free ▁pe as ants , ▁and ▁this ▁social ▁class ▁compr ised ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁population ▁according ▁to ▁the ▁Dom es day ▁Book . ▁In ▁Scotland , ▁by ▁contrast , ▁a ▁strict ▁form ▁of ▁male ▁prim ogen iture ▁pre va iled ▁( and ▁still ▁prev ails ) ▁even ▁among ▁pe as ants . ▁ ▁The ▁Scottish ▁cl an ▁of ▁the ▁fe ud al ▁era , ▁which ▁surv ived ▁in ▁the ▁High lands ▁until ▁ 1 7 4 7 , ▁was ▁the ▁only ▁known ▁example ▁of ▁a ▁con ical ▁cl an ▁in ▁Europe , ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁Roman ▁gens ▁according ▁to ▁F ust el ▁de ▁Cou lang es . ▁As ▁G art more ▁says ▁in ▁a ▁paper ▁written ▁in ▁ 1 7 4 7 , ▁" The ▁property ▁of ▁these ▁High lands ▁belongs ▁to ▁a ▁great ▁many ▁different ▁persons , ▁who ▁are ▁more ▁or ▁less ▁considerable ▁in ▁proportion ▁to ▁the ▁extent ▁of ▁their ▁est ates , ▁and ▁to ▁the ▁command ▁of ▁men ▁that ▁live ▁upon ▁them , ▁or ▁follow ▁them ▁on ▁account ▁of ▁their ▁cl ans hip , ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁est ates ▁of ▁others . ▁These ▁lands ▁are ▁set ▁by ▁the ▁land l ord ▁during ▁pleasure , ▁or ▁a ▁short ▁tack , ▁to ▁people ▁whom ▁they ▁call ▁good - men , ▁and ▁who ▁are ▁of ▁a ▁superior ▁station ▁to ▁the ▁common ality . ▁These ▁are ▁generally ▁the ▁sons , ▁brothers , ▁c ous ins , ▁or ▁nearest ▁relations ▁of ▁the ▁land l ord . ▁The ▁younger ▁sons ▁of ▁families ▁are ▁not ▁b red ▁to