CEREMONY IN GENERAL. ? 



pressed. While each man was left to guard himself, and 

 blood-feuds between families were unchecked by the central 

 power while the right of private vengeance was so well 

 recognized that the Salic law made it penal to carry off ene 

 mies heads from the stakes on which they were exhibited 

 near the dwellings of those who had killed them ; there was 

 a rigorous demanding of oaths of fidelity to political supe 

 riors and periodic manifestations of loyalty. Simple 

 homage, growing presently into liege homage, was paid by 

 smaller rulers to greater; and the vassal who, kneeling un- 

 girt and swordless before his suzerain, professed his subjec 

 tion and then entered on possession of his lands, was little 

 interfered with so long as he continued to display his vas 

 salage in court and in camp. Refusal to go through the re 

 quired observances was tantamount to rebellion; as at the 

 present time in China, where disregard of the forms of be 

 haviour prescribed towards each grade of officers, a is con 

 sidered to be nearly equivalent to a rejection of their author 

 ity.&quot; Among peoples in lower stages this connexion of so 

 cial traits is still better shown. The extreme ceremonious- 

 ness of the Tahitians, &quot; appears to have accompanied them 

 to the temples, to have distinguished the homage and the 

 service they rendered to their gods, to have marked their 

 affairs of state, and the carriage of the people toward their 

 rulers, to have pervaded the whole of their social inter 

 course.&quot; Meanwhile, they were destitute &quot; of even oral 

 laws and institutes: &quot; there was no public administration of 

 justice. Again, if any one in Tonga neglected the proper 

 salute in presence of a superior noble, some calamity from 

 the gods was expected as a punishment for the omission; 

 and Mariner s list of Tongan virtues commences with &quot; pay 

 ing respect to the gods, nobles, and aged persons.&quot; When 

 to this we add his statement that many actions reprobated by 

 the Tongans are not thought intrinsically wrong, but are 

 wrong merely if done against gods or nobles, we get proof 

 that along with high development of ceremonial control, 



