Tie EUROPEAN LEGISLATURES. 159 



And the ecclefiaftical wites, were, without doubt, the dignified 

 clergy whom we find enumerated at the head of thofe of whom 

 the diets were compofed. In the laws of ALFRED, it is faid ; 

 " Sancli epifcopi et fapientes laici flatuerunt." KINEWOLF, king 

 of WefTex, in writing about religious affairs, fays ; " Una cum 



' epifcopis meis, nee non cum caterva fatraparum ;" or, more fhn- 

 ply, ** Cum confenfu epifcoporum, atque fatraparum meorum." 

 The term fatrap here, and in other places, ufed by the Anglo- 

 Saxon writers was certainly, of all others, the moft proper to 

 denote thofe powerful provincial magiftrates who were, in fact, 

 petty kings, and united, like them, the civil and military 

 powers. And it will, like wife, be noticed, that this term is ufed 

 by KINEWOLF, as correfponding to that of fapientes laici in the 

 laws of ALFRED *. 



IT may be tedious to add further authorities ; but I will ven- 

 ture to fay, that, if any perfon takes the trouble to look into 

 the Saxon writers, he will, I believe, find, that the common 

 expreflions ufed by them are more juft, if interpreted according 

 to the fyftem I have offered, than in any other way. Thus, for 

 inflance, the current phrafe, " Confidentibus totius Angliae fe- 



f natoribus," or, " Totius Angliae majoribus natu," could, 

 with no propriety, be ufed to exprefs, as is manifeflly intended 

 by it, that the fenate was full and general, unlefs all the parts 

 of England had fenators peculiar to them ; that is, that the fe- 

 nators were the provincial magiftrates. If they had been either 

 the judges of a royal court of juftice, or had been considerable 

 proprietors without functions, then the' phrafe would naturally 

 have run, C( Omnibus Anglic fenatoribus" or, ll Omnibus Anglic 



' majoribus 







*!N the fynod of A. 13.694, aflemblecl chiefly on religious affairs, the enumeration of the 

 members is more full j firft, the archbilhop of Britain and the bifhop of Rochefter are 

 mentioned, and then it proceeds as follows : " Cseterifque abbatibus, abbatiffis, prefby- 

 " teris, diaconibus, ducibus, fatrapis, in unum glomeratis." See allb enumeration o 

 the diet which abfolved EDGAR, quoted above ia note p. 148. 



