1 6 On the ORIGIN and STRUCTURE of 



of order and regularity in the German diets. At the fame 

 time, as TACITUS relates, that they affembled in arms, it 0an 

 fcarce be doubted, that, by degrees, the regularity of a mi- 

 litary review would be introduced. It is, indeed, not eafy to 

 conceive, how the vafl multitudes of armed men, mentioned as 

 affembling on public affairs, could obferve any order, unlefs ar- 

 ranged in regular divifions. We know like wife, that the Tartars 

 affembled in their curiltay in this manner, each tribe arranged 

 under its proper banner. We know, that the ancient Greek 

 ecclefia * and the Roman comitia were alfo military mufters and 

 reviews. We know, that the affemblies of the Weapontact in 

 modern Europe were likewife employed for this purpofe. And 

 we know, that the Franks, who attended the affemblies call- 

 ed mallum^ placitum, and parliament , were obliged to appear in 

 arms f, and thofe who had banners, to carry them along with 

 them. The Irim, in the fame manner, wore arms in their na- 

 tional and provincial conventions. And I {hall afterwards have 

 occafion to obferve, .that the pofpolite in Poland, and the ancient 

 diet of the German empire, affembled in a military form. We 

 may reafonably then hold, that the ftrudlure of the different 

 gradations of affemblies, among the ancient Germans, was ex- 

 tremely uniform, and wore a military afpecl. In each affem- 

 bly, its proper chief would prefide, accompanied with a council 

 of the chiefs of thofe tribes which reforted to it ; and the war- 



riors 



* HOMER thus relates the aflembling of the Greeks in diet when befieging Troy : 



} JA3c { ayofr.r. II. lib. ii. V. 92. 



f THE affembly of the Franks in the campus martius of the cities of Gaul, defcribed 

 by GREGORY of Tours, is manifeftly a military review. " Tranfado vero anno, juflit 

 " (fciz. Clovis) omnem cum armorum apparatu advenire phalangem, oftenfuram incam- 

 " po martio fuorum armorum nitorem ;" and he is mentioned as going through the ranks 

 and examining their condition, lib. ii. c. 27. And when, under the fecond race, the 

 Franks were called forth to aflemble in military array, their magiftrates were named ca- 

 pitanei, and the .meeting a placitum. Capit. A. D. 807. This military appellation is 

 common to all the great magiftrates in both the Gothic and Sclavonic nations. Vay vode, 

 banuus, heretoge, are often tranflated capitanei, duces, <b"c. 



