The EUROPEAN LEGISLATURES. 13 



herds can fubfift together in great bodies ', and the leifure they en- 

 joy, and the whole habits of their lives, prompt them to engage in 

 military enterprifes. In this way, leagues for offence, and, of 

 courfe, for defence likewife, are univerfally formed ; and the 

 confederates, in order to carry on their common undertakings, 

 naturally choofe a leader, whofe powers endure as long as there 

 is ufe for them. Thus, fays CAESAR, " Quum bellum civitas 

 " aut illatum defendit aut infert, magiftratus qui ei bello prac- 

 " fint, ut vitse necifque habeant poteflatem deliguntur. In pace 

 " nullus eft communis magiftratus, fed principes regionum, at- 

 " que pagorum, inter fuos jus dicunt, controverfiafq; minuunt-" 

 STRABO obferves the fame of the Lucanian ftates, a part of the 

 ancient confederacy of the Samnites : To piv m> AAOI xgntt 



" ( VIZ. f w> ) ifynoxf onwlo- (v ft roif iroXj/xoi? r'fiijo (3irjA{Uf, uVo run 



" M/*^WW ?x a f-" Lib. 6. 254. 



THESE leagues, of a number of cantons or pagi, feem to have 

 been attended, in perhaps every nation under heaven, with one 

 very important inftitution, viz. a diftribution of the confede- 

 rates into regular numbers. A great body of men, who carry 

 on war for a considerable length of time, muft foon perceive the 

 advantage, and even neceflity of order and arrangement ; and 

 the moft fimple of all arrangements, is the regulating by numbers 

 the contingents that each pagus mould furnifh. As foon again 

 as this meafure is adopted^ each pagus is under the neceflity of 

 taking a fimilar method for raiiing and managing its contingent. 

 Each tribe belonging to a pagus will, of courfe, be called on. 

 to furnifh a certain number, and each great family in the tribe 

 a portion of this number. By this means, every canton, and 

 the parts of a canton, come naturally to be characterifed by 

 their refpeclive contingents, and the whole country itfelf feems 

 to be arranged into a feries of divifions for military purpofes. 

 " Definitur et numerus : fays TACITUS, centeni ex fingulis pagis 

 " funt : idque ipfum inter fuos vocantur, et quod primo nume- 

 " rus jam nomen et honor eft." De Mor. Germ. cap. 6. We 



find 



