208 France. 



Romans, who had for 500 years kept the Gallo- 

 Celtic population under their rule; and these were 

 followed by Visigoths and Franks, who in turn took 

 possession of the country. The conquerors did not 

 drive out the Gallo-Romans, but merely quartered 

 themselves on them under the euphemistic title of 

 "guests," assuming to themselves two-thirds of each 

 estate, and leaving the remainder to their "hosts." On 

 these lands, undoubtedly, similar economic and social 

 institutions were developed as in Germany. Com- 

 munal ownership under these was at first developed 

 to such an extent that the Salic laws declared all trees 

 which were not reserved by special sign as subject 

 to the use of all and any of the Markers. But later, 

 as in Germany, the socialistic Mark was followed 

 by the feudal system with its ban forests and the 

 creation of great landed proprietors or lords. 



When Clovis, the king of the Franks, in the first 

 decade of the 6th century defeated the Visigoths and 

 took possession of the country (see p. 29), he found 

 communal forests of the villagers (vicus), property 

 of seigneurs (equites), royal forests and State forests, 

 remnants of Roman origin. The latter properties 

 and much of the Mark forests he claimed for himself 

 and divided two-thirds among his vassals; but the 

 larger part of the other third became also gradually 

 property of the nobility and church, so that, by the 

 12th century, only a relatively small royal property 

 remained. Afterwards, the royal or State property 

 grew again in various ways, as the power of the kings 

 grew. In 1539, Francis I declared the same in- 

 alienable. But neither himself nor his successors paid 



