The EUROPEAN LEGISLATURES. 29 



tion was to defend him, and to promote his glory. War was, 

 however, effential to retain them. The battle-horfe, the viclo- 

 rious fpear, were prefents that they expected, and a plentiful and 

 open board was the wages of their fervice. But it was to war 

 alone that recourfe could be had for the means of this munifi- 

 cence ; for war, and not labour, fuited the national temper, and 

 furnifhed a neceflary occupation to a numerous youth, averfe to 

 induftry, and fond of adventure. 



SUCH a body poffefled the fame refemblance to the chiefs of 

 pagi, that the celeres and jW{ of the Roman and Lacedemonian 

 kings bore to the fenators of Rome and Sparta. DIONY- 

 sius, after defcribing the celeres, gives the following account 

 of the <Wif, which may be properly enough fubjoined to TA- 

 CIT us 's picture of the German leuchs : " nf wen/on; (f Ax^aj!*- 



" noi{) at yivKtoTonoi ruv viwv puXaxfj txrav T (3<x<nAn. 'Oi; i^avra xa,T rvf 

 " weAfjuBf wafatrTrtiTTaif, T7rii(ri rt a<r x/ Trt^oif." Dionyjl Hujic. Rom. Antiq. 

 lib. 2. 



PART I. 



SECTION II. Of the Opinions , that the feudal Tenures and feudal 

 Nobility commenced in ancient Germany. 



IT will naturally be expected, that, before proceeding to trace 

 the government of the Germans after their eftablifhment in 

 the empire, I fhould take notice of certain opinions, entertained 

 by authors of eminence, which are extremely adverfe to the 

 foregoing account of its original ftruclure. It has been very 

 generally thought, that, immediately upon the conqueft, the 

 governments became feudal ; and M. DE MONTESQUIEU, and 

 many others, hold, that the feudal fubordination, and that he- 

 reditary nobility which made fo diflinguiftied a figure under 



the 



