402 POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS. 



says, he is to be considered as trustee for the group, still his 

 trusteeship joins with his military headship in giving him 

 supremacy. At a later stage, when lands come to be occupied 

 by settled families and communities, and land-ownership 

 gains definiteness, this union of traits in each head of a group 

 becomes more marked ; and, as was shown when treating of 

 the differentiation of nobles from freemen, several influences 

 conspire to give the eldest son of the eldest, superiority in 

 extent of landed possessions, as well as in degree of power. 

 Nor is this fundamental relation changed when a nobility of 

 service replaces a nobility of birth, and when, as presently 

 happens, the adherents of a conquering invader are rewarded 

 by portions of the subjugated territory. Throughout, the 

 tendency continues to be for the class of military superiors 

 to be identical with the class of large landowners. 



It follows, then, that beginning with the assemblage of 

 armed freemen, all of them holding land individually or in 

 groups, whose council of leaders, deliberating in presence of 

 the rest, are distinguished only as being the most capable 

 warriors, there will, through frequent wars and progressing 

 consolidations, be produced a state in which this council of 

 leaders becomes further distinguished by the greater estates, 

 and consequent greater powers, of its members. Becom 

 ing more and more contrasted with the armed freemen at 

 large, the consultative body will tend gradually to subor 

 dinate it, and, eventually separating itself, will acquire inde 

 pendence. 



The growth of this temporary council of war in which the 

 king, acting as general, summons to give their advice the 

 leaders of his forces, into the permanent consultative body ID 

 which the king, in his capacity of ruler, presides over the 

 deliberations of the same men on public affairs at large, is 

 exemplified in various parts of the world. The consultative 

 bod}&amp;gt;- is everywhere composed of minor chiefs, or heads of 

 clans, or feudal lords, in whom the military and civil rule of 

 local groups is habitually joined with wide possessions; and 



