _Hide_. Land held by hereditary possession or by original allotment was called the _Ethel_. That held by grant from the public land and by charter was called _Bocland_ (_i.e._ book-land). The land neither partitioned nor granted was the common property of the nation, and was called _Folcland_. As all land, whether bocland or folcland, could be let out, and was so treated on various conditions, there was much variety in the tenures of that class of people who did not possess free land of their own. [Sidenote: Judicial organization.]