Popular Representation chiefly due to the Municipalities.. Early forms of Representative Government. Gradually lost after the death of Charlemagne. Philip the Fair of France levies Taxes on the Feudal Nobles. He convokes a States General. The influence of this Assembly on Feudalism. A Committee of Nobles, Clergy, and Burgesses, formed to collect the Taxes. Diets, Parliaments, Cortes, &c. assembled in other countries. Their effects on the progress of Civilization. Abo- Inherent Weakness and Defects of the Feudal System. Military attendance of the Feudal Lords and their Retainers insufficient for National Defence. Remedy adopted. Fines for default of Military Attendance expended in hiring Troops. Origin of the Standing Armies' of Europe and of Alliances between different Nations. The contests between England and France lead to the downfal of the Feudal System in the latter Country by maintaining the Standing Army. Conduct of Louis XI. He completes the downfal of the Feudal System in France. Conduct of Henry VII. of England. Downfal of the Feudal System in England, Spain, Italy, and Germany. 114 CONTENTS. XV CHAPTER XII. THE EFFECTS OF FEUDALISM ON SOCIETY. Recapitulation. Effects of Feudalism. Origin of Chivalry. How connected with the Profession of Arms. Remarkable Ceremonies observed on creating a Chevalier. The Vow of the Chevalier. Effects of Chivalry transmitted to Modern Pic Times. Influence of Feudalism on Domestic Manners. PAGE 124 THE LORD AND THE VASSAL. CHAPTER I. STATE OF EUROPE BEFORE THE FEUDAL TIMES. Brief Survey of the Roman Empire. Modes of Conquest and Colo"nization. Government of the Roman Provinces. Low Character of the Roman Soldiers in the Fourth and Fifth Centuries. The German Tribes of Barbarians as described by Tacitus. The Finni or Fins. The Huns. The Goths and Vandals. The Ostrogoths and Visigoths. The Alani and Venedi. The Franks. Irruptions of these Tribes. Partition of conquered Territories by them. Contests among the Barbarians. Their Ferocity. Aspect of the devastated Countries. Occupation of the greater portion of Europe by the Tribes of Barbarians. DURING the earlier centuries of the Christian era nearly the whole of civilized Europe was subject to one central power. The growth of that power had commenced in the city of Rome; from Rome it had extended on all sides until it embraced the whole of what we now call Italy; from Italy it had extended westward to the Iberian peninsula (now called Spain and Portugal); eastward to Greece and Asia Minor; northward to Gaul and Britain; and partially in a north-east direction towards Germany; until at length the Roman eagle was the standard round which armies assembled in nearly all the countries of Europe. The process of conquest was nearly the same in all these cases. A general-sometimes the emperor himself-went with an army of bold and hardy warriors, against whom the imperfectly armed natives could not contend, and thus province after province was gradually brought into subjection. A governor, perhaps the general who had achieved the conquest, was then put in command of the country, which became a province of the Roman empire; and this governor, LORD AND VASSAL. 1 while receiving orders on all important matters from Rome, exercised in other respects a somewhat extensive sovereignty. As to the form of government established in the conquered countries, it was regular though severe. The Romans communicated their arts, sciences, and language, to their new subjects. But before the conquest could be considered as complete, many hard struggles and much misery and privation were undergone; for a single battle did not, as among the effeminate Asiatics, decide the fate of a nation; but at length, when the domination of Rome was complete, it was felt in many respects to be a beneficial change from the former mode of government. Agriculture was encouraged, the population increased, the ruined cities were rebuilt, new towns were founded, and industry revived, with its accompanying blessings and advantages. But the Roman supremacy produced also its evils. The conquered people were disarmed and overawed by soldiers kept in pay to restrain them. The governors, far distant from the imperial court, plundered them with impunity by means of exorbitant taxes, levied with very little regard to justice, or to the ability of the people to pay. The most enterprizing citizens took their departure to distant capitals, in quest of preferment or wealth, so that those left behind had not the means to carry on commerce and manufactures with proper vigour. The people became by degrees so accustomed to look up to the governor with a kind of timid awe, and to receive his commands with submission, that it was hardly possible for them to retain their original martial and independent character; and they lost the habit of deciding for themselves, or of acting from the impulse of their own minds. A proof of this was given by the Britons, at a time when the Roman legions had been called away from the country; and when the Picts and Caledonians invaded Britain, the natives behaved with a weakness and pusillanimity quite inconsistent with the boldness with which they resisted the original attacks of the Romans, saying, in a letter to the Roman general, 'We know not which way |