the condition of a servant, or rather slave.

Under the declension of the Roman empire, a new kind of servitude was introduced, different from that of the ancient Romans: it consisted in leaving the lands of subjugated nations to the first owners, upon condition of certain rents, and servile offices, to be paid in acknowledgment. Hence the names of *servi censiti*, *servi scriptiti*, and *addititi glebae*, some whereof were taxable at the reasonable discretion of the lord; others at a certain rate agreed on; and others were inamortable, who, having no legitimate children, could not make a will to above the value of five pence, the lord being heir of all the rest; and others were prohibited marrying, or going to live out of the lordship. Most of these services existed lately in France; but they were long ago abolished in England. Such, however, was the original of our tenures, &c. See SLAVE.

in Scots law. See LAW, Part III. Sect. ix.