COMPOUND POLITICAL HEADS. 385 



sentiments appropriate to it, and no conception of anything 

 else, the fall of one despot is at once followed by the rise of 

 another ; or, if a large personally-governed empire collapses, 

 its parts severally generate governments for themselves of 

 like kind. But among less servile peoples, the breaking up 

 of political systems having single heads, is apt to be followed 

 by the establishment of others having compound heads; 

 especially where there is a simultaneous separation into parts 

 which have not local governments of stable kinds. Under 

 such circumstances there is a return to the primitive state. 

 The pre-existing regulative system having fallen, the members 

 of the community are left without any controlling power save 

 the aggregate will ; and political organization having to com 

 mence afresh, the form first assumed is akin to that which we 

 see in the assembly of the savage horde, or in the modern 

 public meeting. Whence there presently results the rule of 

 a select few subject to the approval of the many. 



In illustration may first be taken the rise of the Italian 

 republics. When, during the ninth and tenth centuries, the 

 German Emperors, who had long been losing their power to 

 restrain local antagonisms in Italy and the outrages of 

 wandering robber bands, failed more than ever to protect 

 their subject communities, and, as a simultaneous result, 

 exercised diminished control over them ; it became at once 

 necessary and practicable for the Italian towns to develop 

 political organizations of their own. Though in these towns 

 there were remnants of the old Roman organization, this had 

 obviously become effete ; for, in time of danger, there was an 

 assembling of &quot;citizens at the sound of a great bell, to 

 concert together the means for their common defence.&quot; 

 Doubtless on such occasions were marked out the rudiments 

 of those republican constitutions which afterwards arose. 

 Though it is alleged that the German Emperors allowed the 

 towns to form these constitutions, yet we may reasonably 

 conclude, rather, that having no care further than to get their 

 tribute, they made no efforts to prevent the towns from 



