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of the realm were not merely descriptive or informal divisions. The legal and political status of a person was strongly dependent on his estate. Medieval law was usually not codified or uniform, but the sources of law were diverse. Different laws applied to different estates, and the estates held distinct privileges. A nobleman or cleric could not be sentenced by an ordinary court. One set of laws governed the conduct of the merchants, another governed the feudal system, and the church was governed by its own laws. The application of canon law,

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