56. The law by which the younger Theodosius in the year 438,
abolished this tenure, may be found among the Novellae of
that emperor at the end of the Theodosian Code, tom. vi.
nov. 12. M. de Tillemont (Hist. des Empereurs, tom. iv. p.
371) has evidently mistaken the nature of these estates.
With a grant from the Imperial demesnes the same condition
was accepted as a favour, which would justly have been
deemed a hardship if it had been imposed upon private
property.