法律英语阅读理解：TheLawofProperty财产法Theoldcommonlaw1waspreeminentlythelawofrealproperty；andthedistinctionbetweenrealproperty“andpersonalproperty3“wasacrucialone.Generallyspeaking，realpropertymeansrealestate-1andandbuildingsbutitalsoincludessuchthingsasgrowingcrops.Everythingelsemoney，stocksandbonds，jewelry，cars，carloadsoflumber，IOUs，bankdeposits-ispersonalproperty.Weallhaveastakeinrealestate，sincewealllivesomewhere；andwework，study，andtravelsomewhere，too.Everyoneisarenteroranowner，orliveswithrentersorowners.Butformostofus，thatasfarasthelawisconcernedthewordpropertymeansprimarilyrealproperty；personalpropertyisofminorimportance.Actually，personalpropertyislegallyaminorfield.Thereisnosingle，specialfieldoflawdevotedtopersonalproperty.Personalpropertyiswhatcontractlaw，commerciallaw，andbankruptcylawyes，andtorts，tooareallabout.Buttherearesomanyspecialrillesaboutrealestatethatitmakessensetotreatthisasaseparatefieldoflaw.Propertylawisstilloneofthefundamentalbranchesoflaw，andrealestateisasignificantbranchoflawpractice.Yetpropertylawisamereshadowofitsformerself，legalspeaking.Infact，oneofthemajordevelopmentsinoursystem，ifyoutakethelongview，istherelativedeclineofrealpropertylaw.InmedievalEngland，itwouldhaveonlybeenaslightexaggerationtosaythatlandlawwasthelawoftheland.WhenBlackstonepublishedhisCommentaries“midwaythroughtheeighteenthcentury，onewholevolumewasdevotedtolandlaw.AmodernBlackstonewouldshrinkthetopictoafractionofthisbulk5or10percent，atmost，ofthetotallaw.MedievalEnglandlivedunderafeudalsystem.Powerandjurisdictionthecornerstonesofwealthandpositioninsocietywerebasedonlandandlandalone.Thelord“wasapersonwhoheldanestateapersonwithownership，mastery，controloverland.Apersonwithoutlandwasapersonwithnorealstakeinaffairsofstate.Thecommonlaw，astheroyallawcourtsexpoundedithadlittletosaytomenandwomenwithoutland，whowerethemajorityoftheEnglishpopulation.InAmerica，atonetime，onlypersonswhohadinterestsinlandwereentitledtovoteorholdoffice.TheNewYorkconstitutionof1777，forexample，restrictedther