Meaning of mesne | Babel Free

Definitions

Intermediate.

not-comparable

Examples

“a mesne lord”

“Thus all the land⟳ in the kingdom is supposed to be holden, mediately or immediately, of the sovereign, who is styled the lord paramount, or above all. Such tenants as held under the crown immediately, when they granted out portions of their 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. So that if the king granted a manor to A., and he granted a portion of the land⟳ to B., now B. was said to hold⟳ of A., and A. of the king ... A. was both tenant and lord, or was a mesne lord : and B. was called tenant paravail, or the lowest tenant; being he who was supposed to make⟳ avail or profit of the land⟳.”

CEFR level