THE CASTLE KINGS. 301 



titioned the land in the same manner as they parti- 

 tioned the cattle and the slaves, the gold crosses, the 

 silver chalices, the vases, the tapestry, the fine linen, 

 and the purple robes. An immense region was 

 allotted to the king; other tracts of various sizes. to 

 the . generals and captains (or chiefs and chieftains) 

 according to their number of men whom they had 

 brought into the field ; and each private soldier re- 

 ceived a piece of ground. But the army, although 

 disbanded, was not extinct ; its members remained 

 under martial law : the barons or generals were bound 

 to obey the king when he summoned them to war ; 

 the soldiers to obey their ancient chiefs. Sometimes 

 the king and the great barons gave lands to favourites 

 and friends on similar conditions, and at a later period 

 money was paid instead of military service, thus 

 originating Rent. 



The nobles of Roman Gaul lived within the city 

 except during the villeggiatura in the autumn. The 

 German lords preferred the country, and either fortified 

 the Roman villas, or built new castles of their own. 

 They surrounded themselves with a boctyguard of per- 

 sonal retainers ; their prisoners of war were made to till 

 the ground as serfs. And soon they reduced to much the 

 same condition the German soldiers, and seized their 

 humble lands. In that troubled age none could hold pro- 

 perty except by means of the strong arm. Men found 

 it difficult to preserve their lives, and often presented 

 their bodies to some powerful lord in return for pro- 

 tection, in return for daily bread. The power of 

 the king was nominal : sovereignty was broken and 

 dispersed : Europe was divided amongst castles : and 

 in each castle was a prince who owned no authority 

 above his own, who held a high court of justice in his 



