[ xi ]
Coſcez ad Cotarii have been conſidered by our Antiquaries as The ſynonymous terms, who define them to be Cottagers, occupying ſmall quantities of land, the poſſeſſion of which required them to ſupply the Lord with poultry, eggs, and other menial proviſions. But, that there was ſome diſtinction between the Coſcez and Cotarii will be clearly viſible from the following extract, in which they are ſomtimes diſtinguiſhed with as much preciſion, as the Villani and Bordarii. It may appear, at the firſt fight, that one of theſe words might denote the Cottage, and the other the Cottager; this, indeed, will not agree with the text: but as I cannot pretend to mark out the difference between them, I muſt be contented, with the authority of our Gloſſaries, to claſs the Coſcez and Cotarii under one and the ſame name of Cottager.
Coliberti; for, on re-peruſing them, I have obſerved that Coliberti are noticed among other holders in ſome manors, where no appearances of a river ever exiſted. I muſt therefore beg the reader to ſubſtitute the word Freedmen, for Fiſhermen, whenever the latter occurs in the tranſlation, as I now conceive that Coliberti may be underſtood in the ſenſe, that ſuch holders might have been freed from their ſervitude by their Lords, but on ſome certain conditions, that might diſtinguiſh them from the Liberi, or real Freemen.
