^S History of the EiiglisJi Landed Interest. 



glean much valuable and trustworthy information from the 

 writings before us. 



The land, though it varied considerably, was in many re- 

 spects like that of Britain, shagged with forests, deformed by 

 marshes, productive of grain, unkindly to fruit trees, abound- 

 ing in flocks and herds of an inferior type ; ^ and since the 

 orchards and live stock of modern Grermany exhibit no signs 

 of inferiority, we may conclude that its climate, like that of 

 Britain, was more rigorous and humid before it had been 

 opened up and drained. 



The people were brave, chaste, and respectful to women, but 

 indolent, drunken, and gluttonous. Their rulers were here- 

 ditary chieftains, over whom their peoples had no less power 

 than they over their peoples.^ Their bravest men became 

 generals, their priests judges, and the powers of life and death 

 were vested in the hands of magistrates. 



The open-air assemblies, which in Anglo-Saxon days became 

 the Folkmote, are fully described. About the -^ affairs of little 

 moment the chiefs are allowed to consult and settle ; but on 

 those of importance the whole community in open assembly 

 at fixed periods alone can decide. They all attend with 

 weapons, their priest proclaims silence, the chief and the great 

 men address them, and they signify their approval or the 

 reverse by the clash of arms. The council listens to disputes 

 and criminal charges, and fines or punishes the guilty. Chiefs 

 are elected to administer justice in the districts and villages, 

 who each preside over a council composed of one hundred 

 popular representatives.^ Tacitus ^ draws attention to the 

 complete absence of German cities, and describes the villages, 

 not laid out in rows as in Italy, but every house surrounded 

 by a vacant space, either by way of security against fire, or 

 from ignorance in the economy of building. They knew 

 nothing about bricks and masonry, but coated parts of their 

 buildings with a shiny earth. They resorted to artificial caves 

 in times of cold or danger, and stored their corn underground. 



' Tacitus, Germania, chap. v. ^ Tacitus, Germania, chap. xi. 



^ Csesar, Bell. Gall., v. 27. " Ibid., chap. xii. 



* Ibid., chap. xvi. 



