350 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



facts, one already given under another head, may be named as illus- 

 trating this effect : " The greatest national council in Madagascar is an 

 assembly of the people of the capital and the heads of the provinces, 

 districts, towns, villages," etc. ; and, speaking of the English Wite- 

 nagemot, Mr. Freeman says, " Sometimes we find direct mention of 

 the presence of large and popular classes of men, as the citizens of 

 London or Winchester " : the implication in both cases being that all 

 freemen had a right to attend, but that only those on the spot could 

 readily avail themselves of the right. This cause for restriction, 

 which is commented upon by Mr. Freeman, operates in several ways. 

 The actual cost of a journey to the place fixed for the m"eeting, when 

 a kingdom has become large, is too great to be borne by a man w^ho 

 owns but a few acres. Further, there is the indirect cost entailed by 

 loss of time, which, to one who personally labors or superintends labor, 

 is serious. Again, there is the danger, which in turbulent times is 

 considerable, save to those who go with bodies of well-armed retainers. 

 And obviously these deterrent causes must tell where, for the above 

 reasons, the incentives to attend have become small. 



Yet another cause cooperates. When the occupied area is large, 

 and therefore the number inhabiting it great, an assembly of all the 

 armed freemen, could they be gathered, would be disabled from taking 

 part in the proceedings, both by its size and by its lack of organiza- 

 tion. A multitude made of those who have come from scattered 

 points over a wide country, mostly unknown to one another, unable to 

 hold previous communication, and therefore without plans, as well as 

 without leaders, can not cope with the relatively small but well-organ- 

 ized body of those having common ideas and acting in concert. 



Nor should there be omitted the fact that w^hen the causes above 

 named have conspired to decrease the attendance of men in arms who 

 live far off, and when there grows up the usage of summoning the 

 more important among them, it naturally happens that in course of 

 time the receipt of a summons becomes the authority for attendance, 

 and the absenc(^ of a summons becomes equivalent to the absence of a 

 right to attend. 



Here, then, are several influences, all directly or indirectly conse- 

 quent upon war, wiiich join in differentiating the consultative body 

 from the mass of armed freemen out of which it arises. 



Given the ruler, and given the consultative body thus arising, there 

 remains to ask. What are the causes of change in their relative powers? 

 Always between these two authorities there must be a struggle each 

 trying to subordinate the other. Under what conditions, then, is the 

 king enabled to override the consultative body ; and under what con- 

 ditions is the consultative body enabled to override the king ? 



Inevitably a belief in the superhuman nature of the king gives him 

 an immense advantage in the contest for supremacy. If he is god- 



