1808.] 
oe ae 
PROCEEDINGS OF LEARNED SOCIETIES. 
THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF 
. FRANCE, 
NOTICE of the LABOURS of the CLASS of 
MORAL and POLITICAL SCIENCES, 
during the FIRST QUARTERLY SITTING 
of YEAR 11, by CITIZEN DAUNOU, one 
of the SECRETARIES. 
On the GOVERNMENT of FRANCE under 
the TWO FIRST DYNASTIES, by Cl- 
TIZEN LEVESQUE. 
HE clafs has already heard the firtt 
chapters of this work, and had in- 
vited Citizen Levefque to read extracts of 
it in the public fitting of the 21lt Nivofe. 
The object of the firft chapter is to 
prove that the feoda!, or feudai, govern- 
ment was brought into Gaul by the con- 
querors, by thofe Franks who conftituted 
a part of the Germanic nations, and whofe 
manners pretty nearly refembled thole of 
the hordes of Northern Afia at this day. 
We find, in faé&t, among thefe latter, a 
gort of feudal regimen, or, at lea(t, the 
germs, or feminal principles of feodality. 
The Khan exercifes an empire, more or 
lefs abfolute.over the whole tribe; his 
power is hereditary, as was that of the 
Franks’ kings. It is evident, that in 
Afiay as it was in France at the period 
coeval with the firft dynafty, infants in the 
cradle were recognized as heirs of the 
crown of their father, and as chiefs of a 
whole tribe, or people. All the fons of 
the Khan receive, with the title of Sultan, 
certain portions of fovereignty; each ex- 
ercifes over a part of the horde, a power 
more or lefs dependant on that of the chief 
of the whole horde. Such were,in the age of 
Clovis, thofe inferior kings, chieftains, or 
reguli, who were all of his blood. The 
poiterity of the Khans forms the nobleffe of 
the higheft rank ; the mourzas are vafials 
of an inferior order; fimilar gradations 
exifted among the conquerors of the 
Gauls. 
Among thofe wandering tribes, which 
are inceflantly moving about in quelt of 
trefh pafturage, the fiefs, which cannot be 
attached to lands, are attached to men. 
The fultans hold of the Khan, the 
mourzas either of the Khan or of fome of 
the fultans ; other proprietors of men hold 
of the mourzas. Thus vaffalage and ar- 
riere vaflalage are to be found even in the 
~ wilds of Afia. 
When with a fimilar regimen, tribes of 
the Germanic race had eftablifhed them- 
felves in a country conquered by them, 
each warrior, whether a vafial or arriere- 
vaflal, withed to fecure the fame advan- 
tages as he had enjoyed in the aamade 
life: He found them in the divifion of 
the foil. The portion of the foil that fell 
to him was his aledinm, or lot, alod, aleu. 
In the times of the wandering hordes, 
the chieftains had particularly attached 
certain individuals to themlelves, by be- 
nefices or benefits, which confifted then 
in apparel, arms, horfes, and baggage. 
Thefe benefices became, in a fedentary 
life, aleux, or portions of lots. The be- 
neficiary was the maz of the benefactor, 
which the German language exprefied by 
the words Juden, luyden, (leude;) the fame 
idea was rendered, under the fecond race, 
by the words wan, and vafal. That 
which, under the firft dynaity, was called 
irujflis (foi ov faith) was called homagtum 
under the fucceeding one. No change had 
taken piace unlefs in the names. 
~ The kings, in granting thele benefices, 
neglected to infure the reverfion of them ; 
or rather the vaffals, having grown more 
powerful, flighted that engagement. Thus 
the kings had ruined themfelves, and only 
raifed up a number of ingrates. 
Charles Martel, Mayor of the Palace, 
was, likewife, rich enough to difribute a 
part of his fortune in benefices, and pow- 
erful enough to remunerate his warriors 
with the goods of the church; but he had 
fufficient forefight to {tipulate for the va- 
jue of the fervices to be paid by thofe who 
fhould enjoy his benefits, It was he who 
gave laws to that feodal regimen which 
was coeval with the monarchy. This re- 
gimen was extended under Louis le De- 
bennaire, and compleated under Charles 
the Bald ; and all the abufes of which it 
was the fource, were brought to a fort of 
crifis under Charles the Simple. 
The ariftocracy which the poffeffors of 
allodial lands and fiefs formed in the ftate, 
had not fufficient power to reprefs the ex- 
ceffes of the fovereigns. Citizen Levefque 
proves, by a number of examples, that in 
thofe dark ages there was no autherity 
but a ferocious kind of defpotiim, fome- 
times difturbed by the turbulence of the 
fubje&t, but never properly checked by the 
acknowledged rights of citizens. 
The fervitude of the glebe is the fubjeét 
matter of the fecond chapter of the work 
of Citizen Levefque. We find here, that 
if certain individuals enjoyed then a part 
of the rights of citizenfhip, it was only in 
I2 the 
