The EUROPEAN LEGISLATURES. 175 



zens of certain of the principal towns, as London and the Cinque 

 Ports, were named barons or thanes, and mentioned as reforting 

 in an aggregate body to the national diet, and there pofleffing 

 much influence *. 



Again, though we fometimes find inhabitants of towns defti- 

 tute of the right of alienating their property ; that the crown 

 was their heir inflead of their children ; and that fervices of all 

 forts, or compofitions in lieu of fervices, were exacted from them 

 in the moft oppremve manner ; it neither follows, that all the 

 inhabitants of towns were in this fituation, nor that the inhabi- 

 tants of the country were in happier circumftances. Various 

 eaufes tended to create a multiplicity of reftraints and fervices. 

 The German kings fubfifted chiefly by gifts from the freemen 

 of the nation, and, like the heads of all paftoral tribes, received 

 from them lodging, forage, and attendance when they journey- 

 ed. After the conqueft of the Roman provinces, thefe vomnta-- 

 ry aids degenerated into a variety of cuftomary taxes, uncertain 

 fervices, and oppremve compofitions. Fines alfo were prefcribed 

 for all manner of delinquencies, and feem to have been employed 

 as an inducement to the execution of the law, by rendering every 

 proprietor a profiler from it. Perfonal protection, likewife, was 

 not only to be paid for by a yearly rent to the king, or potent in- 

 dividual who afforded it, but became the condition of various re- 

 ftraints as to marriage, alienation, fucceflion, &c. over thofe who 

 received it. Befides, the imperfections of agriculture, and the dif- 

 orders arifing from the weaknefs of government, often reduced 

 even freemen to the greatefl hardfhips ; and it was lawful for them 

 to fell themfelves into flavery ; and it was alfo lawful to purchafe 

 emancipation or relief, by fubmitting to various burdens affect- 

 ing their poflerity, as well as themfelves. In fine, the jeakmfy 



and 



* ON the death of CAJJUT, the Saxon Chronicle relates, that HAROLD was chofen 

 king by Earl LEOFRTC, and the mariners of London, and almoft all the thanes north 

 of the Thames. " Major Londonise, et alii barones Londoniae attornaverunt," <iffe, 

 6. HEN. III. Rot. 5. BROMPT'ON, and the Norman writers ufe baro to denote thane.j 

 and the records for feveral reigns after the conqueft employ both terms promifcuoufly. 

 MADOX. Hifl..Excb. BOULAINVILIERS Etat de la France, v. 3. f, 56. 



