COMPOUND POLITICAL HEADS. 381 



by a maritime people. Each islet, secure in the midst of its 

 tortuous lagunes, had a popular government of annually- 

 elected tribunes. And these original governments, existing 

 at the time when there came several thousands of fugitives, 

 driven from the mainland by the invading Huns, survived 

 under the form of a rude confederation. As we have 

 eeen happens generally, the union into which these inde 

 pendent little communities were forced for purposes of de 

 fence, was disturbed by feuds ; and it was only under the 

 stress of opposition to aggressing Lombards on the one side 

 and Sclavonic pirates on the other, that a general assembly of 

 nobles, clergy, and citizens, appointed a duke or doge to direct 

 the combined forces and to restrain internal factions : being 

 superior to the tribunes of the united islets and subject only 

 to this body which appointed him. What changes 



subsequently took place how, beyond the restraints imposed 

 by the general assembly, the doge was presently put under 

 the check of two elected councillors, and on important occa 

 sions had to summon the principal citizens how there came 

 afterwards a representative council, which underwent from 

 time to time modifications does not now concern us. Here 

 we have simply to note that; as in preceding cases, the com 

 ponent groups being favourably circumstanced for severally 

 maintaining their independence of one another, the impera 

 tive need for union against enemies initiated a rude compound 

 headship, which, notwithstanding the centralizing effects of 

 war, long maintained itself in one or other form. 



On finding allied results among men of a different race but 

 occupying a similar region, doubts respecting the process of 

 causation must be dissipated. Over the area, half land, half 

 water, formed of the sediment brought down by the Rhine and 

 adjacent rivers, there early existed scattered families. Living 

 on isolated sand-hills, or in huts raised on piles, they were so 

 secure amid their creeks and mud-banks and marshes, that 

 they remained unsubdued by the Romans. Subsisting at first 

 by fishing, with here and there such small agriculture as was 



