Tie EUROPEAN LEGISLATURES. 27 



came confiderable, it would be employed as means to gain 

 power and protection. It is remarked by travellers, that all 

 lavage nations are hofpitable, fond of interchanging prefents, 

 and of public feafting ; but, among them, fuch indulgences 

 are practifed merely on account of the pleafure they afford, 

 whereas the introduction of wealth in the fources of fubfiftence 

 produces a variety of interefts formerly unknown, and hofpi- 

 tality is practifed, and prefents beftowed, as the means of 

 procuring fecurity, diftinction, or power. Hence among the 

 Germans, every wealthy perfon had his retainers that fre- 

 quented his table, and received from him protection, and va- 

 rious favours, in return for their aid, and for the prefents 

 they gave him. The chiefs, in particular, whofe hofpitality 

 was fupported by prefents from the whole members of their 

 tribes, naturally ftrove to diflinguim themfelves by their follow- 

 ers, and to attract around them the enterprifing youths of the 

 firfl families in the ftate. TACITUS * makes particular men- 

 tion of this inftitution, and terms the retainers comites, pro- 

 bably a literal tranflation of the German leuch or leude. Au- 

 thors have very frequently confounded thefe with the principes 

 vicorum et pagorum which, in the preceding chapter, he di- 

 flinguiihes by the fame name of comites ; and where perhaps 

 they have not confounded them, they have never, as far as I 

 recollect, pointed out clearly the diflinction between them. No 

 two orders of men, however, could be more different ; and the 

 defcription of both is fo accurate, that there feems to be no room 

 for miftake. The chiefs of diftricts were elders, were civil ma- 

 giflrates, were military leaders, the heads of the nation, and 

 the natural counfellors both of prince and people j~ , refpectable 

 by their experience, gravity and authority. But the retainers 

 of the king were young men, his guards, his own perfonal par- 

 tizans, fupported by his munificence, courters of his favour, 

 expectants of promotion from it, and fworn to maintain his 



d 2 glory, 



* Cap. 13. -J- KOLBEN of the Hottentots. 



