FEALTY. That duty which every man who holds lands of another owes to him of whom he holds.
Under the feudal system, every owner of lands held them of some euperior lord, from whom or from whose ancestors the tenant had received them. By this connection the lord became bound to pro tect the tenant in the enjoyment of the land grant ed to him ; and, on the other hand, the tenant was bound to be faithful to his lord and to defend him against all his enemies. This obligation was called ildelitas or fealty ; 1 Bla. Com. 263; 2 id. 86; Co. Litt. 67 b.
This fealty was of two sorts: that which is gen eral, and ie due from every subject to his prince ; the other special, and required of such only as in respect of their fee are tied by this oath to their landlords; 1 Bla. Com. 367; Cowell.
The oath or obligation of fealty was one of the essential requisites of the feudal relation ; 2 Sharsw. Bla. Cora. 45, 86 ; Littleton 18 117, 131; Wright, Ten. 35 ; Termes de la Ley; 1 Washb. R.
P. 19; see 1 Poll. & Matti. 277-287, and was as fol lows: "Hear this ye good people that I (such a one by name) faith will bear to our lord King Ed ward from this day forward of life and limb, of body and chattels and earthly honor, and the serv ices which belong to him for the fees and tene ments which I. hold of him will lawfully perform to him ae they become due to the best of my power, so help me God and the saints." Stubbs, Const. Hist. § 462 rt. `Fealty was due alike from freehold ere and tenants for years as an incident to their estates to be paid to the reversioner ; Co. Lit. 67 b. Chal. R. P. 13. Tenants at will did not have feal ty ; 2 Burton, R. P. 395, n.; 1 Washb. R. P. 371. It hai now fallen into disuse, and is no longer ex acted; 3 Kent 510; Wright, Ten. 35, 55; Cowell.