CONSULTATIVE BODIES. 409 



armed freemen included in a large society, could they be 

 gathered, would be prevented from taking active part in the 

 proceedings, both by its size and by its lack of organization. 

 A multitude consisting of those who have come from scattered 

 points over a wide country, mostly unknown to one another 

 unable to hold previous communication and therefore without 

 plans, as well as without leaders, cannot cope with the rela 

 tively small but well-organized body of those having common 

 ideas and acting in concert. 



Nor should there be omitted the fact that when the causes 

 above named have conspired to decrease the attendance of 

 men in arms who live afar off, and when there grows up the 

 usage of summoning the more important among them, it 

 naturally happens that in course of time the receipt of a 

 summons becomes the authority for attendance, and the 

 absence of a summons becomes equivalent to the absence of 

 a right to attend. 



Here, then, are several influences, all directly or indirectly 

 consequent upon war, which join in differentiating the con 

 sultative body from the mass of armed freemen out of which 

 it arises. 



494. Given the ruler, and given the consultative body 

 thus arising, there remains to ask What are the causes of 

 change in their relative powers ? Always between these two 

 authorities there must be a struggle each trying to subordi 

 nate the other. Under what conditions, then, is the king 

 enabled to over-ride the consultative body ? and under what 

 conditions is the consultative body enabled to over-ride the 

 king ? 



A belief in the superhuman nature of the king gives him 

 an immense advantage in the contest for supremacy. If he is 

 god-descended, open opposition to his will by his advisers is 

 out of the question ; and members of his council, singly or in 

 combination, dare do no more than tender humble advice. 

 Moreover, if the line of succession is so settled that there 



