The EUR OPE AN LEGISLATURES. 1 79 



rum\ and came there to be called elves opifices^ or artifans, foon 

 followed the example of the francs burgeois, and, forming 

 opulent fraternities, compelled them, in their turn, to allow of 

 a participation of the municipal government. It was from this 

 revolution that the German towns became diflinguifhed by in- 

 duftry and wealth ; for the muntzer found it neceffary to have 

 .recourfe to commerce, and to join the free burgeffes in trading 

 adventures, if they did not chufe to be eclipfed, in point of 

 fortune, by their inferiors, 



THERE is every reafon to conclude, that fimilar events in 

 Spain, France, Britain, and other countries, were produced 

 from fimilar caufes. The turbulence of the middle ages every 

 where enabled the more wealthy, or the more fortunate, to re- 

 duce their neighbours under different degrees of fubjection. 

 Towns afforded an opportunity to the better fort to form, for 

 mutual fecurity, leagues or focieties, which counteracted the 

 progrefs of this calamity. Princes countenanced thefe affocia- 

 tions, and fuch as were formed by the inferior inhabitants in 

 imitation of them ; and thefe bodies again, either by purchafe, 

 by force, or by growing cuftoms, eftablifhed municipal govern- 

 ments, that maintained exemptions from the ancient fyllem of 

 fubordination, which was naturally detefled by the induflrious" as 

 burdenfome, tumultuary, and unfuitable to their habits. The 

 towns accordingly ceafed to refort to the diets. Their war- 

 like gentry, the companions of the fovereign, either left them, 

 or mingled in thofe focieties of commerce or manufacture which 

 governed them. Becoming, therefore, affemblages of manu- 

 facturers, rather than national bulwarks, they necefTarily appear- 

 ed degraded in the eyes of an age which was the fource of chi- 

 valry and the offspring of the feus. 



BUT that fecurity which municipal governments afforded, fbon 

 rendered the towns wealthy and formidable. Kings, then, ap- 

 plied to them for aid, and offered them privileges and beneficial 

 laws in return. Hence the towns came to negotiate by means 



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