“You, experienced sir, are well aware that Peter, whom we made a proctor, is a native of the estate of our church territory which is called Vitelas. And as our desire is to act towards him with such favour as is compatible with avoiding any injury to the church, we command you by this precept, that you should strictly warn him not to presume, under any pretext or excuse, to have his children joined in wedlock anywhere but on that estate to which they may be bound by law or by condition. In which matter it is quite necessary that you, experienced sir, be very careful, and instil into them a fear to prevent any of them from going on any account beyond the estate to which they are subject by origin. For if any one of them shall presume, as we believe he will not, to go thence, let him be assured that he shall never have our consent either to dwell or to associate himself without the estate on which he was born, but that the land of any such person shall be more heavily charged (_superscribi_). And know you, that if, by your negligence, any of them shall attempt to do any of those things which we prohibit, you will incur no small danger.” * * * * * Many of the restrictions on marriage that are found in subsequent ages, under the feudal system, had their origin in this principle, because indeed the vassal, in feudal times, was but a slave under a more loose dominion in a mitigated form. The following document shows that, in the west, the separation of married persons was very uncommon, (quam sit inauditum atque crudele, _unheard of and cruel_.) It is found in lib. iii. indic. iii. ep. xii. * * * * * GREGORIUS, Maximiano Episcopo Syracusano. _De uxore cujusdam ablatâ et alteri venumdatâ._