192 



A HISTORY OF CAVALRY. [period ii. 



cities against the great barons, in the disputes which 

 continually arose between the crown and the nobles, took 

 these free communities under their protection,' and 

 guaranteed them against the encroachments of the feudal 

 chiefs. Philip Augustus granted letters of safe-guard to 

 communities dependent upon barons, while in the next 

 reign Louis VIII. pretended to the immediate sovereignty 

 over all chartered towns, in exclusion of their original lords. 



The security of these cities and the freedom enjoyed by 

 the inhabitants caused numbers to avail themselves of the 

 great inducements held out, and to become citizens. The 

 population was swelled in this way until the free cities 

 became exceedingly powerful, and began to raise armies, 

 and to make separate alliances with foreign states. 



Although these changes were more of a political than 

 of a military character, they yet had a most important 

 influence upon the art of war, and for a time affected very 

 materially the relative values of the infantry and cavalry 

 services. 



We have seen that the Crusades had a tendency to 

 weaken the feudal principle, and to accustom the minds 

 of all classes to a voluntary stipendiary service, in place 

 of one of absolute obligation. The circumstances of the 

 Crusades rendered this inevitable. The increasing power of 

 the crown also enabled the kings to establish a mercenary 

 in place of a feudal army. This they did very willingly, 

 for they naturally preferred the obedience and dis- 

 cipline of the one to the insubordination and freedom 

 of the other. 



The wars of England, in Normandy and other parts of 

 France, under Henry II. and Richard L, could not be 

 carried on by troops gathered for forty days under the 

 feudal system. The custom therefore soon arose of 

 retaining the troops over the stipulated time by the 

 allowance of a certain rate of pay. This was soon 

 followed by the tenant buying relief from service with 

 money, which the king employed to pay those willing to 

 serve. 



The cities also raising large bodies of troops found that 



' Hallam, i. 2oB. 



