in Law, signifies the manner in which lands or tenements are held, or the service which the tenant owes to his lord. Of this kingdom almost all the real property is by the policy of our laws supposed to be granted by, dependent upon, and held of, some superior lord, by and in consideration of certain services to be rendered to the lord by the tenant or possessor of this property. The thing held is therefore styled a tenement, the possessors of it tenants, and the manner of their possession a tenure. Thus all the lands in the kingdom are supposed to be held, immediately or immediately, of the king, who is styled the lord paramount, or above all. Such tenants as held immediately under the king, when they granted out portions of the lands to inferior persons, became also lords with respect to those inferior persons, as they were still tenants with respect to the king; and thus partaking of a middle nature, were called mesne or middle lords.