ttc EUROPEAN LEGrSLATURES. 5 



ing factions j and though thefe, in courfe of time, ceafed to be 

 the fubject of profeiTedly polemical writing, their influence is 

 dill fenfible in guiding the views of the hiftorian, and blunting 

 the difcernment of the philofopher and politician. The hiflo- 

 riographer of France, even in thefe days, maintains the abfo- 

 lute legiflative authority of the Merovingian princes. The 

 Abbe MABLY, and Englifh authors of no inferior reputation, 

 Lord LITTELTON, Dr STUART, &c. affirm the remote antiquity 

 of the reprefentation of the commons; and MONTESQUIEU and 

 HUME have conferred their fanction on the ariftocratic fyftem. 

 When a controverfy is thus circumftanced, men of information 

 are apt to indulge fcepticifm, and abandon the fubject ; while fe- 

 cond-rate authors feize it as lawful game, court popularity, by 

 aflerting errors that fuit the tafte of the times, and treat thofe 

 with abufe who venture to reject them. 



BUT there is, in fact, no period where there is better encou- 

 ragement to hope that an enquiry may be purfued with fuccefs. 

 The very fcepticifm of the literary world, which has begun to 

 efcape from the factions of the laft century, if not fuffered to mar 

 its induftry, will give enlargement to its views, and candour to 

 its difquifitions. Many important facts in the hiflory of rude 

 nations, akin to thofe which founded^the Gothic governments, 

 have been afcertained : Many ancient records, to which the pu- 

 blic had formerly no accefs, have been publifhed j and the ef- 

 forts of great men, during the prefent century, to render hifto- 

 ry an object of philofophical fpeculation, have roufed a fpirit of 

 enlightened obfervation, and taught perfons, poflefled of lite- 

 rary curiolity, how to direct their refearches. 



I FLATTER myfelf thefe obfervations will afford me fome 

 apology, for prefuming to treat of a fubject which has former- 

 ly drawn the attention of fo many perfons of the firft abilities. 

 My fentiments on it are the refult of an enquiry, to which 

 duty, as well as inclination, prompted me ; and, if they have 

 no other merit, I truft they will at leaft be attended with 



the 



