580 
proof of the supremacy of opinion over 
law, than the fact that Louis the XIVth, 
who affixed the most severe penalties to the 
offence of fighting a duel, would, allow no 
man in his own regiment to refuse a, chal- 
lenge.” 
On the subject of the feudal govern- 
ments which progressively resulted from 
this primitive state of things, his lord- 
ship thus expresses himself, p. 13.:— 
“ The nobility of Europe formed in every 
country but England,” Chis Lordship refers 
we presume to Savon England, before the 
Norman Conquest; for certainly to the Nor- 
man nobility the ewception will not apply— 
they, as much as any other, formed] ‘a class 
totally distinct from the rest of the commu- 
nity; possessed of the fortresses and the 
lands of country, the king was their subject 
and the people were their slaves ;_cherish- 
ing the notion of their own superiority in 
power, in valow', and’ in honour, they 
treated with the proudest contempt the 
laws and the judges who pretended to con- 
troul their actions.” 
After noticing the very different sta- 
tion assigned to women by the institu- 
tions of ancient and modern Europe, 
the author proceeds to observe that 
© another particular in. which modern 
states differ most essentially from an- 
cient commonwealths is the abolition of 
slavery and the principal share in this 
abolition is most assuredly very justly 
attributed to the influence of Christi- 
anity:—to “the opinion that it was 
wrong for a Christian to keep a Christian 
in slavery.” 
“* Alfred, King of England, orders in the 
11th section of his laws, that if any person 
buy a Christian servant he shall serve six 
years, but in the seventh he shall be manu- 
mitted. Sir Thomas Smith informs us, 
that the clergy neyer ceased preaching a- 
gainst the sin’ of retaining Christians in 
slavery. In 1067, Pope Alexander the III. 
declared in the name of a council, ‘that all 
Christians ought to be exempt from servi- 
tude.” Political events hastened the 
emancipation of the slaves; the cities made 
all their inhabitants free in order to increase 
their strength against the barons; and the 
barons gave freedom to their vassals that 
they might not be tempted to take refuge 
in the towns.” : 
It isa singutar fact in the history of 
opinions, that— 
“ The. practice of earrying of negroes 
from the coast of Africa was commenced 
by. the Portuguese at the very period-when 
the slavery of Christians was nearly abe- 
lished in Europe.” 
» Memoirs of the Affairs of 
~The observations which ensue on “one 
political consequence which tt 
ed,” this nevertheless rejoicetl in’ abo- 
litton of slavery, bears the strong niark' of 
a discriminating and reflecting minc Ber 
In modern Europe, ‘to be, free. is mo dis- 
tinction; it does not; prevent men. from 
being sordid, dependent, totally, pageants 
and little better than the cattle of the field : 
a new distinction therefore has been ‘desired, 
and vanity seeks to be noble, A Strange 
result which was not easily to. be foréseen 
has followed. The distinction of freedom 
induced men to defend liberty ;) tlie distine- 
tion of nobility has induced them to deferid 
a monopoly of power and privilege; and to 
favour a system of political slavery nearly 
as degrading to human nature as the, per-, 
sonal slavery of ancient republics.” fi 
We congratulate ourselves upon such 
sentiments flowing from such a source. 
The nobility of no country can entirely 
become either despised for, its servile 
vices, or abhored for its monopolizing ar- 
rogance, while distinguished individuals 
of its class give currency to such manly 
principles. The rapid sketch which fol- 
lows is as just as it is comprehensive 
and compressive :— 4 
“ The elements of all feudal states) were 
the same ;.a king, , partly hereditary, ant 
partly elected ; .a nobility, sometimes: obe-, 
dient and sometimes independent 5.2 gene- 
ral assembly of clergy, nobles, and people, 
at one time conceding to their sovereign 
power incompatible with freedom, and at 
another depriving him of the authority ne- 
cessary to preserve internal peace. The 
kings of France were surpassed iin 1¢al 
power by many of their vassals: The kitigs 
of Leon ‘and Castile were regularly eleeted 
by the Cortes, and the nobility) of, Arragon) 
formally claimed the privilege .of;,deposing 
their sovereign. _ In those.times wapine,and. 
disorder prevailed ; justice could not berob- 
tained but at the point of the swords license 
was every where, and liberty no where,. 
The invasions of royal prerogative ‘were 
opposed by the excesses of popular tumult : 
commerce and industry were overwhelmed 
by feudal rights, and every order’ of ‘the 
state acqnired the supreme direction of the 
helm of government in turn, only toishew 
itself unworthy to retain it.) iow Hon 
" 47 } 93 Aw 
Upon his Lordship’s ideaof the wisdom. 
of “ constructing stable, government. 
for the nations of ,Europe:by, anjequit: 
able division of the supreme power be- 
between the king, the nobles, and the. 
people,” scepticism. perhaps, may,be any 
duced to make some. pause as, to) the 
degree of its practicability, and, sound 
reason perhaps will be compelled to, the 
silt Senl trca aver conclusion, 
